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VIDEO: Minagoroshi-hen | Day 15 Part 3 BGM: Silence SFX: Cars    "You've sent four officers there... They're probably pretty worn out by now. Hopefully Furude-san ordered them something to eat."Ooishi and Kumagai had passed through Okinomiya and were getting closer and closer to Hinamizawa. They hurried on their way, driving through the dark streets. "I wonder what Rika Furude wants to talk to you about..." "Probably something outrageous. ...That village, you know, used to be called Onigafuchi Village. They took the name Onigafuchi, the "Demon's Abyss", from the local swamp." "And like an abyss, it's hard to know its depth, huh? ...What are you planning to do about her protection?" "Depending on what she tells us, we might have to move her to a safer location. The whole of Hinamizawa is like a lion's den. You never know what can happen in that village. For now, we just need to hear what she has to say." "The head of the Furude family is in danger, and the successor of the Sonozaki family is trying to protect her. ...Who would even be capable of killing Rika Furude under those circumstances? The only people I can think of are the Kimiyoshi family." "I've never heard of them getting up to anything fishy... I guess there must be a fanatical religious sect lurking in the village... I wonder what secret lies at the bottom of that swamp."The road they were on was cutting through the rice fields. ...Leading them to pass by the scene of Jirou Tomitake's murder.  "They didn't find anything, but that doesn't prove it either way. There are hundreds of strange chemicals in this world. There's no proof that a drug wasn't used. It must just be one that we're not aware of. I'm sure of that.” “There must be some kind of drug out there that can make someone claw out their throat and die. I'm going to grill the culprit about it once I make the arrest. Of course, it would be easier if that's what Rika Furude is going to tell me. ...Kuma-chan, you must have learned exactly how false charges are made, seeing what happened in Gifu today." "Hahahaha. That was horrible. If that guy was at our station, I'd never forgive him." "He flat out refused to admit he made a mistake. The Gifu police department as a whole is still convinced that the body belongs to Miyo Takano. But we'll operate under the assumption that she lives. The top of the department will make the final decision. It's obvious that they made a simple mistake. They're just desperately covering it up because they'll be in trouble if they admit it. They really need to rethink their attitude." The concrete road had ended, leaving only gravel. At the point where the gravel road begins, you're officially in Hinamizawa. They continued to drive through the woods for a while.  "......Kuma-chan. Stop the car!" "What?"Ooishi had told him to stop immediately. Kumagai quickly slammed on the brakes. Their seatbelts tightened up, keeping them in their seats.  "...That car over there... I wonder what it's doing."Ooishi tapped on the rearview mirror. There was a van parked just off the road. SFX: Crickets Rather beat up, it looked like it was used for a private company. There was no reason for someone to park their car here, especially at this time of night. ...Kumagai also thought it looked suspicious. The car seemed empty, but there was a light flashing in the woods nearby. ...Probably a flashlight.  "It's like I keep telling you. A detective always has to pay attention to his surroundings. ...I wonder what he's doing there. Is he dumping something illegally? Is he dumping someone's body? Maybe it's a pair of lovebirds on a secret date? Well, that can't be it, judging by the van.” ’’...Hello, Okinomiya Security? Do you read me? Na ha ha, good evening, and good night." "I need a license number scanned. XX XX-XXXX." "That's XX XX-XXXX? It might take a while." "We'll wait." "Ooishi-san, according to this map, there's a facility of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation here." "What in the world is a "facility" of the NTT?"It was listed as a facility, but it wasn't staffed; it was just a place where machines were installed. Kumagai wasn't sure how telephone lines actually work, but either way it seemed like some kind of connecting device was located there. "But that's just an ordinary van. It doesn't look like it belongs to the NTT." "If it is them, shouldn't their name should be on the van...?" "...Maybe some other company is contracted to do it. Anyway, we should just go and ask." After all, why would any phone company go to do maintenance so late at night? "Let's go and check what's going on. Furude-san is waiting for us, so we need to be fast." "Yes sir."His well-honed detective instinct was trying to tell him something. This feeling wasn't one that Ooishi could easily explain. He has a strong sense that something was suspicious, without any real reasoning behind it. ...Ooishi trusted that he could judge others' character with that sense. BGM: White Mist Peak -Pure White-  It was pitch-black, yet they could see the two newcomers clearly. They were probably using a night vision scope. "Roger. Attention, all units. Nightingales 2 through 5, wait for the green light. Nightingales 7 and 8, make sure the surrounding 100m are clear." "Roger. Nightingale 4 and 5, do you copy?" "Nightingale 4, roger." "Nightingale 5, roger." "Nightingale 7, roger." "Nightingale 8, roger." "This is Nightingale from HQ, Nightingale from HQ... There's been some trouble during the modification of the phone facility. They're two police detectives. We request clearance to open fire." "Roger. Wait for the order." There were two pairs of binoculars and two sniper rifles pointing at them. The Mountain Dog operatives worked in two-man units, a sniper and spotter, to secure the means of retreat. They had all taken different positions, so that they could shoot Ooishi no matter where he tried to run. They were all in camouflage suits, hiding deep in the woods. Ooishi, of course, had no chance of spotting them. The snipers had their rifles trained on the detectives' heads. ...Ooishi and Kumagai had no idea... that they were on the verge of losing their very lives. The snipers' rifles had their safeties on, but a flick of their thumbs would release them. In other words, they were ready to shoot if given the order...  There was a sign there saying that it was the property of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, and another sign warning people to keep away.  "...Sorry, but could you step back? We're in middle of a maintenance operation."There were four men working there, wearing blue overalls. They had a toolbox open, and were working on some wires. "Sorry to interrupt.” ”We're from the police. We were wondering what you guys were doing, since it's pretty strange to see a van parked out here." "Good evening, officers. We're almost finished here." "Who are you guys? You're not from the NTT, are you?" "Oh, we're not, no. We're from Okonogi Electrics. ...Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm out of business cards." "Okonogi Electrics... Where's your office located?" "...Er? Well, it's in Okinomiya..." "Could you give me the phone number and address of your office?" "...W... Why do you want to know?" Ooishi looked at them with a piercing glare. Their response was very suspicious. Usually, the vehicle of an electric company is full of various types of electrical equipment and repair tools. However, the van parked there had nothing inside, and it looked just like an ordinary car. Also, a company vehicle usually has the name of the company painted on it. ...But this one was just a plain van with no markings on it. None of that was the reason that Ooishi found them suspicious, though. It was their attitude that bothered him. They didn't sound nor look like typical contractors. They were obviously not electricians. It was far too late in the day, and there were far too many of them. They were also clearly suspicious of Ooishi. However, that was all he could tell just by looking around. He found them suspicious, but had no idea what they were up to.  Kumagai wrote down the number so he could ask the station to call and confirm it was real. "We're not doing anything suspicious..." "Na ha ha ha! You guys are very suspicious! Who are you?” ”If you're really a contractor, you should have proof of that. But you don't have anything. Besides, everything about you seems off." "...Officer... please don't cause us any trouble... Just leave us alone. We need to finish up our job here..."Judging from their progress, it didn't look like they'd be cleaning up any time soon. In fact, it almost seemed like they were just getting started.  Ooishi raised his voice threateningly. The members of the Mountain Dogs gradually started to look more and more annoyed... Ooishi looked over their expressions and gave them a big wide grin. However, Ooishi had no idea. He thought he could handle these suspicious people with no issues. Of course, in reality, they were horrific demons that he had no chance against.  He was going to call the station using the radio. Then, in turn, the police department would contact the NTT. ......That way, it would become clear who they were really dealing with. SFX: Shrine Bells  "Nightingale 7, clear." "Nightingale 8, clear."The sniper was still aiming at Kumagai's head as he headed back toward their car. The safety, that last line protecting Kumagai's life, was disengaged. The sniper put his finger on the trigger. He was wearing a glove with the fingertips cut out. The finger poking through the hole was very rough and merciless. For as soon as he slightly moved that finger, he would take someone's life. "Nightingale 1 to sniper team, all green." It was similar to the sound of the jump rope that he used to use as a whip when he was little. ...And that was the last thought Kumagai had in this world. Kumagai collapsed onto the gravel. That was it. He didn't even twitch.  Ooishi was laying on his back on the concrete after getting shot in the chest. His lungs were filled with blood, which began to pour out of his mouth. ...Ooishi only realized that he'd been shot when the world began to blur before his eyes... As his world keeled over, he saw a man in a work uniform leveling a gun at him, but it didn't matter anymore as he started drowning on his own blood...  “.........Did we lose the signal or something............? ...Detective Ooishi, come in............" "Ooishi-san wanted a plate number scanned? Whose car is it?" "It's just a villager's car. ...No one special." "...Who is it? It must be someone suspicious if Ooishi-san is asking about them." "It really seems like nobody out of the ordinary. No accidents... No tickets..." "Ha ha ha... He probably got pissed off after that car passed him or something. He can be a pretty stubborn guy sometimes." "Roger. Be sure to dispose of their vehicle. Major, Nightingale just terminated two officers. They're resuming their mission." "Absolutely. This is getting complicated. There are still several officers at R's house, and her friends are there as well. R must know that she's getting murdered tonight. Someone is leaking information. I think we should postpone the plan." "We have to have her corpse by tomorrow. That's what's most convenient for the people in charge. We have to execute this mission tonight."The crucial part of this final mission was the death of Rika and what came after that. They couldn't just kill her whenever they wanted. Doing it at the right time was vital. "Maybe she's panicking at the Dogs' excessive security?"  “She's the queen. She's the genuine heir to the blood of Oyashiro-sama, her priestess, and the queen positioned at the top of Hinamizawa's supernatural phenomena. It's impossible to hide things from God. Assassinating Rika Furude won't be so easy....Hee hee. All right, Rika-chan.” ”Let's see which of us deserves to inherit the legend of Oyashiro-sama. Your death will be the final curse of Oyashiro-sama, and it will mark the finale of this legendary village. When that happens, my plan will become the real curse. Hee hee hee hee!"- - - BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  Mion ordered some noodles for us. Her treat. We also ordered some food for the four officers, and we all ate together. We were supposed to call it a night as soon as we talked to Ooishi, but he's still not here. However, we all took it easy, assuming that they'd get here sooner or later. It's getting late. Once you get to Hinamizawa, there aren't many places to get something to eat. I'm sure they're having a quick dinner before coming here. However, the four officers seem anxious. They all had families, but Ooishi didn't tell them how late they'd have to be out here. They're hoping that Ooishi will bring other officers to relieve them so they can go home. They called the station, but all they said was that Ooishi was on his way, and we should wait, because he'll be here soon.    "Those officers have been here since this afternoon, right? They must be tired by now..." "I know. It sucks that they don't even know when they can go home." "Should we patrol outside so they can get some rest? We can have Satoko set up some traps to prevent strangers from coming in here." "Oh ho ho! Good thinking, Shion-san! However, just think... this is our house. We already have several traps set up around this place!" "R-Really? We should be careful when we're around here..."With our stomachs full, the mood in the house had returned to a lighthearted one. True, we shouldn't be so relaxed, but knowing that Ooishi would be here shortly made us feel relieved.  He said he'd be here in an hour. Mion mentioned he might have gotten stuck in traffic. But I'm sure Ooishi was considering that. That's why he told me it'd take him about an hour. And it had now been one hour since the time Ooishi was supposed to get here. ......I want to believe that he's getting something to eat on the way, but I'm starting to get concerned.    The officers are completely exhausted. They had even started to smoke cigarettes outside. My friends are becoming tired, too. Satoko is yawning. It's way past our bedtime. Everyone else is getting tired and sleepy. We've been spending our time watching TV and reading manga. I can feel my fear succumbing to sleepiness. Today is almost over. I'm going to survive the day I'm supposed to die. Does that mean that I escaped my deadly fate? No... I'll have to fight endlessly from tomorrow on. ...I was going to discuss that with Ooishi. Since he's not here, I don't know what to do from this point on... SFX: Phone    "I'm sorry to call you this late. This is Komiyama calling from the Okinomiya police department. By any chance, is Detective Ooishi there with you?" "...No. We've been waiting for him for a long time." "I see... We'll send out more officers, so will you tell the ones there to leave once their relief comes?" "...Okay, I'll do that. ....So, where is Ooishi...?" "We got a call from him this evening saying he was heading there directly, so we thought he'd be with you already. The officers were supposed to return after Ooishi arrived, but they haven't come back, so we were wondering what was going on."That's what I'd like to know, but arguing with the man on the phone wouldn't accomplish anything. I hung up and gave the message to the officers downstairs. It looked like everyone already heard our exchange on the phone.   "Maybe he ran into some important case that he had to take care of." "He would have called us if so. He told us that he was on his way. I think he'd call us if something was going on..." "Was he attacked by Tokyo...?" "No way... ahahahahaha!” ”But... If they're really as scary as Rika-chama told us... that might be possible." "...He probably had something to take care of. I bet he forgot to call us. Remember, he's a tough guy! No one can take him down that easily!" Satoko yawned. Everyone laughs, but some of them are trying not to yawn themselves. We can't stay up forever. We decided that we'd call it a night once the replacement officers arrived. I'm sure I've survived past the time I was supposed to die. That's probably because the police were protecting me. Perhaps both Takano and the Mountain Dogs are also on my side, and they took care of the murderer... I don't know who is changing my fate... Maybe my fate hasn't been changed, and I'm going to get killed soon anyway. I don't know if it's because of the police or because of the Mountain Dogs, but the only thing I know for sure is that I'm still alive. Soon, I heard the noise of someone walking on the gravel on the shrine grounds. One of my friends suggested that is might be Ooishi, but I doubt it. I don't want to expect him and be disappointed when it's not... I'm starting to think like Hanyuu.  It wasn't Ooishi. Two of his fellow detectives had arrived instead. They were going to stay downstairs and have the four officers return home. They also told my friends to leave. "We'll stay here to protect her, so please go home. Your families must be worried about you." "......Thank you so much, everyone. The detectives are here, so I'm okay now." "......I'm fine. Besides, I don't have any extra pajamas and blankets for you guys." "See you tomorrow, then. We'll try and stay with you as much as we can from now on. How about we do club activities here, after school?" "That would be wonderful!" "......Meep. My floor might break with all these people here." "Wa ha ha ha! It might really break!" "......I'll be careful." "All right. See you tomorrow." "...Yes. See you tomorrow."See you tomorrow. ...Am I really going to see them tomorrow...? ...I have no clue. I've tried so many things over the past one hundred years. I've done many things, and I have memories of most of them. That's why I feel so scared on the day I die... it's the only day that I have no memory of. I don't even know if I'm approaching or escaping my death right now. All I know is that this fear is going to continue until I find some kind of solution...  She was thinking that I should remain dressed, just in case someone tries to attack me in my sleep. It sounded ridiculous, but she was just trying to be considerate. I decided to do what she told me to. Satoko seemed so sleepy until a few minutes ago, but she suddenly started passionately explaining to me all the traps she set on the shrine grounds. She assured me that strangers will end up trapped if they tried to sneak inside this building. To someone else, it might sound like she was just trying to brag, but Satoko was trying to make me feel better. ......After everyone else left, she noticed how scared I looked. Satoko's kindness, and everyone else's kindness. I feel it was the right decision for me to talk to my friends. Even if that won't end up changing my fate.  Hanyuu showed up again. She looked upset, so she was probably still thinking that I could get killed at any minute. But I'm actually starting to feel a little better... I might get killed tomorrow, but I feel like I can rest safely at least tonight. I'm more concerned about the fact that Ooishi didn't show up. Still, even if he didn't, the other detectives are here, and will stay on guard downstairs without sleeping. As long as they're here, I think I'll be safe tonight. "...What's wrong? Are you hungry? I didn't eat anything sweet today. Do you want me to drink some juice?"Hanyuu would usually cheer right up when I suggested drinking some juice... but not this time. Her face looked pale... as if she wasn't even alive. Something out of the ordinary had clearly happened.  "What's wrong?" BGM: Gray That sounded far more like a declaration than a prediction. Even Hanyuu doesn't have any memories of my death. There's no way she can tell when I will be killed. ......However, she sounded so certain just now. Perhaps... we can feel it in the very cells of our body. Our bodies understand fate far better than we do. Up until now I felt reassured, that we could get through it somehow if we're all together. But as I clung to that life preserver with a hole leaking air... I was starting to drown in a sea of despair, and struggling to keep my head above water. No, I can't let myself feel that way...!! I have to believe!   "............."Hanyuu just gave me a look of faint sadness. That silence told me that my pitiful hope was going to push me down into a futile reality. I stared at Satoko as she continued to brag about her traps. ...If I'm getting killed shortly, Satoko won't be safe either. I quickly interrupted her talk about traps. - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets   As it's hardly a big city, 1 AM in Hinamizawa is the middle of the night. The darkness here gets very deep. There was light leaking out from the first floor where two detectives sat on guard, but everything else was pitch black. Even the moonlight seemed indistinct. BGM: White Mist Peak -Pure White-  "...What a beautiful night. You have permission to engage." "...Should we terminate the detectives?" "Yes. Everyone in the Furude shrine will be demoned away tonight. ...It's better that way." "HQ to Phoenix. Commence the mission. Terminate the two detectives. You do not have permission to fire. I repeat, you do not have permission to fire your weapons. HQ to Nightingale. Phoenix has commenced the mission. Shut down the phone lines." "Roger. We're shutting them down."They had been working to disable the phone lines, just in case their target tried to contact the police during the attack. That mission was what Ooishi happened to bump into.   “Do not fire your weapons or use any gas. Use your tasers. Remember, they have guns. Do not let them fire." "Come on, don't embarrass me, Okonogi. Hee hee." "I'm just doing my job. Phoenix 7 and 8, advance forward. Backup teams, secure the perimeter." "Roger. We're heading in now." The Mountain Dogs' uniform is gray, so it didn't blend in with their surroundings at all. However, it doesn't look as suspicious as real camouflage suits. ......Of course, they looked suspicious enough creeping up to the house like that anyway. They could both see light leaking from the door and hear the voices of the detectives. Rika would typically use this sliding door to get inside. The door was locked, but the Mountain Dogs had obtained a spare key a long time ago. They put the key in the keyhole, but it wouldn't go in smoothly. They were certain it would make some kind of noise when they turned it. The detectives would notice them the minute they did that. They'd have to rush inside and defeat them in one swift burst. Phoenixes 7 and 8 glanced at each other. "This is Phoenix 7. We've arrived at the target location. Waiting for your command." "...Takano here. ...Make it nice and clean. Go ahead." "Roger. We're breaking in!" He turned the key in a hurry and opened the lock. By the time the detectives turned around, the door was already open and the two Mountain Dogs had stepped inside. They had aimed their weapons at the detectives while the latter were still turning around. In a fight like that, the first two seconds are the most crucial moments. "Ugh!!"The detectives collapsed, making minimal noise. There were needles stuck in their bodies, and those needles were connected via wires to the attackers' guns. In other words, the weapons those two had weren't ordinary guns. They were stun guns in the shape of firearms. Instead of bullets, they shoot out electric needles that electrocute their victims into unconsciousness. Normally they would be nonlethal weapons that allow the shooter to capture their victim without harming them much, but their tasers had been modified. The two Dogs started walking up the stairs as soon as they confirmed that the detectives were no longer breathing. But in the next moment, they heard a loud noise above them.  "Attention, Phoenix 4 and 5. They're heading your way. Capture them!!" "Roger, let's go!"Phoenix 4 spotted the two girls and started after them, but he suddenly stepped on something hard. Pow pow pow!! With a cheap-sounding explosion, the area was filled with smoke. That was the trap Satoko had set using firecrackers. That had proven to be a very fortunate idea. The Mountain Dogs dropped to the ground, assuming that they were under fire. That gave Rika and Satoko a chance to escape.   "......I think so. Just run! We're dead if they catch us!" "This is Phoenix 5. Someone was shooting at us! R has escaped. We'll continue the pursuit!!" "Sh-poo poo! They were just some firecrackers! drat it!!" "Heh heh heh heh... That must be Satoko-chan's handiwork. She's pretty good... hee hee." "...What?! Hurry up! Don't let them escape inside someone's house!" "This is Phoenix 18! I've spotted the target! I need some backup!!" "They know this area very well. If we don't get them now, we'll definitely lose them."This wasn't a game of hide and seek. It was a game of tag. Several men in uniform were chasing after Rika and Satoko. ...They weren't idiots, so they didn't waste energy on a futile act of shouting "wait." This was a quiet, deadly game of tag in the middle of the night.  "......Let's, let's split up to try and shake them off! We'll meet at Mii's house! Her basement will be safe, and we can contact the police from there!!"Satoko had no idea that Mion had a basement in her house, but she didn't have time to ask anything about it under her current circumstances. All she did was nod. Bang!! The next moment, I felt my left foot catch on something, and I fell down to the ground. I must have tripped on a rock or a piece of concrete...  "Get out of here, Satoko!! You'll be killed!!"But Satoko wouldn't move on without me. She came back to lend me a hand. I stood up without her help, but this cost us too much time. One of the men had almost caught up with us. I didn't know what to do. ...But Satoko, upon seeing him, quickly reacted!  "Aaaaaaaaaah!!!" Satoko ran toward him and kicked him with all her might. Her foot had landed right in his face. I wish I had a camera. But there were two more of them right behind the first man.  ...They're wearing the same uniforms Okonogi is always wearing. They must be the Mountain Dogs! Now I'm certain that Takano is the culprit. And now that I know that, I can do something about it in the next world!!! But... if I die now, will I lose my memory again?! I can't die now. I need to survive so I can keep my memories!!  It was something like sand, and it blinded them. However, even that could only buy us a few seconds. Satoko tried to run, but she froze as soon as they aimed their weapons at us. Their stun guns are only shaped like firearms. Satoko, not knowing that, thought they were real guns. Knowing that she'll be shot if she turned and ran, Satoko tried to attack them instead!! Of course, there are three of them. Most would think it impossible to drive them off, but Satoko didn't think about that. She had a 100% chance of dying if she tried to run. Then she might as well fight back, because she might have a 1% chance of defeating them.  But I can't stay in this world if it means losing Satoko...! I'm dying anyway! I'd rather die for Satoko's sake than lose her!! But...! Another me was shouting in my mind! If I don't survive this, I'll lose this memory! If I die without keeping this memory, this life and everything I've learned will all be wasted! Should I escape and leave Satoko behind? That's right. I should use this experience to my advantage in my next life! I should just let go of her in this world! "No way. That really would make me a witch!!"But I know in my heart. There's no way I can win against these guys. I'm sure their backup will get here if we take our time to fight them. Should I fight them for her, or should I leave so I can confront my true enemy...?  BGM: Single (Hitoe)  Satoko's bravery gives me courage. If I left her, I'd lose my motivation to defeat fate! I don't care if I lose my memories. It only took a hundred years for me to get this information. I don't care if I have to spend another hundred years in this same June, I can't leave Satoko!!! "Satoko!! I'm fighting too!!" I had noticed something. They're only aiming at Satoko. There must be a reason why they can't shoot me. So I stood in front of Satoko to protect her. Just as I expected, they put their guns down and prepared to take us out without weapons. "......You guys are the Mountain Dogs. So Takano's behind this?" ".........." "Yeah. I'm so stupid. I know who you are but I chose not to run. I'm not going to run. Even if you're going to kill me now. Someone once told me that fate can be destroyed as easily as a piece of paper!"They must think this is my final speech. They let me talk until I was finished. "You people are pathetic. ...That's why you will never kill me!!" BGM: C-examination  The other two tried to retaliate, but they were too late.  It must be some kind of martial art. I've seen something like that in an action movie before.  He tried to aim his gun at Rena... but she had already done what she was supposed to. All she needed to do was get his attention.  The stun gun made a snapping noise, and the Dog fell down to the ground with the rest of his friends. "Wow. Kasai told me this was illegally modified. It works pretty welll!" "Shion, hit this guy too!" "I'm really glad we stuck around! We were waiting out here in case anything happened!" "You mean... you stayed out here without going back home?" "Yup. I saw someone who looked suspicious staring at the shrine when we were leaving." "I'm really surprised you saw him in this darkness! Neither lies nor camouflage work on you, huh!"So, figuring he would leave if they spoke to him, they secretly staked out that suspicious man. They'd started following us as soon as they heard the sound of the firecrackers.   "We can't stay here any longer! What should we do now?" "We were trying to get to Mion-san's house. You have a basement there, apparently...?" “We've also got some weapons inside there." "Shhhh!! Don't say that out loud!” ”Anyway, I think that's a good idea. There's several secret passages in there, so we can get the drop on them!" "Come on, let's go! They're still after us!"BGM: Fearlessness A white van was approaching us at high speed. It obviously belonged to the Mountain Dogs. The van stopped not far from us, and more people in uniform jumped out. There were at least six of them! If we all run, the slowest runner might get caught. So we should take them down while we can! I don't know if they have a license, but Mion and Shion know how to drive a car. We can take their van and get away from here!   "Oh ho ho ho! That's a good idea!" "Let's go get them!!"The Mountain Dogs were ready to chase us. They had no idea that we would try and attack them instead.  She gets so determined once a decision is made!! She immediately singled out one Dog and punched him in the nose. Another one tried to grab her from behind, but Keiichi kicked him in the side as hard as he could. "Hey, Rena, watch your back!" "I'll leave that to you, Keiichi-kun. Please look after me!" “You sure don't hesitate to punch people." "And you don't hesitate to zap people with an illegal stun gun!"Given that Shion had that stun gun, the Mountain Dogs were reluctant to go after her. They were scared of the very dangerous weapon she had in her hand. But thanks to that, Shion had stopped one of them for certain. It was fortunate for us that they didn't have any guns of their own. They had no way of countering Shion's stun gun.  She encircled his neck with a jump rope and pulled. Shion followed up, quickly hitting him with her stun gun. What was I doing during all that? The only thing I can do is run around and try to get their attention. They're pursuing me, after all. They want to catch me more than anything else. But that leaves them open to attacks from my friends. Keiichi had already hit the one trying to grab me. I think we have a chance here. We may not be able to take all of them down, but we can try and find a chance to escape to their vehicle.   "That's just how strong we club members are!" "Not being afraid is probably the secret to strength. Sis's club activities are practically training to rid you of your hesitation." If any one of us wasn't here, they'd beat us easily. We'd end up dead. If my friends hadn't stayed behind, I would have been killed by now! We can do it! We can make it!! The Dogs Shion took down with her stun gun were starting to wake up. The ones that we knocked out earlier were also up and chasing us again. We have to get out of here!! This isn't the time for me to just be running around. "...Fine. Let's see what I can do." "Hanyuu, I know you still can't believe in hope, just like always. Stay there and see what my stubbornness can do! I'm going to change this fate! I'm going to do it right here! Let me show you what I'm capable of!" "...Yes. I'm going to do this." "You go, Rika-chan!! Alright, let's gooooooo!!!"On Keiichi's signal, we attacked six of the Mountain Dogs in unison. BGM: Silence   ......What's going on? It felt like the film reel of a movie had gotten hung up partway through. Like time itself has come to a standstill.  SFX: Shrine Bells  "What?! .........Why......?" Wearing a sad expression, Hanyuu pointed at Keiichi. I finally noticed something. All my friends had noticed already... except for Keiichi.  "What do you mean? ............Huh? What... is this...?"Time had stopped just when Keiichi was about to hit his opponent. He then realized that something was floating in front of his heart. It was............ a metallic silver cone. ...That was the first thing I could think of.  ".........N...... No, Kei-chan......"
limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Sep 14, 2022 |
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Sep 9, 2022 00:31
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limeicebreakers posted:Should I fight them for her, or should I leave so I can confront my true enemy...? I'm not sure how the patch handles this, but it's worth noting that in vanilla this is a fake choice. It presents it to you as if it was a choice -- similar to the one earlier at the game tournament -- but you can't actually select anything, and the game proceeds automatically after a few seconds. The way I read that is that Rika is genuinely thinking this over for a second before realizing, no, what am I doing, there's no choice here, I have to save her.
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Sep 9, 2022 01:30
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Admiral H. Curtiss posted:I'm not sure how the patch handles this, but it's worth noting that in vanilla this is a fake choice. It presents it to you as if it was a choice -- similar to the one earlier at the game tournament -- but you can't actually select anything, and the game proceeds automatically after a few seconds. The way I read that is that Rika is genuinely thinking this over for a second before realizing, no, what am I doing, there's no choice here, I have to save her. The video will show this when I post it later, but this is also a fake choice in the patch. The 'cursor' (red text) briefly switches from B to A, then back to B on its own.
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Sep 9, 2022 01:59
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I assume time has actually stopped, and it's not some dramatic effect thing, because you probably wouldn't be able to see and comment about a bullet before it actually hits a target Also, has there been any mention of Frederica Bernkastel, the name the chapter opening quotes are attributed to? It's definitely a name you wouldn't expect in an isolated corner of Japan. There's also the gibberish underneath which I assume is a cipher of some sort
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Sep 9, 2022 06:11
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 Not entirely sure if this warrants a content warning, but a chunk of this update will be in inverted colors. So, uh, take frequent breaks with your eyes?Also, content warning for disembowelment and multiple character deaths. VIDEO: Minagoroshi-hen | Day 15 Part 4 BGM: Single (Hitoe)  ...The bullet had stopped about fifteen centimeters away from Keiichi's chest, just before it would enter his body. That's right. Once time starts moving again, it will slam into his chest. In other words... it's too late. Keiichi will immediately die when time starts up again.  ".........L... Look...! Over there, by the van!!!"Satoko couldn't point at the van. Time had completely stopped, after all. We could see another person standing near the van. ...There had actually been seven people inside, not six. That seventh person was the one who fired the bullet. We hadn't seen her at all.  "It... It's Takano-san...! She shot the gun...?! She shot Keiichi-kun?!"In the frozen world, Takano was smiling, still aiming her gun at Keiichi... Takano had been watching us from the van this whole time. She came out and fired her gun, knowing that we hadn't seen her at all.  "......Heh... heh heh heh heh! I see... I get it now. So Takano-san was the bad guy all along..." "What are we going to do! Kei-chan! Can't you try and twist your body to avoid the bullet!?" "Don't be stupid! Time has totally stopped. I can't move at all...!" "Th, Then, try moving right as soon as time starts moving again! That might make a difference!"...Everyone was desperate to save Keiichi. However, no matter how hard we thought, we couldn't come up with any ideas to save him from the bullet. We were so desperate that Keiichi started to laugh.  “Just give up on me. You only need to think about taking these guys down and getting inside of that van!" "N... Never. You can't die! I don't want to lose you...!! Hanyuu, are you telling me that this is my fate?! Are you saying that there's no way to overcome this?" "..........It's okay, Rika. ...You won't remember this. You won't......" "Stop it, Mii-chan! Let's concentrate on taking them down! I'm sure Keiichi wouldn't want us spending time turning back to him as he falls!" "That's exactly how I feel, Rena. Guys, take care of Rika-chan. Get out of here and contact Coach.” ”...They probably killed Ooishi-san... That's why he never showed up. Listen, promise you'll all survive. Promise me!!" "...Keiichi...!" "Rika-chan, I'm sorry. ......I'm the one who told you that we could change destiny... but I'm going to have to retire now."BGM: Silence  It sounded just like Takano's regular laughter... but it was the scariest noise I'd ever heard. "Are you ready to let go of your life now?" ".........Takano-san, we haven't lost just yet..." "Hee hee hee. Done watching your life flash before your eyes?"  BGM: Hollow (Uro) An explosive sound then hit Keiichi straight in the chest. I watched Keiichi collapse right in front of me. He fell down on his back while his blood splattered everywhere. ...And after that, he stopped moving.  We tried to take down the foes in front of us, but more came from behind. We tried to struggle as best we could, but there was no way we could win against all those adults. I did my best to fight them off, but they pulled my hair and picked me up as if I weighed nothing. I heard everyone's desperate screams of resistance. The comforting and courageous unity we showed right before Keiichi was shot shattered like glass. The debris of that glass lay sadly on the ground. Takano's annoying laughter was still echoing inside my ears.  She needs five bags...? My body froze up, but time did not.  "......H... Hey, are you kidding me?!" "I've always wanted to see the tattoo on your back. I'm going to take a peek at it later." "S-Sure, have a look, if you want! It's nothing special!" "Oh? You don't think I'll find it interesting?" "Stop!! Don't shoot her!!!"Takano shook her head in response to Rena's scream. "I have to kill her. She's the leader of your club, so she has to go first." "N... No... ...S... Sto--" We all tried to break free from the men restraining us as Takano calmly shot Mion. However, they were too strong, and all we could do was squirm like insects. ...Takano was enjoying watching us struggle... She then stepped towards Satoko... but Shion started screaming curses at her.   "...S-Stop it, Shion-san!! Don't agitate her like that!!"I know why she's doing that. ......Shion wants to protect Satoko for as long as she can. ...She's trying to do what Satoshi told her to. Takano didn't care one whit for Shion's feelings. Stepping over Keiichi's body, she approached Shion.  "Sorry, I don't like giving out secrets. So I'm not telling. ...Hee hee hee hee!"Shion's body twitched. That had followed the dull sound of another gunshot. ...Just two dull sounds had stolen away the lively Sonozaki sisters. It didn't add up... I started shaking from fear when it hit me just how easily Takano can take away lives.  "Oh, so you want to die next? You were going to be the last one if you stayed quiet."Keiichi, Mion and Shion died... the oldest one of us left was Rena. Rena didn't want to see Satoko and me die before she did. "......So you were the culprit behind the series of mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa... ...Do you think you're Oyashiro-sama's proxy or something?" "Hee hee hee. I'm not a proxy. I'm handing out divine punishment. It's too bad that you're not going to see it. Soon enough, Oyashiro-sama's wrath is going to destroy the whole village. But I'm the one who's going to make that happen. It's my curse.” ”Yes, I'm going to become Oyashiro-sama. I'm going to become something more than human. Hee hee! You'll never understand how I feel. You'll never understand how wonderful it is to become a god!" "I will. The process has already begun."Ahahahahahahahaha. Rena laughed at her. Takano seemed very upset to hear that laugh. "What's so funny...?" "It's impossible.”  Those were Rena's last words.  “But it's not very much. My share would run out with just a trip to Europe. If I capture you alive, nothing good will happen to you anyway. They'll probably open up your skull and probe through your brain while you're still alive. Besides, I was your friend. I think it might be kinder to shoot you dead right here. Which would you prefer?" "I can't decide that!"Satoko shouted back at her. Her eyes were full of tears. "Let's do a quiz, then. Which one is green? Broccoli or cauliflower?" Pow. As soon as I heard that same dull sound, Satoko stopped moving. Takano smiled and said "good girl" to what used to be Satoko.  ".........So... you're going to kill me too?" "Yes. I will kill you. The corpse of the queen carrier is the key to this mission. You're going to become an ugly political tool far away in Tokyo. And then, the legend of Onigafuchi will finally come to an end." "......I know... how you're planning to kill me." I'm not going to say it. But I know. It's Watanagashi... She wants to do the real Watanagashi, using my body. I'm sure she's planning to cut open my stomach and pull out my guts. To do that, she'll make me inhale some chemical to put me to sleep. ...I vaguely remember that part. "I guess you already know. Hee hee. ......Good night, Rika-chan."One of the Dogs approached me with a handkerchief soaked in a chemical substance. ".........Wait a minute, Takano." "Everyone's dead, but you're begging for your life? Heh heh heh heh!" Takano hadn't expected to hear that. Still, even though she was surprised, she nodded with a slight smile. Hanyuu was also surprised to hear that. It would obviously be a terrible way to die. "What are you thinking? Wouldn't you prefer an easy and painless death? You know it's going to be horrible, right? I'm going to cut open your stomach while you're still alive." "......I don't want to forget about it."Yes. ...I'm doing this so I'll remember. I'm not going to forget about it. "...The picture of you cutting open my stomach will be forever burned into my soul. ...I'm never going to forget that. Next time I see you, I'll remember that you did this to me." “I'm not going to let you do that, though."They forced something other than the handkerchief inside of my mouth. It was a gag. With that in, I couldn't close my mouth, leading my saliva to start overflowing. Soon, another van arrived. More Mountain Dogs came out of it. They had probably come to get rid of the bodies. They grabbed the corpses of my friends and stuffed them into body bags. After that, they sprayed a bunch of water on the ground to clean up the blood. They asked Takano how many shots she fired, and started looking around for the bullets. They were erasing all the evidence. By the time the night was over, there'd be no more proof left.  My mouth was covered so I couldn't even talk. I couldn't move, talk, or express myself in any other way. They had taken away everything that made me human. ...Therefore, I wasn't human anymore. I was just a toy named Rika Furude, a toy to give Takano joy. The car started moving. It seemed like we were going back the way we came, but I didn't care anymore.  ...That's right. I was killed like this so many times. Every time I repeated my life, Takano got pleasure out of killing me. Someboy rubbed my head. Were they trying to comfort me? I shook my head to try and refuse. They laughed at me as I did so… BGM: Conviction  Hanyuu showed up. She couldn't hold back her devastated tears.  "...Again... ...It didn't work... ...It didn't work again... ...again... ......again......!"...When I saw Hanyuu's painful tears, I was convinced. I was wrong. Hanyuu is not just a bystander. She's just too scared to face reality, because she can't stand the pain anymore... Hanyuu wants a happy future too. But her hopes were betrayed countless times, and she was hurt far too much... For some reason, seeing her sorrowful expression calmed me down... ......Perhaps Hanyuu was crying in my place. ".........It's okay, Hanyuu. ......We did what we could. We worked very hard. ...We were getting so close to changing our fate for real. ...It still didn't work out. ...But for some reason... ahahaha.”  I've never fought this hard in my life. I've never learned so many things. Because I can repeat my life endlessly, I've been taking each one for granted. ...But everyone else is taking their lives seriously. ...I wasn't learning anything because I wasn't doing that. But I finally understand. I learned something from this life, and I put all my effort into it. So... I'm sad that I didn't make it... but I feel satisfied just the same. It's a strange kind of satisfaction. I wonder how many of these memories I can keep. ...I get the sense that I'm going to lose my memory of this evening... If that's the case, I will lose my memory of seeing Takano's face. ...I've finally found out that Takano is the mastermind. Am I going to repeat the same world again, not knowing the truth? She killed my friends as if she were merely killing some bugs. I don't want to forget that! No matter how hard my death will be, I need to remember Takano's face.  “I don't care if I can only live in this June, and that eventually I will only be able to go back to the night of Watanagashi. If that's my life, so be it!" "......I'm not going to forget either... If you don't remember, I'll tell you the truth...!" "...Hanyuu. ......I knew it. You acted like an unfeeling bystander, but that's because you were afraid of the pain." ".........I... I also want to have a happy future with everyone... ...Uuuuuuu...!!"Hanyuu started to cry like a baby... She's so stupid. ...She decided to abandon hope because she didn't want to deal with the sadness that she always felt on this night. ...But she ended up hurt and devastated anyway... Hanyuu, are you happy that this world is ending just like you predicted? I decided not to ask her such an unpleasant question… BGM: You   Nearby, there were countless sharp knives laid out on the ground. They're going to cut open my stomach with those tools and pull out my intestines. They took off all of my clothes. They left the gag inside my mouth and the handcuffs around my wrists. I wasn't embarrassed to be naked in front of them. ...Rather, I was just furious that Takano was getting joy out of doing this to me. Don't forget this humiliation. The pain I'm about to experience should be carved into my soul forever. I'm not going to forget this. Everyone worked together, and we finally revealed who was behind it all. If I forget this, my friends' efforts and deaths will have been in vain... I need to stay alive as long as I can, so that I will remember the pain.   "That's good enough. If you continue to stare at me, I can endure this pain."Hanyuu nodded and sat right next to me, while continuing to cry.  The moon was shining brightly, as if it's taking pity upon me. We also looked at the faces of my murderers.  It's getting cold. It's so painful. I'm consumed with the fear of not being able to do anything about this. But Hanyuu is right next to me. That gives me comfort.  Everyone is there, watching me, so I can stand this torture. That's why it wasn't painful. I didn't struggle. I didn't care about Takano's crazy laughter. This was such a wonderful world. We didn't overcome this fate, but I have no regrets. Of course, I'm still sad. I'm disappointed. My future was right in front of my eyes. My hand could almost reach it. ...Even so, we did what we could. I have to be proud of myself.  He still felt that we could have done more. We were almost there. We almost defeated this fate. We didn't win, but not because our enemies were strong. We didn't win because we didn't try hard enough.      Satoko held my shoulder and cried. "......That's true. Everyone worked so hard. But it still didn't work out... Thank you. Thank you all so much. ...I'm going to die again... but I've never felt so good about it. ......I've learned so many things in this world." Rena spoke gently, but she wasn't smiling at all.  "Hey. .........Did everyone...... really believe that we could create a miracle? If you're hoping for a future, but not everyone believes in it... then a miracle won't happen." "What are you saying, Rena? We were united! No one had doubts that we could overcome this fate! Right, Mion?" "...That's quite true. Even Rika believed in it. She finally believed that with our help, she could change her destiny..." "I believed in it, too. ...But I think there was someone who didn't believe." "Who is that?"......What? ...Who can it be.........?    "Did...... you believe? Did you believe that we could overcome this fate?" "...A......... Au au au." "Even if you can't talk to us or touch us, you can still believe. If you'd believed in us, the miracle would've happened." "......Would something really have changed if I believed...? I'm a powerless existence. I can't do anything... ...All I can do is watch and accept. You're saying... that I could've made a miracle happen, just by believing...?" Keiichi stated it clearly. He wasn't trying to blame her... he was just stating the truth. "That's right. There were six of us, and there were seven of them. If you'd believed along us, we would have numbered seven souls. The miracle could've happened. You don't make miracles happen by touching something or saying something. You make them happen by believing." "......A... ...au au au..."Hanyuu had realized that this ending wasn't caused by fate. ...It was because she didn't believe. In other words, this happened because she was so weak as to accept this fate. She started crying again...  “If your refusal to believe in it is the sole reason we couldn't reach it, then the responsibility is yours."It was hard to believe Rena could say something so harsh. Her words were piercing Hanyuu's heart. But those words were necessary for me and for her.  That sounds like something you might hear in a fairy tale. It's not easy to put it into action. People suspect others. They don't trust others. It's easier to not have hope. It's so difficult to believe. That's why faith can make miracles happen.  "...Listen... you're talking to me right now. I've never talked to you before. But I always knew you were there. I was always thinking about how I could communicate with you. I always knew you were watching when we were all having fun hanging out together." "B.... But!! Even if I want to be involved, you guys can't see me, or hear my voice...!! You'll think that I'm a monster or something. I don't want people to think of me as a monster!!"    "...You won't call me a monster even though I have horns on my head...?"  "Ahahahaha! Watch out for Rena! She might try and take you home!"I realized then that I was standing with everyone, looking down at my own body. ...I see. ...I'm finally dead.  It upset me that Takano was still enjoying the torture, but the body that remained was nothing but a shell...   "......Meep. Don't you think it's a bit strange to ask that question to a dead person?"Everyone smiled wryly. ...It's my first time feeling so much love in death. Everyone is already dead. That's why I feel so happy to be dead. To join them. - - - Suddenly, the world got darker... and my body started to sink downward... I could feel myself disappearing... I still had the sensation of my friends' hands on mine.  "Yeah, let's go. You're also one of us. ...Come on, stop crying, and let's go." Rena offered her hand to Hanyuu, and Hanyuu slowly took it.  "...Hanyuu. I don't know what sad experiences you had before we met... But I'm sure my friends will accept you." ".........Au au au... ...Is it still going to be fun if I'm involved...? Are you sure they'll accept me...?" "Yes. So come along with us." SFX: Higurashi It felt like everyone else laid their hands on top too. ...If only they had hands to do so. Let's go, Hanyuu. Let's accept this sorrow. So we can embrace joy as well. Believe in the bright future that's waiting for us. The miracle will happen. We will obtain it. ...Okay?  - - - BGM: LIVE      
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Sep 10, 2022 19:30
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I've been waiting for someone to give Hanyuu a hug, (or at least try to, considering her ghost status), but I guess this is about as close as we're gonna get. 
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Sep 10, 2022 20:08
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This part is a lot but the ending is real touching
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Sep 11, 2022 05:37
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I like that it's both conclusive and hopeful. The previous arc ended happily, but we were told afterwards that Poochie died on his way back to his home planet. I wonder what happens to the village in this timeline. This chapter brings up the idea that without a queen, those infected by the parasite will go crazy and die. But in the timelines which purportedly involve the village wiped out by volcanic gas, the villagers don't die violently, which suggests that there's still some other mechanism that can wipe out the village I also wonder if Takano has a motive, or is just chaotic evil enough to not need one
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Sep 11, 2022 06:48
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Odd Wilson posted:I've been waiting for someone to give Hanyuu a hug, (or at least try to, considering her ghost status), but I guess this is about as close as we're gonna get. considering how keiichi tried to viciously beat her with satoshis baseball bat in Arc 1........................it was completely ineffectual but that mustve been strange for her. to be honest i kinda want to see a gif of keiichi crazily swinging a bat but it keeps going through hanyuu harmlessly as she just stands there with a exasperated expression on her face.
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Sep 11, 2022 15:30
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Content warning for mass killing via airborne chemicals. VIDEO: Minagoroshi-hen | Epilogue BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  If the existence of a terminal patient (L5) is confirmed, the Institute Director must resolve the situation before the L5 begins engaging in antisocial behavior. However, they must ensure that the secret remains hidden. To that end, the Director may also request assistance from the Secrecy Preservation Unit. As for the Secrecy Preservation Unit, they may request permission to fire from the Institute Director if necessary. All efforts should be made to secure the L5 subject is alive, but if that proves obstructive to maintaining secrecy, their life may be forfeit. At all times, maintaining secrecy and preventing exposure will be of the highest priority. However, preserving secrecy will take priority over preventing exposure. BGM: Sheep Counts  Q. Can Emergency Manual 34 be administered if an outbreak of L5 occurs, putting matters beyond the control of the Secrecy Preservation Unit? Additionally, is the Institute Director responsible for determining what constitutes an out-of-control situation? A. Yes. Q. If an accident occurs and a hazardous material (the H170 series) is exposed to the public, can Emergency Manual 34 be administered? A. Yes. Q. If an accident has occurred and the nature of the Institute is revealed to the public, the Secrecy Preservation Unit will take steps to resolve the situation. However, if this information is spread too widely, can Emergency Manual 34 still be administered? Additionally, is the Institute Director responsible for making that decision? A. Yes. Q. The decision to execute Emergency Manual 34 must be carefully deliberated over and sanctioned by an official. However, in the case of emergency, does the Institute Director have the right to make the final decision? A. The execution of Emergency Manual 34 must be sanctioned by an official at all times. However, the Institute Director may petition the urgency of its use to an official. BGM: Silence SFX: Shrine Bells  Reproduction or removal of this document is prohibited. This manual may only be read with the appropriate permissions. This manual will only apply upon approval by the highest authority. Nothing short of official authorization shall count as approval. Furthermore, those authorized to apply this manual must make their decision as soon as possible when it is required. BGM: Utu  The following is an outline of how to execute that final resolution: - Terminate all patients above L2. - Destroy all evidence inside the Institute. - Conceal the fact that this manual was administered. The contents of this manual must be executed by the Institute Director within 48 hours of the incident. If the Director is not available, the chief officer must execute it in his place. The Institute Director may demand support from the chief officer in executing this manual. If this manual is expected to be executed, the chief officer may issue the preliminary orders. The final resolution must be executed in the following steps.  The quarantine unit must disguise themselves as police officers and isolate the Hinamizawa region from the outside world. The official explanation must be that there is a gas disaster within the village. The equipment for the operation will be stored at a vacant lot, where Yagouchi Quarry used to be. The equipment must undergo routine maintenance. In the event of external breach or internal escape, if they do not respond to notice of the gas disaster or orders to evacuate, use of firearms is authorized. The approval to use firearms is given by the chief of the Secrecy Preservation Unit to the chief of the Traffic Blockade Unit.  The Communication Sabotage Unit must ensure that all forms of communication, including radio, have been disabled in the Hinamizawa area. They must take care not to fall under suspicion, and communications must be disrupted for a minimum amount of time. The facility belonging to the telephone company is inside of the traffic blockade, so any civilians inside may be shot and killed. The chief of the Secrecy Preservation Unit may give permission to use lethal force to the chief of the Communications Sabotage Unit.  The Secrecy Preservation Unit must assemble the infected populace in the Hinamizawa regional disaster shelter. Refer to the enclosed documents for gathering procedures. Upon assembly, the unit must count the number of the infected, and confirm that everyone is present. Be sure to not allow the infected to expose the true nature of the gas disaster. Additionally, the infected must not be allowed to bring any large personal belongings with them. However, they may take their valuables, including bankbooks and cash. Infected who refuse to assemble may be shot, but the chief of the Secrecy Preservation Unit must carefully consider the decision to do so.  Once they are assembled, the Secrecy Preservation Unit must terminate all of the infected. Before that point, care must be taken to ensure that they are not suspicious of the story of the gas disaster. Be sure that they are treated as humanely as possible. If any problems occur, the unit has approval to fire their weapons. The chief of the Secrecy Preservation Unit must also make that decision. Bodies with gunshot wounds should not be placed together with those that have been poisoned.  The Institute Concealment Unit must collect all of the classified items (refer to the 193 items in the appendix) in the Institute in order to suppress the evidence. Refer to the appendix for more detailed instructions. The research staff at the Institute must assist with this operation. This unit must exercise extreme caution, as they will be handling a number of toxic substances. Strict quarantine must be maintained of the concealment block. The airproof door must be welded shut, and the underground area must be flooded. The entrance to the area must be welded shut and concealed completely. Furthermore, the concealment block will be completely removed within three years. The Institute Concealment Unit must eliminate all civilians who would try to approach the Insitute. The use of firearms is not permitted, except in emergencies. The chief of the Secrecy Preservation Unit may give the order to fire.  The Secrecy Preservation Unit must search the whole village for any survivors. Any person who was not present during the assembly must be found. Any survivors found after the termination of the infected may be shot immediately. However, if the survivor is willing to surrender, do not shoot, and instead take them into the custody of the Secrecy Preservation Unit. The Unit must then terminate the captive, using the same method as for the other infected.  Transfer the job to the official disaster recovery team. Make sure not to arouse suspicion.  After the completion of all operations, the Secrecy Protection Unit will retreat from the Hinamizawa area. They must be careful not to be suspected by the disaster recovery team. Furthermore, the Institute will continue to secure the concealment block until complete removal is finished. BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  It is assumed that the pathogen has the same characteristics as creatures such as ants. There is a queen of the carriers of the disease, just like there is a queen ant, and this position has been passed down the line of the Furude family. This assumption is made based on the legends and ancient writings that have been passed down in the village. It is already confirmed that the carriers have a tendency to protect their queen. Additionally, the queen carrier can only survive within the boundary of the village.  As ordinary patients will become ill when they travel far away from the queen, it's assumed that the further and longer they are away from her, the higher the chance of symptoms occurring becomes. Also, mental state plays a strong factor as well, and it's estimated that those who are especially emotionally unstable or show strong yearning for their home are more likely to exhibit symptoms. It is believed that the Takano relaxation method is the most effective means of suppressing symptoms, but if the patient still shows no improvement, only returning them to their home and the queen will be effective.  Terminal patients, as they suffer from an extreme persecution complex, are incapable of functioning within society. Cases of arson and murder have been confirmed. They may present severe problems for their units. Records show that terminal patients appear even in Hinamizawa, and they will not recover even if relocated nearer the queen. Therefore, the decision to dispose of the problem must be made as soon as possible. It's recommended that the infected be quarantined before they start behaving irregularly. We suggest tracking down those formerly from Hinamizawa and placing them under special medical observation.  For the aforementioned reasons, we predict that should the queen carrier die, infected villagers will exhibit terminal symptoms on a village-wide scale. Terminal symptoms will begin showing within 24 hours at the earliest and 48 at the latest. For that reason, the final decision must be made within 48 hours. Based on the size of the village, neither ordinary officers nor the military police may be able to control the chaos they may bring. We believe the best response is to treat them as an armed, anti-national uprising, and immediately suppress them with the military. January 1945 To: Colonel Koizumi of the Supreme Council for the Direction of War  - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  Document E4-20 for the 58th Defense Commissioner and TECOM 733 Commander. TECOM 733 is hereby ordered to be on standby within 24hrs, armed for urban suppression. The company commander must also thoroughly study Emergency Manual 34. Select personnel carefully with the preservation of secrecy in mind. Additionally, test the effectiveness of the vaccine with the support of the National Research Center of Infectious Diseases. Employ those with positive immunity. - - - June 23rd, 1983 Document E7-11 for the 58th Director of the NIHS Attention equipment testing company commander 733 The National Research Center of Infectious Diseases. Infectious Pathogen Department, Suite 13. (Official seal omitted) - - - BGM: Utu  This is information regarding the Hinamizawa Syndrome. The Hinamizawa Syndrome is an infectious disease caused by a virus. There are no initial symptoms. Instead, their onset begins when the patient's emotional state becomes unstable, or if the queen carrier dies. The main symptoms of the illness are hallucinations and emotional instability, paired with an extreme persecution complex. Furthermore, patients are frequently unaware of their own mental abnormalities, making identification outside examination nearly impossible. The only way to do so is by observing symptoms indicative of terminal, abnormal behavior. In many cases, patients engage in antisocial behavior, which is the largest issue created by the Syndrome. This behavior is caused by hormonal factors, as this disease mainly affects the mind, as opposed to the body. In the end, the patients will experience extreme irritation in their lymph nodes, and they will claw at their throat or wrists. This is the only symptom that is recognized by the patient.  This is an advisory notice for virus control. The pathogen is an airborne infectious virus. Therefore, no effective preventative methods exist, and inoculation is required. After the mission is completed, all staff members must take a medical exam, and those with positive test results must come forward. Be cautious when interacting with the carriers (villagers). Even after inoculation, any contact with their bodily fluids will cause infection. Do not come into direct contact with them. If assumed infected, individuals must use the testing syringe and test themselves for the disease. If you feel an extreme irritation in your lymph nodes, it's likely you have terminal symptoms. In that case, you must get tested immediately.  If the irritation persists after 10 minutes, use a second injection. If there is still no change in symptoms, seek treatment at HQ. Do not use C120 if your test results are not positive. If used on a healthy body, symptoms of high fever, rashes, dilated pupils, and hallucination will be observable within 10 minutes. If this occurs, one must seek treatment at HQ. - - - BGM: Single (Hitoe)  The Chief Cabinet Secretary was in a panic. He'd never heard about any of this before. Feelings of panic were only natural. One girl's death was going to drive two thousand villagers into a frenzy. Hearing that a disease like that exists was surprising enough. But on top of that, it was secretly researched for military use, and now there was a horrific situation caused by the director of the local research institute engaging in embezzlement.   “The entire populace is going to develop terminal symptoms within the next 24 to 48 hours. It's going to be a disaster."The danger of this "Hinamizawa Syndrome" was explained over and over again to the Chief Secretary. He didn't have anything more to say... but that didn't mean that he could blindly accept it, either. He simply couldn't believe that the only way to resolve the situation was to kill all two thousand infected villagers.  “Such a dangerous disease can't possibly be of any benefit to this country! It's the year 1983, for crying out loud! According to these documents, they intentionally held off on exterminating the disease so they'd have more time to study it! On top of that, this chaos was all caused by a single researcher?” ”This is an act of a terrorism!! It's the fault of those old men in Tokyo! They better take responsibility for this!! Get rid of the people who are still haunted by the ghost of the war!! This is a good opportunity to rid Tokyo of its festering pus!"SFX: Night Higurashi  A man standing by the window slowly turned around and opened his mouth. "Prime Minister. Please give us your decision." ".........What happens if I don't approve this final resolution?" "Well... Almost one hundred percent of the population in the village will develop terminal symptoms within 36 hours. They will be overcome by persecution complexes, and they will begin behaving violently. Suicide, murder, arson, robbery, and rape are some of the things we predict will happen. There will be no peace within the village.” ”It probably won't stay within those boundaries either, but spread throughout the area. As a result, the whole world will discover this disaster. Sooner or later, they will find out about this mysterious disease.” “This will be a great advantage for the opposition during the next election. 'Tokyo' will also voice their criticisms of the Prime Minister. You need their approval in order to make your political plans come to fruition. More than anything, the government might reveal that this secret research was conducted for military purposes. If this happens, this country will have a crisis of faith in their leadership." "Well... We will be disguising this as a natural disaster, so the opposition may still attack us for our blunder. However, they will not discover the existence of this mysterious disease. If by chance the world were to discover our military research of the disease, our nation would completely lose its initiative in the Asian region." "Support from those nations is a necessity for us! If we lose their trust, the opposition will definitely come into power after the next election! Japan will be finished!" "According to our simulations, the balance of power will shift drastically if the second and third parties form a coalition government. The whole world will hold us responsible. The United Nations will accuse us of developing WMDs. Neighboring countries' governments will lead smear campaigns against us, drawing a hard line of anti-Japan diplomatic policies with high approval ratings. In every way possible, the government of this country will be burned to the ground." “.........But!! It's way too difficult to cover up two thousand casualties!" ".........The most important thing is to prevent the public from knowing that this country was secretly researching biological weapons. ...I guess we'll be wiping the rear end of the ghost of the war..." "Are you sure this operation can be performed secretly? If this mission goes public, this will become a greater scandal than the research itself!" "Yes, it will be kept secret. There are special units working on this case. They are trained specifically for situations like this. You have nothing to worry about." "I've never heard of any mission like this, but it's basically mass murder via gas, correct? I had no idea there were units specifically trained for that." "In order to know how to protect themselves from a gas attack, they must know what gas warfare is about. In order to know how to fight against an enemy using gas, they must also know how to kill with it. The Equipment Research Unit is prepared for any kind of attack."He let out a small sigh. ...He couldn't see the line between ethical and unethical. Can any research be justified by the excuse of preparing against hostilities? But that's also what preparation was all about... Some evils must be accepted as necessary. The Irie Institute was one such evil...  "That will not happen. The members were carefully selected from a group of extremely loyal men. We've never performed an operation such as this, but they are highly experienced, and they will not leak any information whatsoever." ".........They're an assassination unit, huh." "Prime Minister. Please give us the approval to administer Emergency Manual 34." "......Director General of Defense. Are you sure this operation will succeed? Are you sure we can stop this from going public? No... can you keep casualties to a minimum?" "Yes sir. The preliminary orders have been sent out, and preparations are complete. We will execute the mission as soon as we get your approval." ".........I can't give the approval to slaughter two thousand innocent people. ...However, as Prime Minister, I have an obligation to minimize the number of casualties." "Prime Minister... I understand your dilemma." "Yes sir! Thank you for your approval! We'll return with positive results!" ".........That's if you can call two thousand casualties a positive result. Okuno-kun... Please set up a meeting with 'Tokyo' as soon as possible. I have to hear an explanation directly from them." "...Understood." "By the way, did they arrest that Irie, the Institute Director?" "No, he committed suicide by taking poison. He was in such a rage that his research was being shut down... that he felt as if his life itself was being denied." "......So no one will ever really know what made him commit such a horrific crime." - - - BGM: Hollow (Uro)  “Please do not use your own vehicle to evacuate. It will cause confusion!"It was the middle of the night. And yet, countless villagers were out and about. Some of them were locking their doors, some of them were watering their plants, and some of them were piling up food in their dogs' dinner bowls. Small children were crying in fear. Members of the town council were yelling angrily while counting up the villagers.  The number of policemen and military units in the village, added to the strong smell of sulfur in the air, dispelled any doubts the villagers might have had. The more religious among the elderly were convinced that this was the curse of Rika Furude, who had passed away the day before. They were certain that Oyashiro-sama was enraged, and that the door to Hell had been opened. Soldiers wearing gas masks guided the villagers to the evacuation center.  "These are to protect your homes after the evacuation. We're expecting looters." "......No one in Hinamizawa would do something like that..." "This is the 1st Platoon. The evacuation is on schedule. ...Roger that! We'll send our platoon over." "Excuse me, I need to bring along my grandfather's mortuary tablet...!" "You may take that with you! Please hurry up! Make sure everyone in the village is here! Please come forward if you're unable to walk. A soldier will come and help you!" "Aaaah, Oyashiro-sama is angry because Rika-chama was murdered..." "Oyashiro-sama... Oyashiro-sama... Please forgive our sins...." "Miasma is coming out of the swamp... Oyashiro-sama must be furious..." "There are too many of us here! We'll never make it out alive! Let me die in this village!" "Don't worry. The helicopters and buses are on their way to transport everyone to safety. You're all going to make it out okay!" "Everyone gather at the forestry service! No, not the people from District 4! You're supposed to go to the community center behind the post office!" "It's exactly the same as in the emergency drills. Please calm down and head to your evacuation point. Please move as a group. Every person matters! Everyone needs to stick together! You will get home safely!"The villagers couldn't see the expressions under the soldiers' gas masks. They wondered what kind of expressions they were hiding under there... The soldiers were, of course, lying to the villagers, knowing that they would never return to their homes again. One such trooper cried under his mask, but the villagers never saw his tears...  Some people tried to leave in their cars, so as to take large items with them. However, the quarantine unit had sealed off all roads leading outside. The gas masks of the troopers and the smell of the sulfur persuaded them to return and obey their instructions.  The lines were busy, no matter how much they tried. They simply assumed that the phone lines were overwhelmed because of the disaster. Some of the villagers had access to radios. They tried to figure out what the situation was like outside, but all they could hear over the radio was loud static. It was the same with the television. They couldn't contact anyone outside of the village, so they really were totally isolated. And so, they had nothing to rely on but the instructions of the police and the military. ...They were all like moths heading towards a light, never doubting that they would be safe there. One old war veteran listened to the noise from the radio and muttered. "......This is exactly how it sounded when the Americans jammed the radio waves during the war..."As it turned out, he was absolutely correct. However, he turned off the radio when his son urged him to evacuate...  Some of them were at the school, and some were at the community center. They were to stay in the building until the evacuation vehicles arrived. The soldiers told them to stay inside so they could keep track of the number of evacuees.  "All right! Let's help them out!"People started to seal up all the windows and vents with the duct tape that was handed to them. They completely sealed every opening, even as they heard the disquieting conversation of the soldiers... It was long past 3 AM, but everyone was wide awake with fear. They were having an extremely long night. Coincidentally, the end to their night had almost arrived...  "Oyashiro-sama demoned away those kids at the Furude Shrine in his fury..." "The Furude Shrine was swallowed by the world of the demons that day... The demons chewed up her guts while she was still alive..."They all started saying that the gas disaster was caused by the curse of Oyashiro-sama, and Rika's death and the mysterious disappearance of her friends and the two detectives were also the result of the curse. People started talking about being "demoned away." They had no idea that Keiichi and his friends' short battle sealed their fate for that night.  They didn't know the truth. They couldn't know... Not one realized that Keiichi and his friends' efforts had all been in vain... Indeed. In Hinamizawa, everything that happens is the will of Oyashiro-sama.  Before the series of mysterious deaths occurred, no one really used the term "the curse of Oyashiro-sama" that frequently. In other words, who set them up? People in this village were set up to believe that the curse of Oyashiro-sama happens every year. They really are just too superstitious.   BGM: Silence SFX: Shrine Bells “For enacting Watanagashi on Rika Furude, Oyashiro-sama is punishing this village. The curses of the last five years are culminating in the biggest curse of them all. This is not just a mysterious chain of murders. This is divine punishment from an enraged god. ...Hee hee hee hee! Let's begin." "...This is the company commander. The men are requesting one minute of silence. Can you let them have that, Major?" "Do as you like."Takano gave him a disparaging laugh. The company commander crossed his heart, and began to speak. BGM: Requiem for the Disaster The company commander isn't Christian. In fact, he doesn't follow any religion. However, he prayed because he felt the need to ask someone for forgiveness. He wasn't even sure if he was saying it correctly, but he still prayed to God. He asked forgiveness for committing his sin and continued to pray. Takano was speaking in a soft voice. She was talking to herself.  “he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.' ......Hee hee hee."One man heard her murmurs. "That's from the Gospel of Matthew." "Is it? My grandfather always said that to me. He was telling me to work hard every day, because you'll never know when you will be rewarded." "Is this a reward for you...?" "Yes. Although you might never understand it. Hee hee hee." "Excuse my rudeness, but I believe that the descent of God is a merciful thing. I think what you're saying is inappropriate for a time like this."He was trying to tell her that using that verse of the Bible was inappropriate for the occasion. However, Takano simply laughed as though she had heard something very funny.   And with the end of the silence... "Execute the operation now."The order was given in as hollow and reluctant a manner as an order can possibly be…   - - -  - - -  The troopers closed the door of the classroom. The people inside had no idea why they were doing that. However, they didn't suspect anything at all. One old man walked up to the door to open it because with it closed, it was far too hot inside the room. ...But he collapsed all of a sudden. His wife tried to walk over to help him up, but she also collapsed all of a sudden.  ...It really was a very odd sight. What would make for a good example? ......It would be pretty amusing if they were dominoes. However, they're human beings... People sitting by the window watched this strange event happen before their eyes. They opened those eyes wider to try and understand what was going on. - - -  - - -  More people started to collapse... even those at the window... This wasn't something that was happening only in one room. It was happening in all the other rooms too. It was happening in all the evacuation centers. People's dreams, their hopes, and their futures were taken away so quickly and easily... - - -  - - -  Someone had figured out what was going on, broke the seal off the window, and escaped outside. Other people tried to remove the seal on their windows too, but they collapsed in a matter of seconds. - - -  - - -  "You have permission to fire!! Shoot, shoot, shoot!!!"  The sound of the gunshots echoed in the silence. ...It was a noise filled with cruelty. They helplessly fell down to the ground... Their deaths were so pitiful compared to the silent deaths of those before them.  He tried to shoot back at them with his own gun. His shots could be heard throughout the building. The soldiers ducked into the shadows upon hearing the noise. The officer seized his chance and ran towards the gate. But that was just a waste of time... Not only is the range of the automatic weapons they were using longer than the length of the schoolyard, but as trained professionals, it would be nothing for them to shoot him from that distance.   Either they'd die from the gas without realizing what was happening, or they'd find out about the mission and be killed.  "We've shot all the fugitives. One of the residential policemen shot back." "Collect those bodies. Do not put them with the other corpses."The soldiers walked over to the four fallen bodies... They needed to make sure that they were all dead, not just injured. - - -  - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Shrine Bells  "This is the Second Platoon. Sterlization complete. No one escaped." "This is the Third Platoon. More than ten escaped. We're conducting a sweep. It will be over soon." "This is the Fourth Platoon. Sterlization complete. No one escaped." "This is the Third Platoon. We've taken out all 13 fugitives. Sterilization is now complete." "Roger. Start counting the bodies. Make sure the total matches the original number taken earlier tonight." BGM: Moon -Cruelness⇔Tribute- Song She didn't physically see all those people dying silently. ...But she saw it anyway. She saw countless people dying without even noticing it. She saw it all in her mind.  Takano waved her arms in the air. No one was watching her, but no one would understand what she was doing even if they were. ......She was waving her baton. Takano was pretending that she was the conductor of this silent funeral march.  "Sure, go ahead. Hee hee." "This is the Institute Concealment Unit. We've removed all the classified items and welded the entrance shut. We're currently flooding the underground facility." "This is the Traffic Blockade Unit. Everything is proceeding as scheduled." "This is the Communications Sabotage Unit. We've reconnected the phone lines. The telephone facility is back to normal."Takano was paying no attention to those reports. She continued to sing the melody of an orchestra.  "You seem to be in a good mood..." "Yes. It feels so good! ...I bet you can't hear it. This hymn that glorifies God." "...A hymn...?" “Heh heh heh.”Takano laughed loudly, spreading her arms wide. "That's right! The hymn! A new god has descended to this village! There was no god in Hinamizawa. Oyashiro-sama was just a name. This was an old backwater village with no real god. But I brought a god to this place. Do you understand what that means? I bet you don't, hee hee hee!” ”How many gods in this world have the power to curse people? How many of them can challenge people? None of them! But I did it!!"Takano laughed as if she was the only one who could comprehend what she was saying. None of the operators inside the car could comprehend her laughter. Takano was satisfied to know that.  “If faith alone is what creates a god, there's no need for curses! But the ancient gods all cursed humans. Then what is a god's curse? It's the proof that a god is real! Gods aren't gods if they don't curse people!! I found evidence of the existence of God in this poor village. I thought this was a message from Heaven!!” “Hinamizawa was without a god for a hundred years, until the end of the dam conflict. I believe it's been my mission to restore the god's existence in this village!! Heaven supported me and granted me power! I have raised the bud of a curse plant with the faint seeds of coincidence granted to me by Heaven! And now this budding curse bears fruit and hangs ripe!!” ”Do you understand? Tonight is the night of the harvest! This is the final curse of Oyashiro-sama!! And from this day forth, Oyashiro-sama will be a real god!!” “You may not see it now, but someday, you will understand. You'll see how grand this plan I accomplished was, how long it will be told in history, and how great I will become! Gods curse. I make that curse happen!! I am the curse of Oyashiro-sama. Worship me, and be fearful!!" “I'm the curse itself. I've transcended this flesh. My legend will endure forever, beyond my mortal life. My existence is eternal now!!” “Curse yourselves, and curse your powerlessness! Realize how great I am!! I am Oyashiro-sama! I'm a god now! My flesh may die eventually, but I'll remain in this world forever!! Ahahahahaha, hahahahahahahaha, ahhhahahahahahahaha!! Haaahahahahahahahaha, aaaaaahhhhhhhaahahahahahahahaha!!!”- - -     - - - It’s been quite the long journey. Thank you for sticking around until the end of Minagoroshi.  When I started posting updates for this arc back in May, I was prepared to pump them out until I reached June 18 of this year - exactly a full year since I started this LP, and partially coincidentally, around the ballpark of the day when Rika died (there’s a reason I started this in late June!). Obviously that did not end up working out, what with the frequent long breaks on my end.  But we did get here, somehow. Ryukishi has laid most, if not all, of his cards on the table. Now all that is left is to tally them up and reap our rewards. See you next, for one final time, in Matsuribayashi-hen. As always, I hope you will join me. 
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Sep 15, 2022 06:46
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Okay, full confession - I didn't post the day before because I was really cozy in bed. The Staff Room and final TIP will be posted tomorrow. And then, a week break for me to figure out what to do with the final arc.
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Sep 15, 2022 06:47
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Not much to say except this part is really well done. The music cinches it but there's something about the complete absence of our main characters that makes it feel Real. That guy praying, man 
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Sep 15, 2022 17:20
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VIDEO: Minagoroshi-hen | Staff Room BGM: Cradle Song  Thank you for playing Higurashi When They Cry Kai - Ch.7 Minagoroshi. This time around, the scenario was almost like the answer page in a book of riddles. Or maybe the scenario was like a side dish we enjoyed alongside all the scenarios up to now. You can take it how you like. I just hope you enjoyed it. I was very nervous about releasing this scenario, because a mystery is only good when it's still a mystery. This scenario marks the end of that mystery. To be honest, I didn't want to release this chapter for a while.  A book of riddles means nothing if there's no answer page in the back. Coming up with an answer when you have no way to see if it's right or not is a little sad, I think. If there are no answers, you can't get any joy out of reading a book of riddles. I regret to see that there are way too many stories out there that don't offer this kind of joy. That's why I decided to release something that you can compare your answer to for this series. Since this world had a rather irregular presentation, there may not have been many people who reached what might be called the right answer.  Thank you all very much for the solutions you've sent me. They were all wonderful theories, and some were thought out so much more than the actual story that I frequently thought about making them the right answer (wry laugh). Also, your support has given me courage to finish writing the seventh chapter of this series. Thank you very much for supporting Higurashi.  I don't know what it was like in 1983, but child consultation centers are not mean places like I depicted in my story. I made the characters look so unfeeling, but in reality, the government today is the number one hero for us civilians. In fact, those involved with child welfare and youth education are all extremely passionate and selflessly devoted people. I'm sorry for giving them such a negative image in this chapter.  I'm overwhelmed by the pressure of writing the last chapter of Higurashi When They Cry, which turned out to be such a long story. I hope you'll continue your kind support. Thank you all very much.  - - - TIP 13: This Fragment's End
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Sep 16, 2022 02:54
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I wonder what that's like, to be writing a story and have a fan come up with ideas that you like almost as much as what you already have planned? Imagine reading some fan theories and coming across something that's more clever than what you had in mind.
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Sep 16, 2022 22:48
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Hey guys, as it turns out the first few months of this semester were/are the busiest. Next week is reading week, though, so I may have time to record and write up an update during that time! (Hopefully multiple to build up a buffer.)
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Oct 6, 2022 20:48
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Heeeey fellow Fall Semester buddy 
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Oct 6, 2022 23:22
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Bump to ensure this thread doesn't lock itself. Real life really is kicking my butt at the moment! I'd give an ETA but I'd be lying.
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Oct 29, 2022 01:26
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Take your time. Rika waited hundreds of years, we can wait a couple months.
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Oct 29, 2022 01:48
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killer_robot posted:Take your time. Rika waited hundreds of years, we can wait a couple months. 
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Oct 29, 2022 13:54
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One more bump. Wnter vacation is soon!
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Nov 25, 2022 14:56
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Yay
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Nov 25, 2022 17:25
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I continue to patiently await the next installment of this truly wild ride
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Nov 25, 2022 19:52
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limeicebreakers posted:One more bump. Wnter vacation is soon!  also bump
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Nov 26, 2022 04:11
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Hello, everyone. It’s been a long wait. A very, very long wait. But today, April 13, is our very own Keiichi Maebara’s birthday—and how could I leave him without a birthday gift? VIDEO: Matsuribayashi-hen | Prologue  BGM: Silence   BGM: Beyond the Skies (Sora no Mukou) [Piano] In that study, there was a full-figured old man writing something at his desk in utmost concentration. There was also a little girl sorting out papers on the carpet. She almost looked as though she was playing with them... But the serious expression she was wearing made it clear that she wasn't.    "Look. There are lots of people with the same symptoms. It's way higher than the national average." "The frontal lobe is what causes emotions..." "That's right. Emotions aren't created by the heart. They're just side effects of the chemicals secreted by the organ known as the brain. If parasites capable of acting on that organ did exist and spread to create a colony, then that colony's thoughts would be unified." "So are parasites the cause of the spread of ideology? When ideologies clash, is that because different parasites are competing to expand their habitat?" "That, or... to expand religion, to expand national borders, or to expand a race. It's hypothesized that our differing cultural communities and their conflict are the result of parasites influencing human thoughts." "Of course there are. There are countless parasites on this Earth, and it's well known that some coexist with their hosts and some control their hosts. We've also discovered plenty of parasites that infect humans.” ”...Yet despite that, we adamantly deny the possibility that parasites could infect humans and control their hosts. Even the hypothesis of such a thing." "...Why do you think that is? Humans aren't special in any way." "Because that hypothesis would also mean changing our view to see the spread of ideologies from the perspective of epidemiology. If conflicts in ideology can be resolved through debate, then they're peaceful, but if those conflicts occur epidemically, they become frightening." "And if one were to treat bad thoughts or the spread of culture as an epidemic...?" "Think about the Black Plague in Europe during the Middle Ages. A vile infectious disease spread. They forced infected people into hospitals and didn't release them until they completely recovered.” “Some even died in those hospitals. They burned their corpses. They confiscated and burned everything those patients touched for fear the plague infected it. They even suspected families of infection and forced them into hospitals."  “Patients won't be released until they completely recover. People burn everything that may have been touched by the patient. They force the patient's family to go to the hospital." "People are free to think what they will, right? Thoughts aren't pests." "If an idea was created by parasites, it would be exactly the same as a plague. In other words, an idea is like an incurable epidemic." "So you mean... anyone with a different idea is treated like they have a disease?" "That's right. If we bring this to its logical conclusion, parasites could be responsible for mass murders of people belonging to different races or religions. ...But this can be seen as justifying genocide. Therefore, talking about parasites in brains has been taboo since the war." "It means something people shouldn't get involved with. That's why nobody researches these things. Nobody even remembers anything about parasites that live in the brain. They assume that parasites which control humans simply don't exist." "Ahahaha. That's almost funny. How can they prove something doesn't exist? That's just impossible." "Exactly. Proving that the devil exists is easy. You just have to show him to someone. But you can't prove he doesn't exist. You can't show somebody something that doesn't exist." "Ahahahaha. It's almost as if the parasites in the brain are controlling people so that they can keep their own existence a secret."Me and my grandfather shared a happy laugh together.  “Just because the existence of such parasites hasn't been proven doesn't mean they don't exist. They exist. I know they do." "That's happened before in the scientific world, right?" "That's right. Not all scientists are recognized for their work while they're alive. There were many who were ridiculed and couldn't prove their theories to be true." "But, Grandpa, I hope your theory will be recognized before you die. Otherwise it would be so sad..." "Don't worry. God doesn't ignore people who work hard. Hard work always pays off in the end." "But when will that happen?" "Nobody knows when God is going to descend from Heaven. Just like you never know when you'll be robbed. So we always have to be alert and ready, so that we don't miss our chance." Nobody knows when efforts will bear fruit. But it will happen one day. That's why you must always work hard, so you have no regrets when the time comes. Your efforts will bear fruit someday... That's what he meant. "But is it going to happen before you die? Even though there were so many scientists whose work weren't recognized while they were alive?"That was such a cruel thing to say. But I didn't mean to be cruel. I had seen how hard my grandfather had been working, and I also knew he wouldn't live forever. I just wanted his work to gain recognition before he died.  "Yeah. He was crucified and resurrected after three days. You told me about it." "How do you think Jesus was resurrected?" "Didn't he just get up as if he was waking up in the morning...?" "He was buried after his execution. So his body was in the ground." "...Did he break open the tombstone and crawl out like a zombie?" "Hahahaha, no, no. That wouldn't be called a resurrection. The sinners who killed Jesus imagined exactly the same thing."Jesus predicted just before he was executed that he would come back to life after three days. The sinners buried Jesus, sealed his tomb, and posted guards to watch over it. But what Jesus meant wasn't that he would resurrect physically. He meant his teachings would be resurrected. After three days, Jesus' teachings were resurrected, and people regained their belief. The hearts of those who wanted to be shown the proper way revived his teachings. That's what the resurrection of Jesus is all about. He came back to life in the hearts of his believers. Jesus doesn't exist physically on this Earth. But he exists in people's hearts. ...In other words, that's when Jesus became an existence superior to humans.  "Does that mean you'll become a god, just like Jesus did...?" "Indeed. My research will be recognized for what it is someday. That's when I will become a god. That's why I'm not in a rush to achieve that recognition. I don't know when that day will come. God doesn't know that, either. But the day will come. That's why I need to continue to work as hard as I can." "......"It was very sad to hear my grandfather say that his life would end one day. He wasn't ill, and he didn't only have a few years left to live. But, set next to the average life span, his remaining years didn't look like much. The only person left in my life was my grandfather. So I didn't even want to consider what it would be like with him gone.  With a tender smile, he gently patted my head. "Of course, I want my research to be recognized before I die. I will do my best." "Yep. I'll do my best to help you too."I purposefully didn't mention the "before you die" part. I caught myself before I said it. "Thank you. That makes me very happy to hear."Grandfather smiled in satisfaction.  He was only searching for the possibility that parasites could be responsible for human behavior. Nothing more than that. Nothing outrageous. It really wasn't a wild idea. We even had some leads.  The villagers there are possessed by a powerful homesickness. When they are unable to return, they allegedly behave abnormally, as if they are cursed. There are also some bizarre rules in place in the village, based on their belief system. When he was working with the military during the war, my grandfather noticed similarities between the people in Hinamizawa, and assumed that some kind of existence was responsible for their odd behavior. He'd been researching it ever since then.  Numerous strange diseases were discovered all over Japan. Most of them were caused by infectious parasites, and people started to pay attention to this forgotten field of study. Grandfather's research was simply one of those investigations into such diseases. Therefore, he believed it would be published amongst other research and attain recognition soon. But if... If his research didn't bear fruit before his death... I wanted to continue it. I wanted to continue his research. Grandfather taught me. Resurrection isn't something that happens physically. It's when your life's work is appreciated. That's what he meant by resurrection. ...That's when he'll become a god. So when my grandfather dies, he'll still be with me forever. I wouldn't have to be alone ever again. I will always be with my grandpa. Our works will gain recognition and we will both become gods, gaining eternal peace.    We'll be together forever and ever… - - - BGM: Silence  The key was labelled "henhouse", but the lock Eriko was trying to open didn't belong to that door. It should have opened effortlessly. At least that's what was supposed to happen. But it didn't open. I noticed beads of sweat forming on Eriko's forehead. She was the one who came up with this idea. Eriko was starting to panic. The rest of us started to panic too.  "Shush!!"We were supposed to be cleaning out the henhouse. If they found us back here... If they found out why we were here and why we were trying to open up the lock to the back door...  "Don't panic, Eriko...! That key opens this lock, right? You already tried it, right?"SFX: Higurashi "...Will you shut up for a minute?! This is the right key! It's just hard to open, that's all...!!"She was almost shrieking. Our hearts were pounding loudly. It was as though the sound of our heartbeats was echoing throughout the hallway...   The three of us held our breath, but Eriko didn't hear it. She kept fussing with the lock and the key, as if everything would be okay if she could just open the lock. "Eriko, somebody is coming, be quiet!!" "I know this is the right key...!! I'm not dreaming, I already tried and it opened! Come on, why isn't this working? When this lock is open, we can be happy, and we can say goodbye to this hell!!"  
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Apr 14, 2023 02:44
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Hey, everyone! So my last post implied that I'd be posting again around winter vacation. Well, I've skipped straight to summer vacation with this one as my semester wraps up. Apologies for keeping you all hanging for so long- in case you didn't see it, the prologue is right above this post. The next update will be on Saturday a la my previous update schedule. I can't guarantee if I'll return to my usual twice-a-week updates after that (mostly because I seem to be very prone to breaking promises and I don't want to jinx this), but with this, Matsuribayashi is officially a-go. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Apr 14, 2023 |
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Apr 14, 2023 02:49
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Happy to see it back.
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Apr 14, 2023 08:33
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Eager for cackling and hideous laughter!
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Apr 14, 2023 09:14
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Back into the madness and chaos we go!
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Apr 14, 2023 14:19
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Happy you're back! Can't wait to see the rest of this play out
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Apr 15, 2023 00:57
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Man, this fell off my radar for a bit. I've gotta catch up!
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Apr 15, 2023 02:16
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Content warning for dismemberment, maiming, and discussion + depiction of severe child abuse. VIDEO: Matsuribayashi-hen | 1 BGM: Testament I don't know exactly how old they were. I was too young to remember. They went shopping without me, and that must be why they were punished. It was a train accident. What a terrible disaster. A lot of people died in that incident. But maybe my father was one of the lucky ones. He was still alive when he arrived at the hospital, so he was able to share his final words with me. My mother died instantly.  I didn't want to admit that this person I could hardly recognize was my father. As I called out to him, I hoped that it was someone else instead. But unfortunately it was my father. Maybe I shouldn't have woken him. Because when I woke him up, he was reminded of the miserable agony that he had forgotten. "Oooh... Oooh..." "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!"He tried to move his right arm so he could pat my head. But his arm was wrapped in bandages and his hand was no longer there. I couldn't find his hand anywhere on the bed.  Its main job was to slap me when I did something bad. But I never wished it to be gone. Besides, that hand also patted my head... even though that only happened a few times. It was a big, warm hand, and it stroked my head very gently. But no matter what good deeds I did he could no longer rub my head... No... his hand was the least of his worries. He had to go into emergency surgery. The doctors already warned me that the chance of him surviving was very low. That was why I was allowed to see him, regardless of his condition. Not only could he no longer rub my head, he might be gone forever...  "......L-Listen carefully. ...Your daddy might not make it. Even if I die, you have to be strong, okay?" "No, no!! You'll get better!! The doctor is going to make you better!! So you're not going to die!!"He was a stubborn and old-fashioned father. He believed endurance was a virtue, and he never complained about anything. That was why I couldn't believe he actually said he might not make it. I tried desperately to deny his words. But even that wish wouldn't prolong his life. My father, knowing his time was limited, tried to tell me some important things. But I interrupted his efforts by crying like a baby. I just wanted him to slap me. Just like he used to do every time I cried like a baby. But he would never slap me again.  He didn't need to tell me that. My parents used to tell me that all the time, so I was aware of that fact. In other words, my father was the only relative I had left in this entire world.  Hifumi is written as 一二三, or 1-2-3. As for Miyoko (美代子)…or should I say, Miyo Takano, Miyo is written as 三四, or 3-4. "Hi fu mi Takano..." "That's right. Doctor Hifumi Takano. He is my former teacher. He will help you... cough cough!! Cough!!" "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!!" He wanted to tell me something else, but the doctors stopped him from talking, so I wasn't able to hear him.  I didn't know what to do. Nobody told me how my father was doing or when the surgery was going to start. And nobody told me... that was going to be the last conversation I ever had with my father. - - - BGM: Requiem for the Disaster  They'd ask me if I knew his phone number. I said I didn't. Then they didn't ask me anything further. Sometimes they told me they'd look into it, but nothing led to anything. They couldn't find me a guardian, so I ended up going to an orphanage. At the time, there were plenty of orphans from the war, so although there were many orphanages around, they were all full. There were also some orphanages run by civilians. I was sent to one of those civilian orphanages.  So, I thought, those civilians who were running orphanages must have been very good people. I was sure they hoped that the children would grow in this loving environment and enter into society with a sense of gratitude. But reality isn't so kind. How many children in this world can actually express their gratitude towards their parents in the first place? Children are supposed to be nurtured by their parents' love. Therefore, when that environment is destroyed, their hearts are wounded. Every child has his or her own personality. Receiving affection doesn't guarantee that a child will become someone angelic. Not everyone's heart can be healed.  Maybe I shouldn't call them problem kids, though. The sadness and despair of losing their parents and the anger at having to hide such feelings filled those kids' hearts. Spending time individually with the children could have solved their problems. But at the orphanage where I was, none of the staff members even tried to spend time with them or put in an effort to understand them. All they could do was make sure that the kids followed the rules.  In this world, nobody expresses love without expecting something in return. The person who founded that orphanage was expecting something in return as well. He wanted the children to appreciate him.  The children called the orphanage a prison, and nobody appreciated the staff at all. In fact, all they did was complain. That made the staff slowly realize that love alone couldn't run a facility like that. Just like how the children called it a prison, the staff started to recognize the facility as a prison, too. It was a chain reaction resulting from mistrust on both sides. The staff bound the children with rules so they could suppress problem behavior. There was a framed picture of the founder of this orphanage, but I had never seen him in person. Was he satisfied with the fact that he put his own money into this social service? Or maybe he finally realized his dream of being surrounded by angelic children and being celebrated for what he did was simply that, a dream? I don't know. But there's one thing I'm certain of. Such a dream didn't exist at the orphanage.  Children's chatter tends to increase each other's volume, just like mics drawing closer. And sometimes that leads to fights, and the disturbance of order. So children were forbidden from speaking with each other. With those disallowed, they must have thought things would go smoothly. However, I think I always heard people's voices at the orphanage.  One was the staff yelling, and the other was the children crying. We were not allowed to walk around inside of the orphanage freely, so we never knew who it was that was crying. One time, along with the crying and yelling, we heard the noise of metallic things being smashed against each other. We knew it was some kind of punishment, but there was no way for us to even imagine what it was. We trembled, pretended we didn't hear anything, and kept working on our assignments. One of my roommates told me it was the "Casket Punishment" but she didn't tell me any further, and I didn't want to know either. Even if we behaved exactly the same way as yesterday, if the staff were in a bad mood, they might pick on us. So, even if I didn't want to know, I might suddenly find out what the Casket Punishment is one day.  We noticed them, so we straightened our backs and pretended we were studying hard. It was more important that the staff saw us doing so than us actually getting any work done. I noticed the girl next to me was falling asleep, so I poked her with my elbow. She noticed my signal and straightened her back like the other children. It was almost evening. This was the hardest time for us to keep ourselves awake and the most dangerous time.  Then he looked around to make sure none of us were falling asleep. Even if we were actually studying hard, if he thought we were asleep, we were out. That was why we had to make sure we appeared to be studying very hard. The man walked around our desks. I hoped he would just walk by me. That was what we all prayed, as we kept working on our homework.  The sound of metal objects crashing into each other, along with screams. We couldn't even imagine what the poor subject of that punishment was going through. ...Maybe there was something even worse than the Casket Punishment. To erase such fears, we tried to concentrate even harder on our work. We kept working... As the metal sounds and the screams went on forever. - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets   Being located in the middle of the mountains, the orphanage was very quiet at night. After making sure the staff members were far enough from our room, we enjoyed talking amongst ourselves. That was the only leisure time allowed to us. Though it wasn't anything nice like enjoying pleasant conversation. Why? Because we mostly talked about others behind their backs. We spoke of things like 'that member of staff is only strict or unfair or malicious towards this person', and so on. We just repeated those topics forever until someone couldn't keep themself awake anymore. We even discussed how we could get back at the staff, and we took revenge on all of them in our imagination. Some kids even started to cry when talking about it, difficult as it was for us. Although the subjects we spoke of were negative, talking about them was the only way to vent our frustration... and even though we felt despair about tomorrow, we were able to fall asleep. But sometimes, a different subject popped up.  BGM: Bellflower "...Yeah. Over there, I hear they get not only nap time, but snack time too. Plus, their president is a very nice person..."The House of Love and Mercy was a privately run orphanage, just like the one I was at. But it was a very kind facility, unlike ours... It seemed like a fantasy land compared to our current environment. A few years before, when this place was a lot worse, a few children tried to escape. (It was hard to believe there was a time when this orphanage was even worse to live at...) Supposedly, three or four people tried to escape. I don't know the exact number, though. They headed to The House of Love and Mercy. Their escape was a success. Except for one unlucky child, they were able to get to the property of The House of Love and Mercy. I guess the staff couldn't follow them into the other orphanage's property. In other words, the other facility's property had to be out of their jurisdiction.  I'm sure they wanted to bring back the others who got away from them too. I'm certain the staff were determined not to let a single one escape. It was easy to see that determination in the obstinate way they locked the place up after that event. But they were never able to bring back the ones that got away. No matter how much the staff were mortified, they couldn't reclaim the children and punish them. In other words, if you could make it to The House of Love and Mercy, then you could escape the evil clutches of this hell… BGM: Depressive Paranoia  ...Yet the exact details of how he was punished were never passed down. All that remained were ominous phrases left by those who knew him at the time.  I can't even imagine what kind of punishments they were. The only thing I can say is that those punishments were supposed to be far more harsh than the Casket Punishment, which was the most cruel punishment I knew of the time. I can only imagine how horrible those punishments were from their ominous names. After that, the captured kid's wish came true and he was able to leave the orphanage. Was he able to leave this orphanage safely and enjoy his freedom while breathing in fresh air under the blue sky? Well, according to the rumors... that wasn't what happened at all.  The children were instructed not to go into the boiler room after that incident. Everyone knew the boiler room was always locked. So everyone knew.  And not just that. He was killed after being tortured. He was killed to teach the other children that they would face hell on Earth if they tried to escape. Yet those who faced that risk and made it out... obtained ordinary, average lives full of Love and Mercy's namesake, which were far better conditions than we lived in here. Maybe The House of Love and Mercy was really Heaven. Maybe all the orphanages are pretty much the same. But compared to my orphanage, I bet anything else would have been better. Even if someone escaped successfully, the police would catch him. Then he'd be sent back to the orphanage. Which would be pretty much the same as being killed. However, if he could reach The House of Love and Mercy, they'd take him in. They wouldn't send him back. By talking about escaping to The House of Love and Mercy, we were trying to forget how cruel reality was to us.   Who didn't want to escape from here? It was a rather foolish question. ...But that wasn't what she meant. "If there was a chance to escape, would you take that chance, knowing what you had to go through if you got caught...?" That was what she meant. Not one of us could answer immediately. If the previous escape incident was a total success, then we might have thought differently. But after that, the orphanage had tightened up security to prevent runaways. All the doors and windows were locked heavily, and it wouldn't be at all easy to get out. Even if another group escape was planned, the success rate would be very low. Three escaped and one was caught before. Maybe two would be caught next time. No, maybe everyone would be.  "But The House of Love and Mercy is so far away. The bridge is long, too. We'll all be caught before we get there..." "Besides, we can't even go outside. Everything is locked up..."There were locks all over the orphanage. To escape, you'd need a key for both the inside and the outside, and after the lights were turned off, even each section of the hallway was individually locked. Make no mistake, this was a prison. According to the rumors, orphanages receive government funding depending on the number of children they house. So, if anyone escapes, they lose money. Also, if we were to expose the conditions at the orphanage, they would end up being inspected, and things would get complicated for them. That was why they were so intent on keeping us locked up. "Sure, if there was a chance, I would want to escape... But realistically, there's no way we could. Every door is locked." "...Eh? Really...?!" "Shh!!"Eriko shushed us. Sometimes, mass-produced locks take the same key. Of course, most places use different types of locks so that this won't happen, but the staff at the orphanage must have overlooked it. So there were two locks that used the same key at the orphanage. However, most of us never had a chance to even touch the keys. But there were a few exceptions. One of those was the henhouse. Each room group took turns taking care of different chores. If your group was assigned to clean the henhouse, you'd have to get the key to it from the teacher's office. You were supposed to return the key immediately after you were done. But while taking care of the henhouse, the key was in the children's hands. While the staff would occasionally come around to check, they couldn't keep an eye on us forever.  "L-Let's not...! It's too dangerous...!" "...Of course it's dangerous if there's only one of us. ...But it's different if we're in a group." "...Wait, why?" "Do you know why only one kid was caught the last time they tried to escape?"They were desperate. ...And so to escape as a group, they did something... to increase the chance of success. ...That was why only one of them was caught. "What did they do?" And so... although it all depended on luck, it would increase the chance of success for sure. On your own, you'd probably have no hope, but if the staff were to chase after other children, then your own chance of escaping successfully would increase. In other words, Eriko was inviting us to escape with her. The more children joined, the more each of our chances would increase. But among us, there were children who tattled to the staff for their own benefit. So she had to be very careful about who she talked to. Eriko must have trusted us a lot. Eriko, me, Tomomi, and Kikuko. Four children.  The three of us shook our heads. But at the same time, we couldn't agree to escape with her either. "Of course we don't want to stay here a day longer... or even an hour longer." "Even if we did exactly the same thing as we did yesterday, we might get yelled at tomorrow... I can't stand this anymore. I can't stand living in fear of what to do and what not to do so I won't be yelled at."We all feel the same way.  It wasn't too much of a stretch to say that the rules depended on the mood of the staff. This is okay, that isn't okay. Such borderline rules changed daily. And if we were to say anything about that, we would be treated horribly for it. "I will escape, even if I have to do it alone. ...Like I said, the more people that join, the better our chance. Think about it. If they find out about this henhouse key trick, they are sure to change the lock on the back door. In other words, we only have one chance. ...So even if you regret not joining in later, it'll be too late." "...But... Ooh... I'm scared..." "I'm scared, too. If we get caught, we'll be killed...!" The fear was perfectly understandable. Because all of sudden, the fear of the punishment that would follow had become very realistic. I'm sure Eriko felt the same way too. But her courage was suppressing her fear. And because of that, she shared her idea with us. "...So, do you plan to stay here forever?!" "No, no, no, no way!!" "I know you're scared. But this is the only chance we have. You have to be brave just this once! What about you, Miyoko? Don't you want to go with me?" Of course, I was scared in my own way, but compared to the other two, I must have appeared rather calm. ".........Can we really escape...?"Of course, Eriko couldn't guarantee our success. But I had to ask her anyway. "There's no guarantee. But if you join me, I'll have a better chance of escaping than trying to run on my own. Of course, the same goes for you too."Eriko gave a calculated reason... but I'm sure she just wanted a friend to agree with her. ...That was probably more important to her than increasing her chances to escape.  "...Ahh, well...!!"Eriko rushed the two to make up their minds. It almost looked cold, but that was her way of mustering their courage. Because it was very possible that, regardless of the outcome of our escape attempt, as our roommates, those two would be held responsible. "It's not like we'll do it tomorrow. Our turn to take care of the henhouse is in a week. We'll wait for the perfect time to do it. If we don't feel that it's safe, then we'll wait until our next turn. We'll be very careful."The rotation of the staff and the timing were important, but we also each had to know the way to The House of Love and Mercy. We were planning to split up, so we had to know the area. I made up my mind.  "Of course. We'll be killed if we get caught! I don't want to die!" "I-I'll come, too..." "Me too, me too...!!"Tomomi and Kikuko agreed, and so we all decided to escape as a group... We waited for the perfect opportunity. We waited for the day where only a few staff members were at the orphanage. And we decided to let God take care of the rest. - - - BGM: Silence  Maybe it was the way I did it. Eriko tried to open the lock several times without success, but I got it open on the first attempt. SFX: Rain The back door opened slowly, and we felt a cool breeze. This wasn't the world of freedom just yet. ...In fact, it was the exact opposite. If the staff were to find out we were here, we would be in big trouble. It was a world of danger. But unless we went through that dangerous world, we wouldn't be able to go any further. "......Okay... let's go..."I think Eriko wanted to say that. We were planning to leave with that as our cue. But what we heard instead wasn't Eriko's voice.  We started to run.  We all got soaked immediately, and our clothes stuck to our skin. While that would normally be very uncomfortable, we couldn't even stop to think about that. We could only keep running in the rain. We were dashing on gravel, but it felt more like trudging through a muddy rice field. My feet kept sinking and I couldn't pull them up. I was frustrated because no matter how fast I tried to run, I wasn't gaining any speed. I felt a sense of urgency. I heard someone yelling "escape" behind me, and all I could do was run like crazy.  With Eriko's cue, we all went different ways, hoping they wouldn't be coming after us. Would we be able to reunite safely at The House of Love and Mercy? All four of us there together... or maybe someone would be missing... No, maybe... everyone else would make it... and I'd be the one who gets caught... My thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a staff member coming from behind me.  The staff members should have numbered fewer than us. So if I was lucky, they wouldn't be coming after me. Praying that the staff voices I heard in the distance weren't after me, I looked back for a moment. If I had time to turn around, why didn't I take another step forward? Why didn't I try to escape further? SFX: Silence   Of course, I didn't stay quiet. I fought back... and then I saw his face.  And considering what would happen to me afterwards, killing me here on the spot wouldn't pose any problem, would it? ...Yes. He looked at me with unworldly hate, ready to end my life here and now. His pinky finger ended up touching my tongue. The indescribably nasty taste sent an icky feeling through my whole body! Aah, that's it! This is what my murder tastes like! He was going to shove that finger down my windpipe and suffocate me! And so, in order to live, I fought back in the only way I could.  SFX: Rain "Gyahhhhh!!!"Something warm filled my mouth. It felt like swallowing blood after a nosebleed. I spit it from my mouth and ran without turning around, leaving behind the staff member clutching his pinky finger. "You little poo poo! drat you! I'll kill you!!!"I heard his roars echoing behind me. It wasn't a man that was after me. It was a beast. He had no interest in capturing me. His only goal was to see me dead.  They weren't sneakers, so they came off easily while I was running like mad. My bare feet struck the gravel over and over. It was painful, but I didn't care. Because if I stopped, I knew what would happen to me.     The blood from the staff member's pinky finger dripped down from my mouth, staining my chin and chest. I was running for my life, with scratches and cuts all over my body. If I were to get caught, I would be killed. If my pursuer had any sense, then I would be killed after being tortured. But if he didn't, I would be killed on the spot. I don't want to be killed. I don't want to be killed!! My lungs and heart were about to explode. My mind was blank from fear and lack of oxygen. I was about to lose consciousness. I might have given in... if I didn't hear the voice of the staff member coming after me!! My knees were shaking. My legs wouldn't move properly. I felt like I was going to fall like a puppet without strings. But I couldn't fall. I couldn't fall just yet...!! SFX: Silence  I felt the awful sensation of falling. And immediately after, the roar of the beast coming from behind me!!   BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets  I must have hit my thigh against the steering wheel when I jumped. I can feel the throbbing pain, delayed slightly. I'm sweating all over. I wiped the sweat on my forehead and put my hand on my chest, only then realizing how fast my heart was beating. I rubbed my thigh. I rubbed it in a straight line. That's not where I hit the steering wheel. But I feel like this is where it hurts. I can't see a scary beast in the moonlit car. I have my shoes on, and I'm not covered in blood. My toes are fine too. SFX: Silence  SFX: Crickets  "Ah ...oh, thank you."I wanted to take a nap, so I told him to come wake me up in an hour. Maybe an hour was too long. Too long a nap actually makes you tired. I put my seat back up and got out of the car.  I only see the moon. There's nothing else to see on this mountain trail. My car and a command vehicle disguised as a trailer are parked on the side of the street.  But even that couldn't get rid of it. The taste of blood, saliva, and rain. Sweat from my forehead and raindrops got into my mouth, but I couldn't swallow, so I ended up drooling. That sensation around my lips brought back memories, and I tried to wipe my mouth. BGM: Things I Want to Convey (Tsutaetai Koto) Maybe I'm nervous. That's why I had such a bad dream. I think there's a coffee machine in the command vehicle. An unpleasant cup of coffee will wake me up.  "No, not yet. We just got Gifu's scheduled check-in. Everything is okay over there." "I see. Hey, could someone make me a cup of coffee?" "Sure. Cream and sugar?" "Just cream, please. Ah, no, please put in some sugar, too."I still have a bad taste in my mouth. The feeling of biting and crushing his little finger and his filthy blood filling my mouth. I'm sure a sweeter cup of coffee will wash down that bad taste and also wake me up from my nightmare completely...  - - - No TIP this round, nor any round, really. The reason why this is the case will become evident as we read on. 
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Apr 16, 2023 00:41
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That part about the people running the orphanage wanting to be seen as good people and lashing out when they don't get unconditional love from traumatized children is...ooof
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Apr 17, 2023 06:16
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Happy Landfill posted:That part about the people running the orphanage wanting to be seen as good people and lashing out when they don't get unconditional love from traumatized children is...ooof Once again, Ryukishi's stint in social work comes through in the most heartbreakingly real way.
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Apr 18, 2023 18:49
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Returning to this with one hell of an update. Yowza. 
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Apr 18, 2023 19:04
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VIDEO: Matsuribayashi-hen | 2 BGM: Iru  "This is the back end, we're ready! We can't hear anything from inside, so please give us a cue when the speech is wrapping up." "Listen up, ten bottles of beer per table! Make sure to deliver them to your areas smoothly!"Young hotel workers dressed smartly in bowties pulled bottle after bottle out of the beer cases, preparing for the toast. They waited for their cue to serve the drinks while listening through the intercom. At a normal party, they could put bottles of beer on the table ahead of time, but if there was a lecture before the party, then they couldn't. Guests don't mind sushi going dry due to a long speech, but they don't like seeing their tables get wet with condensation from the bottles of beer. And more than anything, they certainly don't want to drink warm beer. That's why beer has to be served right before a toast. However, there's always a speech before a toast. And usually a long one. Especially at a big party like this, there are lots of guests that give speeches, so it's extremely difficult to know when to serve. For that reason, the bottles end up sitting outside by the banquet room, and people end up drinking warm beer anyway.  Approximately eight people were sitting at each table, so there were at least a few hundred people in the room. The banquet room was filled with excitement. There were many plates with many different kinds of food on each table. A sushi platter, a sashimi platter, a fruits platter... Also along the wall, there were cooks ready to serve fresh sashimi. All the guests appeared to be well-mannered gentlemen, and clearly were notable people in various different fields. The huge and beautiful chandelier above them clearly indicated that this hotel held a status good enough for these famous people. An elderly gentleman was giving a lengthy speech on the stage before making a toast. Usually people don't like such long speeches. Especially if it's before a toast. But the guests occasionally shouted, "Yes, yes!" and sometimes gave him loud applause, filling the room with their fervor. BGM: Silence Well, maybe "fervor" was a pleasant way to put it. It was probably more accurate to say their excitement was bizarre. BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  """That's right, that's right!!!""" "Is forcing people to respect their national flag and anthem an obstruction of their freedom? That's a foolish idea! Listen, love for one's national flag and anthem comes naturally to all. To know ourselves, to know our culture, to understand our history and our country itself. Those are the things that make you realize that you are a Japanese citizen, that make you understand the part you play as a citizen of this country. And the feeling you get from that is love towards your own country!!” “However, those anti-Japan teachers are proclaiming that it's militaristic brainwashing! Those stupid claims are wrong!! What are those people doing, anyway? They're teaching our children to hate being Japanese! They're the ones brainwashing them with this self-destructive education! They are teaching our children that Japan should be ashamed of itself, and that they should be ashamed of being Japanese! Forget who you are, and deny your country, That's what they're teaching them!!” “These innocent children listen and believe such nonsense! Of course they do! They go to school to learn things, right? If their teachers teach them that, of course the children believe it. Can you believe such corruption exists?! We must do something about this country's education now, no matter what it takes!!!"The sound of applause filled the banquet room. All the gentlemen agreed, and expressed that they felt the same way by cheering him on. After that, a gentleman wearing a cloth sash approached the stage. The hall welcomed him onto the stage with another round of thunderous applause. A rousing theme from a popular drama series played as he took the stage, but it was entirely unnecessary before the overwhelming applause. The man's sash carried his name written in large letters, along with the name of the prefecture he was running for office in.  “This man has served the former governor as his right-hand man as director of the office of the governor for many years, supporting the prefecture's government for a long time. Since the previous governor has decided to retire, he was appointed as the next governor." "Unfortunately, we have those anti-Japan teachers in our prefecture. While they proclaim freedom of education and freedom of thought, they're shamelessly forcing an anti-Japan education down on our children!! They don't teach real history, they teach our children that everything was Japan's fault! They don't even mention the true purpose of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, or all those who fought to save Asian peoples from Western control!” “They don't even talk about how many Asian countries were actually Western colonies before Japan stood up for our freedom during the war. Our country has recovered amazingly since then, yet our children don't know any of that, because those teachers don't teach them! How truly, truly sad! I can't stand the fact that those anti-Japan teachers are actually teaching our children alongside those teachers who take teaching seriously. They are insulting our educational institutions! I will become a governor and get rid of those teachers. I will straighten out our education system and make sure our children will grow up to be decent young people who can carry on Japan's future!!" "He, XXXX-kun, announces his candidacy for the next year's prefectural governorship. We appreciate your support for him!!" "I promise, I will straighten out Japan's education system!! Thank you for your support!!!"Again, the banquet room filled with applause. The man was receiving a standing ovation.  It wasn't the conference of a political association, or a lecture by a political candidate. It was hard to believe, but this was nothing more than a meeting of a college's alumni association. Everyone should be familiar with what those are. Whether it's elementary school, junior high school, high school, or college, once you graduate from one of those, you normally belong to an organization of alumni. You receive invitations for reunions where you enjoy talking about the good old days. However, there are many different types of such organizations. Some are simple, and some are united with much tighter bonds. And once an organization becomes united with those tight bonds, it's no longer a simple organization of alumni. Rather, it becomes a significant faction known as an alma mater clique.  Also, the more superior the alma mater, the stronger that tendency holds true. The Imperial University, one of the best universities in the country, is famous for the deep bonds its graduates form. Why do superior people like to bond? It may be because they take pride in being superior, but more than that, maintaining connections is the most significant reason. All Imperial University graduates are elites in their respective fields. They are likely to succeed and become important people. When they do, the unity of their alumni association gains immeasurable meaning. In fact, even today, the Imperial University graduates maintain their tight academic clique, and they hold great influence throughout many different fields. They interact with other universities as well, so the graduates' bonds are extremely tight, even today. Additionally, while "Imperial University" usually refers to the University of Tokyo, sometimes it's used to mean all seven major universities in Japan. They are located in Tokyo, Kyoto, Tohoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido, Osaka, and Nagoya. They are all great schools.  The elderly gentlemen in this banquet room were each from one of those organizations. However, not every graduate would get an invitation here automatically. It is a society of "select gentlemen", and in order to become a member, one must first fulfill several conditions, such as recommendation from an existing member, contribution to the society, possession of status, and so forth. Therefore, all the members are important people from different fields, and obviously the power of this organization is of a political nature. But there's one more very important criterion one has to meet to join. Strong patriotism. A heart that longs to contribute to Japan and its rebirth. As a result, this organization has become extremely nationalistic. Up on the stage, the candidate for the prefectural governorship was still talking passionately.  Takano seemed used to this kind of conference, and seemed unsurprised at anything that was said. But at the same time, she looked rather fed up with it. As she was in attendance, she must have been one of their members. Which meant she possessed not only an extremely excellent academic background, but that the older gentlemen here had acknowledged her equivalent contributions to society, and that she possessed strong patriotism. However, her academic background was the only qualification she had met to join. She was only able to join as a special case because of her connections. She didn't even hold prejudiced ideas like the other members did. So, why was she here today?  The man on the stage didn't actually have prejudiced ideas, much like Takano. He only prepared a speech that he knew the guests would like. Politicians only want votes. Each and every person has a vote, but appealing to each one of them takes too long. So the most efficient way is to appeal to organizations with a unified idea and a unified will. In other words, this man was giving this speech so he can garner support from those powerful people. The elderly gentlemen in the banquet room will then do their best to support him, since he appears to share their ideals. They can offer many different kinds of expediency, support, and assistance. To an outrageous degree, I might add. If the day's event continued in the same way, the organization would likely decide to officially support him. They will probably give him a great deal of financial aid. They'll assist him in different ways as well. Of course, the man on the stage won't be the only one gaining something. When he wins the election and becomes a governor next year, the organization will welcome the governor as a new member and gain even more political influence. And eventually, the organization will become so powerful that nobody can ignore it.  You'd be absolutely right. After reaching this level, they were a fine syndicate. No, they would be a secret society if the group wasn't so open about its activities. Now, I'm sure some of you readers are brushing this off, thinking there's no way such a suspicious organization could exist in Japan. But everything I've explained is entirely true. There are several such influential groups and organizations within our society, and you need to understand that they hold powerful political clout and influence our national policies. Some are alma mater cliques like the one I've described above, others are scientific societies serving different parties, industrial groups, advisory committees, religious organizations, community service groups, and so forth. Also, there are right wings and left wings, the hawk and the dove. ...I won't go listing their specific names here. Yet you've probably read them every now and then in your average newspaper.  Most of you readers probably think of suspicious organization wearing white hoods when you hear the phrase 'secret society', and laugh it off. But unfortunately, that's a huge mistake. In America, where there's far more territory and citizens, there's way more groups like that, and they possess such vast influence that ignoring them is impossible. So the terms they use for such forces doesn't apply to those on the scale of this syndicate. Sometimes, people say that such groups have more power than the White House, and they are referred to as the "shadow government". Even here in Japan, we had a shadow government before the war--our zaibatsu. After we lost the war, the GHQ dismantled those blocs, but 40 years have passed since then. There's no guarantee our country hasn't given birth to another shadow government, given how good we are at collusion, groundwork, and backroom deals. Miyo Takano was, in fact, attending a conference of such a shadow government. - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Birds  There were no golfers in sight, but by appearances, that must be it. But appearances can be deceiving. This wasn't a golf course, but a huge back yard. The guest house was, in fact, a very stylish mansion. Normal people would be surprised to learn that this was a private residence. SFX: Higurashi  There were beautiful carpets on every floor, expensive-looking decorations on the wall, and expensive-looking bottles of alcohol on the shelves. That's the kind of room Takano could be seen in. There was a knock at the door, and an old man in a wheelchair and a young woman pushing it entered. As Takano stood up to bow, the old man stopped her by raising his right hand.   "It's great to see you, Koizumi-sensei."The old man sat down on the sofa with assistance from the woman. He was very old... His face was covered in wrinkles and he could hardly do anything on his own. ...Even so, he still held a great deal of power and influence.  "Oh my, you haven't changed a bit, have you? I can see lipstick on your neck. Hee hee." "Hoh? Is that right? Ha ha ha ha. Good grief, how embarrassing~~."There was no lipstick on his neck. The woman who was helping him with his wheelchair was too beautiful to be a mere helper, so Takano had suspected something. As it turned out, her guess was correct. Although he was so old that he could die the next day, he wanted to stay sexually active until the very end. Even the grim reaper would think that's just absurd.   "Oh, stop. If you really think that way, why did you try to touch my bottom, hmm?" "Ha ha ha ha ha! What have you got to lose from having an old guy like me touch your butt?" "I'm sure you have plenty of chances to touch a softer butt, don't you? Hee hee hee hee." They had clearly known each other a long time, and were very close. The young woman came back in to serve tea. After she left, the old man started to speak.  "I hope so. ...But I'm not even close to approaching the level of my grandfather's great work." "Takano-kun was unlucky in many different ways. The era he lived in... If he lived in a different era, I'm sure he would have finished his research..." "But he lived in that era, and ironically, that was why he noticed the existence of the Hinamizawa Syndrome." "......The world today is in the nuclear era. With America and the Soviet Union glaring at each other over mounds of nuclear stockpiles, it takes nukes to have authority as a major power. ......Yet we've forever abandoned our nukes thanks to our three antinuclear principles. In this age, we are now a nation without nukes. ...How deplorable."In the middle of the 20th century, despite rising tensions between East and West, there was a temporary peace known as the Cold War brought by a balance of nukes pointed at one another. Permanent memberships in the United Nations were monopolized by nations with nuclear arms. They secured their predominance with nukes, bound the world with nuclear nonproliferation treaties, eternally banning non-nuclear nations from the world stage. For Japan to become a nation that can compete with the world, it must develop nuclear arms, or something as powerful. That's what some people believed, at least.  "I know. The citizens wouldn't accept it. Even if the government ignored their opinions and armed itself with nuclear weapons, it wouldn't work."By abandoning nuclear weaponry, Japan gained the deterrent power of the United States. Though some people thought the only way for Japan to become equal to the United States would be to get nuclear arms of their own. But realistically, that was impossible. Even if Japan armed itself with nuclear weapons, that wouldn't automatically let Japan join the great powers. Takano and the old man discussed the balance of nuclear power in the world. Eventually, the sound of the cuckoo clock reminded them to return to the main subject at hand. The old man pointed to the attache case that had been sitting next to Takano. Takano nodded once, opened it up, and removed the contents. BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  How much was actually in there? A bundle of brand new million-yen bills is one centimeter so there must have been at least enough to make up eight digits. There were also two more attache cases by her side. However, neither Takano nor the old man were surprised at all. Takano closed the attache case and bowed.  "Ha ha ha ha. Money should be handled by younger people. I can't take it to Heaven with me. I just hope this will be of assistance to you. Use it wisely." "Of course I will. I'll use this money only to make my grandfather's dream come true." "I envy Takano-kun. What a wonderful grandchild he has. I'm sure he's bragging about you up there." "I haven't done anything yet. I'll have earned this praise when I complete my grandfather's work." "......I'm so jealous. My boys are no good. They're only interested in making money. ...What really matters is how the money is spent. How you contribute to the country is what's most important. That's how you repay your debt to it, you know..." "Oh, so are you saying that treating all those lovers so lavishly is also a way of repaying your country?" "Of course. When they shop, the country makes money. Money goes around, you see?"However, those lovers would probably end up buying some foreign goods. ...Things probably don't work quite the way this old man thinks they do. Takano chuckled to herself.  "I know that very well." "You've worked very hard. You've retained trust and support from so many people. This is the first time I've mentioned it, but Haruyama-kun and Mochizuki-kun both weren't sure about you because of your age, at first. Ha ha ha ha. That's why I'm acknowledging your efforts, and that's why I'm giving you this money." "I understand." "...Also, for me to give you this money means that I recognize you as the official successor of Takano-kun's research." "Thank you very much. Thank you for believing in me. I truly appreciate it." "No, don't mention it! This research is Takano-kun's, and yours too. He wouldn't want anyone else to take over. So, thanks to all of your effort, I didn't have to spend too much time convincing the other old folks." "...Completing my grandfather's research is the least I can do for him. I won't begrudge any efforts toward that aim." It went without saying, but the old men around Takano saw her as someone from their grandchildren's generation, or maybe even younger. Just how much trouble did Takano have to endure in order to gain the trust of those with such a large generation gap? It was hard to describe to those who couldn't even imagine her trouble. But Takano earned it. She gathered allies, drove away enemies, garnered support, and forced them to recognize her. She spent a long time establishing trust and rising to a status that the old men would welcome. Which was all the more reason this meeting was a reward for her many days of hardship. Now that she officially had a powerful influence backing her, she could spread her wings and see the completion of her grandfather's unfinished research... BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  "What is it? I'm listening."The old man paused and pulled an expensive cigarette from the cigarette holder on the table. Takano lit it up for him. She didn't smoke herself. But knowing that the old man did, she kept a lighter in her pocket. The constant build up of little gestures like that were how she gained the trust she held today... "...Takano-kun noticed the Hinamizawa syndrome in Manchuria, not Japan." "Yes. According to my grandfather's journal, around 1940, he learned that many soldiers sent from Hinamizawa to the Kwantung Army expressed terminal symptoms, which led him to surmise that an unknown, infectious parasite dwelled in Hinamizawa." In those conditions, those who were sent to a far off battlefield from Hinamizawa spent their days under duress, and occasionally they exhibited terminal symptoms, hallucinated, and caused twisted incidents. Yet that all occurred in the extensive chaos of the battlefield. Every incident was handled separately, and no one suspected there was an underlying cause...  “And one day, he noticed that several incidents of deranged behavior were occurring among soldiers from the same hometown. He hypothesized that these symptoms were unique to those from Hinamizawa and began his own personal research.” ”He hired soldiers from Hinamizawa as workers in his research center and studied them there. ...Then he learned of the unique Hinamizawa faith in Oyashiro-sama, and he was convinced that he found an infectious parasite with unique properties."Some may wonder how he could be so certain that these symptoms were caused by unusual parasites. At the beginning of the twentieth century, German doctors proved that some unknown diseases were caused by bacteria and parasites. At the time, it wasn't too far of a jump to assume that unknown pathogens could be behind unknown diseases. For instance, in modern times it's been revealed that beriberi is caused by Vitamin B-1 deficiency, but at the start of the 20th century many loudly proclaimed that it was the work of an unidentified pathogen. "Yes. My grandfather predicted that his research would be valuable to the army, so he asked for a budget, but they just laughed at him."As a researcher, her grandfather was very talented and passionate, but when it came to gaining the aid of political powers, he simply struck out.  ...No, the possible existence of a parasite that infected the human brain and controlled emotions. ...Even though he made the remarkable achievement of discovering a mystery no one had explained before him, he was unable to convince others of that achievement, and spent his life alone, unable to garner support and unable to achieve proper recognition for his achievement. Independent research has its limit. Talented people, funding, and backup. A research project can be successful only if all those things are present. Takano had noticed her grandfather's mistakes, and that was why she did everything she could to obtain all of that.   "But I heard you were the only one who understood my grandfather's research, weren't you? In his journal, he calls you his best friend." "We came from the same hometown. It was a miracle to run into someone from the same town on such a distant battlefield. Although we weren't close in age, we became very good friends. So we talked a lot. Many times he told me his research would be revolutionary, and asked me to lay the groundwork to secure funding for full-scale research." "I read in his journal that you talked to many different people about his research. Unfortunately, its value was never recognized, but I'm sure your support meant a lot to him." "But I was never able to really do anything for him. That's why I want to help you, Miyo-chan. Helping you is like atoning for my mistakes..." "Thank you very much. He was lucky to have you as his best friend. ...If only there were more understanding people like you in the military's upper echelon. It's very regrettable to think that my grandfather's life might have been different..."The old man closed his eyes and paused for a moment. ...Shortly after that, he looked into the distance and spoke. SFX: Silence  "...What? I've never heard that before. Then why didn't they support his research?"SFX: Shrine Bells "Something came up, and they couldn't let him look into Hinamizawa Syndrome. Only a few of the top brass and myself knew the reason. Now that all but myself have passed, ...I think I should tell you, Miyo-chan, since you're carrying on his work." "......What came up? ...What was it?"Takano had believed until this day that her grandfather's research was ridiculed by everyone, which was the reason why it had never gained any recognition. Her grandfather had asked the military for funding so he could uncover the secret of Hinamizawa Syndrome during the war. But just like the old man had said earlier, the military wanted an instant-acting weapon. That was why they weren't interested in his research. That's what she had believed. But as it turned out, the military had actually shown an interest after all. BGM: Ancient Times (Inishie)  At the time, Japan had troops in Manchuria, but opinions were divided on advancing north to deter the Soviet Union, or advancing south to expand our territory and secure resources. With the Soviet Union and its predecessor, Russia, being a landlocked, frozen nation, they had long yearned for an ice-free port that wouldn't freeze over in winter. They had made numerous attempts to expand their territory southward too. Those expansionist policies were said to be a cause of the Russo-Japanese war. In the history books, it's said that Japan won the Russo-Japanese War, but it was actually a draw ending in peace signed at the Treaty of Portsmouth. Both sides had simply set aside their spears after mutually exhausting their forces. It wasn't like Russia capitulated and offered a complete surrender. As a result, the perception of the Russian threat continued to smoulder. Later the Russian Empire was overthrown by a revolution, but Japan was unable to shake the threat that the new Soviet Union would advance south.  “As a result, when the Great Patriotic War began, the Soviet Union was able to respond to pressure on their German front by pouring in their eastern forces. Though the Germans had managed to lay siege to Moscow, the Soviets launched a massive counter-offensive that reversed the tides of war."Even with the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviets couldn't tell if Japan would attack them at some point. Because of that threat, the Soviets had to leave some forces in the far east, and they weren't able to devote enough troops to the German front. For starters, the Soviets had forged the Germany-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact too. Yet Germany broke the treaty and attacked the Soviet Union. To make matters worse, Japan and Germany had forged a military alliance. With all those factors in play, the Soviets naturally couldn't trust Japan to uphold their neutrality pact. (Ironically, the Soviet Union was the one who broke the pact, but I won't go into that now.)  “With the superior German offensive, many supported the idea of waiting and watching it play out. They believed that even if we did advance north, it would be after Germany conquered Moscow. ...However, that plan was exposed to Sorge, and the Soviets transferred their heavy tanks from their far east border to the German front. That secured Germany's defeat at Moscow, and the Germans began seeing a string of defeats starting with the Battle of Kursk." "It was a turning point in history, huh?"During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was recognized as a global power, but at least in 1940, the Kwantung Army didn't think it was a particular threat. Japan had earned a victory with the Russo-Japanese war, and they took the new Soviet Union government lightly, assuming it wouldn't be stable after overthrowing the Russian Empire. That underestimation was corrected after the Nomonhan Incident in 1941. After several fierce, short-term battles with the Soviet Union's advanced, mechanized corps that led to great losses, the Kwantung Army realized they shouldn't fight the Soviets, and that inclined Japan toward the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact...  “Thanks to that, there were also voices advising caution, suggesting we avoid all-out war with China in order to shore up our forces against the Soviets." "But the Sino-Japanese War broke out after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, right?"July, 1937. The Japanese and Chinese armies were staring at each other across the Lugou Bridge in Beijing.  The Chinese army fired on the Japanese army-in-training, and they engaged in combat. This triggered the long Sino-Japanese War. "Yes. According to historical records, that incident triggered the Sino-Japanese War, but... ...with opinions divided over advancing north or south, the army was equally divided over a full-scale confrontation with China. No, in fact, we even received orders from General Staff Headquarters to resolve the matter quietly before the incident grew much bigger."So those supporting the northern advance wanted to settle the Battle of Lugou Bridge quietly, insisting that conflict with China was pointless in light of their anti-Soviet strategy. However, those on the mainland supporting the southern advance used this incident as cause to dispatch more troops to China. They enacted hard policies against China, and thus the Marco Polo Bridge Incident became the trigger for Japan and China to enter all-out war. After that and their bitter struggles in the Nomonhan Incident, Japan greatly revised their Soviet strategy. They signed the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and secured the route for their southern advance. The Sino-Japanese war got worse and worse...  “However, if the South Faction didn't get that chance, the military authorities would have kept restraining the Soviet Union, and the Soviets would have had to divide their forces between east and west, .........and maybe Germany could have invaded Moscow. Then Japan could have gone to Siberia. The map could have been very different today."Germany wouldn't necessarily have won the war if it had succeeded in taking Moscow. England was keeping its strength on the other side of Dover Strait, after all, and the United States was poised to enter the conflict. Besides, Napoleon once occupied Moscow. But in the end, he couldn't beat their winter and had to withdraw.  "Yes. It's possible that the gunshot from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident changed the tide of history." "...Both sides had different opinions of who fired the shot, right?" "According to the Japanese side, a Chinese soldier fired a shot at a Japanese soldier who got too close to the Chinese camp. However, the Chinese side claimed the shot was a conspiracy invented by the Japanese military." "But the shot was fired. Even though nobody knew who actually pulled the trigger, it sparked the Sino-Japanese war." "Yes, that's what the history books say." ".........But, Koizumi-sensei... what does that have to do with my grandfather?" "In the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a shot was fired at a unit that was training in the middle of the night. Everyone was summoned for a roll call. They were missing one soldier.” "...Eh? Really?" "When Takano-kun was talking about Hinamizawa Syndrome, he said that soldiers from Hinamizawa could suddenly fall into a deranged state. And we realized that the soldier from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident was in fact from Hinamizawa." "Then what about the first shot fired?" "I don't know the truth! But I think it's possible that a soldier with the terminal stage of Hinamizawa Syndrome fired the shot. That soldier was killed in the incident. Since there was no record of it, nobody knows exactly how he died." "............"The Japanese side claimed that the Chinese army had fired at them, and negotiated with that in mind. Just a scant few days after the incident, Japan demanded an apology from the Chinese, and as a show of force dispatched three divisions of reinforcements. The Chinese side was, of course, opposed to that. The situation escalated at once. SFX: Higurashi  “So, in order to avoid the risk of traversing that political grey zone, they rejected Takano-kun's research..." "......So, because of that... they refused to even consider my grandfather's research long after the war ended too?" "Yes, that's exactly it. The war is over now, but there are still some conflicts there regarding historical recognition. Even if Takano-kun didn't mean for it to happen, if his research into Hinamizawa Syndrome became public, it might cause a resurgence of quarrels over the long-ended war. Certain authorities were afraid of that, so they made sure his research was ignored even after the war. ...I was long warned not to aid him any way myself..." "........."BGM: Silence  She had just found out the real reason why her grandfather's research had been ignored. It was because of secret maneuvers by political masterminds. ...If those masterminds feared it so much, ironically, that meant they acknowledged the importance of his research. ...Takano was saddened and frustrated to no end by her grandfather's lonely life. "However, they are all dead now. I'm the only one who knows about this. If Takano-kun was still alive, I was going to apologize to him and give him my unconditional support. But he's no longer around. That's why I'm apologizing to you and offering to give you my full support instead." "......Are you sure? Wouldn't research into the Hinamizawa Syndrome dredge up those same subjects again...?" "It's different now. Besides... research into the Hinamizawa Syndrome may produce more than a mere local disease. Depending on your research, post-war Japan may gain a trump card that makes it a world power once more." "So the tides and times have changed then." “I promised to help Takano-kun, but because of various things, I couldn't do anything. So I want to make up for that as long as I'm alive. I think that's the least I can do for the man who called me his best friend." "Koizumi-sensei... Thank you so much..." "Oh, don't mention it. I'm glad I was able to tell you everything before I died. Anyway, until I'm gone, I'll make sure you get everything you need, okay? So if anything comes up, be sure to let me know. I'll do anything for you!!"Takano couldn't even imagine what kind of bond this old man and her grandfather had between them. ...But thanks to that bond, Takano was able to gain a powerful supporter. Tears welled up in Takano's eyes as she gave him an emotional look, but in her mind she was practically dancing at the promise of the old man's full support. The old man and Takano both bowed at the same time to show each other their appreciation. Once that was done, the old man became a little more serious. After that far too lengthy preamble, he finally said what he really wanted to tell her.  “...So keep that in mind, and be careful with your research."
limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 05:38 on Apr 23, 2023 |
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Apr 22, 2023 17:55
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Holding this segment of the update back for size. Next update will be in 2 days, on Monday. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Apr 23, 2023 |
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Apr 22, 2023 17:56
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Takano's grandpa was in Unit 731 
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Apr 23, 2023 04:53
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Takano's been through a lot. She may be evil, but her determination is admirable.
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Apr 23, 2023 07:04
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Posting this before I fall asleep. One more reply after this should push the next update to page 27!
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Apr 24, 2023 05:12
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Good to see you back. Nipah~
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Apr 24, 2023 05:31
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