>>17167
"I'm mourning so hard right now."

I go into the bedroom by myself, crying.

"We should probably let Eva take the bed," Rudolf says, but it's too late. You dash inside the room.

Soon after, you hear Kyrie from the other side of the wall. "Who left this letter here?"

>>17169
"Wait, a letter?"

I rush back into the room upon hearing it.

You walk back into the main study. Kyrie rips open the envelope.

"Dear Ushiromiya family,

Praise my name.

Beatrice, Witch in Gold."

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

Kyrie pauses, looks on the back of the letter, then on the front again. "That's all that it says."

"Who could have placed it there?" Rosa asks. "Nobody should be able to get inside this room, especially not when we're all out here!"

Gohda stands. "It had to have been one of us! I'm sure it wasn't there earlier."

"You're saying that the culprit is in this room?" Jessica asks.

"Everyone, stay where you are!" Rudolf says. "Nobody moves until we understand what the hell is going on!"

Eva awakens from her nap. She sounds groggy. "What's going on?"

>>17171
"Who is near the letter?"

I recall who was closest to the letter when I first noticed it.

The letter was on the opposite side of the desk from the chair. The nearest awake person to it was Gohda, who sat with his back against a wall. The desk would have obstructed his view of the letter. Rosa was further away than him at the window, and Battler, Jessica, Maria, and Shannon beyond her.

"Gohda was closest when I picked it up," Kyrie says.

"I- there have been plenty of people moving around! I'm sure everyone's gone to the bathroom at least once!"

>>17173
"I'm sorry Gohda, but you are the most suspicious one here. Last night, you brought in Kinzo's head just before the attack. You have no alibi for the deaths of George and Hideyoshi. And you could have very easily placed the letter. Explain yourself."

"The only thing I was trying to carry on that tray was my signature duck au vuin! When you walked into that trap, I risked my own life to gather materials to patch you up! I'm completely innocent."

"D-did you kill my George and my husband?" Eva asks. She grits her teeth. "Look me in the eyes and tell me!"

"I wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Stop this!" Battler says. "The culprit could have slipped the letter through the air vents or something! There's no way that this could have been one of us."

"I'm sure that Gohda had nothing to do with this," Shannon says. "Please."

"Kinjo's right," Rudolf says. "He's too suspicious."

"I agree," says Kyrie. "There's no conclusive proof, but pretty of circumstantial evidence is enough to be wary."

>>17175
"Shannon. How can you be so sure?"

"I just..." She looks down, not meeting your eyes. "This isn't his fault. I just know it. He wouldn't do that."

"I don't want to be suspicious of Gohda either," Jessica says. "But we have to be careful, at least."

"This is insane," Battler says. "Are we really going to turn on each other like that?"

"Uuu! Gohda didn't do anything. It was Beatrice!"

>>17177
"It doesn't do us much good to point fingers. Eventually the police will come and figure it all out. The only benefit is for the sake of survival. Wolf and sheep puzzle. Right, Rosa?"

"Did Maria tell you about that?" Rosa asks. "I'm starting to think the premise is all wrong. A wolf doesn't care if there's one sheep or a thousand. It just kills while all of the other sheep run away."

"...I think that I know where the guns are," Kyrie says.

"Where?" Eva asks, nearly jumping from their seat.

"When we were attacked at dinner, there was only one set of shots that killed five people. What if the culprit used the guns to commit the murders? If that person is among us, the rifles wouldn't have moved."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)19:11:33

>>17179
"So where exactly do you think they are, then?"

"I'm assuming that the culprit's targets were deliberate and that they weren't hoping to hit something at random. If that's true, there should be at least five guns and they should be set up somewhere near the windows of the dining room and servant's room. Of course, that assumes that the culprit doesn't have outside help, that I'm right about the nature of the traps, and that the culprit didn't put in any safeguards to make them unusable when we found them. What do you think we can assume about the intelligence of whoever did this?"

>>17181
"That sounds like it could be right. But the rifles could have been moved when everyone split up. And even if they are still where they were, I see no point in going after them."

"I don't imagine anyone had time to move all five guns, but you're right. It does seem like a high risk situation."

"All we have to do is wait here until the storm ends," Rudolf says. "Easy enough."

Silence falls on the room. In the stillness, you can hear what sounds like a ringing phone from far away in the mansion. It's at least one story down, but you can hear it faintly. Who could be calling?

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)20:28:11

>>17183
I recall which rooms on the second floor have phones in them.

Krauss's study, his room, Natsuhi's room, Jessica's room, and two guest rooms should all be equip with phones.

You hear an explosion downstairs. The floor and walls shake. A few people in the study scream.

"What the hell?" Rosa asks. She grabs Maria.

"What was that?" Rudolf asks, standing alert.

You hear the phone start to ring again, in a slightly different location this time...

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)20:38:54

>>17185
"Something tells me that's not a phone ringing! I suggest we all get out of here before the building goes up in flames!"

"Kinjo's right," Kyrie says. "Everyone, out!"

The group gathers what little possessions they have with them and leaves the room. As they do, another explosion hits from downstairs and the structure of the mansion shakes again.

Eva cries out. "Who's doing this? Just stop it already!"

"We have to get out of here," Rudolf says. "The culprit may still have more traps around. What's our safest way out?"

>>17187
"Let's make a run for the stairs and see if we can go out the back door in the kitchen."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRlvXz5jAWw

Your group makes a run for it. As you reach the second floor, you can see flames and smoke enveloping the mansion. Another explosion erupts at the end of the hall, spreading the flames even further. When you reach downstairs, you find that the flames have engulfed the main hall as well.

You work your way around the mansion and reach the back door in the kitchen.

Rudolf tries the door, but it's locked. The windows are too small to crawl through.

"Gohda, do you have your keys?" Rosa asks.

"Yes! I-- wait, where are they?"

"Mine are gone, too..." Shannon says.

"Can't we break through?" Jessica asks.

"We might be able to manage it," Rudolf says. "Or we can try to find another way around. Still, with that fire..."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)21:41:04

"Window too small to crawl through? Not for Maria! Go outside and unlock it for us!"

"Uu! Maria will be a hero."

"Maria, don't move!" Rosa says, but she can't get to her daughter before Maria manages to climb on a counter and squirm her way out of a small window.

The flames grow closer.

"Do you see anything, Maria?" Kyrie shouts through the door.

"...On the third twilight, those who remain shall praise my noble name. On the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill..."

"Maria! Is anyone out there? What are you saying?"

"Uu...Beatrice..."

>>17191
"Maria, what's out there?!"

I try to open the door again.

You try to open the door, but it's still locked.

"Enough of this!" Gohda moves you out of the way and rams into the door with his shoulder. The door slams wide open and, as it does, an axe swings down like a pendulum and buries itself into Gohda's forehead. When Gohda falls, it remains hanging there. It's attached to the top of a door frame with rope, designed to swing forward when opened.

Maria stares at the group with a blank expression on her face.

>>17193
"Well at least we know how this murder was committed."

I check the door just to make sure it's not going to kill me when I walk through it and go across to Maria.

There aren't any more traps near or on the door.

"Uu." Maria rejoins the group and meets Rosa's embrace

"We have to move," Kyrie says. "You said you knew where the gold was, right?"

"Mr. Goldbar!" Rosa clasps her hands around your throat. "You nearly got Maria killed! How dare you command my daughter like that? Who gave you the right?"

>>17195
"You know if the mansion had burnt down and trapped us all inside, at least she would have survived.

...Anyway, yes. We need to go to Kinzo's chapel. Lead the way."

"The chapel is--" Eva starts.

"Where's Battler?" Rudolf asks, looking around wildly.

"He was in the kitchen with us, right?" Jessica asks.

Rosa crinkles her eyebrows. "Was he? I'm not sure..."

"We have to go back and look for him! He might be hurt!"

>>17197
"No way I'm going back in there. Good luck."

"I don't care what you do. I'm going back for my son!"

"Rudolf," Kyrie says. "If Battler is alive, he'll meet up with us. We have to keep moving for his sake. For everyone's sake."

"You don't understand," Rudolf says. "He...Battler is your son."

"I know how you feel, but this isn't the time for that."

"No, listen to me. He's your son."

Kyrie is silenced for a few moments where nothing but rain echoes slaps mud. Then, she looks back at your group.

"Kinjo. Bring Rosa, Eva, Jessica, Shannon, and Maria to Kinzo's gold. We'll meet up with you with Battler."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)23:34:38

>>17199
"Got it. Let's go."

You leave with the survivors. How had your group diminished so quickly? Wasn't everyone alive only just yesterday?

You head to the chapel and complete all of the necessary steps. Unsurprisingly, the stone lions point towards a path that you follow...

You traverse the underground passageway. When you're about to enter the gold room, however, you hear someone already inside, pacing around.

>>17202
I enter the room and see who is there.

You enter the gold room, but it turns out that what you thought was a person walking actually turns out to be some water dripping from cracks in the ceiling. Silly Kinjo.

Gold stacks up as high as your head. There's some simple furniture in the room, another door, and an ornate grandfather clock. There's some kind of switch on the clock, but it appears to be broken.

"Father's gold," says Rosa. "It's real after all...somehow, it doesn't even seem worth it anymore."

"I'd give it all up in a second," Eva says. "I'd throw the whole load in the ocean if that meant I could see my family again."

>>17204
"Alright, let's close both doors and barricade ourselves in here. I'm sure the gold can do a good job of helping us do that."

Those who remain follow your orders and barricade both entrances of the gold room. The grandfather clock says that it's about 2:00 in the afternoon.

"There's something I don't understand," Eva says. "Why did Battler split up from you and Shannon? Did he think of something he had to tell my George and Hideyoshi? He never said anything..."

"I..." Shannon says. "I imagine he might have felt awkward."

"What do you mean?" Rosa asks.

"Why would Battler feel awkward?"

Both Jessica and Shannon are silent for some time. Finally, it's Jessica who speaks up: "Shannon and I are in love."

"You're what?" Rosa asks.

"We were going to announce it at the family conference, but Shannon wanted to wait until George proposed to her. She felt that she owed him that much, at least. And then my family was attacked. It never came up, but Battler caught on."

Shannon meekly nods to confirm Jessica's account, not meeting anyone in the eye.

"Uu! Love is important! It only requires two to create something as big as a universe."

>>17206
"Well, that's a plot twist. But we can't be certain that's why Battler split up. It's probably more likely that... Eva, why do you think Battler would have anything to 'tell' Hideyoshi and George?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe it had something to do with, well, what Jessica just told us. If he had a reason to believe that they were in immediate danger, I'm sure he would have told us afterwards, right?"

"Isn't it possible that Battler is the culprit?" Rosa asks. "He was the first one on the scene. His parents could have even been covering up to protect him. If that's the case..."

Shannon shakes her head. "I don't believe that Battler could have done something like that. He's a kind person."

"Even kind people have reasons for doing wild things," Jessica says. "We have to accept that it was one of us, no matter how hard that might be."

"Jessica," Rosa says. "Father...he..."

"He was already dead a couple years before today, yeah. You guys were right. I spent a lot of time with him before that. My parents and you guys always made him out to be this monster, but it wasn't like that, y'know? He was a guy with big ideals and dreams, yeah, but he wasn't a god or a demon. He was my grandfather. I tried to get my parents to tell you the truth for the longest time, but you know how that went."

"If only we could go back," Eva says. "If I could change everything...I'd give up anything for that."

You hear a pair of footsteps coming from a corner of the room. Those steps from before...you hadn't been imagining them at all.

"Kinjo..."

Ozaki walks up to you from the back of the gold room. He's only half-conscious and he's sporting a huge gash in his chest, like he was cut open from a cleaver or something. He topples over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6QDFSy0KtE

"Who the hell is that?" Jessica asks.

"We made it, man. We found the gold."

>>17209
"Wait... You were on the island the whole time, Ozaki? Why didn't you tell me? You know there's a murderer running around, don't you?"

"What is this, an interrogation? I'm dying, Kinjo. Tried to get into the chapel to explore and this stupid blade comes out of nowhere and...man, I don't have very long."

Last edited at 15/01/17(Sat)23:48:38

>>17211
"Ozaki, no! Don't die on me now! Did you see the culprit anywhere?! ...H-hey wait a minute, I'm a doctor. I can save you!"

I examine Ozaki's wound and treat it the best I can.

You work on Ozaki's wound the best that you can. It's a bit of a challenge without any supplies whatsoever, but you get his shirt tied around the cut in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He probably isn't going to make it. You have a strange feeling that he's going to manifest as a voice in your head in the years to come.

Talking probably isn't good for him, but he continues:

"I saw those people in the dining room. They were dead. I took a gun from one of the stands in front of the window and got the hell away from that mansion. Then I went to the chapel--dumb mistake--and crawled my ass back here. I fucked up."

>>17213
"Don't talk. It's not good for your health."

I lay him down somewhere comfortable and sit down next to him.

"We'll use a secret code. Close your left eye for 'yes' and close your right eye for 'no'. Now, I'll start. Where did you hide the gun?"

Ozaki weakly gestures to a corner of the room before he seems to pass away, but before you can look, time stands still. The last thing you can hear is someone saying 'What are you doing?'

Bernkastel appears in middair and offers a playful smile. "My sincerest apologies, but it seems like you've lost. "Rudolf and Kyrie are dead."

>>17215
"Hey, explain yourself! Why did I lose?!"

"Maybe it would be easier if I showed you..."

CHASE OF THE GOLDEN WITCH

Krauss Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight.

Natsuhi Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight

Nanjo Terumasa - Died on the first twilight

Kumasawa Chiyo - Died on the first twilight

Genji Ronoue - Died on the first twilight

Kinzo Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight. Of course, he was dead before the start of the game.

George Ushiromiya - Died on the second twilight

Hideyoshi Ushiromiya - Died on the second twilight

Gohda Toshiro - Died on the fourth twilight

Ozaki Toshio - Died on the fifth twilight

Rudolf Ushiromiya - Died on the sixth twilight

Kyrie Ushiromiya - Died on the seventh twilight

Battler Ushiromiya - Died on the eighth twilight

Eva Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension. Will she return home like normal?

Rosa Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension.

Maria Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension.

Jessica Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension

Shannon (Sayo Yasuda) - Alive at the game's suspension

Kanon - Missing. Never searched for. Never found.

Kinjo Goldbar - Alive at the game's suspension. He couldn't save everyone.


The Witch has taken what is hers and demonstrated that she understands. She is the winner of this game. You are the loser.

Created by:
Bernkastel, Witch of Miracles
Next thread: https://archive.seacats.net/gameboard/res/17218.html

Last edited at 15/01/18(Sun)21:25:58