Nobody wants to say anything. Everyone's just sitting across from each other on the floor, quietly. Some of us, like me, are still grieving over lost family. Others, like Jessica, are trying to stay angry just to stay strong. But above all else, everyone's in shock. Even Maria, who keeps reading through that creepy book.

I gaze across the room, counting heads again. I don't want someone else to suddenly vanish.

George, Shannon, Jessica and Maria.
One, two, three, four... The fifth. Who was the fifth?!

... My panic subsides as I realise I just forgot to count myself. I sigh. I even smile a little in relief, until I remember that there are only five survivors left on Rokkenjima.

Five knownsurvivors. Kanon disappeared somewhere, and Jessica hasn't been the same since.

Natsuhi and Krauss, Eva and Hideyoshi, all the servants except Shannon and... god knows if Kanon is okay. Mom and pops are dead. Even grandad. It... it hurts to think about. I need to stop counting the deaths. Everything feels like some kind of bizarre nightmare.

Soon, I'll wake up and...

Jessica starts coughing. I look at her, but I don't vocalise my concern until it becomes a choking fit. I ask Battler-kun to bring me her bag from under the bed, and she picks it up before taking the inhaler and excusing herself, heading towards the door. Battler is the first to protest and the one to look the most surprised.

"Wh-- J-Jessica-chan, you can't be serious. The killer's still out there." He pleadingly outstretches his hands.

"Yeah," Jessica croaks. "Well, I refuse to sit around and wait to be killed."

Battler swallows it, but I can see things differently. If I lost Shannon... I don't even want to think about it. Right now, Jessica needs some time alone. And as a man, I need to...

"No problem, Jessica. Battler and I will keep watch over the corridor. Shannon, would you mind looking after Maria?"

Shannon nods to me. I show her a special look of appreciation. "Thank you, Shannon."

Battler and I make our way outside of the room after Jessica, passing by her door. Battler and I pretend to ignore her coughing. We give her the privacy she needs to cry and chat among ourselves, hoping to ease our nerves with sane company.

"Jessica! JESSICA!!" I'm screaming, pounding on the door. I've been trying to get through to her for a whole minute. This whole thing was a terrible idea, I knew we shouldn't have left Jessica alone. That goddamn murderer, if he did something to her...!

George and I slam against the door time and time again, finally managing to break the lock after two minutes. We sprint into the room, calling her name when we see her laying there face-down. I just... I just stop functioning. George goes to try and wake her up, but I've seen too much death today. I can't take it anymore. My head's spinning...

I hit the floor.

Battler's out cold. I managed to carry him to the bed in the adjacent bedroom with some effort, but the hardest part has to be how all of this has affected Shannon.

Maria is still too young to understand death, but Shannon has been sobbing for what feels like an hour. It hurts me more than anything else right now to see her so torn up. I may have lost my family, but at least I can say that I've had family - Shannon has had nobody but me and her friends, and she's just lost her closest one. I hold her in my arms tightly, quietly reassuring her and trying my hardest to convey with my heart that I'll never leave her.

Maria tries to join in the hug. I welcome her.

If I lost Shannon, I would be a shadow of myself. But as a man, right here and right now, the best I can do is to keep smiling for everybody. For the family I have left, and for the family I've lost.

hen I open my eyes, I see Shannon and George embracing. I look at George. I notice Maria seems to be here too, thankfully. We all seem to be in the guest bedroom again. I remember what I saw before I passed out and I gaze up at the ceiling, allowing the air to slip from my lungs in a defeated sigh.

It's easy to act tough while the adults are still around, but we don't even have weapons. We have no idea who the killer is or what they look like. I run my hand through my hair, taking a moment to ponder the fragility of my own - presently very shitty - life. Everyone's silent, until...

"Don't worry, George. Our family is waiting for us in the Golden Land." It's Maria-chan again. I squint my eyes and grit my teeth. I try my hardest to ignore it.

"Uu. Beatrice promised Maria she's going to take her to the Golden Land. Because I'm the Witch's apprentice, I can bring all my friends there too!"

George-aniki, please take her away. I can't stomach this anymore. I really think I'm going to throw up.

"Maria-chan, Battler-kun isn't feeling very well right now," George says, attempting to quiet her down. But Maria's response is nothing short of chilling. "Kihihihihihi. Uu-uu. Maria gets it. Battler still doesn't believe in Beatrice, even after all the tricks she's shown him."

I narrow my eyes, gazing down my torso and over at the girl. She seems to notice, blinking before she smiles back at me with that god-awful grin of hers. I bare my teeth.

"George-aniki... I really can't put up with this right now." I run my hands over my face as I sit up on the bed. George seems to get the message, nodding slowly.

"Come on, Maria. Let's go outside for a little bit and let Battler-kun rest. You can tell me more about Beatrice, okay?"

I don't know how he manages to smile at a time like this, but I'm grateful he has the strength right now. I'm a mess. I made a huge deal about cornering the culprit, but I can't even do anything.

George and Maria recede into the hallway. At least Shannon's staying with me...

"What do you mean she just disappeared?!?" George barks.

"I-I don't know, s-she was here a-a-and then she just... she just..." Battler swallows his words, pointing helplessly at the floor as he tries - in vain - to describe what happened to Shannon. "I-I know this sounds ridiculous, aniki, but you have to believe me!! She was here one moment, then she was just gone! There has to have been some kind of... trapdoor or something!"

"You were supposed to look after her!!" George roars, falling to one knee. His eyes become red and his face becomes wet. "I was supposed to look after her."

I can't help but reveal a lopsided smirk at the stupidity of humans.

"Uu-uu. Beatrice really likes Shannon," I comment reassuringly. I'm feeling a bit too shy to explain fully just what I'm hinting at, but George seems to calm down. His arms hang loosely and he stares at the floor, so I decide to finish explaining. "Beatrice would never kill someone who praises her name. If you all stop denying her, she'll take you to the Golden Land peacefully."

George shocks me by suddenly moving, but he ignores me completely and heads for the door. We can all hear him running for the stairs. I look at Battler, who seems to be staring at me as though a demon has sucked out his soul. There's no life in those eyes, and if I look closely enough I can see tears.

"Let's go too, Maria-chan. We can't... We can't leave anyone else alone."

I take Battler's hand. Together, we leave.

Not here.

Not here.

Not here either.

I'm systematically opening and closing every door in the guesthouse, calling out for Shannon at every opportunity. If she's asleep, I have to wake her up. If she's hiding, I have to find her. If she's trying to find me, I have to let her know where I am.

I know she's alive. I can feel it in my heart. So then, why won't the tears stop...?

"Stay close, Maria," Battler says to me. He's now stopped leading me by the hand and is walking faster than I can keep up with if I don't run. I don't mind. Running like this is exciting.

But out of the corner of my eye, I spot someone descending the stairs behind us. There's a woman in a magnificent dress grinning at me, beckoning me over.

It's Beatrice, there can be no mistake. Kihihihihi. I wonder what she has planned for the final Twilight.

I look at Battler, who's finally catching up to George. Foolish Battler, he can't even see her. I slip away and go to play with Beatrice.

"Shannon! Shannon!!"

George is slamming open and closing every door repeatedly. I call out to him, but he's ignoring me. I finally follow him into the Guest House Parlour, where all our food supplies are kept. He seems to believe Shannon must have gone to prepare some.

Why is my heart beating so damn hard? It's like I know something terrible is going to happen. The lightning outside casts creepy shadows over the entire room and every floorboard seems to be groaning like a dying man.

Where did George go? I turn my back, searching for Maria - no sign of her, either. Damn. Being alone so suddenly is disturbing. I turn back again and I still can't see any sign of George. I call out his name, but there's no reply. There's nothing but that damn unnerving silence.

Suddenly, the silence is shattered by a chilling laugh. It doesn't sound like it belongs to any of the others. Before I know it, the lights have been turned off as well. Adrenaline fills my veins and I immediately rush for the nearest door I can make out in the dark. I quickly pull it open and slip into the room, closing and locking it before I start fumbling around for a light switch.

Finally, the lights come on. I turn around--

Oh, god no.

It's the culprit.

It's the culprit.

IT'S THE CULPRIT.

Last edited at 16/10/06(Thu)10:11:38

Beatrice and I make our way downstairs, laughing together over the stupidity of these gullible humans. She seems more downcast than normal, and I think it's because she doesn't truly enjoy killing those who deny her. Beatrice is a witch, but as a witch's apprentice, I know better than anyone that witches are very often good people.

The Golden Witch suddenly stops dead at the entrance to the parlour. I blink at her and ask her what's wrong, and she responds by extending a flowery sleeve to point ahead into the darkness of the parlour.

By squinting, I can just make out what seems to be the silhouette of a person. My eyes widen in surprise when I identify that person as Battler, save for one jarring detail - his head is lying several feet from his neck, and he's surrounded by a pool of blood.

Beatrice chuckles and smiles in a hurt fashion. She offers a word of apology to the foolish Battler. "Forgive me, but I am not the woman who loves you." Silence lingers for several long seconds before she turns to me.

"Maria, I am going to end this cruel game. Come. Let us visit the Golden Land together." She spreads her arms with a sorrowful look on her face, staring above me. I cackle, smile and spread my own arms.

"Very well."

An intense pain fills my senses as it feels like my skull is destroyed.

Everything is painted black.

When the seagulls cry, none are left alive.

Good luck, everyone. Anyone may now begin.

it was kinzo in the dining room with a candlestick

heh easy come back next year with a better mystery kiddo..............................

>>20116

shit

Hi again.

Jessica's inhaler was messed with so she just died on her own.

Hmm. Can you suggest any more details about the way in which it was tampered with?

>>20120
I didn't think that far Well I was mostly thinking since it was in her bag anyone could just have removed the medicine from it or something.

Good idea!

Jessica did not die from a medication deficiency.

>>20104

Battler is the culprit.

Jessica: He tampered with the inhaler when he was retrieving it for her. Perhaps poison on the mouthpiece or simply switching it out for a different one.

Shannon: Strangled while George and Maria were gone, and shoved under the bed. The room was never searched due to his claim that she was gone.

Maria: Thrown over the second floor railing after George ran on ahead. The spread arms and smashed skull are from the impact.

George: The actual corpse stated to be in the parlor, as it was said that that was where he was going. We can call it trap X, Battler attacking with a sword, whatever we like at this stage, really.

Battler being the culprit is foreshadowed by his arriving in the room, turning on the light, and turning around. He saw his reflection in the mirror. The culprit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AHOh9tTNfo

"Heh heh, that was a lot faster than I expected.

But aren't I supposed to be dead?"

Both you and Rune are correct on the first murder, the inhaler was tampered with and poisoned with a makeshift chlorine gas concoction.

Amazing job, I'm very impressed. You caught the foreshadowing beautifully! However...

Shannon was not strangled.

Maria was not thrown over any railings.

George's method of death is fairly unimportant.

Battler looked into the mirror and realized he's wearing the purple suit. That's how he knew.

Well I'll focus on Shannon's fate here.

Shannon just hid somewhere inside the room and Battler lied about it. She slipped out afterwards.

She then later appeared before Maria as Beatrice.

At the end, Shannon and Maria were crushed by the collapsing guesthouse, somewhat hinted at by Battler having an ominous premonition and talking about "every floorboard groaning like a dying man.". Maybe this was him being aware that a bomb was about to go off.
Now I realize there's probably no bomb hinted at in this story, but considering the canon games and what final twilight/arriving at the golden land usually amounts to there it might be a fair suggestion anyway.

Impressive. I wish I made that my ending.

The Guesthouse did not collapse.

Last edited at 16/10/06(Thu)13:20:13

>>20125

How did I miss that? My thanks, Rune.

Shannon's body was hidden under the floorboards, as there is space underneath them as indicated by the groaning.>>20125

Shannon was not hidden beneath the floorboards.

Guess the creaking floorboards might just have been for atmosphere after all.

Same thing with hiding and showing up as Beatrice, except Battler just killed them with a shotgun to the head at the end.

As for how Battler lived to do that, he just used some ketchup/wine from the food supplies and something else that Maria mistook for his head because it was dark~.

>>20132

Hmm...upon further reflection...

Shannon is an accomplice and is not dead at time of game's end. Maria really did see someone who looked like Beatrice and left Battler alone, allowing him to kill George.

Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with class.

>>20135

Hmph. Very nice, but:

Ushiromiya Battler has never handled a gun in his life. Furthermore,

Ushiromiya Maria definitely saw a dead body.

*cackle*cackle*cackle*

>>20137

...... That I shan't deny.

>>20140

Yet you won't confirm, either... In fact, there's a lot that hasn't been confirmed, only implied. When taken into account, another theory comes forth, presuming that there's an accomplice.

I'll start a bit smaller this time. See if this little blue thread is worth tugging on.

Shannon killed Jessica. A makeshift concoction of chlorine gas would be easiest to make for someone with routine access to cleaning chemicals.

Hmmmm. I didn't clarify whether I would confirm or remain silent on correct truths, did I?

For now, despite what I've confirmed, I'll remain silent and let you shape your theories.

Shannon did not kill Jessica.

I like your theory, though, and perhaps you aren't far off. You're both very good at this. Indeed, you've caught that the chlorine gas concoction used was produced from household chemicals.

Last edited at 16/10/07(Fri)22:08:43

>>20142

Excellent. Then, that indeed leaves Battler as the likely suspect. Until you take into account that you just confirmed that household chemicals were used, that is. In addition, unless Battler managed to switch out the concoctions while passing the bag, it is admittedly possible but unlikely that he placed it in before the events of the game. So we look to someone who had considerably more access to both the bag and the chemicals...

Kanon killed Jessica, by creating the chlorine gas, prepping her inhaler, and then 'disappearing' to provoke an asthma attack.

I-I can still fix it.

The dead body Maria saw wasn't really Battler's. She had to squint her eyes and look into the darkness, so there's definitely a chance she confused it. The body was George or Kanon dressed up as Battler.

In fact, George makes a lot of sense here since he suddenly 'vanished' in that very parlor.

And then the real Battler just knocked Maria on the head with something heavy.

>>20143

In my infinite inconsistency, I'm compelled to save you time by conceding that Jessica's murder hadn't received quite so much thought. Ushiromiya Battler obtained the chemicals from Shannon and produced the concoction prior to the start of the game. However, he improvised its use in Jessica's inhaler.

I don't consider the issue to be of much more relevance to the story.

>>20144

Urk.

Unreliable narrator?

Black Battler?

Well now I gotta get in on this action.

I should note that I fully believe in the Battler + Shannon theory but I'm gonna throw out a half-serious thought I had while reading the story. (As in, it's something I would've probably done at some point had I had the opportunity.)

I propose that it's possible for Jessica to have been murdered by Battler.

...I also propose that the person that killed George, Battler, Maria and Shannon is Jessica.

The reasoning is this -- there are two games going on here at the same time. Game 1 and Game 2.

The idea is actually pretty simple. These posts:

>>20106
>>20107
>>20108

are part of Game 1. In Game 1, Jessica leaves the room and gets killed by the poisoned inhaler. The culprit was Battler. Game 1 could either be a dream Battler had between the first and fifth post of the story or maybe a legitimate alternate universe that was spliced into the story for the sake of misdirection.

Game 2 includes the first post and everything after what I propose to be Game 1. After post 1, Battler fell asleep and awoke to George and Maria heading out. When he says he remembers everything that happened before he passed out, he's referring to Game 1. Somehow, through his dream, he's experienced an alternate reality. He doesn't know that, of course, so through his stress, he assumes the events of Game 1 are what actually happened. After George and Maria left, Battler and Shannon remained. It's then that Jessica (who is still alive, since Game 1 never happened here) entered and killed Shannon. Battler, clearly shocked, since in his mind, Jessica should be dead, runs away and tells George that Shannon just "disappeared" (since the alternative would be claiming that a dead Jessica had somehow come back to life and murdered Shannon -- under his watch no less). Since the narration never states George checked the guest room, we can assume Shannon's body was just left as-is by Jessica.

Finally, George is murdered by Jessica (now dressed as Beatrice for shits and giggles) while searching the guesthouse. So are Battler and Maria.

Thus, all the narration is perfectly true and all points of view are, in a sense, reliable, even though there is no detective.

Last edited at 16/10/08(Sat)06:56:22

That theory is incredible. I'm glad you appreciate the unreliable narrator spin I put on this game, and that you put your own twist on that.

In the name of the catbox and out of respect for everyone's theorycrafting, I will see how long we can go with both theories co-existing. I will allow a victory to be completed with either theory so long as they do not contradict any red I might give outside of things like "Jessica is not the culprit" or "Battler is not the culprit", which I may very well refuse to provide.

In other words, the mystery has been altered so that more than one truth exists simultaneously.

Carry on.

Last edited at 16/10/08(Sat)08:53:39

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AHOh9tTNfo

I still can't see any sign of George. I call out his name, but there's no reply.

"George-aniki," I coo softly in his ear.

"Oh, George-aniki... are you there...?"

I cradle his disembodied head in my hand. Something wells up within me. I finally start to feel something.

I'm surprised as the silence is so suddenly shattered by a chilling laugh. It doesn't sound like it belongs to any of the others.

That's because it's mine.

>>20150
Well, the explanation for that scene is simple enough in my theory.

Since in my theory, Battler is truly dead in Game 2, the narration has simply shifted back to Game 1. Since Battler is the culprit of that game, we're merely seeing how the story has developed there while we weren't looking.

However, I've noticed an issue with my theory. Namely, post >>20107. So I might as well fix that now.

If Battler is the culprit of that game and I am to suggest my narration is reliable, then the emotions he's displaying here should be impossible.

That is why I suggest that the narrator of that post isn't Battler, but Shannon (or perhaps even Kanon, since he might not be missing in Game 1). While the narrator does "hit the floor", it never says that they necessarily passed out. Alternatively, the Battler of Game 1 could very well be suffering from dissociative identity disorder or something of the sort.

>>20149

Very well.
Battler improvised the use of chemicals in Jessica's inhaler. According to Van Dine's 12th, there must be but one culprit. Furthermore, according to Van Dine's 2nd, no willful tricks or deceptions may be placed on the reader other than those played legitimately by the criminal on the detective himself. Normally that's a Van Dine that we disregard, unless we state that we're following Van Dine, as you did.

Therefore, Battler is the one and only culprit and there is no alternate universe.

To complete the theory, using the lines provided by Rune that caused you to choke, Shannon is an accomplice, whose 'disappearance' was used to send George into a hunt for her, and to get Maria away from Battler by appearing to be the Golden Witch. Later, Maria was shown the corpse of George, whom Battler, the culprit, had killed, and in the dark mistook it for Battler. Lastly, the death of Maria was caused by Battler smashing her head with something heavy. Depending on just how high above Maria Shannontrice was looking, it was either something Battler carried himself as he snuck up behind her, or it was dropped from above, perhaps a chandelier.

Last edited at 16/10/08(Sat)10:40:43

>>20153
Well, to be fair... If you're gonna go by Van Dine's 2nd, then your theory becomes impossible as well, since for it to work, almost all of Battler's narration would have be to be flat-out lies, no? I'd certainly call that a "willful deception placed upon the reader"...

Last edited at 16/10/08(Sat)10:50:50

>>20154
Weeeell, if we go with Van Dine's second rule, one could still argue multiple personalities, or something to that effect. (as you already suggested yourself)
You could take the part where Battler is "aware" something terrible is about to happen as a hint towards that.
Also, when he laughed, it could have been without fully realizing it was his own laugh until he looked into the mirror. That would kind of give that scene more meaning than just having it be unreliable narration.

>>20155

>>20113 contradicts that idea, though. >>20150 clearly shows us "evil Battler" being in control and laughing. Which would mean that, at the time, "nice Battler" should be out and not aware of his own actions. Yet in >>20113 he's clearly able to hear the laugh.

-- If we assume there are no willful deceptions placed on the reader, then it would mean Nice Battler is aware of everything that goes on while Evil Battler is in control. Therefore, Nice Battler should've been aware of who the true culprit was from the beginning. And even if he wasn't aware of it from the beginning, he still shouldn't have reacted the way he did in the end. Thus, all (or at least some) of his previous actions ARE lies, and thus there ARE willful deceptions and thus Van Dine's 2nd IS broken.
-- If through some line of reasoning Nice Battler isn't aware of anything and just heard some other laugh at the time, then his reaction of "IT'S THE CULPRIT" makes no sense, since there's nothing that should make him thing he's the one behind it all just by looking into a mirror. (Nothing stated in the narration at least. You could say he got covered in blood from holding George's head, but you wouldn't say "IT'S THE CULPRIT" when looking at... yourself, would you?) And even then, who would have the laugh belonged to?
-- Of course, when you assume that one of these posts is a lie, the second scene possibly being just "the truth", then Van Dine's 2nd is broken from the get-go.

I owe you all a clarification.

I apologise, but in keeping with Umineko tradition, I did not consider unreliable narrative to be an intentional deception of the reader. I intended to create multiple accounts which the readers would have to gain the truth from.

The only person deceiving the reader is the criminal, and the reader is also the detective.

I have taken explicit care with every description used to give it multiple interpretations, as demonstrated with the George scene before and with things like Battler saying he "opens his eyes" rather than "wakes up". This may well constitute a violation of Van Dine's rule 2, but no other rules have been broken.

Now, down to business.

>>20153

Ushiromiya Maria would not mistake Ushiromiya George for Ushiromiya Battler simply because it was dark.

Also, simply for flavour:

Beatrice was gazing sorrowfully in the direction of the culprit, who was behind Maria.

There doesn't appear to be much left to explain.

-Jessica's death has been explained
-Shannon's disappearance has been explained
-George's disappearance has been explained
-Battler's corpse has been partly explained
-Maria's death has been explained
-Two theories have been proposed for the culprits

Last edited at 16/10/08(Sat)16:22:42

>>20157

Welp gg for me

I might as well point out that Maria could've mistaken George's body for Battler's if George was wearing Battler's clothes at the time.

Last edited at 16/10/09(Sun)00:07:24

Maria actually saw Battler's head. The rest of his body was still attached though. He was hidden under the floorboards.

Fear my madness.

>>20159
rune x floorboards otp

>>20158

Sorry for vanishing, the weekend got very hectic very fast.

Anyways, I agree with DWAM about the idea that George's corpse was dressed like Battler's.

Oh god I'm sorry to have kept you guys waiting so long. Assignment deadline shit hit the fan real fast.

Some confirmation for the hardworkers who deserve it:

George's corpse was dressed up as Battler following the murder. Kitchen chemicals were used to dye the hair red and the glasses were removed from the severed head. In the dark, this caused it to look like Battler's corpse.

Y'all are good at this, and it's a pleasure to see you work away on my mysteries.

I believe this actually means the mystery is solved. Would anyone care to summarise with a blue truth, putting together everything that's happened so far to deal the final blow?

Last edited at 16/11/03(Thu)01:40:43

>>20165

Very well. First, let me congratulate you on a well-played game. I hope there are many more in your future.

However, all games must come to an end. So shall this one.

Jessica was killed by a chlorine gas concoction inhaled through her inhaler, which was tampered with by the culprit and handed to her.

Shannon was not killed, but instead acted as an accomplice to the culprit, providing the culprit with chemicals to make chlorine gas, 'disappearing' to drive George into a frenzied search of the guesthouse, and dressing up as Beatrice in order to distract Maria.

George was killed by the culprit and disguised to look like Battler in the dark parlor using chemicals and clothing changes.

The culprit snuck up behind Maria, struck her in the head, and killed her as she was looking at Shannon/Beatrice.

The culprit is Battler Ushiromiya.

May he and Beatrice live together in the Golden Land forever. Shannon, the woman who loved George, is gone, as she told George's corpse.

And although I am excessively late in replying due to my university schedule...

The mystery has been solved!

Congratulations, everyone. You all did well, and I appreciate your kind feedback.

Last edited at 16/11/17(Thu)22:03:03