"Kumasawa... why in the world would somebody do something like this to one of our servants? Surely she never caused harm to anyone."

Krauss removes a master key from a ring attached to her outfit. "Whoever did this decided to leave her key. I wonder if they have another method of unlocking doors."

Genji kneels at Kumasawa's corpse and mourns over the death of one of the few people he ever called a friend.

Natsuhi takes a commanding role in order to distract herself from the horror around her. "We should all get inside. If there's a maniac running around the island, we're all more vulnerable in the open. We should seek shelter in Father's study, or else the parlor."

"Father kept some display guns in his study," Krauss says. "Rudolf, Rosa, and I should equip ourselves with them."

Genji looks back at Krauss. "I was ordered to move the guns before Ozaki-sama and Amy-sama solved the riddle. They're resting next to the gold."

"What are you talking about?" says Krauss. "We looked all around that room last night, there were no guns!"

"Do you think they were stolen?" Natsuhi asks.

"Damn! We're defenseless!"

Last edited at 14/04/23(Wed)21:03:15

>>14734
"Actually, I'm rather pessimistic, so I hid the guns under the gold last night while you were all pleasantly chatting. None of these murders have been committed with a gun it seems, so they are probably still resting there.

Now it probably the best time to go retrieve them."

Krauss is so overwhelmed by the situation that he doesn't seem to be angry that you hid the weapons beneath his nose. He yells at the people on the balcony to go to the parlor to meet up.

"You should go as well," he says to everyone in the area. "I'll retrieve the weapons and go to the parlor. The less people we have running around, the better."

"It's not safe to go alone," Natsuhi says. "Dear, allow me to go with you."

He shakes his head. "You should stay with everyone else. You'll be safer in the parlor."

"Come on everyone, we should probably head to the parlor like Krauss has suggested."

"That would be wise," Rosa says. She takes Maria's hand and walks towards down the hall. Everyone else follows.

When you reach the staircase, Kyrie stops. "Sorry about this, but I have some things I need to check on. I'll join you shortly. Send Krauss my regards."

"Kyrie," Rudolf says. "You sure that's a smart idea with some crazy asshole whacking us off?"

"I trust your expertise when it comes to bad ideas, dear husband, but I think I'll be able to defend myself if it comes to that."

She turns and walks without waiting for a response. You can join the rest of the group to the parlor or see what Kyrie's up to.

I apologize to the others and head off after Kyrie.

"Kyrie wait, do you mind if I come with you. I'm sure you're trying to figure out what is going on, just like I am."

I stay with the main group for now.

Kyrie looks back at you for a moment before looking ahead. "Sure, kid. I hope you don't mind if I lead. I don't need to run into some kind of trap where your your friend ambushes me."

She walks to your and Ozaki's guest rooms. "No offense, but you guys are the most suspicious right now. I hope you don't have any objections to a full search."

Last edited at 14/04/24(Thu)21:47:41

You follow your group to the parlor. When you reach the door, Natsuhi warns Krauss to be careful and he splits and heads to the entrance hall.

You enter the parlor. For a while, everyone is quiet, but the other group enters the parlor soon afterwards, with the exception of Kyrie and Amy.

"We need to barricade the windows and door," says Rudolf. "Everyone get to work. Whatever furniture you can find, stack it up in front of the windows. When Kyrie and that girl get back, we'll do the door as well. If this bastard thinks we'll go without a fight, he has another thing coming. Where's Krauss?"

Natsuhi explains the situation.

"It'll be good to have some protection. Let's hope he doesn't hurt himself. Everyone, work."

It's odd to see Rudolf, who normally seems so relaxed, act so uptight. It shocks the room into submission.

Rosa approaches you while everyone works with the limited supplies.

"Ozaki-san, I know that nobody wants to believe there's a dangerous criminal among us, but the possibility is still there, right? Who do you think could have...?"

>>14752
"I won't speak my thoughts on the matter. Until there is actually proof, any theories that are made become simply an entertained idea. It is best to let other minds think on their own, thus less assumptions be made in order to solve something such as this.

Once everyone is gathered again we'll have to do a proper interrogation to gather the facts. Even common knowledge could point to something that could lead to a solution. For now we just need to prepare for another attack."

Hardly a minute passes before Gohda cracks.

"Stop looking at me like that, everyone! I can't stand those penetrating glares any longer! Fine. I'll admit it, I killed everyone!"

>>14754
"...You are extremely unconvincing Gohda. If you really did, then why and how?"

"I do not object at all. It is only natural that we'd be considered suspicious."

Kyrie enters your room first. She searches under the sheets, around the bed, in every drawer and cabinet she can find, all the while looking at you every few seconds.

"If you're a murderer, you're not stupid enough to leave evidence in your bedroom. Let's go search through your friend's room."

Similar results show up. You can't find any of Ozaki's belongings at all.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, we should work on finding the real crime scene. It's obvious that Krauss's room isn't where Eva and Hideyoshi actually died. It was way too undisturbed. That leaves Natsuhi's room, Jessica's room, I think, and a couple of bathrooms. Which should we search?"

"You fool! It only makes sense. I don't actually remember doing it, but I must have. Perhaps I have another identity called Evil Gohda.

I can see it now..."

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

"You didn't like my ravioli, Eva? I hope you enjoy your just desserts!"

"You sure can run, Hideyoshi. You must have worked up a healthy appetite!"

"Eat dirt, Kumasawa!"

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

"It must have happened like that! I'm so sorry!"

"I'd assume the bathrooms would be the best place to start. Murdering someone in your room would not be a wise move."

>>14758
"...Gohda get a hold of yourself. If you don't remember doing it then you shouldn't confess a crime you didn't do. Memory isn't as fickle as you take it for, so enough of this nonsense."

"Ozaki is right," says George. "Gohda-san, do you actually remember doing any of those things?"

"Well. No. But if I have DID..."

"You don't," says an annoyed Natsuhi.

"Oh. Then maybe it was Genji."

"Gohda-san!" says Battler. "This isn't a game! Don't say things like that unless you're sure. I don't want anyone else to die because of something like this."

"I'm sorry, Battler! I just wanted to make sure!"

"Yeah, well, don't be so quick to throw your coworker under the bus, either. There's an explanation as to how the culprit could have locked those rooms without the servants being guilty."

"Battler-san," says Natsuhi. "You weren't there. I'm certain that there's no way that room could have been locked from the outside without using a key."

That line of reasoning doesn't phase Battler at all. "That statement just now shows how little you trust people. You've made the implicit argument that whoever locked the door must have killed Eva and Hideyoshi, but that doesn't follow at all! What if the person that locked the door was innocent? What it that person was Kumasawa?"

"Why would she do that if she didn't kill them?"

"Imagine that you're Kumasawa. You've just opened the door to a horrible crime scene. You're scared, confused, and anxious. Your first instinct as a servant is to find someone-- probably you or Krauss oji-san-- and alert them. But it's morning and you're scared that one of the other family members will stumble across the bodies. What do you do? You lock the door so that nobody else can enter. That's exactly what happened to Kumasawa! Then, while she went to find help, the culprit caught up with her. This is the truth!"

"Even if your theory is right... couldn't it still have been one of us who killed them?" Rosa asks. Battler had no response for that.

You and Kyrie decide investigate the bathroom across the hallway. You walk through the dressing room and the strong smell of bleach and cleaning products engulfs you. Otherwise, the bathroom appears normal.

Kyrie smiles. "It might me presumptuous, but I think we've found our crime scene. We'll have to ask the servants whether they've cleaned recently, of course, but otherwise, I'd say it's a safe bet."

I look around the room, looking in every nook and cranny, but I keep Kyrie's actions in mind in case she does anything suspicious.

You search the bathroom as thoroughly as you can. The tiles and walls are completely spotless. You can't even find any finger prints on any of the handles or surfaces.

The bathtub appears wet. The water is drained, but it looks like the tub was recently filled.

"I don't think we're going to get any more useful information from this place," says Kyrie. "I'm much more interested in taking a peek in Eva's room. Unless you'd rather go back to the parlor, that is. I'm more than capable of poking my nose in things by myself."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)20:42:39

>>14762
"So, speaking of that, did anyone go outside the mansion in the morning? Judging from the bodies all of the victims so far were killed relatively recently, so rather than during the night they were probably killed shortly before everyone even woke up.
If anyone had passed through the garden this morning they should be able to confirm whether or not Kumasawa's body was there at that time it could give us some leads.

If not then if anyone had seen any of the victims at all this morning."

"That sounds like a good idea, we might get some idea of who killed her and why."

Gohda coughs. "Normally, I would have did a round at the guesthouse after waking up. However, since the building was...out of commission, I slept slightly longer than I normally might have."

Nobody else says that they went outside.

"Doesn't it seem like my husband has been gone for too long?" Natsuhi asks. Your group had been in the parlor for around ten or fifteen minutes.

You and Kyrie descend the staircase to the first floor. As you do, you hear a masculine voice call out.

"Someone, help!" It sounds like Krauss! He screams in agony. The sound comes from just around the corner.

"Hold on," Kyrie says. "This could be some kind of trap."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)21:37:16

"Someone, help!"

You hear a voice call out from beyond the door. It's meek at first, then louder.

"Help me! Please!"

It's definitely Krauss's voice.

"Dear!" Natsuhi lunges at the door.

"That may be so, however in the case it is not we must proceed. However with care, in case it is a trap."

I proceed forward with caution and on guard.

>>14771
I take note of what everyone else in the room is doing while I let Natsuhi leave the room.

You proceed around the corner. Krauss is sitting on the floor clutching at his right hand.

No, that's not right. To do that, he'd have to have a hand to begin with, right? Rather, he's clutching at the bloody stump where his hand should have been...! Krauss's right hand is...sitting a few feel away from his body. Three Winchester rifles lay around him.

"Amy-san!" he grunts when he sees you. "Run away! Get the others, find Dr. Nanjo!"

He continues howling in pain.

"Dear!" Natsuhi runs towards him with tears in her eyes. "Oh my god! What happened?" She falls to her knees. "Ozaki! Dr. Nanjo! Help!"

Kyrie finally proceeds around the corner and grabs a rifle before pacing around the area.

Nobody does anything particularly suspicious. The cousins follow Natsuhi out of the parlor and Rudolf and Rosa shortly behind them, then Nanjo. The only ones who remain are Gohda and Geji.

You hear Natsuhi calling for you and Nanjo.

"S-should we really go out there?" Gohda asks.

Genji just stands calmly.

>>14775
"Its best to stick together at this point. Larger groups mean less chance someone is going to get attacked it seems. Well that and it will prevent anyone from being wrongly accused. Anyway we should follow them."

I wait for them to leave the room with me as we follow the group.

I look all around the room, and examine the guns and so on. "Krauss! What happened!?"

I ask him concerned.

Natsuhi applies pressure to Krauss's wound while Nanjo runs to get supplies from his room. The cousins, Rudolf, and Rosa also arrived on the scene a few moments before.

"Aggggh. I was carrying the guns and someone attacked me from behind. I passed out. They gagged me and started hacking into my wrist with some kind of big knife. When I woke up, I was too dizzy to fight back and they overpowered me. I passed out again and when I came to my senses they were gone... along with my damned hand."

You examine the guns. They appear to be completely ordinary. You can't find anything wrong with them. The guns aren't loaded.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:38:03

Gohda and Genji leave the room before you and walk down the hall.

As you start to leave the room, you hear a phone behind you ringing.

Briiiiiiiiing.

Briiiiiiiiing.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:18:20

>>14780
I pick up the phone and listen while looking around the parlor so I can see the whole room.

If nobody says anything right away I'll ask "Hello?"

I try to figure out what caused the wound from how it looks, etc, (Can't think of words)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hhMpnLseN8&list=PL98F97B122EB4BA33

The voice responds in a dull, scratchy whisper. You can't tell if it's male or female.

"Good morning, young 'detective'. You will give the rest of the family my instructions for your tests. Refusal is not an option. If you think you're safe, huddled in that disgusting mass of a parlor room, reassess your worldview. I have access to more than the amount of explosive devices that I need to end your lives. I can even activate a switch that has the power to disintegrate the entire island, even the very ground you're walking on. I am Ma'at, goddess of Truth. None will escape my judgement.

You will send the adults to their own rooms. Krauss and Natsuhi will go to Natsuhi's room, Kyrie and Rudolf will go to their guest bedroom, Rosa will go to her room, and Nanjo to his. The servants will stay in the parlor. You and that other girl will join the cousins and go to Kinzo's study. I left a key around for you to find. If you try any tricks, if you try to outsmart me or show me an illusion, I will kill you.

You look pathetic when you're scared."

You look at Krauss's stump. It looks like someone hacked at it with a sharp object, following his testimony on the letter. You notice that you don't hear Kyrie pacing around anymore.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:47:13

>>14783
"...For a mastermind you didn't really think this through. "Refusal is not an option?" Should have thought of that before you called the only person who is completely alone in the room now. Like they'll believe me now. Looks like the island is going to explode at this rate."

"Then you'll make them believe in you. I will call once more if you force me-- why should everyone suffer for your wickedness?-- but you should not enjoy the consequences if I have to."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:53:48

I look around for Kyrie and take notice of everyone and what they are doing.

"...Who is it? Why are you going to such lengths for this?"

The voice pauses when they hear your question, but they carry on. "Everything I do is out of love. That witch no longer exists on this island. I am what is left."

The receiver clicks on the other end.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:22:02

>>14789
I guess I go find the others now.

George and Battler are trying to comfort Jessica, who has collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Rosa does similarly to Maria, who just seems confused and out of it. Rosa, along with Rudolf, has picked up a rifle.

Natsuhi continues applying pressure to Krauss's wound.

Nanjo comes from down the hallway with his medical supplies and starts working on Krauss.

Ozaki walks from down a hallway from the parlor and joins the group and stands near the servants.

You can't find Kyrie anywhere.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:31:48

"Where did Kyrie go?" I point out her disappearance in a loud voice so people hear me.

"Don't worry, Amy-san," Kyrie walks from behind the staircase. "I'm not dead. I used the panic to investigate Eva's room. Nothing really interesting, I'm afraid."

"What are we going to do now?" Gohda asks. "The killer has a gun and we're in the open!"

"You mean one of these?" Kyrie throws her rifle on the floor. "They're totally worthless. It looks like whoever did that number on Krauss was smart enough not to leave us armed after all."

>>14793
"Are you talking about the ammo? I took that as well last night and I have it here. Never thought it would come in handy."

"W-why would you do such a thing?" Natsuhi asks.

"I don't know if we can be angry with him," Rudolf says. "After all, the culprit doesn't have any ammunition thanks to what he did."

"We can't discount the possibility that there's more ammo on the island than what he scavenged," Kyrie says. "For now, we should load the rifles. Ozaki, hand me the bullets."

Kyrie approaches you.

Last edited at 14/04/26(Sat)21:11:16

>>14795
I give her a few and divide the rest upon the rest of the people with guns.

Third Thread https://archive.seacats.net/gameboard/res/14802.html