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Anyway, that she immediately thought it was her father who returned home suggests to me that the brother is not currently living with them. He would be a better fit for Keiji's parent, since as a male he would be able to pass down his family name to his children. In a woman's case it would require some contrived circumstances.
It is interesting that of all the places we've visied or heard about, Yomiki Village is the only one that looks like it is meant for people to live in. Ikei and Kaimei were abandoned and haunted by tortured spirits, and I doubt Ward 169 would show us more hospitality. Yet this place is as idyllic as they come.
Either whatever curse the Baron called (?) is yet to grip the land fully, or we are lulled into a sense of security.
So, when is the other shoe going to drop? When will we learn that the village seeks the blessing of the Guardian Spirit through live sacrifice, and that Maeda family is chosen this year to present their offering? When will we find out that this was the whole reason they took Nami in, and in trying to save one Maeda we will inevitably doom the other? Where is the usual grimdark?!
It is interesting that of all the places we've visied or heard about, Yomiki Village is the only one that looks like it is meant for people to live in. Ikei and Kaimei were abandoned and hunted by tortured spirits, and I doubt Ward 169 would show us more hospitality. Yet this place is as idyllic as they come.
The simplest explanation is that the bad thhings here happened only at the mansion at the moment, while in the other eras the atrocities committed covered a bigger area.
Anyway, that she immediately thought it was her father who returned home suggests to me that the brother is not currently living with them. He would be a better fit for Keiji's parent, since as a male he would be able to pass down his family name to his children. In a woman's case it would require some contrived circumstances.
Hm. And here I wondered why one of the major families is reduced to a single household with a father and two (?) children when they had 1000+ years to repopulate the whole Japan.
But since Nami's family name does not surprise anyone around here I assume there are family branches scattered all over the country? Especially since their whole purpose was to travel and spread the word.
Hm. And here I wondered why one of the major families is reduced to a single household with a father and two (?) children when they had 1000+ years to repopulate the whole Japan.
But since Nami's family name does not surprise anyone around here I assume there are family branches scattered all over the country? Especially since their whole purpose was to travel and spread the word.
Well, it's also a thing for younger siblings in large clans to branch off, take on new names, and establish their own families. In extreme circumstances, the branch family might even steal the influence and wealth of the main family.
So what is more plausible - that they 'sacrificed their daughter in a ritual for fame and power', or that they sold their daughter off and let some asshole with a lot of money and/or pull into their family? *looks at Taketatsu* Though I suppose that's the same thing in the end.
Perhaps we should compile a list of questions and mysteries that arose during the course of the LP and might need solving? For example, I completely forgot about that one:
Something about the portrait feels wrong to you. You take a closer look: it takes you a few seconds to realize that it is not the portrait itself, but its surroundings. There is an off-center, square section of the wall, half-covered by Director Maeda’s portrait, that is very slightly brighter than its surroundings. Something else used to hang in its place.
[...] What did I expect? There is nothing to indicate what used to be in this place, except that from the size of the square, slightly larger than the director’s own portrait, chances are that it was also a picture of some sort. Deducing the nature of that picture from an empty wall is beyond your ability, however. You replace the portrait on its hook.
What picture used to hang there before and why was it important? A leftover from Ward 169? Does it mean someone else we might recognize was involved in its creation?
Also, there is a book in the very same update by an interesting author:
Maeda's ancestry looks like this:
1917 - Maeda Keiji is born
~1940s - Maeda's grandfather is born
~1965s - Maeda's father is born
~1990 - Maeda is born
We also know - through a spoiler - that Keiji wasn't the founder. So it has to be either Yukina's father, brother or future husband.
So I assume Kouichiro is either the name of Yukina's brother (if he is alive) or husband - they would know plenty about the rise of the group - or Maeda's grandfather. Doesn't look like Maeda's parents matter much to the story, though.
Of course, it could be some random relative historician of theirs, but where would be fun in that?
I think I'll start. If anyone remembers something in particular that baffled them, feel free to add.
First Night.
1) The identity of the patient and the woman in the vision. Is the appearance of the note related to them?
The last ward lies before you. Ward 212, one of the VIP wards located on this floor. The door opens with a gentle creak, swinging back to allow you entry. This is a room with its own dedicated bathroom and a separate living area for guests, where comfortable couches face a large television. There is only a single bed in the ward.
The covers of the bed are pulled up fully, over a vague bulge that could be a sleeping person.
The bulge moves gently, slightly, up and down, as if breathing.
Suddenly, you hear footsteps walking – no, tottering past the door behind you, a pair of high heels making a loud and unsteady clacking noise. You whirl around to face the closed door, but just as you do so, you spot movement out of the corner of your eye.
When you turn back, the mysterious bulge has flattened. The bed is flat and cleanly made, as if it were never there. Had you just been imagining it? The footsteps too? Maybe. You are unsure. Just then, you notice something that had not been there before, at your feet.
It is a piece of a page that appears to be torn off from a magazine:
Urban Legends #12
The Crossroads of Omori
Without a doubt, one of the most fa us l nds in the gr ter Tok o ar a, the C hosp of ri is . It is ured that if you perform you w ll be able see your dep rt d lov one again
The print is smeared in places and illegible.
2) The identity of Sakimura's friend and the identity of our parents.
“You know, you’re quite tall. I thought I was tall, but you’re even taller,” he continues cheerfully. “Are you a half? How old are you anyway? Are you a university student?”
All of these are questions you do not have answers to. You just give him a noncommittal shrug.
“You’re a really quiet and secretive person, aren’t you, dude? I used to have a friend just like you once.”
“Used to?” Despite your discomfort, you are curious enough to ask.
“He disappeared last spring. We never found out what happened to him.” Sakimura falls silent for a while. “Anyway, she’s taking quite long, isn’t she?” It has been nearly ten minutes since she went in. You strain your ears trying to catch any sound from inside the toilet.
3) The labeling of the floors.
Reaching the nurse station, you descend the stairs. As you clear the final step, you see that the three of them have stopped. Turning towards you, Uehara asks, “Hey, we were on the second floor, right?”
“W-well, I think so?” you say uncertainly. The wards started with the number two, and you would think that usually denoted the level or floor where they were located. If that was the case, then the first floor, where the lobby was located, should be one level below… but it looks like this floor only contains more wards and clinics. There is a large, black number one painted on the wall next to you, so you are certain that this is the first floor. The staircase goes down yet another floor – maybe that goes to the basement, and the lobby is somewhere else on this level?
[...]
You note a big G painted on the wall when you complete your descent. Would that be for ‘ground’? Somehow, you instinctively know that your guess is correct, but at the same time it feels wrong to be correct somehow.
[...]
Tokigawa’s hand is steady, and soon enough he produces a serviceable map that tells you easily where you are. As he finishes up, he says, “From here we cannot get directly to the research and imaging building or the specialist wards. The gardens would be the quickest way, but we’d have to see if the doors can be opened.”
“There must be a way out in the other buildings,” says Sakimura optimistically.
You spot something strange in the labeling of the map: Tokigawa has started at the 1st floor for the main lobby and worked his way up to 6th at the top… but when you came down, you could swear that this floor was designated as G. Just as you are wondering if you should speak up about this, someone does it for you.
“Wait, Tokigawa. You’ve marked this wrongly.” Maeda walks up to him and bends over, peering at the map while unknowingly affording you a full view down the front of her dress. You feel your cheeks turning red hot and you look away immediately, attempting to keep the thought of her smooth, pale flesh suppressed as deeply as you can. Tapping the paper with one exquisitely manicured fingernail, she says, “The first floor should be labeled G. That’s what I saw when I came down.”
“That can’t be,” frowns Tokigawa. “The floors start from one.”
“You can take a look if you wish,” shrugs Maeda, “but I know what I saw. This building’s levels are numbered after the European style.”
[...]
“This is strange.” Tokigawa mutters, almost to himself, as you climb the stairs with him. “Except for the labeling of the floors, everything else is the same. 1 is now G, 2 is now 1, and 3 is 2...”
“Then if the top floor was labeled 6, then it is technically the seventh floor of this building,” muses Mori.
“Which is exactly why it is strange. There is no seventh floor in the main building of Ikei Medical University Hospital. If we are in another hospital, however, that doesn’t explain why everything else is the same as I remember it.”
4) The doubling of notes down to the way they were cut. How is this possible?
Setting the book down on a coffee table, he flips it open quickly until he gets to the page he is looking for, and he places the piece of paper on it… next to an identical scrap. “It’s the same. No doubt about it.” You understand what he is saying – everything on those two pieces are the same, from the text, to the picture, down to the way it has been carefully cut as well as the pattern of yellowing on the paper. On the page besides the newspaper clipping, you spot something else familiar; a page torn off from a magazine. The title reads:
Instinctively, you touch the folded piece of paper still in your pocket. It is still there, and yet it is there, in Sakaki’s book. You rub your spectacles apprehensively.
5) The blood trickling down from the wall in the nurse's office and the appearance of another note. Who did it belong to? Is there something unusual to Uehara's reaction?
Your eyes fall upon a thin red line running down the white-painted wall. It ends a quarter of the way from the top. On the floor, right below the stain, is a crumpled piece of paper. Another one? Despite your apprehension, you walk over and pick it up gingerly. Perhaps it contains the password?
It’s… wet.
On the first night, the Witch gave the Maiden the gift of her eyes, so that she could see.
On the second night, the Witch gave the Maiden the gift of her voice, so that she could speak.
Taking a deep breath, you inject yourself into the conversation. “S-sorry, there was also this…” You draw their attention to the stained paper.
Mori takes it from you, his brow furrowing as he reads the words. “Where did you find this, Shinoseki?”
“On the floor… right under the stain,” you mumble.
He nods, but his gaze does not leave your face. You look away quickly, pretending to continue with the search. As you do so, you spot Uehara. She seems to be making a point of not looking at the stain. Her normally cheerful face is impassive, as if it has been replaced by a stone mask. Raising her head, she catches you glancing at her. A warm grin breaks the mask swiftly in greeting, and she is back to normal. Right, she's okay. Of course she is.
[...]
“We should leave this room for now. Regroup, rest, and discuss what to do next.” Mori walks over and hauls you to your feet roughly.
As he pushes you out of the room, he pauses and turns around, looking at the walls and the floor of the hallway. “Say, Tokigawa, considering the layout of the hospital, wouldn’t this room be…”
Tokigawa nods nervously as he realizes what Mori is getting at. “Yeah... This room should be directly above the head nurse’s office that we were in earlier.”
6) The calls getting through despite there being no signal.
Suddenly, the voice of a female singer belting out a catchy pop ballad fills the air.
“Wait, sorry, that’s my ringtone!” Startled, Tokigawa fumbles inside his pocket and retrieves his phone. Someone is calling? But isn’t there no signal in here? “It’s… Midori?” Behind his spectacles, Tokigawa’s eyes widen. He answers the call hurriedly.
“Midori? Midori, is that you? How did you manage to get through?”
Everyone else looks on in silence as Tokigawa’s expression grows cloudy and confused.
“Midori? Hello?”
You can hear the crackle of the speaker, though it is too far for you to make out what Tokigawa is hearing.
“Midori?”
Tokigawa lowers his phone, staring at the screen. His face is pale. Pressing his thumb against the display, he redials the number and lifts the phone to his ear again. This happens again three times before he gives up.
[...]
"I think I would know my own condition best," she pouts. "Don't get all doctor on me, Kou-chan."
“I'm not. I just think there's something going weird going on here... I'm not exempting myself from this. In fact, I actually got a call from you while we were on the fifth floor.” Taking out his phone, he shows her the call history.
“W-wait, I didn’t call you, Kou. Why would I? There’s no reception in here,” she mutters, pulling out her own phone. True enough, there are no signs of her having dialed Tokigawa’s number there. “See?”
“Exactly. This is just… too strange,” sighs Tokigawa. He absent-mindedly presses the redial button on his phone.
Seconds later, a mournful enka song is emitted from Okuyama’s phone. She gasps, staring at the screen. “Kou, the call made it through! Hold on, let me try getting it!” She does so, answering the call and putting her cellphone up to her ear.
Tokigawa does the same. He gives her a tentative greeting. “H-Hello?”
Okuyama nods twice. “It works. It works! Even though there are no signal bars on the phone! But... I don't understand."
“The symbols are sometimes inaccurate,” Taketatsu speaks up. He is already holding his own phone in his hands. “It looks like we still cannot reach outside numbers, unfortunately. Perhaps we can only connect to phones within the hospital.”
Sawada seems slightly disappointed – it looks like he was one of the first to try dialing a number. “Too bad then,” he says.
7) Okuyama's disappearance and her subsequent explanation.
“Maeda-san, where is Okuyama-san?” Mori is the first to respond, before Tokigawa can even speak.
“Midori-san? She was right… behind… eh?” Turning around, Maeda scans the way she came. Raising her voice, she calls out, “Midori-san?”
“Where did you last see her?” Mori follows up again, looming closer to the three of them.
“Mori-san, please be polite,” replies Taketatsu calmly. “As far as I know, she was with us right until you pointed it out. I was keeping my eye on the path straight ahead and leading the way, but I heard her footsteps following us.”
“I-I was talking with Midori-san and Rina-san on the way back,” Maeda says, slightly upset.
“She said she had something stuck in her shoe, and after slowing down a little she was just walking behind us,” says Kayano apologetically. “She wasn’t really participating in the conversation then so I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I’m sorry.”
“Where was that?” Tokigawa has stepped in front of Mori, a look of concern etched onto his brow.
“Just… after going up the stairs, I think? It was just seconds ago… I… I think?” Kayano’s arms are folded – she appears to be as perplexed as anyone else at the situation.
[...]
“Why did all of you disappear to the basement without saying a word?” Okuyama seems rather confused and upset. “When I got to the cafeteria, no one was there. There wasn’t even a note left behind!”
“We left to go looking for you, Midori,” Tokigawa clarifies.
“We should be asking you that question, Okuyama-san.” Maeda seems slightly annoyed. “You were the one who went missing in the first place. I thought you were following us up the stairs? How did you get separated from us?”
Okuyama’s gaze darts around and finally settles upon you. “Hey, Shinoseki-san! Can you explain it to them?”
You are struck by surprise and almost wither away under the collective stares of the group. “H-huh? Me? What? Explain? What?” What does she want you to explain?
“While climbing the stairs, I saw you running around in the basement and decided to chase you down before you got lost,” says Okuyama. “I thought I told Kayano-san to wait up before I did so.”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” apologizes the office lady softly. “I must not have heard it.”
“Well, no matter… but where were you hiding, Shinoseki-san? I couldn’t find you, and when I gave up looking and returned to the cafeteria, nobody was there. For that matter, I thought you were with Kou’s group. What were you doing in the basement?”
“Adachi-san?” Uehara looks at you quizzically.
You shake your head in confusion. “What? N-no, I wasn’t down there… I mean, I was, just now, but not when you saw me.”
“Shinoseki was with us right until we learnt that you were missing, Okuyama-san,” says Sakimura.
Okuyama is baffled. “That can’t be. I’m sure I saw you.”
8) The room on the 7th floor where Uehara was killed. What happened there and what happened to our memory?
As the group begin talking at length about engagements and proposals – something that you have nothing to say about, you suddenly feel extremely weary, even more so than usual. I should probably get some rest, you think.
[...]
Sighing, you look to the side, glancing at the garbage bag in the corner. The black plastic stands out against the white tiles, white walls, and white ceiling of the room. Where other parts of the hospital had been strangely neat and tidy in the wake of everyone’s disappearance, here things are less ordered. The metal trolleys have been up-ended, leaving expensive medical equipment scattered ignominiously all over the floor. It looks like someone has gone on a rampage in here. The harsh, bright lights flicker and cycle, dimming and brightening over and over as a grating electrical hum pulsates deep into your ears. It digs in. And in. The sound irritates your mind so very much. You scratch at your temples.
Wait. Why am I here again? Where is this place?
Wasn’t I sitting with Uehara and the rest just a moment ago?
Again there is a gap in your memories… an impenetrable wall that you are unable to surpass.
Suddenly, a single, powerful thought appears in your mind.
I… I was looking for something. Someone.
There is a light, rustling sound.
Your gaze hovers over the garbage bag that had been lying there. It is tied up and knotted with a blood-stained string. As you look at it, you gradually realize that the bag is moving slightly. The shiny black plastic rises and falls in a gentle pattern. The material appears to be expanding and contracting almost like a breathing, living being. Then, you notice the liquid pooling underneath the bag. At first glance it looks to be as black as the plastic itself, but beneath the slow cyclic strobing of the lights you catch a glint of a dark, deep crimson. It flows viscously, seeping into the lines between the tiles. Travelling along the channels, the liquid slowly creeps towards you bit by bit.
The garbage bag jerks visibly. The air seems to be getting thicker and heavier, weighing you down. Your limbs are rooted to the spot – try as you may, they refuse to obey you. Your breathing becomes shallow and fast, the pounding of your heart loud enough that you can feel the blood rushing through your neck.
Beneath the clean, white walls, a weathered, pale green surface begins to bleed through. The bright room before you ebbs away gradually as the lights flicker and begin going dark.
“Adachi-san?”
It’s Uehara’s voice. Behind you.
Reality snaps back, folding in on itself. The room returns to normal - how it was when you first realized you were here, at least.
Slowly, unsteadily, you turn around. Uehara is standing there in the open doorway, hands behind her back. You glance at her nervously. Why is she here?
“So this is where you are! We were worried! Something’s bad happened, Adachi-san, and… Uwaaa~, this place is a bit messy, isn’t it?” she chatters, stepping into the room without any hesitation.
“A-ah… it’s you, Uehara-san. Don’t you see anything weird in here?” you croak.
“Hm? No, nothing. It’s a wreck, but there’s otherwise there's nothing particularly weird at all,” she says cheerily, the pulsating lights and tedious electrical hum apparently escaping her notice.
There is a light, rustling sound.
At the limits of your peripheral vision, you can still see the black garbage bag, sitting in the corner. There… appears to be something else too. An indistinct shadow, slowly but surely squeezing its way out of the bag.
“Uehara-san!” you shout in a panic, still unable to move. “Don’t come in any further! T-there’s-“
“Don’t be such a scaredy-cat, Adachi-san! Look, there are no such things as ghosts,” she smiles. Uehara grabs your hand. Her warmth gently spreads into your palm, up your arm, and you find your legs loosening up. “Come on, let’s go. If this room is making you feel bad, you should just leave it.”
She pulls you and you stumble, staggering past her and outside the room.
Turning around, you call out. “Uehara-“
For some reason, her fingers have loosened its grip and let go of your hand. There’s a puzzled half-smile on her face as she looks at you. “Eh?”
You reach out to Uehara. The door swings shut gently in your face, cutting her away from your sight.
[...]
Of course, there she is. Uehara is still in the room. She didn’t vanish from it like some magic trick. She was still in there when the door was closed, and she is still there now that the door is open. Sitting there, in the corner where the garbage bag was lying, her back against the wall and her legs sprawled apart. There’s her feet, still clad in her school shoes. A thick pool of blood is spreading across the white floor like a monster extending its slimy tendrils, seeking out gaps to seep into. The entire front of her shirt has been stained rose-red.
That is how much blood there is in the human body.
You are finding it hard to breath. Your gaze moves slowly upwards, to her face. What is left of it, at least. Everything above her upper jaw has been pulverized and crushed into a messy mush of meat and bone and brain. You see pink and white poking out in between red. Fragments of teeth are embedded into the flesh like pearls. Her short hair is tangled and matted from the sticky blood. Whatever is left of her brain is oozing from the flattened and shattered skull, a whitish-grey, jelly-like substance with the consistency of mashed tofu. Her lower jaw still remains intact, as is her tongue, hanging loosely over the side of her slackened chin.
Sakimura sinks to his knees in front of the corpse, gagging in disbelief. You can only stand there, staring at the gruesome sight before you. Just what had happened? It had not even been a minute. You had last seen her less than a minute ago. This was... impossible.
[...]
“Let me go, old man! He killed Uehara! Probably Amanozaki too! I’m going to butcher him!”
“That is not certain yet. From the looks of this place, there was a struggle before she was killed. Look at all the upturned trolleys and equipment, and the blood spatter across the walls. The one who killed Uehara would have a lot of blood on them, yet Shinoseki’s clothes were clean when we saw him.”
[...]
“I do not trust Shinoseki Adachi either,” mutters Mori, glancing at you. “Uehara’s fate aside, he still has to explain why he went missing just before Amanozaki was found dead. We’ll need to tie him up... to restrain him somewhere while we investigate this. We don’t know if he is guilty, but on the other hand, we cannot be sure he is innocent either.”
Amanozaki’s… dead too?
[...]
As they begin their investigation, you look around the room yourself from the sidelines. Everything seems to be roughly how you remember seeing it before Uehara opened the door; the scattered equipment, the general layout of the room. The only difference you note is that Uehara is lying where the garbage bag was. And that there is a lot more blood now. You do not want to look at her body for too long, but still you force yourself to glance as briefly as you can.
[...]
There is something odd. Something you missed the first time, being too distracted by what happened to her. Uehara’s left hand appears to be clutching something. You squint past the blood-stained lenses of your spectacles, trying to make it out. It’s an omamori, gold thread on blue cloth. There’s a cloth amulet lying in her hand. It shouldn’t be surprising. Many people carry one, but there is a nagging feeling that you have… that this is somehow out of place. Perhaps it is because Uehara was so indignant that the supernatural does not exist – you can’t see her, of all people, clinging onto an amulet for protection.
[...]
“I don’t have much forensic training, but the force required to do this amount of damage to the human body is… considerable.” Tokigawa stands up from where he had been inspecting the corpse. “Not even you could do it with your bare hands, Mori-san.”
“None of the equipment here was used in the murder either.” Mori sighs loudly. “And we only have the rabbit’s story to go on about what happened immediately before the murder. A garbage bag, you say?”
[...]
“Speaking of Uehara, I went back to check on her corpse. It’s not there anymore.”
You stop chewing. Uehara's corpse is missing. Beads of sweat begin to form on your brow as an icy chill creeps up your neck. You cannot help but glance at Amanozaki's corpse. What if...
Mori continues talking, interrupting your thoughts. “The blood stains are still there, but the body isn’t. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
9) The rest of the murders, who did them, when, how, and what for? Why did the revolver feel familiar? Why there were only two bullets left? Did the corpses disappear for the same reason Uehara's body did?
Mori is standing in the doorway, swaying unsteadily from side to side. His eyes are wild and sunken, his lips pale. There is a large chef’s knife in his left hand. The blade of the knife is stained with drying blood. In his right hand is a snub-nosed revolver. He steps into the room, breathing heavily. He seems uncertain on his feet – even wobbly – you have never seen the man so uncontrolled before. You shrink back as he closes in, looming over you.
[...]
“Mori-san!” You squeeze and wriggle your way out from under him, inching away as fast as you can – your legs are still tied up. Righting your spectacles, you see that Mori is unmoving, lying face-down on the tiles. As you tentatively reach out to touch him, you notice that your hand is covered in blood. Mori groans, stirring. Placing his left hand shakily on the floor, he throws himself around with a grunt of effort and backs up until the wall is supporting his back. His trenchcoat has fallen open, and beneath it you see a terrible, jagged wound has gouged up a good part of his chest. The open wound glistens blackly with dried blood, though fresh red blood oozes out with every beat of his heart.
[...]
You pick up Mori’s gun. There’s something about it that feels familiar to you.
[...]
When you reach the first sublevel, a ghastly sight greets you. You step back and almost slip off the stairs in shock. Tokigawa and Okuyama are leaning against the wall in a sitting position. A gaping, red slit has been drawn across each of their throats. From the amount of the blood coating their necks, they are beyond any hope of rescue. Sakaki, the author, is spread out on the floor. His neck is twisted at an unnatural angle, his blood-shot eyes looking up at the ceiling. He, too, is unmistakably dead. As you clear the final step cautiously, your left leg stings painfully. You grab the railing tightly to avoid falling. Pulling up your pants, you can’t help but think that the bruise has spread even further… it now covers a good part of your shin.
[...]
Hastily, as you drag yourself down the stairs, you bring out the pistol that you took from Mori. It is a snub-nosed revolver, of the sort commonly seen in cheap television dramas where they are used by both policemen andyakuza. It feels surprisingly light in your hand – you thought it would have weighed more – and feels comfortable to hold. You remember faintly that you are supposed to thumb the latch on the side. The cylinder swings open, allowing you to peer inside the chambers. There are two rounds remaining out of five.
As you stumble onto the second sublevel, you find the source of the commotion. At the same time, you slip on the blood and tumble to the floor. The gun almost flies from your grip. Crawling to your hands and knees, you stare at Kayano. Her belly has been cut open –greyish-pink guts have squeezed out of the wound, becoming entangled in her lifeless, bloody fingers. Her eyes stare at you blankly… almost accusingly. It looks like she has just expired.
[...]
“P-please… let go of Maeda-san,” you plead, your voice breaking in desperation. “It’s… what is going on here? Did you… did you kill everyone else?”
A darkness blooms in his eyes. “No. Of course not. I didn’t do anything. The hospital did it.” Taketatsu giggles, placing the scalpel against Maeda’s bare chest. “Please wait. I’ll be with you shortly.”
[...]
“I… I’ll shoot, Taketatsu-san!”
Taketatsu stares at you from behind his twisted glasses. “Come on, Shinoseki Adachi-san. You? Shoot? With that? That is a Nambu M60 revolver, if I’m not mistaken. Was it Mori-san’s? I like guns. I know a lot of about them. Look at you. You are shaking. You would not hit me. Not at this range. Not with that gun. You might hit Maeda-san instead. I would mind that a lot, because she is mine. I would like to continue having her. Please put the gun down and be patient. I’ll be done soon.” His mouth splits open in a wide, insane grin that shows far too many teeth for your comfort.
[...]
The blade digs in. Tears itself out with a flick of Taketatsu’s hand. And again. And again. Savagely, rabidly, he attacks Maeda with the sharp instrument, grunting gleefully. In the midst of his frenzy he cuts his own arm but he does not appear to notice. With a snort, he drops her to the ground.
[...]
I… this caliber might skid off the skull, so I should…
You raise the revolver in a single smooth motion and fire without warning.
Taketatsu’s right eye explodes in a burst of blood and black goo, and he falls backwards, a puzzled grin on his face.
You close the distance until you are standing over his twitching body. Blood is pouring from his nostrils and mouth. Under his shattered glasses, his remaining good eye is darting jerkily in random directions, his mouth muttering random syllables. His brain is scrambled. Absent-mindedly, you gently massage your aching left thigh.
There is no point in wasting the last bullet on him, you think.
[...]
At the stairs to the first sublevel, you notice something that worries you.
Kayano’s guts are still there, but the rest of her is missing.
[...]
Maeda trembles slightly, reminding you that she is still there. That’s right – you have something more important right now. Up the stairs you go, limping and hobbling, trying not to collapse from your aching leg. It takes you what seems like forever, but finally you make it to the first sublevel. Tokigawa, Okuyama and Sakaki’s corpses are not here either.
10) Taketatsu's words.
“You never let me touch you, you bitch,” he whispers monotonously. “Don’t get all coy on me now.”
“Fuck off!” screams Maeda in a decidedly unladylike manner. Turning her head around wildly in desperation, she spots you hobbling towards them. “Shi… Shinoseki!”
Taketatsu pulls her around and tightens his elbow around her neck, his hands groping her breast roughly. Maeda chokes and kicks vainly at the air as he hauls her back. “Shinoseki Adachi-san. I’ve never been more glad to see someone in my life!” The formerly quiet, calm business man laughs, his spectacles askew. His neatly parted hair is now a messy shock of black. “I’m sure you understand what I’m doing, right? Right?”
“I… I don’t know… what are you doing?” you respond nervously. It’s the truth. You have no idea what he’s doing.
“We’re all going to die. Everyone else is already dead. But I won’t die here. I’ll sacrifice what is needed. You understand, right? There are thirteen of us. Of course you understand.”
You shake your head, taking one step closer.
“Ah. Ah, ah,” Taketatsu shakes his head manicly. “Careful, Shinoseki Adachi-san. Just wait. After I take care of this woman we’ll be free. You promised me that we would.”
When? You refrain from saying anything, though, being as confused as you are.
There is a glint of metal – a large, flat scalpel appears in Taketatsu’s hand. He raises it into the air.
“L-let me go!” screams Maeda, struggling to free herself from his grasp, but Taketatsu remains unbudged as if possessed by some supernatural strength.
“Stop it, Taketatsu-san!” you yell out fearfully. Seeing no other choice, you raise the gun, gripping it with both hands.
“Ha. Ha ha.” His laugh is stilted and cold. “What are you doing, Shinoseki Adachi-san?”
[...]
“Now it’s your turn, Shinoseki Adachi-san,” smiles Taketatsu, blood still dripping off his spectacles. His eyes shine darkly behind the red stains. “We need to talk. But before that, put down the gun. An amateur has no business holding one. It would look better in my hand. I should have it, right? Ha. Ha ha. I know you understand, right? Right?”
Cross-night mysteries.
I. The fall of Kaimei zaibatsu. When and how exactly did it happen?
Her expression changes slightly, muttering something inaudibly before shaking her head. When Maeda looks at you again, she asks, “Hey. Rabbit. Have you ever been a guest at our- I mean, Kaimei’s mansion in Yamanashi? About twelve… no, thirteen years ago?”
Kaimei… the name is familiar. It used to be one of the largest zaibatsus in the country, though you seem to recall that it fell on some very hard times about a decade ago, and are now a shadow of their former power and influence. You do not remember ever staying at their place, however… though that could easily be part of the memories that you have lost. It would be scary if you ever did; you, staying in a massive mansion? The very thought of it is laughable.
II. The voices. Who do they belong to?
“I’m… uh…”
Shinohara Seiji.
The name flashes through your mind. You almost blurt it out.
“Shino…se…ki…” Gulping, you force out the words carefully, almost giving up under their questioning stares. “Shinoseki. Yes… that’s my name.”
[...]
You encounter nothing out of the ordinary by the time you reach the third floor – what would have been labeled as floor 4 in the normal hospital – where the bridge to the physiotherapy building is located. There had been no pieces of paper appearing out of nowhere, no mysterious noises. Perhaps what I had encountered before was truly a hallucination of some sort? You suppress your wayward thoughts before they sow the seeds of panic. Focus. You have to focus on what is ahead.
“The doors are usually open at all times,” explains Tokigawa, pulling at the handles. It is locked – the doors make a rattling noise but do not give way. You do not see any keyholes on the handles, but there is a keypad set into the side of the wall. These are probably electronically controlled… you think.
[...]
You look away quickly, pretending to continue with the search. As you do so, you spot Uehara. She seems to be making a point of not looking at the stain. Her normally cheerful face is impassive, as if it has been replaced by a stone mask. Raising her head, she catches you glancing at her. A warm grin breaks the mask swiftly in greeting, and she is back to normal. Right, she's okay. Of course she is. You return an awkward, forced smile, bowing your head slightly and moving further way from her.
[...]
Mori is standing in front of the terminals with his broad back facing you, tapping away at a keyboard to no avail. If he gets it working, he may be able to catch a glimpse of Okuyama through the closed-circuit cameras installed throughout the hospital. There are probably a few other uses for it too, you think.
[...]
“If all else fails, we can always write out the numbers from 1 to 1600 and simulate it manually,” says Taketatsu. “After all, we have plenty of time.”
Even if he is right, there is no need to waste it, you think.
[...]
Shinohara. Your heart stops for a moment. You catch Mori glancing at you intensely, with the intent of catching every single nuance of your expression. He’s noticed your reaction to that name. Somehow, you know that... and you cannot help but wonder if he was the only one that did.
[...]
Wait. Why am I here again? Where is this place?
Wasn’t I sitting with Uehara and the rest just a moment ago?
Again there is a gap in your memories… an impenetrable wall that you are unable to surpass.
Suddenly, a single, powerful thought appears in your mind.
I… I was looking for something. Someone.
[...]
That is how much blood there is in the human body.
[...]
People can never be killed by things they don’t believe in? You are not even sure where to start on that – it sounds like a line he picked up from some cartoon. Shaking your head, you can only mumble absent-mindedly, “Well… she certainly believed in that charm...”
[...]
A standard answer, from a standard human being with feelings just like everyone else. A display of sadness. Grieving for a person’s death is the normal thing to do, isn’t it?
“To be honest, I’m not sure I believe you. You do not seem like the sort to get so emotionally attached to someone you have only met for a few hours.”
“B-believe what you want,” you reply wearily. “I don’t really care anymore.” Despite what you say, his words make you think: would I feel the same sorrow for the deaths of any of the others? For example, do I feel as sad for Amanozaki’s passing as I do for Uehara? You shake your head faintly. Trying to untangle this particular mess of a knot is too much for you right now… you feel too drained to think about this.
[...]
It’s probably just the furniture, isn’t it?
Or random creaking.
It’s nothing to be scared of.
Sounds can’t hurt you.
It’s just your senses playing tricks on you.
[...]
It’s nothing.
They’re just noises. I need to stay calm.
[...]
Should I shoot him?
Can I hit him?
What if I hit Maeda-san instead?
What if-
[...]
I couldn’t do anything.
I couldn’t move when I needed to.
But I could have shot Maeda-san.
It was too risky.
I should have done something anyway.
I shouldn't.
[...]
I… this caliber might skid off the skull, so I should…
You raise the revolver in a single smooth motion and fire without warning.
Taketatsu’s right eye explodes in a burst of blood and black goo, and he falls backwards, a puzzled grin on his face.
You close the distance until you are standing over his twitching body. Blood is pouring from his nostrils and mouth. Under his shattered glasses, his remaining good eye is darting jerkily in random directions, his mouth muttering random syllables. His brain is scrambled. Absent-mindedly, you gently massage your aching left thigh.
There is no point in wasting the last bullet on him, you think.
Your next thought is, why am I smiling?
The panic hits you as you suddenly realize what you have done. You shot Taketatsu. You smiled about it. Falling on your butt, you let the gun drop from your trembling fingers, suddenly fearful of the weapon. Whatever made you decide to shoot him?
I should have shot him earlier.
There is no point in shooting him.
I’m a murderer.
He deserved it.
Breathing heavily, you try to calm down the arguing voices in your head. A soft moan catches your attention. Is it Taketatsu? No. He’s stopped twitching.
Maeda-san.
III. The creature that found us in the final night. Who is it?
How much time has passed? You wander the darkened hallways alone, having found no other living soul… still, the whispers grow louder and louder with every painful step you take, so you are not truly alone, are you? Gasping for breath, you sink to your knees. The bruise has spread up your torso and is even now visibly encroaching on your forearm, strange waves of black billowing just under your skin. Your head is spinning. You feel feverish.
You realize that the floor is soft under your knees – as if you are kneeling on carpet. Squinting, you force your bleary eyes to observe your surroundings. This… is not the hospital that you know. The elaborate decorations and ornate furnishings would not be out of place in some Western-styled mansion. Through the haze you hear footsteps approaching. You are no longer sure what is real and what is not, and you crumple to the carpeted floor, your eyes barely able to stay open.
Footsteps.
Feet.
Bare, pale feet, coming towards you.
The feet stop.
The owner squats down to look you in the eye.
Mitsu…ki?
The face is that of the little girl’s, though with eyes so sunken and hollow that you almost cannot make out her irises. Something is strange about her countenance, however. In your ill state, it takes you a few seconds before you notice the little details. The slight mismatch of skin and facial structure. The stretch marks. The loose hanging, jagged flaps of skin.
It’s just a mask. Just a mask made from her face.
Bone white fingers reach out for you, wriggling and contorting. Unable to move or even make a sound, you can only stare back in horror as the tips of those squirming, spindly digits contact the sides of your cheeks and dig in. You can feel the strange bruise marking your body swirling excitedly like a live beast anticipating food. Excruciating pain shoots through your entire body, as if countless roots are piercing and infiltrating every muscle, every nerve, every cell you have within you. Slowly, the fingers pull you in until you are almost nose to nose with her, staring into her hazel eyes.
There is a glint of… mischief? Cruelty? Longing?
Whatever it is, it ceases to matter in the next second.
She tugs at your head gently.
There is a wet, ripping noise, and an almost comical pop.
You feel so much lighter all of a sudden, as your body falls away behind you. It is a strange sight to behold. That of your trailing spine, swarmed with black, writhing tendrils. Your torso and limbs, twitching and jerking about in its last spasms. Your jaw slackens, your tongue lolling stupidly. Your eyes begin to roll up. Your consciousness fades, as she brings you closer…
IV. The discrepancies in the introductions - which of them are honest and which are not?
“Okay, it looks like everyone is here. Since I suggested this, I’ll introduce myself first,” says the young man that Uehara had pointed out. “My name is Tokigawa Kou, a third year medical student at Ikei Medical University. I was doing a training shift here at the time, so I know quite a lot about the layout of this hospital. We should talk about that and share any other information we have after the introductions.” He looks at the girl sitting by him, who is still playing with her phone. “Midori? Your phone will have to go back on the charger again if you keep doing that.”
“Ah, sorry!” She puts the phone away in a hurry. Patting down her white uniform, the girl waves at everyone with a brilliant smile. “Okuyama Midori, also a third year student at Ikei. I’m not studying to become a doctor, though, but a nurse. Like Kou, I was working here when it happened.”
“Who wants to go next?” asks Tokigawa hopefully.
“Alright, I’ll continue then!” Sakimura volunteers to introduce himself eagerly. You move away to avoid his elbows as he shoots up from his seat. Grinning, he gives everyone a mock salute. “Sakimura Yuuki, seventeen years old! I’m a second-year student at Saint Xavier Private Academy. My dream is to be a pilot, I’m in the karate club at school, and I was brought here when visiting a friend. This place is really weird, isn’t it?”
Uehara takes over without being prompted. Standing up, she says brightly, “I’m Uehara Shizuka, also seventeen and a second-year student at Saint Xavier Private Academy. As you can see, I’m just a normal high school girl! I came together with Sakimura to visit a friend and ended up here for some reason. It is a pleasure to meet all of you!”
As she sits down, Uehara pats Mitsuki’s shoulder encouragingly. “I-I’m… Iwano Mitsuki. I’m twelve this year,” Mitsuki says shyly, sitting with her head bowed. “I came here for treatment.”
“Treatment?” Tokigawa asks concernedly, his medical training kicking in. “Can you tell me more about it?”
Mitsuki shies away, a flustered expression coming over her face.
“Ah, I think I’ve seen you around before, Mitsuki!” Okuyama interjects cheerfully. Turning to Tokigawa, she says, in a more hushed voice, “Kou, we’ll discuss this with her afterwards.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Tokigawa nods thoughtfully. “Let’s move on with the introductions.”
A mature-looking lady in a grey dress is the next to introduce herself. She bows politely, hands folded in front of her knees in a gesture that is smoothly practiced. “My name is Kayano Rina. My age… well, that is a secret,” she smiles. From her looks, you think she is about her early thirties, at the most. Her shoulder-length hair hair is straight and neat. There is only a hint of makeup about her cheeks and lips, while her nails are painted a light red. Besides that, she is rather plain to the eye – just like any normal office lady that you can find in any normal office building in Tokyo. “I work in administration, and I came here to visit my mother. She is supposed to be in ward 604, but something knocked me unconscious before I could open the door. When I came to, the ward was empty and everyone else was gone.”
“Thank you for the explanation, Ms. Kayano,” nods Tokigawa. “Next is… mister? How about you? Could you do us the pleasure of giving an introduction?” He gestures at a man near Kayano.
“Sakaki Okitsu,” sighs the disheveled man with a scruffy beard lounging on one of the benches behind her. He is wearing a dark green coat over a plain white T-shirt and tattered blue jeans. “I’m just an author. I was sitting in the lobby when-“ he gestures lazily with his hands “-this happened.”
“I see. How did it feel like when it happened?” asks Tokigawa.
“It was like… flipping a switch,” mutters Sakaki, and he pushes up his half-moon spectacles. “I’m sure all of you felt the same.”
Next is a stunningly beautiful young woman with dyed brown hair, wearing an elegant, expensive-looking yellow dress that flatters her figure. She looks around the lobby, a dismissive scowl on her face. When her piercing gaze passes by you, you can’t help but shrink back a little, averting your eyes. After the woman seems to be satisfied about something, she folds her arms and speaks. “Maeda. Maeda Nami.” Her voice is high and haughty, her accent classy – she emphasizes her family name, as if that is supposed to mean something. “My reason for being here is private, and I do not see a reason to share anything with any of you.”
The bespectacled, mild-looking man in a black business suit poised stiffly beside Maeda stands up and gives a formal bow. His hair is very, very neatly parted down the middle, you notice. You nervously try to smooth down your own hair for some reason. “Hello. I am Taketatsu Shinichi, CEO of Epicsoft. I came here with Miss Maeda.” He talks politely in a quiet monotone. The man doesn’t look a day over thirty despite introducing himself as a CEO. Walking around the lobby, Taketatsu begins handing out business cards. You take one reluctantly. The print on the card is crisp and the logo clear – it looks authentic enough. Epicsoft… the name sounds familiar to you. If your memory is to be trusted, it is one of the leading software and video-game makers in the country.
As you slip the card into your pocket, an extremely good-looking young man in a trendy purple sweatshirt leaps to his feet. “I’m ‘genius’!” he grins, posing flashily.
“I’m… sorry?” Tokigawa seems slightly confused, and asks him to repeat himself.
“Genius! You know, Juni-Es? Juni-S? Haven’t you heard of me?” smiles the unflappable young man. It’s pretty clear to you that the English word ‘genius’ and this man’s ‘Juni-S’ are pronounced differently, but you hold your tongue. Juni-S continues happily, “Well, maybe you haven’t heard of me yet, but my real name is Sawada Junichi. I’m an up-and-coming Tokyo celeb who’s been in a few variety shows so far, like Baribari Value and Prime Minister Ota and Music Champ…” He continues to rattle off a list of shows that he’s been in for a while, names that mean absolutely nothing to you.
“I-I see, Mr. Sawada. Thanks. How did you get here?” Tokigawa interrupts quickly, keen to get things moving.
Sawada gives all of you a wry smile. “I came to visit my girlfriend. She’s a bit sick,” he explains, and an expression of dread falls over his face. “Oh man, she’s going to get so mad at me for being late if I don’t get out of here soon!”
Tokigawa laughs awkwardly. “Alright. Thank you, Mr. Sawada. Okay, next we have…”
A tall, bearded middle-aged man with long, messy hair rises up – he towers over most of the others here and his well-worn brown trenchcoat makes him look even larger than he is. Plucking out the cigarette from his mouth, he lets out a puff of smoke and speaks in a deep baritone. “Mori Akio. Nice to meet you all. I was here to meet a friend, but it does not look like he’s around anymore.” He sits down gruffly without another word.
The last one to speak is a girl with long frazzled hair and coke-bottle glasses that obscure her face. Numerous beads and crystal necklaces adorn her gaudy, colourful sundress. “I am… I am… Amanozaki Touko. I… I am a fortune teller and psychic renowned throughout Akihabara! I came here… because I sensed something wrong…” Letting her quavering voice trail off, she makes a complicated gesture with her fingers and begins muttering a prayer.
Mitsuki, Sakimura and Uehara said the truth.
Maeda said nothing.
Taketatsu just presented himself.
Kayano lied.
Mori lied.
Sakaki and Amazonaki lied, they were at Ikei to perform the ritual.
Sawada lied and Tokigawa was baffled by his claims but got along because they are accomplices.
Tokigawa was also surprised when he realized who Mitsuki was and Okuyama silenced him, strange because they both knew Mitsuki.
Well, the list of questions does not end there. Yes, some of them lied, but what about? And is there information that we can squeeze out of their lies?
Sakimura states that he remembers walking in the hospital, and after that - nothing:
“Anyway,” says Sakimura, trying to change the topic before he gets into any more trouble, “how did you get here? I accompanied Uehara here… about three hours ago, I think? I remember walking in the front door, but after that I don’t really remember anything. I woke up in here, one floor above, and found Uehara in the next room. This place isstrange! The windows don’t open, electronics are being weird, and there’s no staff around. I mean, even if it is midnight, there should still be someone around! It was the same for you, right?”
“R-right…” you nod. It’s not exactly the same: you do not even remember walking into the hospital, for one.
Given that he is one character that is too dumb to come up with a lie and act it out convincingly, I have no reason to doubt him.
So, from his account we find out that people ended up in different rooms of the main building. I assume this holds true for everyone here. Since there was no one else alive to move their bodies around in the real world, and we know that some of them (Mori, Kayano and Taketatsu) were in a different building when the Incident happened, I suppose that means that the bubble world is a reality completely separate from a physical world.
How was he able to determine it was three hours since they walked in? The clocks in the hospital all showed midnight, and I bet they didn't visit their friend at 9 PM (visiters aren't usually allowed at those hours). His phone was working, though. Perhaps it was in a better condition than ours and allowed him to keep track of time.
Interestingly enough, during the 4th night we have noticed that it was 'several hours' since Usui died. The clocks also showed 3 AM then. Meaning that the beginning of each subsequent night is further away from the Incident in 'hospital time'. I wonder what that means.
When I asked whether the others lied, I was asking whether this strange memory loss - that undoubtedly exists at least in Sakinmura's case - affected them.
For example, let's look at Mori's introduction:
A tall, bearded middle-aged man with long, messy hair rises up – he towers over most of the others here and his well-worn brown trenchcoat makes him look even larger than he is. Plucking out the cigarette from his mouth, he lets out a puff of smoke and speaks in a deep baritone. “Mori Akio. Nice to meet you all. I was here to meet a friend, but it does not look like he’s around anymore.” He sits down gruffly without another word.
Now, they all remember their reason for coming to the hospital - that much is certain from Mori's, Maeda's and Uehara's actions, but do they remember what they were doing while in here?
Did Mori remember meeting Sawada, or was that a part of memories that was erased? They probably never met before. So, did he lie, or didn't he? Perhaps he said it only to cover for Sawada who assumed another identity. He was there to meet Furuda Jun, but there was only Juni-S. Or perhaps he really forgot.
I am sure he forgot something - his struggle with Kayano for a gun, at the very least - but how much?
Sakaki and Amanozaki obviously lie. They knew what they came to do here, and even though they might not remember the details, there is no way Sakaki was just 'sitting at the lobby' when he was invited to do a specific job. He even has his notes at the ready. Do they remember what they did? While I would believe it if Sakaki did, and it was a guilty conscience that prompted him to hide the nature of our predicament from others, I would have imagined Amanozaki would be much more distressed than she was if she was an unwitting accomplice to mass murder. Though...
“I am… I am… Amanozaki Touko. I… I am a fortune teller and psychic renowned throughout Akihabara! I came here… because I sensed something wrong…” Letting her quavering voice trail off, she makes a complicated gesture with her fingers and begins muttering a prayer.
Does this look calm?
Uehara... now, that's an interesting one. If what Sakimura said was true for everyone, she should have lost her memory and forget she saw us at the hospital, which would make us complete strangers when we first met. Yet it is established that for some reason - perhaps because of her 'undiluted' Tendou blood, or perhaps because of her connection to her sister - she remembers everything. That would explain her keen interest in us on the first night. She paid a lot of attention to what we were saying and doing - for example, she was the only person who heard our 1153 answer when we muttered it to ourselves.
Mitsuki... did she remember seeing Kou with bloodied hands? What was the reason he shied away from his questions? If she is anything like Uehara (and I suspect her relationship to Tendou clan in some way), she might be able to remember things. Why did she ask us to escort her to the toilet in the third chapter? Did she expect to be attacked?
Tokigawa. While he lies, I wonder what his reason is. Does he remember killing Usui? Our interaction with him on the Fourth Night suggests that he does, and that Okuyama knows about it, too. Yet it happened mere minutes before the Incident. Was Sakimura's loss of memory not universal? It looks like the introduction could be interpreted as if most people preserved their memories.
Kayano is lying about almost everything with her every word, it comes to her as easily as breathing. Yet the nature of her lie is interesting.
“I work in administration, and I came here to visit my mother. She is supposed to be in ward 604, but something knocked me unconscious before I could open the door. When I came to, the ward was empty and everyone else was gone.”
Two things are strange here.
First is the mention of her mother. As far as we know, that was not a reason for her visit at all. Yet... what if she is telling the truth without realizing it herself?
I did not want to entertain this idea as it was yet another fucked up thing, but it is possible that Kayano Rina is Kayano Kagusa's daughter. Rina is in her thirties. A quick math would indicate that she was born somewhere in the late 70s - that it, when Kagusa was jailed in a psychiatric ward. I don't know who the father was (though I have my suspicions) or why the pregnancy was allowed to run its course or how the child would have survived, but it is a possibility.
Second, is there even a ward 604 in Ikei? Tokigawa said that everything was the same as he remembered it, except the floor numbers were different... but were the plates on the doors also changed? Does the ward 201 in Ikei correspond to ward 201 in Kaimei, in that both are located on the 3rd floor (if you count them as 'normal' people do)? If so, then ward 604 would not exist in Ikei as it is located on the 7th, 'ghost' floor, that only belongs to Kaimei.
Interestingly enough, Sawada is not lying. He is only speaking half-truths, the ones that would be harmless to disclose.
Overall, a very curious passage to look back at, even though some things still do not fit.
Yet it is established that for some reason - perhaps because of her 'undiluted' Tendou blood, or perhaps because of her connection to her sister - she remembers everything.
She collected one hundred talismans, she also said that the talismans appeared only in Shinoseki presence, it's obvious that she collected all those talismans in the course of several nights, it's also obvious then that she remembered all.
That she preserved her memory can be due to several factors, her bloodline, being Seika twin, or maibe her role in the ritual. We know that there are the Officiant, us in this case, this would explain why the talismans appeared only in our presence, not just because we are Seika boyfriend.
The vessel of the Maiden, Seika, the vessel of the Witch, Shizuka(?).
On a side note:
We assumed that amnesia was common because it happened to us, more probably the others can't only remember how they died or the last minutes prior to switch to the spectral hospital.
That they can remember the previous Nights is a dfferent question altogether, for now seems that only Uehara did.
The entity is called the 'Maiden of the Dead', so it is likely that Seika is one, since she is not among the living anymore. It is possible that the Witch becomes the Maiden (or vice versa) as a result of the ritual. Uehara said something about them being the same, and the ritual literally has the Maiden building herself a body from the Witch's bodyparts.
It was meant to be an entry to collect information about the Witch, yes. Something that we felt hiding among Juunimon branches during the 4th night is probably related to it. Not sure what to think of the pale hand we've noticed during our brief experience with the 2nd one.
Also, did you notice that we went all the way from Ikei to the Sakaguchi Mansion before encountering her 'in the flesh'? I wonder why. The Witch is supposed to be older than that. Does the 'bubble world' really go no further?
You keep saying that... but do you care to provide proof? Not only his personality is directly opposite to the one you would expect from someone who carefully pre-mediates murder (he is a coward and a poor planner - remember his yakuza scene?), but we also have his reaction to it as well:
“That’s not-“ Sakaki’s shout is drowned out by a gunshot. He watches in horror as the doctor falls to the ground, groaning. The young man holding the gun trembles from rage and fear, not knowing what to do. Sawada moves towards him, whispers in his ear, and then sends him off.
[...]
The medical student turns to face her. Iwano gasps in horror. His clothes are stained with blood. His eyes are wild, his gaze lost. “Mitsuki-chan… you’re here?”
The look in his eyes is replaced by one of desperation. “Look,” he hisses in a hushed tone, “Close the door, lock it, and hide. And don’t open it, no matter what.”
[...]
“Sawada-san,” Sakaki says weakly, pleading.
Sawada ignores him, his eyes closed and his lips muttering a chant. Catching bits of it, Sakaki can’t help but gasp. It appears to be some form of Yomiki’s Ritual of Opening.
When Sawada is finished, he says, “Now it all starts. Tokigawa will serve as the initial gateway for the malice of the dead.”
Does this look planned by Tokigawa to you? 'Cause to me it screams 'an unforeseen accident'. He came to the hospital to grab Midori and to look for the gold together. He didn't know about her affair with Usui... not before Sawada gave him a helpful hint, I assume, and there is nothing else that would create a conflict of interests between them.
We assumed that amnesia was common because it happened to us, more probably the others can't only remember how they died or the last minutes prior to switch to the spectral hospital.
Looks very likely. No one remembers what happened after Sawada let the malice of the dead in. People would have remembered the gunshots and discussed it, at the very least.
As manga taught me guns are very uncommon in Japan and hard to come by expecially for a normal person, even Yakuza prefers blades.
Not only Tokigawa had a gun but he was also imbued with the malice only after killing Usui, as per the quotes you posted.
If Sawada gave him a gun and then imbued him with the malice we can call him innocent but this is not the case.
He planned to infiltrate Kaimei. He could have had a gun with him for self-defence. Also, the guards probably have them since we've heard multiple gunshots.
It was obvious to me that Sawada guided his actions and influenced him. He directly referenced that he depends on the actions of another to succeed:
Tokigawa nods firmly. “I’m sure. I know it sounds like superstitious bullshit, but it is true. Once he opens the way, we’ll be free to search for the gold. Anyway, after you’ve finished your rounds, go on ahead and wait for me in the usual room. I’ll be there soon. You won’t need to do a thing.”
Tokigawa clearly had no idea that the ghoulpocalypse would happen (otherwise he would never have invited Okuyama to tag along - of that I am certain). He could not have planned for it, and so he could not have planned for avoiding arrest for Usui's murder. It must have been a spontaneous happening, if it wasn't an accident.
He could not have planned for it, and so he could not have planned for avoiding arrest for Usui's murder.
It must have been a spontaneous happening, if it wasn't an accident.
He spontaneously shot Usui?
Well it's what I was saying after all.
if it was an accident how happened, cleaning the gun out of boredom?
All of this is irrelevant by the way, he is an associated of Sawada and now we know he lied on many occassions for obvious reasons, his degree of guilt is irrelevant.
There is a possibility that Usui could have had a pistol with him, since he is not just a simple doctor, but it is far more probable that Toki-kun was given one by Sawada who intended for the trainee to start killing people.
I have to admit, I have problems thinking up a reason why Tokigawa would accept one while also maintaining his relative innocence.
I don't believe he wanted her harm - and even if he was the one who killed her after being infused with the malice and not thinking clearly, he could not have premediated it.
Just look at his reaction when he talks about her with the gangsters. If that does not convince you, consider his behaviour in the hospital in the first night. It is indicative of his intentions towards her when he entered the hospital. Even if he could have changed his mind later, the point still stands - he did not plan to take revenge on Okuyama.
All of this is irrelevant by the way, he is an associated of Sawada and now we know he lied on many occassions for obvious reasons, his degree of guilt is irrelevant.
His intentions are very relevant. After all, did you forget that Mori and Amanozaki are 'associates' of Sawada as well in that they were used by him, and might have lied to us about it, too? Yet most of us consider them our (potential) allies.
Tokigawa has potential to fall on either side of the Seiji/Juuzo/Adachi barricades. It is very likely, though, that he will follow whatever path Okuyama chooses, so our efforts might be better directed at finding out her motives.
We shoul ask Sakimura, I doubt we can collect information on that, it's doubtful too that could be useful.
We are Seiji, Juuzo is our father, maybe he married a Gaijin, is really relevant?
If this is asimulation maybe they added an additional layer for security reasons, maybe Tokigawa tried to 'conceal' a floor when drawing the map for some reason.
A glitch in the Matrix, Fox Guy sending a message, a remnant of the previous night, we know that the ones we experienced/remember are not the only ones.
5) The blood trickling down from the wall in the nurse's office and the appearance of another note. Who did it belong to? Is there something unusual to Uehara's reaction?
Maybe is the same as in Matrix, cellphones are the only way to communicate outside the bubble, maybe Juuzo tried to do with cellphones what he did with us when he imitated Amazonaki's voice.
Quite hard to tell, looks like the work of the same entity that ripped our head off, we can always ask Uehara, and at the time our psyche was still fractured.
9) The rest of the murders, who did them, when, how, and what for? Why did the revolver feel familiar? Why there were only two bullets left? Did the corpses disappear for the same reason Uehara's body did?
I think that some were killed by the Witch while others killed each other, from what we know Kaiano and Taketatsu know about the ritual, maybe they just tried to be the last person standing.
He knows about the ritual and is trying his own variation to avoid to be one of the sacrifices, he also spoke with 'us' before, that could have been Juuzo in disguise again.
Who knows, we got some company when possessing Seiji, unless there is some specific reason or connection why these voices are inside us is safe to assume that they are wandering souls getting along with us.
Nevill l I think that many of your questions can be simply answered by looking at what we know:
Juuzo run a simulation based on the Juunimon ritual.
Seiji interfered with that, probably at the beginning we experienced the simulation as was intended to be, glitches appeared because no simulation is perfect and due to Seiji's interference, slowly the ghosts took over the simulation as per Seiji's actions and intentions.
Anyway, putting that matter aside for a moment... can anyone help me reconstruct the events near the end of the first night?
At about 6:30 PM Mori left us locked in a cabinet. At 9:40 PM he crawled back with a nasty wound in his chest. He had a gun in his possession with only two bullets left, and it felt familiar to the touch. Yet the most interesting detail is that the gun he had wasn't his. Compare:
Taketatsu stares at you from behind his twisted glasses. “Come on, Shinoseki Adachi-san. You? Shoot? With that? That is a Nambu M60 revolver, if I’m not mistaken. Was it Mori-san’s? I like guns. I know a lot of about them. Look at you. You are shaking. You would not hit me. Not at this range. Not with that gun.
A. From the size and shape… a Model 37? You revise your guess about his occupation: it is now more likely that he is a police detective. The criminal underworld, if they are to carry a gun at all, prefer to use semi-automatics; cheap Type 54s smuggled in from China. If he is undercover, however, he should usually be carrying a P230… perhaps he is off-duty, and not on an official assignment?
But where did the Nambu revolver come from? Could it be Shinohara's familial gun, the one Juuzo shot us at the end of 3rd night? It is a common enough model for policemen and yakuza alike, but Shinohara Seiji was neither. Granted, our sadistic personality could have belonged to one of those.
This could be interesting, unless either we or Taketatsu were mistaken about them. Nambu's design is based on S&W, after all, it's not hard to confuse the two... but we both sounded confident in our knowledge.
However, even despite having no skill in ballistics expertise we can safely say that Usui wasn't shot by either:
There are holes in his shirt and in his flesh, consistent with what you would expect to find from a bullet. A gun? You are not sure if it was fired at close or long range, but from the size of the entry wound and the lack of an exit wound, it would appear to a small caliber firearm.
Mori's and 'our' revolvers - if there are indeed two - are of .38 caliber, which is considered large. So I guess there could be a third gun somewhere in the hospital.
His trenchcoat has fallen open, and beneath it you see a terrible, jagged wound has gouged up a good part of his chest. The open wound glistens blackly with dried blood, though fresh red blood oozes out with every beat of his heart.
The blood on Mori has already dried by the time he reached us. Whatever scuffle he got into, it was a bit of time ago.
Tokigawa's and Okuyama's throats were slit. Sakaki broke his neck, potentially falling from the stairs. Kayano was gutted with a knife moments before we arrived, and we discovered Taketatsu butchering Maeda. At least those murders don't leave much to imagination - the culprit did not even attempt to deny it.
But was Taketatsu the one who killed Mori as well? We didn't find Mitsuki with them, and there were no gun wounds on the CEO. Besides, Mori was wounded a while back and Taketatsu was in the process of slaughtering everyone right as we walked in. And there are two different revolvers. Did Mori come across Juuzo? Somehow this just does not make sense.
I am trying to put together a timeline and I can't help but notice that the fall of Kaimei group that resulted in declining of Maedas and the rise of Shinoharas, Seiji's sacrifice that saved Maeda's life, and the failure of the cleansing ritual that killed a lot of people and sent Uehara into exile all happened about ten years ago.
I am thinking this is no coincidence. You tell me it that's relevant.
Mori was wounded a while back and Taketatsu was in the process of slaughtering everyone right as we walked in. And there are two different revolvers. Somehow this just does not make sense.
We know that Mori and Tokigawa had a gun, that's two, as you noticed Tokigawa's gun should have been a caliber .22, now, if you are correct and Tokigawa received his gun by Sawada stands to reason that Sawada himself had another one, considering that Sawada got all his informations and means to organize the ritual from Seiji is perfectly possible that the guns came from Seiji as well, hence why we found the revolver so familiar, it was ours after all, this also means that for Mori having Seiji/Sawada's gun he had to have lost his own and acquired the one in possession of Sawada, probably they fought with each other.
Here my reconstruction:
Sawada gets some guns from Seiji, he gives one to Tokigawa.
Mori probably tried, or was lured, to have a private conversation with his contact, Sawada, the person that provided him with informations about the misdeeds of the Shinohara family.
Probably a fight erupted between them, maybe Sawada pull a fast one on Mori or Mori got suspicious of Sawada's behavior.
In the fight Mori lost his revolver or ran out of ammunitions then he took Sawada's revolver, this entails a fire fight, if there was only two bullets then or Mori had to shoot again is unknown, I think that the latter is more probable.
Another possibility is that Mori got Sawada's gun without the need to fire a shot, this means tho that he had to fire eight shots in other circumstances.
Considering how protective of Mitsuki Mori was maybe he fought against Juuzo who showed up to take the girl with the help of some of the twelve or some extra goons.
I am trying to put together a timeline and I can't help but notice that the fall of Kaimei group that resulted in declining of Maedas and the rise of Shinoharas, Seiji's sacrifice that saved Maeda's life, and the failure of the cleansing ritual that killed a lot of people and sent Uehara into exile all happened about ten years ago.
I am thinking this is no coincidence. You tell me it that's relevant.
