"Hello there, I suppose the others already asked you about Battler?" I ask the servants.

Last edited at 13/09/09(Mon)21:04:24

"Of course," says Leon. "I was helping Gohda keep his food fresh while all of that happened. Battler ...startled me, so I was staying away."

"I was doing rounds in the guest house," says Shannon. "I'm afraid I wasn't all that aware of the commotion."

Last edited at 13/09/09(Mon)21:15:22

>>12953
"Ah, so you haven't seen him then? Well if you do see him let me know, he might have been hurt after all so running around hiding from everyone isn't going to do him any good."

"Do you really think he ran off himself?" Shannon asks.

>>12955
"Hmm? Do you have another suggestion?"

"Ahh-- no, I don't. Apologies."

"What if he was kidnapped?" says Leon. "I'd like to get my hands on anyone dumb enough to kidnap someone on this island. I'd make sure they paid myself."

Last edited at 13/09/10(Tue)22:07:54

>>12957
"Kidnapped eh? Well it is possible. Although you'd have to have a pretty good escape route to not be seen and be rather strong to carry him away.

What are your thoughts Shannon? You have some other theory, don't you?"

"No, I really have no idea. My apologies, Ozaki-san."

"Like I said before, it's probably just Battler playing some joke," says Jessica. "I wouldn't put it past him."

>>12959
"I see."

I wait to see if the discussion continues from that, if not then I'll say I'm heading back to my room and I'll go back into the hallway.

The conversation drips away and everyone goes back to absent-mindedly watching the television. You slip into the hallway. Nobody's there.

I casually walk past the dinning room in order to hear a piece of the conversation. After I'll just head outside through the main enterence.

Last edited at 13/09/10(Tue)23:20:45

You walk past the dining room hall.

"If anything, aren't you the most suspicious, Nii-san? You have all of those servants at your beck and call."

It's Eva's voice.

"What are you trying to imply?"

"I don't imply anything, of course, I just think you're trying to brush this event off too quickly..."

You walk out through the main entrance.

>>12963
I keep an eye out for people and then go to the Guesthouse. I'll go to my old room for now since I still have the key.

Last edited at 13/09/11(Wed)21:12:30

You walk through the rose garden and into the guesthouse. It's eerily quiet. There are no people around.

You make it into your old room. Your suitcase and a plethora of manly hats await you.

Last edited at 13/09/11(Wed)21:20:43

>>12965
I'll take the check with me and place it in my pocket. I guess I will leave the suitcase there for now. I then lock the door and go around each room of the Guesthouse seeing if anybody is here. When I check the bar I'll also take a small bottle of vodka if there is any and pocket it.

You pocket your check.

You don't find anyone in the guest house, but you do manage to bottle a small amount of delicious vodka.

While you're upstairs, you hear a faint sound. Straining your ears, you can tell that someone is walking downstairs.

>>12967
I attempt to move quietly as possible. Waiting a bit to see if they come upstairs. If not then I try to move silently in order to see who it is without being noticed.

You wait a few moments. It doesn't seem like anyone's coming up.

Slowly, you creep down the staircase to peek around the corner. As you poke your face out, however, you find yourself about two inches away from Shannon.

Not expecting a man to pop around the corner, she screams.

>>12969
"Oh sorry about that Shannon, didn't mean to scare you."

"Ahh, Ozaki-san. I- I guess I should be the one apologizing. I followed you here, after all."

>>12971
"Followed eh? What for?"

"I had to ask you something." Shannon pauses. "You saw him, right? Batter-kun?"

>>12973
"Yes that is correct. Everyone else informed me that it was Battler after I had checked him."

"Is that so? How did he seem to you?"

>>12975
"Pretty happy, well until he lost consciousness that is. After that we lost sight of him."

"I've heard. A person calling themselves the witch, Beatrice, took him. What do you think?"

>>12979
"Well I don't know much about Beatrice, but I looked around the room and noticed the window was unlocked along with footprints on the ground, so unless someone climbed up to the window then he probably left himself. In other words its possible he made the letter from Beatrice as another trick."

I shug clearly showing my lethargic attitude to the situation.

"Of course that is only one scenario, he really could have been captured so we'll just have to wait and see. I just hope he doesn't get himself hurt again."

"...I see. He didn't say anything? At all?"

>>12981
"Well nobody gave him a chance really. Someone hit him out of rage and he got knocked out."

Shannon sighs. "Thank you, Ozaki-san. I'm sorry for bothering you."

She turns and leaves.

>>12983
"Sure no problem." I say as I watch her leave.

I then leave the guesthouse after she has gotten far enough a head and look around the garden for anything interesting.

You find some interesting flowers and bushes, but nothing else of note.

>>12985
I head into the mansion. Surveying the place for rooms I haven't entered yet on the first floor. Also for any people I bump into.

As you enter the mansion, you catch George leaving the dining room. He looks exhausted.

He sees you from the corner of his eye. "Ahh, Ozaki-kun. How are you? I'd ask if you were enjoying your stay, but..."

Last edited at 13/09/12(Thu)21:10:47

>>12987
"Ah don't worry about it. How about yourself? I don't quite understand what is going on but it seems a lot of people are making suspicions for some reason. Doesn't seem like a very good family get together if you ask me."

"It's rough. Rudolf oji-san seems to be suspicious of everyone. I think he believes that it's related to the family inheritance. Krauss oji-san just seems happy about the distraction if you ask me. He pretends like he wants everyone to forget about it, but even he keeps egging it on. My mother's treating Battler's disappearance as some kind of opportunity-- a strategy point of some kind, I guess. I think Rosa oba-san is just trying to keep up. To be honest, Battler's disappearance is a hindrance to me as well."

He pauses.

"Ahaha, why am I telling you all of this? I guess you just have that kind of face. Don't let anyone know I said all of that, okay? I'll be turning in, now."

Last edited at 13/09/12(Thu)21:58:20

>>12989
"Sure no problem."

I give him a wave of the hand as he leaves. I then continue my surveying.

Looking for doors you haven't opened, you enter a bathroom. Good thing, too. You haven't used it all day.

>>12991
I guess the lock the door, check the room for anyone, and then use the facilities. Afterwards I leave the room after washing and go to see if the VIP room is locked.

You use the bathroom.

As you leave, you catch a glimpse of Kyrie and Ange entering a guest room.

You walk to the VIP room-- wait, where is that again? You don't remember getting any directions. If only you had a map.

Last edited at 13/09/12(Thu)22:29:30

I attempt to find a servant or the servant room in order to find directions there. I also inquire about the keys to the room.

You spend some time walking around aimlessly. Finally, you find Gohda walking around the hallway. Apparently a few of the servants had been sent to search for Battler. No luck.

He leads you upstairs to the VIP room. He says that the key should be inside the room.

"Will that be all, Ozaki-sama?"

>>12995
"Ah one more thing, are there any keys that work on the door besides that one?"

Last edited at 13/09/12(Thu)22:37:35

"It's funny you should ask. This is the only room in the mansion that the master keys won't work on, with the exception of Kinzo-sama's study. It makes you wonder what kind of guest he planned on having, doesn't it?"

>>12997
"Yeah it is quite odd. Anyway, your cooking was great and thanks for showing me the way."

I then enter the room after that comment.

Gohda beams at that compliment. "It was my pleasure!"

You enter the VIP room. It's pretty dark, but you can tell that the room is well-maintained. Everything in the room is neat and spotless, including its large window.

There is a key on the bed.

>>12999
I take the key. I study the locks on the windows and the doors. I check the room for people and anything else interesting.

You take the key.

The windows have latch locks and the door has a simple bolt lock.

There isn't anything particularly interesting in the room. Besides, that is, the bed. You can't help but notice your own exhaustion.

I check the time. I then go out in the hallway and lock the door behind me. I then head to the kitchen.

It's 9:37.

You lock your door and walk to the kitchen. You were lucky enough to pick up on where its located earlier in the day.

The door is unlocked. You step inside. You don't notice anything unusual.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)13:26:20

>>13003
I decide not to bother with making my elaborate concoction and leave the kitchen. I see if anybody is in the hallway, if not I take a peek in the parlor.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)14:58:46

You take a peek in the parlor. It looks like Leon and Maria both fell asleep watching the television. It must have been a pretty tiring day for everyone. A bit unprofessional of Leon, perhaps, but the scene looks pretty cute.

>>13005
I go up and poke Leon's cheek seeing if she wakes.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)17:03:11

Leon opens her eyes slowly. She doesn't seem to realize where she is at first. "Whaa?"

Realization hits her surprisingly quickly.

"Ozaki-san! Ahh, I was resting my eyes. The light in here is really-- if you tell anyone about this, you're dead."

Her voice progresses into a whisper, as to not wake Maria.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)17:11:56

>>13007
"Ah no problem, your secrets are safe with me."

I turn my attention to Maria.

"Although it would be beneficial if Maria got some rest in a proper bed. I'm guessing Rosa is still busy."

"These conferences can go on pretty late sometimes. It's gone pretty early into the morning before. I can't even imagine what they'd all talk about for that long. I'll take Maria-san to her and Rosa's room."

She gets ready to pick Maria up, then stops and looks at you.

"Hey, uhm. Sorry if I came off as a little strong before." She blushes and turns away immediately, picking Maria up and walking away.

>>13009
I check the time then enter the hallway. Judging from the map there is a bathroom on the first floor which is only a single wall away from the dining room so I go there and attempt to listen through the wall.

You attempt to listen through the wall, but you can only make out the sounds of muffled voices. Sometimes the voices get slightly louder, but they simmer down soon enough. You almost nod off a few times while doing this.

>>13011
I guess I'll just go with the flow and head back to my room. I lock the door, lock the windows, close the curtains, check for people and finally push some furniture in front of the door and then go to sleep.

Lambda wake up from her nap abruptly. "Wha? Oh hey, that detective's finally asleep. Took long enough. Time to get this show on the road!"

Krauss walked along the path of the rose garden. The family conference had taken a recess and he was desperately in need of air. His wife had taken the opportunity to go to bed, citing a headache as her reason.

It wasn't fair. He didn't want to be in that room any more than she did! Probably less. But he was forced to carry on, arguing with everyone over not only the gold and the family inheritance, but Battler as well. He even had a feeling that the jig with Father was coming to an end.

Krauss sighs loudly.

"Oh, c'mon. Get over yourself."

Krauss spins around. He had never heard that voice before or seen the face it belonged to. It looked like a little blonde girl!

"Yeah, you heard me. You're a man, aren't you? You should take responsibility!"

Krauss grits his teeth. "And who are you to tell me all of this?"

"I'm the lovely, the wonderful, the only Witch of Certainty, Lambdadelta! I'm actually the creator of this kakera. Without me, you wouldn't even have a sense of existence. I know, I know. Charmed, I'm sure."

"...I'm not sure I understand. Are you a friend of Maria's?"

Lambda groans. "Geez. Maybe this will help you understand."

Like a snap of lightning, Lambda teleports away. But things aren't as they had been. The ground under Krauss's feet is shaking!

At first, Krauss can't identify the source of the shaking. Then he sees it. It's approaching him from the distance. Some kind of weather anomaly, he things. Sudden gusts of winds picking up. But no. There's something in those winds, which begin swirling and making a funnel shape over the earth.

"No, it can't be..."

The winds rush straight for him as well as the dark object floating inside.

"...Tornadashark."

Rosa enters her room and looks at the sleeping face of Maria.

"Maria-chan, I've tried so hard to do right by you. Did you know that? Every day, I work in that company that I hate because I think, one day, it'll grow large and you'll find happiness from it. I've had to sacrifice things, I know...I haven't always been there for you."

Tears form at Rosa's eyes.

"If that man hadn't left... if you still had a father, where would we be? Would we be happy then, Maria-chan?"

"Aw, how touching."

In the corner of the room, a small girl steps from the shadow. Rosa freezes. She's sure that there was nobody there a few moments prior.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Lambdadelta's the name, the first twilight is my game. So how would you like to die? Quick and painless? Fighting? In a metaphorically resonant way? I'm letting you decide."

Rosa didn't fully understand...but did this person mean to hurt them?

Finding her body allowing her motion again, she grabs a vase from a nearby table and rushes at the intruder.

Lambda, caught by genuine surprise, is pushed back against the wall. The vase shatters against her chest. She starts crying, caught by shock rather than genuine pain.

"Hey! What'd you have to go and do that for? I wasn't even ready!"

Rosa grits her teeth, finding a clock and holding it above Lambda. "I won't allow anyone to hurt Maria!"

"Maria?" Lambda regains her composure. "I don't want to kill Maria. Not yet, anyways. You're the target this time, sweet-cheeks."

Lambda snaps her finger and the clock flies out of her hands and against the wall.

"Now, what was I saying? That's right, what to do with you..."

Eva and Hideyoshi take the opportunity to rest in the parlor. Eva paces back and forth while Hideyoshi rests on a couch.

"Should we have said something?" Eva said out loud. "We should have said something. No. We shouldn't have. It was irrelevant. It only would have led to more problems for us!"

"Yep," said Hideyoshi.

"But what if everyone finds out? Then we'll be in even more trouble! We should have said something."

"True."

"No, not true! It was irrelevant, anyways. They just wouldn't have seen it like that."

"Good point."

Without any flair or effect, a girl appears in the center of the parlor.

"What the...?" Hideyoshi almost falls out of the couch.

"Blah, blah, blah, Labdadelta, blah, blah, blah, death. Let's move on, shall we?"

Before Eva or Hideyoshi get the chance to protest, all three people in the parlor disappear with a snap.

Siesta 410 and 45 had been assigned to take out the last victims of the first twilight. Lambdadelta had grown bored with the whole ceremony, and they were the only magical beings available on such short notice.

"Ihi, we have our targets locked? Fire?"

"No, we can't! Lambda ordered us to enter the room! We have to make sure we hit these targets, they're super-dangerous."

"Fiiine."

The Sisters teleport to the other side of the door. It's pitch black in the room.

"Direct line of fire maintained. Fire?"

"Affirmative?"

Several strings shoot out at the two targets in front of them.

"Stop the game! In reality, Ange Ushiromiya did not die in 1985. In reality, Kyrie Ushiromiya did not die in 1985! This holds no truth!"

Ange, who had been a little girl until a few seconds ago, transforms to a much older version of herself. One look and the siesta sisters can tell she isn't pleased in the slightest.

The arrows stop just short of reaching her. The bunnies step back in fear.

"Nyeh, what do we do?"

"I don't know! The arrows aren't working. Call Lamda, call her!"

"As Witch of Ressurection and sister to the Golden Sorcerer, husband of the Golden Witch, I declare that this game board is a farce! End it immediately."

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)18:40:48

Lamda appears in the center of the room. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"Lambdadelta, you're behind this? Who gave you the authorization to create this game board?"

"I did, of course!"

"The land of Rokkenjima is under control of Battler. You have no authority here."

"Don't I? I was issued as Beatrice's official complaint department. This game is in response to a very specific complaint. Check the Witch's Manual! I'm well within my boundaries."

"...That being how it is, my blues still stand. And if you try to hurt anyone else, I'll just add to them. Give back the lives you've claimed and don't hurt anyone else, or they'll consume you when the detective wakes up."

"Hmph. It's true that I can't refute what you said with red, but that doesn't mean it can't be said at all."

"What are you talking about?"

Lambda snaps her fingers. Ange flies back against a wall. She can't move.

"What the hell?"

Kyrie starts levitating over her bed. She wakes up and instantly starts clutching at her stomach. She tries to scream, but no sound comes out.

"Lamdadelta, stop it! You can't kill her!"

"I'm not killing her. She wishes that she was dead, though. Every organ inside of her feels like its constantly being ripped apart. Every second the pain renews herself and she can't get any relief. I wonder how long you can watch."

Kyrie desperately squirms around, but she can't move. Ange can't free herself, either.

"Stop it!"

"You know what you have to do, Ange. Say it, and let the game progress."

Ange grits her teeth. "I hate you."

"Irrelevant. Well?"

"...In reality, Ange Ushiromiya died on 1985. In reality, Kyrie Ushiromiya died on 1985. Looks like you win."

"Looks like I do." Somehow, Lambda still sounds bored and unfulfilled.

She snaps her fingers and the last victims disappear.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)18:57:30

You wake up in your bed. You have a massive headache for some reason. Your room is pitch-black.

>>13020
I attempt to find the light switch and turn on the lights.

You turns on the lights, which makes your head throb even more. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in the room.

Someone knocks on your door. "Ozaki-san! Open up!"

It's Rudolf's voice.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)19:09:11

>>13023
"Coming, hold on a second."

I check that I have all my items still including the time on my watch. I then move the furniture and open the door.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)19:11:41

You have all of your items. Your clock says that it's about one in the morning.

You open the door. Rudolf is there, holding a large gun. Before he has the chance to say anything, footsteps come from down the hallway.

"Stop right there, Rudolf!" It's Natsuhi's voice. A pair of footsteps follow her.

"Hey, what--" Before he can speak, there's a barrel of a gun pointed at his head. You can see Natsuhi wielding it.

"Don't move!" She says. "Drop the gun!"

"Mom," you hear Jessica's voice. "We don't have proof he did anything! Stop it!"

>>13025
Acting as if the guns don't exist I ask;
"Did something happen?"

"My husband is gone! He said he was stepping outside for five minutes before I went to sleep, and now he's nowhere outside or in the mansion." She looks down at Rudolf. "Where is he?"

"I have no idea!" Rudolf says. He keeps his gun in his hands. "Ange and Kyrie are gone, too. And the room...it... I came up here to get a gun in case..."

Rudolf's voice trails. He starts crying.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)19:25:32

>>13027
"Did anyone check the Guesthouse?
Also what is this about the room Rudolf?

"I didn't look inside," Natsuhi says. "But all the lights were off and the door was locked. There's no way he'd be in there!"

"The room was a mess," Rudolf says. "Nightstands turned over. Sheets scattered. Marks on the wall. It looks like...I don't know! We have to find them! We need to gather the others."

"You aren't going anywhere with that gun!" Natsuhi insists.

"Mom..." says Jessica.

"And I'm just supposed to trust you with yours?" Rudolf asks. "Bull!"

>>13029
"Alright well you both have guns so if we all stick together then neither party can sneak off right? We should check the guesthouse first. I don't know why you didn't go inside but if you have checked everywhere else then that would logically be the best place to look right? We'll need a key for the place of course, unless you want to break a window."

Natsuhi and Rudolf begrudgingly agree. They both stay in the back of the group so that neither can fire a shot and run off.

The first stop is the servant's quarters. All the servants are present, sleeping. Your group wakes them up.

"Eh? More people are missing? This is awful!" Gohda exclaims.

"My apologies, Natsuhi-sama." Genji says. "The key to the guest house is missing."

He explains to you that master keys can unlock the guest house rooms, but not the building itself.

"Like Hell that will stop us. Let's get everyone else and go!" Rudolf says. On this issue, Natsuhi agrees.

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)19:47:30

The group travels to Maria and Rosa's room. When Genji opens the door, however, only Maria is inside.

"W-where's Rosa?" Gohda says.

"Couldn't she be somewhere around the mansion?" Shannon asks.

"I've looked everywhere!" says Natsuhi. She shakes Maria pretty harshly until she wakes.

Inside the room, you can see a broken vase and clock. Was there some kind of struggle?

Last edited at 13/09/13(Fri)20:50:31

>>13032
I examine the vase and the clock and anything else out of place in the room. I also check on Maria.

The vase looks like it fell on the floor. It's in several large chunks. The clock looks like it hit the wall with great force. Some marks on the wall confirm it.

You look at Maria, who is just waking up. "Uu, where's momma?"

"That's what we wanted to ask you!" says Natsuhi. "Where is she?"

"Mom," Jessica mumbles. "Be gentle with her."

"Maria doesn't know!" says Maria. "Was sleeping! Uu! Momma!"

>>13035
"Well she obviously doesn't know anything."

I check the clock to see what time it reads. I then direct my attention to the adults.

"When did you all split up and last see each other? Or rather what happened after I left."

You look at the clock. It seems that the clock was broken at exactly 12:33.

According to Rudolf and Natsuhi, the conference took a break a bit after midnight, although they aren't sure about the exact time.

Natsuhi speaks: "After we took a break, my head started hurting. I went to my room to rest for a while. I couldn't stop worrying about my family, though, so I went to find them when I felt well enough."

"Ahh," says Gohda. "I saw Madame enter her room on my patrol. I also walked Ozaki-sama to his room earlier. Personally, I was in the servants quarters long before midnight. Kumasawa can vouch for me."

"Yes," Kumasawa confirms. "I'm not as young as I used to be, so I went to bed fairly early. Gohda-san came in, complaning about how Battler ruined his din--"

"Anyways, she can vouch for me," he says. "What about you, Shannon?"

"Uhm, I had the night-shift after midnight, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."

"I was filling out paper-work with Genji-san after midnight," Leon says. Genji confirms her story. They had left each other for some durations, but the two stayed together for most of the time.

"I got tired after watching T.V with Maria and Leon," Jessica says. "I went up to my room before they did. I'm not really sure what time it was, but I didn't see anyone on my way."

"I tried to visit Father," says Rudolf. "I knocked for a while, but I guess he was in one of his moods again. No answer. After that I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a snack. When I went to visit Kyrie and Ange, they weren't there..."

"Uu, Maria was sleeping."

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)10:08:00

>>13037
"So in other words the last time any of you saw the missing people was around midnight when the discussion took a break?"

After that I continue with;

"Does anyone have a watch? I need to make sure mine is correct.
Also, are Eva and Hideyoshi missing too? They don't seem to be with us."

The survivors confirm what you said. It seems that it was during the break that everyone disappeared.

Rudolf checks his watch. He says it's 1:14 in the morning. The servants confirm this time.

"They should be in their room with George-kun," Natsuhi says. "Unless... we have to hurry!"

>>13040
I make sure everyone sticks together as we go to the room.

You're about to go to Eva and Hideyoshi's room. As you leave Rosa's room, though, you find yourself face-to-face with George.

"What's everyone doing? Why do you two have guns?"

>>13042
"It's complicated, but George, have you seen your parents recently?"

After I also ask if he has seen the other missing people.

"Eh? No, I haven't seem any of them since I met up with you in the main hall, Ozaki-kun. I've been asleep. Would someone tell me what's happening?"

Jessica quickly blabbers an explanation to him, and his face changes into that of understanding.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's look in the guest house! If they aren't there, maybe we can find them in Grandfather's chapel."

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)10:27:30

>>13044
"The chapel?"

Confused by that I continue;

"We were about to check your parents room but if you were sleeping there then I guess you didn't see them...
Alright lets head to the Guesthouse first."

I then make sure everyone sticks together.

"Grandfather had a chapel built," Jessica explains. "We're never allowed to go near it. Apparently it's some kind of precious thing to him."

"Sorry Ozaki-kun," George says. I really haven't seen them around."

With that, the survivors walk in a group to the outside of the mansion. You can't help but notice what a beautiful night it is, regardless of the circumstances. The moon is full and the path through the rose garden is clear.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)10:44:08

Your group comes across the guest house. Natsuhi points a gun at the window, intending to shoot it, but Rudolf stops her. This almost gets them into a skrimish.

"Idiot! What if someone's actually in there? Are you trying to kill them yourself?"

Natsuhi lowers her weapon at last. Rudolf picks up a large stone from the ground and chucks it at the window. The guest house area is dark, but you definitely hear the sound of glass shattering. The survivors approach the guest house window.

Natsuhi is the first person inside, followed by Rudolf. You hear the sound of glass crunching under their shoes. You're the third person to enter. It's too dark to make much out, though.

Then the light flickers on. The first thing you notice is Rudolf and Natsuhi on the other side of the room, near the slight switch. Then the sounds of the others entering the window behind you. More glass crunching.

Next, you notice what nobody else wants to. The entire centerpiece of the room-- those six people in the bar area of the guest house.

No, is that right? If you called them people, you could imagine they were just getting some drinks and talking happily with each other before you entered. That's not the scene before you! How could it be?

These...are corpses. How could they be anything else, with their chests ripped out like that? Apart from that, there are six bleeding globs on the on the floor! It takes you a moment to realize that those are probably the victim's hearts. It's like their hearts literally jumped out of their chests!

"Mom, dad!"

"Dear..."

"What the hell?" Rufolf says. "Kyrie, Ange? What in the world?"

Jessica has already fallen over. The sight's too much for her and, in a few moments, the contents of her dinner are on the floor. She heaves even after everything is gone.

"They're dead?" says Gohda. He looks at you. "Please, tell me they aren't dead!"

>>13048
I quickly glance at the windows and doors to see if they are locked.
Ignoring Gohda I then go up to the bodies and examine them, making sure of their identities and checking for any other wounds on the bodies.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)11:07:19

As far as you can tell from looking at them, the windows are definitely locked. The latches are in place. You walk to the door. It's definitely locked as well.

You walk up to the the bodies. The people are Kyrie, Ange, Krauss, Eva, Hideyoshi, and Rosa. The wounds seem genuine. The gaps in their chests are huge, you notice.

The only other wounds you see on any bodies are on Kyrie and Ange. You can see faint stab marks on the outside of the chest area. Did they put up some kind of fight?

"Oh, everyone?" Kumasawa speaks up. When you look at her, she's holding a key. "Is this the key to the guest house?"

Genji looks at the key and confirms.

Nobody seems to particularly care at the moment. They're in shock.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)11:15:21

>>13050
I do a general survey of the room, comparing it to when I first looked around for anything different. I also look for blood, like drag marks and any other blood in the room. I also check if there are only the windows and the single door to enter the room.

You find traces of blood on walls around the room. They're smudged, like someone tried to wipe them away, but they're still there. You don't see any other distinguishable marks.

You find a back door to the guest house. It's locked too, of course. All of the other windows on the first floor seemed to be locked as well.

--------------------------------

The scene warps a bit. You see Lambdadelta, who doesn't seem to notice you at first. After you wait a moment, she catches you from the corner of her eye.

"Oh, hey. Well, what do you think?"

>>13052
"Hmm? Well its no candies exploding from the stomach, but its flashy in its own sort of way. Like they were so scared their hearts couldn't take it and attempted to escape."

"Or like a witch decided they didn't deserve their hearts," she says. Lambda sighs loudly. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping for a certain visitor by now and they still haven't shown up. I feel a bit like that Gatsby fellow."

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)11:35:35

>>13054
"One of your friends? Well either way, having your expectations shattered isn't a nice feeling.
Should we wait for a bit or just continue on for now?"

"Let's just move on. She won't be able to ignore me forever, I suppose."

------------

The guest house is a mess. Most are too consumed by shock or mourning to take any constructive actions.

"Who... would do something like this?" says Leon.

>>13056
"I have no idea. Its sickening. If it was just a clean shot to a the head or something similar I could understand it but this... They went the extra mile to show us scene. Whoever did this wants us to feel terror."

I check the pockets of each body. I then do a general survey of the whole inside of the guesthouse. Checking each room I can for open/unlocked windows and anything that stands out.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)12:02:11

You don't find anything particularly interesting in any of their pockets...except...could it be? It is! In Hideyoshi's pocket, you find a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Looks like the day isn't all bad.

Besides that, you find individual keys to Kyrie's room, Eva's room, Krauss's room, and Rosa's room.

You look in every single room on the first floor. At this time, it looks like the windows are all locked and unopened, except for the one your group broke. Nothing else stands out.

"Ahh, Ozaki-sama?" Kumasawa says. "I think I cut my hand on that glass. Do you think you could help me?"

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)12:06:05

>>13058
I take the smokes, lighter and the keys.

"...Oh? Umm...Sure thing, I recall a first aid kit in the bathroom. I'll go get it."

I then do so.

You retrieve the first aid kit and patch up Kumasawa's hand. Behind her, however, you see Jessica still heaving on the ground. Her hands, arms, and legs are cut up pretty badly from the glass. She doesn't even seem to notice.

>>13060
I look to see how everyone else is doing.

Not well.

Genji is as stoic as ever, but the other servants aren't in very good shape. Gohda keeps muttering to himself about how this is impossible, how the victims couldn't really be dead. Leon is loudly sobbing and creating the most noise in the room. Shannon has her back slumped against a wall. It seems that she can't believe the sight in front of her. Kumasawa keeps shaking even after you bandage her hands.

Rudolf babbles quietly to his wife and daughter, making general apologies. Natsuhi is grabbing onto Krauss's shoulders with tears streaming down her face.

George has his fair share of waterworks as well. "I'll kill whoever did this. I swear to god, they won't get off of this island!"

"You don't have to be sad, George," Maria says. "It's just the six chosen by the key."

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"Uu, when the witch revives, we'll all go to the golden land!"

>>13062
"For now we should get out of this room. Lets go back to the parlor after locking up... Since the phone and radios are down we'll have to wait until the boatman comes back. Does anyone remember when that is?

Oh, Jessica can you stand? I need to treat your wounds."

I then attempt to, while listening for a response to my question.

"Captain Kawabata is supposed to arrive at noon. The parlor should be safe until then," Natsuhi agrees.

"What?" Leon says. "You want us to stay on this island while a madman runs around in a hockey mask or whatever and tries to kill us off?"

Normally, Leon wouldn't have been so flippant to her employer, but the murders had already broken down the lines between servants and guests. That was as good of a resignation as Leon needed.

"We'll be fine if we stay together," Gohda says. "We have to be! Please, Leon-san."

"Uhm," Kumsawa speaks up while holding the key she found. "I'm sure this is a stupid question, but if I found this key on a table in the room, how did the...murderer...lock the building? Ozaki-san checked that the doors and windows were locked, right?"

"Who cares?" Rudolf asks. "The culprit probably has a lockpick or duplicate key or something. I agree with Ozaki, we need to leave. But...where's Battler? He's nowhere around here. Could he still be alive?"

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)17:26:42

>>13064
"Yeah Rudolf is right, how the culprit killed them doesn't matter at this point because there are too many options. The problem we have is Battler still being missing.
Either he is dead, the culprit, or he really is just missing. There is a chance the culprit is purposely hiding Battler in order to make us suspect him, so we shouldn't start pointing fingers just yet.

Well, lets just stick together for now. We need to focus on surviving."

You speak while helping Jessica up and treating her wounds.

The group agrees that the parlor is the safest place to go for now. Natsuhi in particular is hesitant to leave their bodies like this with the window open, but she complies.

Everyone starts the trip back to the mansion.

---------------------------

The man and the woman appear in the guest house after the group leaves.

"Must we continue watching?" asks the man.

"Every tragedy has to have a chorus," replies the woman.

"Is that the genre of this story, then?"

"You'd prefer romance?"

"One of Beatrice's mysteries, perhaps," the man muses.

"So, a romance."

"Perhaps. Could this tale have a happy ending after all?"

"Who knows? Lambdadelta's a fan of happy endings, I hear. I wouldn't put it past her."

"But will she be the one deciding the ending?"

"..."

The group makes it back to the mansion with no resistance. Rudolf and Natsuhi are tense the whole way back, waving their guns into the darkness.

You make it into the parlor with everyone else following behind you.

>>13067
I'll wait a few minutes for everyone to get settled in the parlor before talking again.

"Rudolf and Natsuhi, what did you all talk about in the dining room last night? It may help us seeing how the majority who were found in the guesthouse attended the meeting as well."

"We discussed the gold bar, Battler's disappearance, and the family inheritance," Natsuhi says.

"You forgot Father's health," says Rudolf. "Hey! What about Father? Shouldn't we tell him what's going on?"

>>13069
"Actually thats a good point, in all this confusion I had forgotten its still the middle of the night so he probably slept through it all.

Oh wait, that reminds me, where did you even get those weapons you two? Were they just laying around or something?"

"My husband keeps them in his study," Natsuhi says. "One was already missing by the time I got there. That's why I suspected Rudolf."

She glares in his direction.

"I found one as soon as I saw that Kyrie and Ange weren't in their room," Rufolf says. "It seems extreme, but with Battler already missing and Ozaki-san being attacked, I didn't want to take any chances."

"What!" Jessica springs to life. "Ozaki was attacked? And nobody said anything? What the hell?"

"W-we didn't want to unnecessarily upset you," Natsuhi says.

"Unnecessarily? That seems pretty relevant to me!" She glares at you as well.

>>13071
"Yeah, I was knocked out for a while. At the time we didn't think it was a big deal since he had only disappeared but now...

Well its likely I was attacked by the culprit, that much can be said. So that information can help us quite a lot."

"In any case," Rudolf says. "Someone should go tell Father what happened."

"Eh?" Gohda says. "Shouldn't we stay together?"

Natsuhi looks at Jessica, who has returned to her catatonic state.

"My daughter isn't in a position to go anywhere right now, and I won't leave her."

"Well, geez." Rudolf says. "I guess we can just tell him in the morning. His room is built like a fort, after all."

Then, something strikes. You see Rudolf's eyes widen and the gun fall from his hands. Before anyone can react, George picks up the weapon and points it at Maria's head. Natsuhi points her gun at him.

"George," she yells. "What are you doing?"

"I've had enough of this! We aren't waiting until morning. Maria-chan, who killed my parents? Who is Beatrice?"

>>13074
"George calm down! She is just a kid who believes in witches. Anyone could trick her with a simple slight of hand and a costume. You don't need to hold her a gunpoint!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93VODUlLuRk

"George-san," Shannon adds. "Please stop!"

George hesitates with his body motions, but still holds the gun steady.

"Uu, Beatrice isn't a trick! She's real. She can do magic! Uuu!"

George tightens his grip. "I'm not going to ask again, Maria. I won't let anyone else in this room die. Tell me who she is!"

>>13076
"Are you really going to treating a little girl? She doesn't even know the concept of death, do you think threatening that will make her talk?
If anything you are just making your chances of finding the truth harder by putting all of us against you. If you really want to avenge your parents then you should stop disgracing them with your actions."

George shows hesitation at your words. As he drops his weapon a little, Rudolf tackles his legs and the gun sprawls across the room. Genji picks it up and handles it carefully.

Natsuhi keeps her gun pointed at George.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)20:30:11

"Mom, don't hurt him!" Jessica says.

Natsuhi grits her teeth. "I'm not. George-kun, leave this room. You can meet up with us when the ship arrives in the afternoon. Until then, go. I don't care where."

"Natsuhi oba-san..." George looks at his aunt, but her eyes offer no sympathy. Even Shannon is facing away from him. "Fine. I'll find out who did this myself. In the morning, when the seagulls cry, I'll have figured everything out."

George gets up. Slowly, as to not alert Natsuhi, he leaves the room. Everyone who would have once defended him is too surprised by his actions to do so.

>>13079
I wait for something to happen/someone to speak.

A little bit of time passes. Maria decides that she wants to watch television, so she runs to the opposite end of the room.

"Uu!" You hear her voice. "A letter!"

"What!?"

I proceed to acquire the letter.

The letter is inside a blank, white envelope. You open it and read the paper inside:

Ushiromiya family,

I know where Battler Ushiromiya is. I also know that at least one of you has knowledge of where Kinzo Ushiromiya's gold is hidden. If you do not send at least one representative to retrieve the gold, I guarantee his safety no longer.

>>13083
"Well it looks like they were doing this for the gold after all."

I show everyone the letter.

"Just to remind you Rudolf. The majority of hostages are killed before they make demands.
They also seem to think one of us knows where the gold is... "

"You...you're saying that you think Battler is already dead after all? No!" Rudolf slams his hand against a table.

"It's a possibility we may have to face," agrees Natsuhi. "Especially with so many of our loved ones...in that position."

She has difficulty getting out those words.

"Excuse me..." Kumasawa speaks up. "But if the paper asked us to send out a representative, isn't George in danger? I don't think he knows where the gold is..."

>>13085
"You're right. Since he went out on his own the culprit would mistake him for the representative."

"He should have thought about that when he pointed a gun at a little girl!" says Natsuhi.

"No!" says Jessica. "I'm not letting any more of this family die. If you don't go find him, I am. Don't try to stop me."

"...If you're going, then I'll go with you." Natsuhi looks at her daughter sadly. Is anyone else coming?"

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)21:24:34

>>13088
"We probably shouldn't split up. It seems they want to be stealthy about how they kill after all. If you go we need everyone to go."

The survivors all agree to stick together. Nobody wants to be alone in a situation like this, it seems.

As a group, everyone leaves the parlor and enters the hallway. It couldn't have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes since George left the room. Where could he be?

"Any idea where he may have gone?"

"He said he was going to try to solve things," Rudolf says. "So maybe he went back to the guest house?"

"Hmm, makes sense. Lets stop for a moment in the main hall of the mansion. I want to take a look at that epitaph again."

"Huh? What for?" Leon asks, but she and the rest of the group follow you to the main hall, anyways. There, you look at the epitaph.

"Well, the culprit obviously wants the gold right? Then why didn't they just solve this? Well I guess it was too hard for them or something so I wanted to see if I could attempt to solve it."

"Do you think you could do something like that, Ozaki-kun?" Shannon asks.

Before you get the chance to respond, you hear a voice from down the hallway. "Everyone, stop!"

It's George's voice. You look at his direction. He's holding a gun!

Natsuhi and Rudolf both pick up their guns and fire. In reaction, Jessica screams. It's likely that they shot out of instinct or fear or irrationality, but it just looks like a family trying to kill each other.

Miraculously, both of the bullets miss. George is on the ground, gun still in his hands.

"Maria-chan, Jessica, run!" Natsuhi takes Maria's hand and runs down a corridor. Jessica follows in panic. Rudolf takes this chance to run outside. The servant's, except for Leon and Shannon, follow him in confusion.

The only people remaining are you, Leon, and Shannon. George rises from the ground.

"George," Leon warns. "You can't hit all of us."

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)22:08:54

>>13096
"God dammit George. Now everyone is split up. ...And trying to kill each other."

George ignores you. Instead, he walks up to your group and points his gun at Shannon.

"This is over. I know who you are, 'Beatrice'."

George is crying. You see his arms shaking.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)22:23:06

>>13098
"George, what is this all about? Why do you think Shannon is Beatrice?"

"I didn't. Not at first. I was working on the assumption that Maria was seeing a real person and not someone in her head. The first person I thought it might be is Leon, so I searched all of her things."

"You what?"

"And I didn't find anything. As long as I was there, I searched all of the other servant's things. And do you know what I found?"

"..."

"Nothing. So I got angry. I tore the room up, knocked things around, and that's when it happened. Right above a ceiling panel in the servant's quaters-- a hidden dress! It matches the one in the portrait exactly, right above Shannon's bunk!"

"You dolt!" says Leon. "That doesn't mean anything. Literally anyone could have hidden that--"

"No," Shannon says. She makes a small step towards George. "It's true. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice."

"Shannon...what?" Leon looks completely perplexed at the current situation.

"Years ago, I solved the epitaph and learned about who I really am. That my mother was the witch who granted Kinzo Ushiromiya all that gold. When I learned that, I swore to protect this family doing all that I could. This island, this Rokkenjima, rightfully belongs to me."

"So what are you saying?" George asks. "That you and me-- all of that was some playacting on your part, too?"

"No... George, I really did develop feelings for you. You have to believe me."

"You're a liar! What next? Any other personalities I should be aware of?"

Shannon opens her mouth like she's about to say something, but thinks better of it and closes her mouth.

"So you kidnapped Battler?" Leon asks.

"No, I have no idea where Battler is, even now. I don't even know why he came to this island."

"Enough..." George walks forward, gun still raised.

>>13101
"Woah wait, why are you trying to kill her? Just because she is Beatrice doesn't mean she is the culprit. Do you have any proof she murdered everyone? For all we know Battler could be the real culprit and he has been leading us on by telling us it was Beatrice."

"The letter was signed 'Beatrice'! There were six victims, just like Maria said. It's in the epitaph. Only someone calling themselves 'Beatrice' would go through this effort!"

"George-sama, I haven't killed anyone!"

>>13103
"Are you listening to me? Anyone who has seen that portait repeatedly over the years could sign a letter calling themselves Beatrice. Tell me, if you kill her and it turns out you were wrong then what then, huh? You'll have innocent blood on your hands that you'll never be able to wash off!"

"I...no, you're probably right. Why? No, please forgive me, Shannon-chan."

George drops his gun and dashes down a corridor. What a strange, inexplicable soul.

"George-kun!" Against all better reason, Shannon follows after him.

"What do we do?" Leon asks you.

>>13105
I grab the gun and check the ammo.

"Well we are literally in the worst possible situation now. Everyone is split up and the culprit can simply pick off a victim now. Seeing how there are three groups in the mansion currently I think we should try to get them back together first. We'll just have to hope Rudolf's group is ok until then."

After she responds, assuming she agrees to stick with me I go try to find Maria and Natsuhi."

Battler floats in an endless void. How long has he been there? Days? Years? Centuries? He felt both ancient and new, both temporal and eternal in his given space.

In front of him, a shape reveals itself. Isn't that some woman?

"Battler-san..."

"That's me. And who are you supposed to be?"

"That isn't important right now. Do you remember what you said before you left Rokkenjima all those years ago? The promise you made?"

"...Nope."

The woman's face falls. "Battler..."

A middle aged man appears in the void. "M'lady, Lamdadelta is on her way. You must leave this area, or you'll surely fall."

"No, I can't leave! Not yet!"

"I apologize, but I must insist," the man touches the woman's neck and she disappears.

The void grows darker around Battler and Ronove.

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)23:41:46

You and Leon run through the hallway. Unfortunately, your filthy smoking habit makes it difficult for you to run long distances, so you have to stop every once in a while.

On one of your stops, you hear a voice. "Ozaki-san! Over here!"

It's Natsuhi's group. Maria and Jessica are still with her.

"Where have you two been?"

"I...I'm glad you're all right," Jessica says.

>>13109
"Sorry, after everyone ran away I disarmed George by guilt tripping him and he ran off, Shannon followed him. Is everyone here alright?"

"Everyone is fine," Natsuhi says. "I locked Maria-chan and Jessica in a safe room and searched for George. I heard running a few minutes ago, but I didn't see anything, so I went back and retrieved them. Have you seen Rudolf or the other servants?"

Last edited at 13/09/14(Sat)23:55:58

>>13111
"No, I think they ran towards the Guesthouse."

Natsuhi looks at Jessica and Maria. "I don't think that we should go out there. It could be dangerous, and we're not all in the physical condition to do so."

"Mom," Jessica says. "I'm fine! Splitting up like morons is what got us into this situation. We have to go, right Ozaki-kun?"

>>13113
"You may be right, but if we don't then they may be in danger."

Natsuhi hesitates, but you and Jessica convince her. Your group hurries down the hallway, through the main hall, out outside of the front door.

You don't see anything or anyone on the way to the guest house. Even when you're inside the guest house, there's no sign that anything changed.

"There's nobody here!" Leon says.

"Obviously!" replies Natsuhi. "They must be somewhere else. We have to hurry!"

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)09:02:56

>>13117
"What about that chapel then? George mentioned it earlier, maybe they went there?"

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)10:17:42

Your group heads back out the window, intending to go towards the chapel, but when you get outside you see a figure running at you from the distance. It's too dark to make out who it is.

Natsuhi points her gun towards the figure.

>>13119
I call out to them and warn them to stop running and calm down or Natsuhi may shoot.

The figure slows down. When it does, you can see that it's Gohda.

"Natsuh-sama, Ozaki-sama! I'm so glad it's you!" He falls to his knees and grabs your legs. "It's so awful!"

>>13121
"Gohda, what are you taking about?"

"The garden shed-- in blood, you have to see! Rudolf-sama is trying to get it open now!"

"Get it together, man!" Leon says. "What are you blabbering about?"

"It's that witch's ceremony! It's continuing after all!"

>>13123
"Calm down, we'll need to assess the situation. Is Genji and Kumasawa there with Rudolf? Besides right now did you split up from them at any time?"

"Y-yes! Something like that happened. I had a hard time keeping up with the others. It's not that I'm nonathletic, I just have big bones that make it hard to move, you see. I was looking around in the dark desperately until I saw that on the garden shed! When I found Rudolf-sama, he tried to shoot the lock off of the shed! It didn't work, so he's hitting it with some kind of rock."

He says that he doesn't know where the other servants are.

>>13125
While we follow Gohda to the shed I ask a few more questions to everyone.

"Where is the key to the shed normally located? While we are at it how about the Guesthouse key?"

"That's right! This morning, we took all the keys from the servant's quarters after we found out that everyone was missing. The one who has the key to the garden shed...isn't that Kumasawa-san? The guest house key was missing in the morning, but it's normally on the key rack with all the others."

Your group comes across the garden shed at last. You see Rudolf hit the padlock one last time with the stone in his hands and it breaks.

On the wall, you see words written in red: PRAISE MY NAME.

Rudolf opens the door to shed. He doesn't know what he expects to find, but when he does, he falls to his knees.

"No...no way. No!"

It's too dark to see from your distance.

"What is it, Rudolf-san?" Natsuhi asks. Rudolf keeps sobbing.

>>13128
I move in closer to see everything.

You move in closer to the scene. Moving beside Rudolf, you can see two people inside of the shed. One's sitting on a chair while one lays on his back.

Even in this low light, you can identify that the people are definitely Battler and Genji.

"Battler, what were you doing in a place like this?"

Battler's in the chair. His head looks like some large object had once been pierced through it. It's the same situation with the back of Genji's neck.

In addition to his head wound, Battler has been restrained against the chair with ropes around his wrists and ankles. His body is also visibly bruised in multiple spots. It looks like someone decided to do a number on him before finishing him off.

-----------------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5BYyHdFKc&list=PLC5CFB12676AD195A

In the sky, Battler and Ronove floated above the land of Rokkenjima.

"Hey," says Battler. "What's going on?"

"I'm terribly sorry, Battler-sama. It appears that you have died. Your time on Rokkenjima has come to an end."

"..."

"Beatrice eagerly waits your arrival. If you would allow me, I shall take you to her."

"...Beatrice. Do I know anyone by that name?"

Ronove pauses, then laughs. "Pukuku, I daresay you shall have plenty of time to figure it out. Please, come this way."

Both of the men disappear in Rokkenjima's sky.

-----------

On the ground, the only sound is Rudolf's robbing.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)11:17:20

>>13130
I check both Genji and Battler's eyes. After two hours the cornea goes cloudy, compared to only filming over after a few minutes. So if there was a difference within that time frame I can slightly pinpoint their time of death.
I also check Rigor Mortis, so if Battler was killed over three hours ago I can tell.

I confirm that the wounds were stab wounds and not gun wounds.

I survey the rest of the room. Also checking if there are any windows and checking those locks.

Neither Battler nor Genji's eyes reveal that they were killed more than two hours ago. In the same vein, Rigor Mortis hasn't kicked in yet.

You check the wounds, but it's hard to tell how they started. If they were bullet wounds, they were pretty well covered up. You don't see any bullets lodged inside of them. But if they were stab wounds, that's hard to tell as well. Battler's body is scratched in other places, but it looks like those wounds have started to heal up. You can't find a murder weapon.

There is one window to the shed, but it's locked from the inside with a latch.

The padlock is broken, you observe, to to the force of Rudolf's rock. It was just a simple padlock before.

"W-what happened?" As you investigate, you hear Kumasawa's voice from behind the group. In a moment Rudolf and Natsuhi's guns are aimed at her.

>>13132
"Kumasawa, do you by any chance have the key to this shed?"

"The key? Yes! It's right here!" Kumasawa pulls the key out of her pocket. "Just take it, I'm not resisting, I swear!"

"Have you had that key for the entire day?" Natsuhi asks.

"Yes, madame!"

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes, it's been in my pocket all this time, you have to believe me. What's happening?"

----------------------------

A layer of gloss forms over Rokkenjima. Lambda approaches you. She looks exhausted.

"Where are we in the story? I don't suppose you're ready to name a culprit, yet."

>>13134
"Yeah, haven't pinpointed yet. I can probably guess it but the detective usually solves everything at the end so I think I'll do that.
...Are you alright?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wZHeQL-cVg

"Me? I'm fine. You're the one running around with all the crazies." She gives a long, exasperated sigh. "I found my friend, you know. Time works a bit differently here. A lot has happened."

Lambda's eyes trail towards the floor. "You know, I've been running from it, but it's true. I don't get a happy ending.Bern and I are going to have to fight, and we're probably going to have to kill each other."

She floats around for a moment in silence. "In case you don't see me again...in case I can't finish this game, do something for me, all right? Fight for your happy ending."

Tears form at Lamda's eyes. Not her usual, childish tears, but understanding ones.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)11:44:19

>>13136
"...can I ask you something?
Why did you start this game anyway? You said it was your job, but now it seems like that was just a cover."

"It's an antithesis," she says. "A place where Beatrice's ideas diverge from my own. I wrote it because I thought that's what that girl wanted from me."

She laughs. "Except, in the end, it looks like I'm on Beato's side after all. If you want more information than that, solve it yourself. You're the detective, aren't you?"

Lambda disappears. The layer of gloss fades away from Rokkenjima.

---------------------

"Kumasawa!" says Natsuhi. "You're the only one who could have set up that crime!

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)11:56:54

>>13138
"No wait. I have an idea. Let me see the key for a second."

I attempt to get the key.

Kumasawa hands over the key. Natsuhi allows it, wondering where you're going with this.

>>13140
I find the lock that Rudolf broke. Assuming its only the bar that broke then the locking mechanism should still work. I attempt to use the key on the lock. I also check to see if the lock is new or rusty.

You test the key on the lock. It works perfectly, the mechanism still being in place. So much for that idea. The lock isn't new, but it's not what you'd call rusty.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)12:09:35

>>13142
"Anyway, the shed could have been left open by accident, if not that then the locks could have been replaced to make it seem like you had to have used the key. It's too soon to blame Kumasawa for this."

"Then what are we going to do?" Rudolf asks. "Shannon and George are still missing and for all we know there's still some lunatic on the loose!"

>>13144
"We last saw them in the mansion right? We should probably head back there as a group. George no longer has his gun so he shouldn't be a threat... Actually how many guns do you guys own anyway?"

"...Four. But I used my husband's key to lock the door! Nobody should have been able to get in without a master key."

>>13146
"But George got in somehow right. That means the final gun may be missing."

"Then that's where we need to go!" Rudolf says.

>>13148
I agree and then have everyone stick together as we go there.

You keep the group together as they venture to the mansion. Jessica opens the front door and stops abruptly.

"No! Stop it! Just stop!" Jessica lets out a high pitched scream into the air.

Inside...by the portrait of the witch, you see the corpses of George and Shannon. Poking into Shannon's skull is some kind of ice-pick like object. The same kind of object appears to be jammed into George's chest.

----------

A dark, thicker layer of gloss covers the surface of the mansion and the ground. A person you've never seen before appears in front of you. Her clothes are tattered and her hair is messed up, but she still holds a vicious persona.

"Nice you meet you. Lamda-chan told me to tell you that she couldn't be here, but I hope we can be great friends."

>>13151
"You too, Lambda only told me good things.
Anyway, If you were to describe yourself in one word what would it be?"

"Impatient. I thought this game was nothing more than a nuisance, but it seems Lamda graced with with quite the present. I won't go as easy on you as she did, so let's continue."

She gives you the grin of someone who clearly doesn't have all her sanity about her. With a wave of her hand, she resumes the game.

As the game resumes, however, you feel a faint rumbling sound.

Then an explosion.

The entrance-way to the mansion sends everyone back and crumbles. You find yourself on the ground. You hit your head pretty hard against the pavement and nearly blacked out.

>>13153
I get up and survey the area and try to figure out what happened. Also see how everyone else is doing, making sure we are all still here.

You look around, trying to assess the situation. By the time you gather yourself, the only people you see are Jessica, Maria and Leon. Everyone else seems to be gone. Did they get caught up in the explosion or did they run?

The entrance to the mansion is completely barred.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)13:09:45

>>13155
"Hey are you guys alright?"

I check on the remaining people.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)13:16:11

"...Yeah." Jessica says. "Hey, where did my mom go? She wouldn't have just ran off. Mom!"

Leon looks around and grits her teeth. "Where did everyone go? There wasn't even a reason to separate this time!"

"Uu, Maria's tired."

>>13157
I check the mansion, is it on fire, or is the entrance simply barred off?

You don't notice any signs of fire from where you are.

>>13159
I try to find a window to see if the corpses of George and Shannon are still there.

You try to peek into a window. As you do, a bullet shatters the glass and passes right night to your ear.

"Get down!" yells Jessica.

>>13161
Those guns take skill to reload, instead of getting down right away I move to the side as I duck so I can still catch a glimpse of the inside of the mansion.

"Ozaki-kun!"

Leon rushes into you with her shoulder. You can't help but tumble over due to her vastly superior strength. In her hands, she inexplicably has her own rifle! Where did it come from?

Leon points her gun in the window and fires. "Damn! Wait, what the hell--"

A bullet returns at Leon and knocks her backwards. Jessica screams into the night.

You faintly hear sets of footsteps disappear in the main hall.

Last edited at 13/09/15(Sun)13:39:04

>>13163
I check on Leon.

It looks like Leon was hit directly by the bullet. In her rush to protect you, she didn't even take proper cover. The bullet pierces straight into her stomach.

"Ozaki-kun..."

"Leon!" Jessica yells. "Stop! You can't die. Don't do this, don't!"

Third Thread: >>13166