>>10716
Furaruaruaruu! Damn! If only this was the week of spring break!!....!....Ahem... Indeed, it does sound exciting. I can’t wait to witness it.

You rush off toward the courtyard. The heat within the house has risen noticeably. The heat must be coming from the fire, which is slowly encroaching into the mansion. Past Archer once more, down the hall, toward the courtyard.

The door to the courtyard has been propped open, most likely by whoever is out here. You see a great deal of things piled up. Boxes, which appear to have had their contents emptied. Peering into the darkness from the doorway makes it hard to distinguish exactly what is going on, but you do notice a figure moving about. You cannot tell who it is from this distance, but you can tell they are working on something.... looks like they're laying the empty boxes' former contents along the walls inside the courtyard.

>>10723
I'll try to get closer to see who it is.

>>10724
You creep forward through the rain and the darkness. Luckily the figure has yet to notice your presence. As you continue forward, you end up closer and closer to the pile of emptied boxes. For some odd reason, they look familiar to you. Wasn't there food in these? At the very least, they were filled to the brim and at least the top layer was food...

>>10725
"Hm, looks like our neglectful investigations of the crime scenes have come back to haunt us yet again...I really don't know what was wrong with me earlier today, a detective should have been much more thorough than this."

I'll try to get a closer look at the walls of the courtyard, to see what was in the boxes. As well as trying to identify the culprit, of course.

>>10726
The walls look like they're lined with some sort of odd resin material. It's very darkly colored and appears very viscous.

The silhouette of the person moving about reveals itself more exactly as you get closer. That is, it appears to be that of a man, a very large man at that.

He looks back and notices you. His eyes, being much more adjusted to the light than yours, allow him to recognize you. "Ah, I see. So Dr. Ozaki failed to kill you all. I imagine you've solved the epitaph for me, at least?" This voice... it's the chef.

>>10727
"Well, consider me surprised, Toshiro, I'd never have thought you would be behind it all.
And I thought I finally managed to have a friend, such a shame. Well either being a killer or dead doesn't really matter anyway doesn't it ?

Now, be wise and surrender quietly, you're no match for both us and this nifty rifle."

>>10728
ref etc
>>10684

Gohda pulls out a zippo and lights it. He then holds it above the black goo.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain what will happen. You must have seen the forest. Not even water can put out Greek fire. Perhaps you should just stand down."

>>10732
"...There's no reason for us to stand down if we're going to die anyway. In that case, can I infer that you're willing to make some kind of offer?"

>>10733
"Drop the gun."

>>10732
Greek Fire ? Toshiro, you old fool, you lost your mind, nobody knows how greek fire was made since the 14th century, you're breaking down. Erika, don't drop the gun.
You're in no position to make demands, and some fire isn't gonna stop anyone.

I quickly observe the black goo and try to determine how much is there and how quickly it would spread. I also try to see how the mansion's fire situation has evolved.

"We have no intention of killing you, but I guess what you want is for us to let you free ?
I... don't care about this as long as I get out of here alive and safe. Though I refuse to let you free so easily. Tell us everything and we'll let you go."

>>10735
It is a lot of goo. You do not know how powerful any amount is, but it Appears to be more than enough to burn down the mansion as is.

The mansion itself is slowly starting to burn in the outer areas.

"My back's against a wall. Even if I survive I'm going to face trial if I lose here."

>>10736
"No hard feelings Squitchy-boy"

I pull the trigger once reaching my destination. I continue to fire after the first shot.

>>10737
A loud bang rings out. Again and again. The rain and the darkness causes the bullets to have issue hitting their mark.

One of the shots hits the brick wall and ricochets. It hits Gohda in the arm, causing him to drop his lighter. The pitch is ignited and the fire immediately bursts forth, surrounding you on all sides.

"Well, shit. Looks like I have no other choice."

>>10737
"YOU PIECE OF SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT ! AND TO THINK I WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU. FUCK THIS... I should have killed everyone when the first murder happened.
Yeah, I should have done that... Nothing bad could have happened this way, and I wouldn't be stuck here facing death.

But no, my dear Tomitake or whoever the hell you actually are, I won't simply let things happen and die having done nothing. I will fucking smash your face in and let you know the pain of a thousand death as I should have done before. And I'll make you remember for all eternity and afterlife, or in your next life or whatever bullshit men believe in that no one, ever, EVER calls me Squitchyboy, and stays unpunished !"

I run towards Ozaki with all my might and try to punch him directly in the face and try to get hold of his weapon, if he does shoot me but not instantly lethaly, I'll try to bear the pain as much as humanly possible and still cave his face in.

>>10739
"You idiot, I could have just shot him if we wanted to kill him! Well, whatever, doesn't seem like we're going to be getting out of this anyhow. ...Gohda-san, before we all die, could you just tell us why? I feel like I already have confirmation from a higher plane on how you did everything, but I'd still like to know the motive before this ends."

Seeing squitcher run about the courtyard from above I pity him.
I aim ny once again from the window. And shoot squitcher and rika.
I then escape before the fire spreads.

Wait you were above us ? Didn't caught that.

>>10741
Your shots fail to hit again. You're too far away to aim well, especially with the wind, rain, and fire (the darkness kinda went away due to the fire)

>>10740
"Restaurants. Global economics these past few decades. Unemployment. Surely you understand, then?"

Gohda pauses before continuing: "My revenge was to the suffering of a man who as just as involved in the food services industry as I was. His wife dead, his son dead. Given some time to truly feel the pain, and then now he too is dead. And I will take from the Ushiromiya family all that is owed to me, it's fortune!"

Gohda makes a break through a first story window into a guest room.

>>10743
I use magic to make everyone forget I did such a stupid thing as trying to punch someone in the air.
Then I inspect the courtyard. Is there any exits clear except from the window Gohda just used ? Is the fire too strong to try to just run through it ?

>>10744
The fire is raging, but you could probably escape through any of the guest room windows as long as you act quickly.

There is also the door you came in through. Gohda must have intentionally not blocked off this door, as this would have been his method of escape after lighting the fire.

>>10745
"Well then."

I make a run for the door we came in through.

>>10745
"I don't care about Gohda in the slightest. Do whatever you want Erika, I'm going my way. However I'm taking this."

I take the rifle from her hands

"See you later"

I use the door we previously used to get here and try to find a way to go upstairs.

>>10746

>>10746
Well since ninja and all, could we make it as if I did talk before ? Just say whether or not you decide to let me take the rifle. if that's ok for Rudolf, of course

>>10749
Eh, you can have the rifle, I don't mind. Not sure why you gave it to me in the first place really.

As long as Rika has no objections, the rifle is yours. There are 2 staircases, the main staircase and the stairs near the kitchen. The stairs near the entrance hall is much nearer to you.

>>10751
I'll take the nearest staircase and do an inspection of the whole 2nd floor hallways.

>>10752
Aside from the smoke, nothing. Ozaki isn't here.

>>10753
"Where did Jiro even get that gun, anyway?

Still, I'm worried about what happened to Eccaia-chan...Maybe we should head back to the entrance. ......Although I'm already pretty sure of what we'll find."

>>10752
I try to find a way to the third floor and Kinzo's study, if possible, I open it with my key

>>10755
You find your way to the study. Once you enter you get a good whiff of the freshly charred bodies and even more gruesome sight than before due to the second bomb. The fire seems to have started to spread into this room.

Ozaki is no where inside.

>>10756
"Hmmpf. No use, it's best to back out now. "

I exit the room and head to the first floor, and I try to find an access out of the mansion

>>10757
Assuming you were with Rika, the both of you make your way back to the main entrance as the building starts to creak.

You make it out of the mansion to the spot where you left Eccaia. You cannot see anyone besides yourselves here.

http://www.livestream.com/ozakiskitchenclinic

We can finish the game during the stream assuming Rudolf shows up.

>>10757
Ozaki and Gohda escaped.

Checkmate or stalemate, you can make one more move before the end. Where can you go to avoid death from this fire?

>>10761
"Well, let's run away, no more time to waste hanging around here. The dock seems like the best choice"

We run towards the dock

>>10762
You hurriedly make your way through the forest towards the docks. It makes sense, the beach is sand, the fire will not be able to spread to the docks. You rush, as time is of the essence. Along the forest path, tree and branches appear to be falling all around you. It almost feels like the world itself is coming undone.

You come to the clearing the find the beach. No fire: good. You rush onto the docks and sit down. Success.

Unaware of the time, you are surprised to see the rain begin to fade. The sun begins to rise. It's already morning. The boat will arrive in an hour or two. Sometimes it's darkest just before dawn.

End Result: Tie. Ozaki and the culprit escape capture, the detectives elude death (aside from the vegetable).

Good game, all. I will arrange a rematch in the future.

W-what the hell?! The title of this work clearly states a relation to me, the golden witch! Why didn't I get to show up at all?!?!

>>10774
Wasn't your showmanship I guess~

>>10774
One thing I am still wondering about this game, though; I forgot to ask in the stream, but what was the final solution to that closed room in the kitchen? Did Ozaki actually sneak past everyone around the main entrance, or what?

>>10779
Ah, right, I forgot to ask that too.

>>10779
You may think it's a bit cheap but...
I was in one of the boxes, underneath the all food that was packed to the brim which Squitcher saw. Think of it like a false bottom. I then waited until you all left the room.

Might as well call it Showmanship of the Sorcerer of Steel

>>10784
Huh? Wait, wouldn't that count as a 'hidden area'?

You searched the box. It counts as an area you already discovered/investigated but did not find me in, as the food does not create a second place to hide but merely stops you from seeing me.

>>10791
Since when is the inside of a box hidden? Hiding under an object or set of objects is different from a hidden area.

Being under a blanket on a bed means you're hidden, but nobody would say the area under the blanket is a hidden area.

Although if he said nobody was "hiding" that'd be an issue, I forget.

>>10798
Oh, right. I got misled by the "false bottom" part, I think.

If I was going to nitpick, though...I'd still say there's an issue with "The only area you didn't investigate that a human could have hidden in was the oven or cabinets". Shouldn't the bottom of the box count as an area that we didn't investigate? I guess it depends on the definition of an area.

>>10800
Yeah, the box as a whole counted as one area and the food was just obstructing Squitcher's view. That why I conceded once you said the cooler, because it was clear that you were thinking like that.