( ＣＡＮＯＮ ＡＲＣＨＩＶＥ ＥＰ５ )
See this post! I had to separate this one and the other because LJ couldn't handre these two posts together. Everything I said there, also EP6 WILL BE ADDED LATER. And maaaaybe EP7 because she appears in like one scene and gets mentioned in another. And I heard Lambda gets to do some pretty awesome things in EP8, but idk if it's even going to be translated or what sob
"I'll be the next Game Master. Any objections? You've got none, right?"
"I'll admit that a lot's happened to Beato, and it feels like she's been knocked out right now. But that doesn't mean she's lost the will to fight. That's why I'm acting as her assistant. Get it?"
"No one asked your opinion. What'll you do, Bern? Accept it? Or not?"
"Calm down. Of course, when the player changes, then so will the moves. There might be a lot of things that are confusing to you, but even those might become some big hints, get it?"
"You can't get the next game ready without waking Beato. That's why I'll prepare the next game!"
"We aren't so patient that we're willing to wait however long we have to for Beato to regain consciousness. Right, Bern?"
"Come on now. Leave everything to this < perfect > Lambdadelta-sama, okay? I'll take over as the Game Master. DON'T WORRY, I won't play with too much 'certain perfection'.
・・・・・・
Just like Beato, I'll prepare plenty of incomprehensible fakes, clues, and bonus hints. I'll give you some big hints to help you understand Beato's world even more, okay?"
"What's this? Not satisfied? Are you saying you'll step down from my 5th game? Isn't that loss by default?"
"Hmmm.........Then it really is loss by default, right...? The witch side wins this game. Is it really alright to end this with the humans surrendering...?"
"Ehheheheheh. That's just like you, Be~rn. You're even heartless when you threaten people. ...That's how it is, Battleer. You aren't allowed to step down from the game board. You and Beato are nothing more than pieces on the game board that exist to distract us from our boredom. ...Even your incomprehensible anger and irritation make for a wonderful treat to sate our boredom."
"Well, this level of anger only makes for a cheap snack."
".........Like those curry-flavored potato wafers that sell at 30 yen for a pair."
""*giggle*giggle*, ahhahahahahahaha...!!""
"...What'll you do, Ushiromiya Battleer? Will you surrender to fate...?"
".................."
"Just step down. You've had enough of being toyed with as a witch's piece, right? Eheheheheh, it sure is tough being one of Bern's pieces. I'm sure she'll use you and throw you away just like she did with Ange. Geheheheheh!"
"Yes, I will do whatever I want. ......Hey, where are you goi~ng?"
Even though Battler acknowledged this 5th game, he turned his back on them, which surprised Lambdadelta a bit.
"If you're going to be Beato's substitute, ......then I'm sure that Bernkastel witch over there can be mine if she wants."
".........Not a bad idea. Otherwise, this'll turn into a loss by default."
"What the heck?! Are you gonna just ignore this Episode 5 that I put so much effort into making?! Rude, ruuude!"
"Ehheheheheh!! Of course not♪ I'm glad I get to play with you, Be~rn! Come on, let's play, let's play! Let's play together in Lambdadelta-sama's super < hyper > and < cute > Episode 5~!"
".........Well, this really is a world that Beato created. You aren't going to ruin the atmosphere of the story, are you...?"
"Don't worry about that. I'm really good at reading between the lines for that sort of stuff. I made sure to use a Beato-ish atmosphere to make an even more interesting tale."
"Battler, make sure you come back as soon as your break's over, okay? It'd be a shame to miss this. I've prepared plenty of bonus hints that'll get him closer to Beato's secre~t♪"
"...Is what it'll look like but I'll actually fill it with misdirection and make things more and more confusi~ng. Wait, hey, Battleer! Why aren't you listening when a witch is talking?!"
"What do you think you're doing? You're only coming back now? It's way too late! Not only has the game reached the second day, it's already at the finale, get i~t?!"
"Bern was waaay more skillful and thrilling than you were. Right?!"
"Seriously. After all, we're already at the climax! After this, Bern will probably corner me and win."
"Of course. Come on over, Ushiromiya Battler. It's almost completely over, but here's the < cute > and < elegant > game I made!
♫"Alright then. It's < break time >. Any complaints about how things have gone so far?"
".........None at all. If you gotta pee, why don't you just go and do it...?"
"What a rude thing to say. Kinzo is already dead, right? But he's walking around and talking, isn't he? Doesn't that mean this is magic?!"
"Well, I doubt this move would work on you after all this time, Bern. ......But what about you, Battler? Isn't this weird? Don't you have to accept the existence of the magic that revived Kinzo? Hahhihhyahhahaaaah!"
"......If you're trying to imitate Beato, it's pissing me off, so stop it right now."
"*giggle*! Figured it out?! Then come on, how are you gonna answer, Battler? Kinzo was just out for a stro~ll. Why don't you do what you usually do and start holding your head, crying 'THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!'...? C'mon, use that old 'IT'S ALL USELESS' catch phrase and let me hear your classic nonsensical counter-argument."
"There's no way that a human who's supposed to be dead could be walking around, right? Is this all because of some unknown virus called the Rokkenjima Syndrome which causes mass delusions? Or do the scales of a mysterious form of butterfly that only lives on Rokkenjima happen to be hallucinogenic?! Or is it all because a mysterious secret organization called "Yamainu" made an as-of-yet undiscovered drug called Purupurupikopuyo which causes mass delusions?!! Let me hear tons of this wonderful crap, kyaaahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
".........Just shut up. This isn't even a problem."
Grandfather is dead at this point in time. There's no way he exists.
"It's all because Natsuhi oba-san created a lie in an attempt to hide Grandfather's death and trick her way through the family conference...by acting as though he does exist."
"Oh? It's Natsuhi's lie?! You can revive the dead by lying? Wouldn't that make it Natsuhi's magic?"
"This world is like a Braun tube before you've looked in it. ......It's the world of the cat box before you open it. As long as Natsuhi oba-san says that she took a walk with Grandfather, and as long as no one can confirm that that's a lie, it's possible to display 'Natsuhi oba-san taking a walk in the rose garden with Grandfather' as Natsuhi's reality. That means it's possible for Grandfather to appear."
*clap*, *clap*, *clap*...
That extremely unflattering applause was coming from Bernkastel.
"......Bravo. ............You're much calmer without Beato around."
"Quiet. You shut up too."
"Wait a second, Battler. According to your theory, sure, it might really be possible for Kinzo to appear if Natsuhi's the only person there. If Natsuhi claims to have observed Kinzo in a world with no one except Natsuhi in it, then no one can deny it, right?"
"But Kanon was in the same place, and he was also looking at Kinzo, right? How would you explain that?"
"...That's no problem at all. Kanon-kun is a servant who works for the Ushiromiya family. ......Natsuhi oba-san probably ordered him to keep to her story so that she could hide Grandfather's death. ......This means that just like Natsuhi oba-san, Kanon can see Grandfather even though Grandfather isn't supposed to exist."
"............Too bad, Lambda. Battler isn't going to fall for that kind of child's play anymore."
"Seems so. ......Well, this is nothing more than an opening before the game. Like an aperitif before a meal."
".........An appetizer at a bar. Green tea at a sushi restaurant."
"Shut up. So we aren't gonna get anywhere unless I say it again in blue text?"
"Looks like it. Would you mind?"
"..................The reason Grandfather is strolling around like nothing happened even though he's already dead...is that people who want to make it seem as though he's alive created an illusion of him. People who think the same way can share in that illusion. Then, they talk as though Grandfather actually exists and was with them until a second ago. That's why he's strolling around like it's perfectly natural."
"Because of this, the illusion of Grandfather is unable to appear in front of people who aren't in on this with Natsuhi oba-san.
That's why they needed to set it up so that he would shut himself away in his study and not come out."
In the games before now, Grandfather has always shut himself away in his study.
We never met him directly.
However, there were some people who spoke in a way that made it seem like he was locked up in his study in a bad mood, and who claimed to have met him only a short while ago. We blindly accepted that and believed that Grandfather was in the study.
That's why it was possible for an illusion・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
of Grandfather to exist in the study・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
That's right, in the games before now, the only people who met Grandfather were Krauss oji-san, Natsuhi oba-san, and the servants.
Because they all stuck to the same story, an illusion of Grandfather was able to exist on this island, making it seem like he was alive.
"......You even showed me a scene at the beginning of this game of Natsuhi oba-san convincing Doctor Nanjo and the rest to cover up Grandfather's death. ......I'm not gonna fall for a cheap trick like that after all this time."
".........Not bad. But I was hoping for the unknown drug Purupurupikopuyo."
"Yeah, that's right. They're the ten wedges to drill into witches that Knox, the peerless archbishop of witch hunting, brandishes. Those are the true weapons with which to fight and defeat the fantasy known as the Illusion of the Witch head on. ......Just like you, Bern. Bringing in such a troublesome weapon. That's the great rival of the fantasy genre."
"What do you mean, okay? You sure do say some strange things. ......Aren't you fighting to kill this girl?"
"..............."
"We've rewound this 5th game for your benefit, but right now, Bern has done a good job cornering her opponent and is about to break through the Illusion of the Witch. ...Her existence has been almost completely denied. It's only natural that she's suffering."
".........Lambda, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here. I'm anywhere you want me to be, Bern."
"......Then crawl into the cupboard under the kitchen floor. Or in a jar of rice-bran paste, if you want."
"Ooh, you're gonna dip me in bean paste and bite me? But in that case, I wish you'd dip me in hone~y. In return, I'll cook you in sugar water."
"......At least make it sweet soy sauce with sweet sake."
"So what's up? You gonna make me repeat something?"
".........That's right. Is Natsuhi's phone conversation here a fact?"
Lambdadelta grinned unpleasantly, as though sizing Bernkastel up.
She was probably trying to tease Bern for making that demand.
".........You refuse to repeat it?"
"Well now... Should I refuse, or should I respond... As the Game Master, that's up to me to decide, and I get to make that decision any time I want."
".........Unless I state it in the blue text, you aren't obligated to respond."
"That's it! *giggle*giggle*. Now the best you can do is wonder about Natsuhi's secret of 19 years ago, right?! Make sure you're sitting on the edge of your seat, alright? *giggle*giggle*."
Of course, this fishy telephone call happened before October 4, 1986.
This is still before the start time of the game.
So, there's basically no need to question whether it's true or false.
".........Since you, the Game Master, went out of your way to show me this, I'm guessing you're setting up some sort of strategy. ......It might be a trick, but I'll at least keep this move of yours in my memory."
"Ehheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh......... So, you'll leave without turning the card over. Ouch, wh, what?!"
"............< Direct Attack >."
After suddenly being conked on the head, Lambdadelta was bewildered.
But perhaps this incomprehensible exchange was funny to her...because she quickly went back to giggling.
"......Are you done preparing the game board now?"
"Yeah, that's right. Now I'll finally move on to the game. On to October 4, 1986...!"
".........I wonder what number October 4, 1986 this is. ......So, the Endless Witch. ...Beatrice. ...She really is a frightening child."
"Is your side going to do anything, Bern?"
".........Nope. If you've refused to repeat what I asked, then I'm done."
"< Turn end >, right? < Untap, upkeep, draw >!! Come!! October 4, 1986!!!"
"This is Beato's game board, right? If Beato refuses, then I'll think about it. And Beato's opinio~n?"
"........................"
Beato was unable to answer.
......Lambdadelta grinned as though in triumph.
"......Wanna try complaining about the rules and stepping down from the game? Isn't that the favorite move of you mystery people♪ If there's even a tiny element that goes against your expectations, you have a tantrum and totally stop thinking."
".........Ugh..."
".........Don't worry. I'll make a detective proclamation about this piece."
"Detective proclamation......?"
"I proclaim that Furudo Erika is the detective."
"The detective is not the culprit. No proof is needed to show this. ......In short, there is absolutely no need to suspect this girl. Even if she appears as a human piece from now on, you can theorize the same way as you always did, get it...?"
"......Because of Knox's 7th. 'It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit'. There was an exception clause in the original, but for this game 'the detective isn't the culprit' has been proclaimed in red, so you don't need to consider the exception. I hate word games, so I'll say it in red too. Furudo Erika is not the culprit."
"Repeat it. ......'Furudo Erika had no influence on any of Beato's games before now'."
"Sure, I'll respond. Furudo Erika had no influence on any of Beato's games before now. She's nothing more than an extra character who appears for the first time this round. She does not exist in the worlds before this one, nor does she influence them."
"In that case, what happens to the number of people on this island right now?"
"Of course, it's plus 1 over the previous number. But don't worry. Furudo Erika only increases it by one person. Besides her, the number of people on this island is exactly the same as it was in the previous games."
"This is where Bern solved the riddle of the epitaph. ......I'd expect no less from the Witch of Miracles. 'If a riddle is solvable, she can solve it without fail regardless of the difficulty'. ......How many years did it take to solve this one?"
"Heheheheheheheheheheh...... You really are terrifying."
"OK. ...Don't get queasy, Battler."
"If you want the concept of gravity, just create it yourself, okay? ......Come on, calm down and look at us. ......Come on, don't we look like we're just fine? ......Believe that your feet are on the ground and that you're being controlled by gravity. ......If you do that, you'll find your equilibrium."
"Very good, very good. ......What's your name?"
"Ushiromiya Battler. ......Who else do I look like?"
"OK. You mustn't lose your will, emotions, or form. After all, this is the ocean. If you lose your purpose, you'll fall into the depths of eternity and become a scrap of ocean seaweed. Be careful."
"They aren't memories. They're Fragments of worlds. ......Well, I guess they might feel like memories to you."
"Of course. If I told you that, there'd be too many hints. .........If a riddle isn't
hard, there's just no point to it・・・・・・・・・. ......Uh-oh, that's a hint too. *giggle*......"
"Yeah. And on top of that, Rosa tossed it aside, saying that sweetfish weren't that significant."
"There you go. Bern-Battler splendidly discovered the gold. Congratulations. Heheheheheheheheh!! I had her hide the more central parts of it, but nothing wrong with being just a little mean, right?"
"It'd be a waste of time to do that 'repeat it' game, so I'll give you a little bonus. This mountain of gold is the real thing. All of the ingots piled up here are real, pure gold! There are absolutely no tricks such as replicas or fakes!!"
"*giggle*giggle*! Even though Kinzo's supposedly an illusion, you met with him just a second ago, didn't you? *giggle*giggle*, I guess that really was magic, wasn't it?!"
"I have none. At least, not now, okay? *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
".........That's pretty handy. You can change your voice?"
"*giggle*! Anyone can change their voice. A sweet voice when coaxing Papa♪ A sick-sounding voice when taking the day off school. An apologetic voice when turning down a friend that you actually hate! If you want♪, I can do~ any voice at all☆ Got i~t?!"
".........You should stop being a witch and become a voice actress."
"Heheheheheheheh! So, are all the pieces set up on both sides now? .........'Furudo Erika'. What a wonderful piece. She's a much more suitable piece for you than Ange was, Bern."
"The pleasure is mine. ......She really is wonderful. Truly cute. I'd like to make her surrender to the Illusion of the Witch and see her face twist in humiliation."
"*giggle*giggle*giggle*! She's right. That Ange didn't do anything useful except get turned into meat chunks to egg Battler on! I have absolutely no interest in family love or sibling love! The game we want to see is more gruesome and sticky! A < grotesque >, < pop >, and < cute > murder case!!"
".........If Natsuhi is the king, then I wonder if Beato is the queen. *giggle*. The pack of witches and furniture guarding Natsuhi is less like a set of chess pieces and more like-"
"Especially Beato! We're already bored of you! This 'Legend of the Witch Murders' game of yours is over already! Your time is up!! This game board is already Bern's and mine. It'll suit you to be reduced to one of our pieces and toyed with for all eternity!!"
"Yes, you can have a lot of fun with it. Hey, are you watching? Beatrice? Look at how much fun can be had playing with your board. I'll show you. This 5th game really is fun!!"
"Hear that? I'll give you special permission to talk. What do you hope to gain from this latest game?!"
"Ahahahaha! She said nothing! That's right, that's right! You're the loser who surrendered to Battler! Leave it to me, okay? I'll put the witch side on top right away! But that means I'll have to sacrifice the piece you are!!"
"The Golden Witch Beatrice is out of the picture now! You and your furniture have only a miniscule role in my game! A loser's role!! Resign yourself to getting blasted away and becoming Bern's and my toy!!"
"She's saying she doesn't mind! *giggle*giggle*!! You're totally a pin!!"
"Ahhahaha, ahhahahahahaha "kyahhhahahhah hahahahahahhhahahahgwahyahhahaaah!!!""
There's no need for a Golden Witch anymore.
All that's needed is a sacrificial doll so that the two witches can enjoy some time playing.
Die, die, disappear.
Confess to your filthy past and your crimes, speak out your sob story of regret and repentance as you throw yourself off a cliff and die!!
The Golden Witch will never again have her turn......!!
Ahhahhahahahahaahhahhaahahahahahaahahahahahahaha...!!
".........Ready, Battler? The second day is finally about to start. Heheheheh! Just like Beato, I hate slow story progression!"
"*giggle*...! Isn't it great that you've been blessed with such a helpful-looking ally?! In the past, it was Virgilia and Ronove. Then Ange came as well. And now you have Bern and Erika! There are so many pieces supporting you! So how does it feel knowing that you still can't catch on to the truth despite that? How does it feel?!"
"*giggle*, dance for me, Natsuhi! Dance in fear of your sin 19 years ago!! My turn's going pretty well. Okay, your turn now, Bern!!"
".........I'm sure this is a waste of time, but let me confirm whether correspondence with the outside world, including reporting this to the police, is possible or not."
"It's impossible to make use of the external li~ne! Looks like you can use the internal line! It's impossible to use a boat inside the typhoon! I guess the closed circle is complete now! Congrats, you're now a full detective, Bern!"
"It sure will lead to some developments! *cackle*cackle*cackle*. Beato's pieces have brought about an interesting change. *giggle*giggle*!"
"Your reasoning goes like this, right? The four of them weren't actually dead, they were just playing dead. Then, when no one else was around, they hid somewhere. Am I right?"
"Of course I won't. Unlike that dolt Beato, I don't give red out for free!"
"Ahhaha! Even if you've been shown their gaping wounds, you're still trying that one on principle as long as there's no red, right?! But don't get your hopes up. I'm not giving you a freebie red truth! After all, I just have to deny it all at once at the end of the game, at 24:00 on October 5!"
"Yeah, that's right. It's not like I proclaimed that Krauss was being confined with the red truth. *giggle*giggle*! You know how they say you've got to confuse your friends before you can confuse your enemies! So he lied to Natsuhi, making it seem like he'd been captured! Eheheheheheheh!! Any others?!"
"Ahhahhahhahahahahahahahaha!! That's messed up!! So even though all those people gathered around and saw their dead faces, none of them realized that they were substitute corpses?"
"No wa~y♪ I'm not falling for that provocation! The red truth is only useful if you use it with flash, right? I'll take a single truth out of a large pile of blue and smash it with the red! Then, the rest of the blue truths will be swallowed up by darkness before you can find out whether they were right or wrong!"
"That darkness is the world of witches! You won't be given any truth at all! Ehheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!"
.........Heheh.
...This girl acts like she's stupid, but she's not bad at all.
She'll never rise to provocation.
"Ahahahahahahaha, kyaahhahahahahahahahahaha!! That's so totally laaame!!"
"Ahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha...!! Here it is, the ten wedges to pierce witches...!! Just like usual, it's the kind of irrational argument that I just love to hear...!"
"Ohhohohohohohohoho, ooohohohohohohohohyahhyaaaahhh!! Ah, this is good stuff!! Erika, that was so laaaame, ehihhahhahahahahahahahaha!!"
"Neither Krauss nor Natsuhi nor Genji knocked!"
"This isn't the limited meaning of them knocking on the door, okay? It means they didn't use a pillar to transmit the sound or push the play button on a cassette tape they'd recorded or create that knock sound by any means! Of course, this applies to direct, indirect, intentional, coincidental, and unintentional means!"
"I'll reword that red about 'placing it' in the corridor a bit. No one in the mansion placed the letter in the hallway. This includes doing so by all concepts, such as directly, indirectly, intentionally, coincidentally, and unintentionally."
"......For example, let's assume there was a device on the serving cart that 'drops the letter when it stops moving'. In this case, you'd think they could predict that the cart would probably stop just once when those two knock on the door to the dining hall, and by doing so, they'd be cleverly making it so the letter drops right in front of the door."
"But even this doesn't work, okay? The action of 'stopping the serving cart' would indirectly lead to 'placing the letter in the hallway'. That would mean Shannon and Kanon, who were pushing the cart, had 'indirectly and unintentionally' placed the letter there! So even this is no good! Furthermore, setting it up so that the letter peeled off with the passage of time would mean that the people pushing the serving cart had 'coincidentally and unintentionally' placed the letter there. Of course, this is also no good!!"
"......Repeat iiiiiit...? Even though I'm nice enough to give you all this red for free? Aren't you being a bit greedy? I'm not an idiot like Beato, so I won't go around saying everything my opponent tells me to repeat..."
".........I'll give you a full body massage in a bath with marshmallows and konpeito sometime soon. Enough to rub your skin off."
"Eheheheheh, now you've gotta keep that promise. *slurp*! ......Alright, then, here's a freebie♪ I'll respond. 'At 24:00, only Erika, George, Jessica, Maria, Nanjo, Gohda, and Kumasawa existed outside the mansion'!"
"Eheheheheheheheheheheh...! You really are a cute kid, piece of Bern's. Very lively. Anyways, she's yelling that you forgive her because she's solved one of the two riddles, even though she resigned on the other. So, will you forgive her......?"
"Then it's time to get punished・・・・・・・・・・・・, Erika-chan♪"
None of the characters misidentified a knocking sound.
"Misidentifying a knocking sound means this: they would not mistake a sound very similar to a knocking sound for a real knocking sound. Hitting a pillar to make something similar to a knocking sound is no good. When you record a knocking sound on a cassette tape and play it back, it becomes 'the sound of the tape with a knocking sound on it', and not a knocking sound. So that's no good either!"
"In other words, all of them would correctly distinguish a knocking sound of something truly hitting the door, and they definitely wouldn't mishear it. It's totally impossible that any sounds except hitting that door directly would be misinterpreted as a knock!!"
"Yep, they don't exist. After all, the Golden Witch Beatrice hit it. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*...!!"
"'To knock' means someone hitting a door with their hand, right? I won't accept hitting it with some device, eheheheheheheheheheheh!! They heard a knock at the same time as the 24:00 bell. At that time, everyone inside the dining hall definitely heard it. And none of them misinterpreted a knocking sound. Krauss, Natsuhi, and Genji were not involved with the knock. No one else existed inside the mansion. And that knock refers to the action of standing directly in front of a door and hitting it with a hand."
"......Hey, Bern. What do you think of my red? Don't you think this is pretty simple and enjoyable despite being before the first twilight? The Golden Witch descended quietly with a knocking sound. *giggle*giggle*, eheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh...!"
"......After all, Bern is pretty forgetful. If you don't try a little harder, Bern's gonna forget you, okay...? You'll collect dust in that forgotten piece tray, awaiting your turn that will never come. ......I imagine that'd be pretty harsh, don't you think...?"
"Listen witches, humans!! I hereby announce that with this assembly of witches, the Court of Illusions will now begin!!"
The commander of the game spoke with words of power.
Though her words were spoken inside such a vast space, they rang out with the force of a bell in a bell tower...
"Your lives and roles as they correspond to this game are over! The 5th game is now closed, and the 24:00 answer session shall begin! ......Well, I'd like to get started quickly, but why don't we have everyone quickly introduce themselves first? After all, there are so many people here."
"Eheheheheh! I am Lambdadelta! The Witch of Certainty and the new commander of this game!"
"I'm also looking forward to it. Okay, remaining pieces, introduce yourselves in whatever order."
"Listen witches, humans!! Two claims have appeared for a single truth! Is the culprit a human, Ushiromiya Natsuhi? Is the culprit a witch, Beatrice?!"
"If the witch wins, the truth about the 5th game will disappear into darkness. If Erika wins, the Illusion of the Witch will be wiped from the game board. ......In other words, for Beato alone, this is a battle which must not be lost. Are you prepared?"
"Good point. What do you say, Bern, Erika? Why can you claim that Gohda and Kumasawa have alibis?"
"Blue truth, effective. ......What'll you do, Bern? Will you or Dlanor step in instead?"
"*giggle*giggle*... If you really could do that, it'd be seriously interesting... Very well, Erika. Let's see what you've got...!"
"Red truth, effective. ......Well done, Erika. The alibi due to your seal on that door has been acknowledged by Bern and elevated to the status of red truth."".........To go even further, at 24:00, Natsuhi, Krauss, and Genji were in a corridor on the second floor of the mansion. All the remaining people were at the family conference in the dining hall. Of course, at that point in time, no murder had occurred. Genji was also alive."
"Goodbye, Beatrice. .........I made you a witch expecting that you would either become my friend or help distract me from my boredom. And you've answered to my expectations. The second one, that is. ...Eheheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!"
"......I......am a witch...... Even if Lady Lambdadelta doesn't acknowledge it......I'm a witch........."
"Oh, sure, but you wouldn't even be capable of believing that if I hadn't become your guardian in the first place...!! Yep, this is 'game over' for you. You will be buried in accordance with the rules of your game board. ......What happens to the losers in your game, again...?"
"Yep. Our contract said that whenever you stopped entertaining me, you would relieve me of my boredom with your life!"
"Come, strip the title of witch from this woman and throw her into the pot of goats!!"
"Oh, and I'll mix the leftovers from your precious sister into that pile. Wouldn't that make for a wonderful stack of meat? ......Then we can wrap it up in a dumpling, steam it and maybe add some soy sauce!!"
"No, the best way would be to fry them in a pan with some eggs and ketchup!!"
""Ahyahhahahahahahahhhayhhyahyayhyahahahaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!""
"The red truth from the previous games says that Kinzo is already dead. ......But that's not enough to satisfy you, right, Bern?"
"Then why don't you try it? Show us what you've got."
"......? Well, that's true...he was a corpse after all. ..................No, I'm sorry. That's right, totally right. I won't butt in. It sounds interesting, so keep going."
"I've received testimony from those involved. Wow, this is pretty fatal. *giggle*giggle*giggle*...! No room for doubt now!"
".........Ushiromiya Battler... You were an interesting guy. ...And you might have become even more interesting......too bad."
"*giggle*, that sounds wonderful. Really tasteful. Maybe you can coat him with plaster and make a beautiful white statue. ......And it'd be wonderful if you decorated him all cute!"
"Galaxy Express?"
"The one that isn't 'Night on the-'."
"......You know, I read that back when I wasn't a witch. ...I always thought it strange that humans who obtained eternal life would become so cruel. ......At the time, I honestly couldn't relate."
"......After becoming a witch and living a thousand years, I fully understand it. ......That writer could understand our cruelty really well, in the truest sense. *giggle*giggle*!"
"......Where will you go next? I'll bet we say farewell with our backs turned, right?"
"That's because I don't want to let you get bored."
"Thanks, Bern. But you can be sure that I'll count to a hundred and then start searching for you again."
"You really don't let a person get bored. That's why I like you, love you. ............Let's meet again somewhere. However, we may not be reunited for another hundred or thousand years...if ever."
"That's alright. The sea of Fragments is tiny to a pair who love each other."
"The Third Man?"
"No, Children of Paradise of course."
".........If each time you smashed one of those countless Fragments that glitter like a starry night, you could escape the poison of just a single evening's worth of boredom, even you would want to count the stars in the sky."
"Ooh, not bad...pfft, *giggle*giggle*...!"
The Voyager witches travel across the countless glittering futures of possibility, ......and gobble them up, trying to escape their illness called boredom for as long as they can.
The tiny, tiny Fragment created by the human known as Beatrice......had now been gobbled up by the two witches......and had lost its glitter.
The two who had earlier called themselves rivals in front of Beato...now stopped that charade and laughed together playfully.
"......This sure is an elaborate act. ...Is this one of your tricks, Lambda?"
"Th, .........that glow............i, it couldn't be........."
Lambda stared wide-eyed at that bright golden glow in awe...
When she noticed that Battler's resurrection wasn't part of a script Lambda had thought up, Bern also frowned slightly...
"Lambda. What kind of farce is this? ......The Illusion of the Witch has been completely destroyed, and the trial ended with our victory."
".........Sorry, Bern. ......You'll have to stick around a bit longer. .........Isn't that right, Ushiromiya Battler......?"
"............Yeah. ......Sorry to keep you waiting, Erika, ......Bernkastel. ......Now it's time for my truth......"
"Request for a retrial accepted. ......The assembly of witches retracts the adjournment of the Court of Illusions!!"
"O, objection. The trial has already been concluded and the results have even been announced...!"
"Objection overruled...!! All verdicts are overshadowed by new truths!!"
"Objection!! Not only has Battler been banished as a player, he also doesn't hold the rank of witch...! He isn't qualified to call for an appeal...!"
"Objection overruled!! He already does have that. ......By the name of Lambdadelta, Witch of Certainty, I acknowledge it.........Ushiromiya Battler...! I acknowledge you as the new Golden Witch, ......no, .........as the new Endless Sorcerer, Ushiromiya Battler...!!!"
"Yes, that's right. ......So you still don't understand? You don't know what that gold sparkle signifies? .........He's reached it, ......Battler has. ......He's made his way to the innermost depths of all truths!!"
"That means Battler's understood everything about this world, this tale, this game. ......In other words, he's reached the position of the game's master. ......*giggle*, I'll bet you don't want to believe it, right, Bern?!"
"Too bad, Erika. .........Just when you were finally appointed as the territory lord of this Fragment, you've been deprived of that title."
"The new territory lord of this Fragment is Ushiromiya Battler. ......*giggle*, is it awful? Hey, hey, don't you feel just awful?! How's it feel to be deprived of that title just when you'd finally gotten it?! How's it feel?!"
"Bern's reasoning is perfect. You won't be able to overturn it easily. ......But still. If you can present a theory on par with Bern's, the fight will come down to a verdict. That means it's possible that either one of the truths will be defeated and denied!"
"......Ooh. Any counter with the red truth will be ineffective? I guess that works."
".........How are you gonna prove that the corpse was Kinzo's if the red truth is sealed? It's impossible. ...It can't be done...!"
"......With red or blue, ...right......?"
"Wh, what is that...? Lambda, does this follow the rules?!"
"..................Yes. ......Golden truth, effective. The gold truth.........can only be used by the territory lord of this world......no, ......only by the Game Master himself!!"
"Battler, it would be excessively unrefined to say any more. Even without saying another word, you've fully made your truth about the corpses' disappearance 'understood'! I see, 'that thing' you're thinking of doesn't conflict with any of the red in this trial so far! Your truth based around the revenge of the man from 19 years ago had been completely understood and processed!! I proclaim that your truth has now been established!!"
"......So. ......You still intend to argue back against Battler.........?"
"Yeah, that's right. From Erika, I haven't heard of a single way for the corpses to disappear that doesn't involve Kinzo. Looks like your theory is about to be denied, doesn't it?!"
"The game goes back to being even!! And I transfer the position of Game Master from myself to the Golden Sorcerer, Ushiromiya Battler!!"
"Ushiromiya Battler, step forward!! I appoint you as the new Game Master!! Will you accept? You will, right?! Do it, you new Endless Witch!!!"
"Wow, incredible. She said 'I'll give you a chance'. Isn't this a miracle? The Witch of Miracles, Bernkastel."
"I'll be the next Game Master. Any objections? You've got none, right?"
"I'll admit that a lot's happened to Beato, and it feels like she's been knocked out right now. But that doesn't mean she's lost the will to fight. That's why I'm acting as her assistant. Get it?"
"No one asked your opinion. What'll you do, Bern? Accept it? Or not?"
"Calm down. Of course, when the player changes, then so will the moves. There might be a lot of things that are confusing to you, but even those might become some big hints, get it?"
"You can't get the next game ready without waking Beato. That's why I'll prepare the next game!"
"We aren't so patient that we're willing to wait however long we have to for Beato to regain consciousness. Right, Bern?"
"Come on now. Leave everything to this < perfect > Lambdadelta-sama, okay? I'll take over as the Game Master. DON'T WORRY, I won't play with too much 'certain perfection'.
・・・・・・
Just like Beato, I'll prepare plenty of incomprehensible fakes, clues, and bonus hints. I'll give you some big hints to help you understand Beato's world even more, okay?"
"What's this? Not satisfied? Are you saying you'll step down from my 5th game? Isn't that loss by default?"
"Hmmm.........Then it really is loss by default, right...? The witch side wins this game. Is it really alright to end this with the humans surrendering...?"
"Ehheheheheh. That's just like you, Be~rn. You're even heartless when you threaten people. ...That's how it is, Battleer. You aren't allowed to step down from the game board. You and Beato are nothing more than pieces on the game board that exist to distract us from our boredom. ...Even your incomprehensible anger and irritation make for a wonderful treat to sate our boredom."
"Well, this level of anger only makes for a cheap snack."
".........Like those curry-flavored potato wafers that sell at 30 yen for a pair."
""*giggle*giggle*, ahhahahahahahaha...!!""
"...What'll you do, Ushiromiya Battleer? Will you surrender to fate...?"
".................."
"Just step down. You've had enough of being toyed with as a witch's piece, right? Eheheheheh, it sure is tough being one of Bern's pieces. I'm sure she'll use you and throw you away just like she did with Ange. Geheheheheh!"
"Yes, I will do whatever I want. ......Hey, where are you goi~ng?"
Even though Battler acknowledged this 5th game, he turned his back on them, which surprised Lambdadelta a bit.
"If you're going to be Beato's substitute, ......then I'm sure that Bernkastel witch over there can be mine if she wants."
".........Not a bad idea. Otherwise, this'll turn into a loss by default."
"What the heck?! Are you gonna just ignore this Episode 5 that I put so much effort into making?! Rude, ruuude!"
"Ehheheheheh!! Of course not♪ I'm glad I get to play with you, Be~rn! Come on, let's play, let's play! Let's play together in Lambdadelta-sama's super < hyper > and < cute > Episode 5~!"
".........Well, this really is a world that Beato created. You aren't going to ruin the atmosphere of the story, are you...?"
"Don't worry about that. I'm really good at reading between the lines for that sort of stuff. I made sure to use a Beato-ish atmosphere to make an even more interesting tale."
"Battler, make sure you come back as soon as your break's over, okay? It'd be a shame to miss this. I've prepared plenty of bonus hints that'll get him closer to Beato's secre~t♪"
"...Is what it'll look like but I'll actually fill it with misdirection and make things more and more confusi~ng. Wait, hey, Battleer! Why aren't you listening when a witch is talking?!"
"What do you think you're doing? You're only coming back now? It's way too late! Not only has the game reached the second day, it's already at the finale, get i~t?!"
"Bern was waaay more skillful and thrilling than you were. Right?!"
"Seriously. After all, we're already at the climax! After this, Bern will probably corner me and win."
"Of course. Come on over, Ushiromiya Battler. It's almost completely over, but here's the < cute > and < elegant > game I made!
♫"Alright then. It's < break time >. Any complaints about how things have gone so far?"
".........None at all. If you gotta pee, why don't you just go and do it...?"
"What a rude thing to say. Kinzo is already dead, right? But he's walking around and talking, isn't he? Doesn't that mean this is magic?!"
"Well, I doubt this move would work on you after all this time, Bern. ......But what about you, Battler? Isn't this weird? Don't you have to accept the existence of the magic that revived Kinzo? Hahhihhyahhahaaaah!"
"......If you're trying to imitate Beato, it's pissing me off, so stop it right now."
"*giggle*! Figured it out?! Then come on, how are you gonna answer, Battler? Kinzo was just out for a stro~ll. Why don't you do what you usually do and start holding your head, crying 'THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!'...? C'mon, use that old 'IT'S ALL USELESS' catch phrase and let me hear your classic nonsensical counter-argument."
"There's no way that a human who's supposed to be dead could be walking around, right? Is this all because of some unknown virus called the Rokkenjima Syndrome which causes mass delusions? Or do the scales of a mysterious form of butterfly that only lives on Rokkenjima happen to be hallucinogenic?! Or is it all because a mysterious secret organization called "Yamainu" made an as-of-yet undiscovered drug called Purupurupikopuyo which causes mass delusions?!! Let me hear tons of this wonderful crap, kyaaahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
".........Just shut up. This isn't even a problem."
Grandfather is dead at this point in time. There's no way he exists.
"It's all because Natsuhi oba-san created a lie in an attempt to hide Grandfather's death and trick her way through the family conference...by acting as though he does exist."
"Oh? It's Natsuhi's lie?! You can revive the dead by lying? Wouldn't that make it Natsuhi's magic?"
"This world is like a Braun tube before you've looked in it. ......It's the world of the cat box before you open it. As long as Natsuhi oba-san says that she took a walk with Grandfather, and as long as no one can confirm that that's a lie, it's possible to display 'Natsuhi oba-san taking a walk in the rose garden with Grandfather' as Natsuhi's reality. That means it's possible for Grandfather to appear."
*clap*, *clap*, *clap*...
That extremely unflattering applause was coming from Bernkastel.
"......Bravo. ............You're much calmer without Beato around."
"Quiet. You shut up too."
"Wait a second, Battler. According to your theory, sure, it might really be possible for Kinzo to appear if Natsuhi's the only person there. If Natsuhi claims to have observed Kinzo in a world with no one except Natsuhi in it, then no one can deny it, right?"
"But Kanon was in the same place, and he was also looking at Kinzo, right? How would you explain that?"
"...That's no problem at all. Kanon-kun is a servant who works for the Ushiromiya family. ......Natsuhi oba-san probably ordered him to keep to her story so that she could hide Grandfather's death. ......This means that just like Natsuhi oba-san, Kanon can see Grandfather even though Grandfather isn't supposed to exist."
"............Too bad, Lambda. Battler isn't going to fall for that kind of child's play anymore."
"Seems so. ......Well, this is nothing more than an opening before the game. Like an aperitif before a meal."
".........An appetizer at a bar. Green tea at a sushi restaurant."
"Shut up. So we aren't gonna get anywhere unless I say it again in blue text?"
"Looks like it. Would you mind?"
"..................The reason Grandfather is strolling around like nothing happened even though he's already dead...is that people who want to make it seem as though he's alive created an illusion of him. People who think the same way can share in that illusion. Then, they talk as though Grandfather actually exists and was with them until a second ago. That's why he's strolling around like it's perfectly natural."
"Because of this, the illusion of Grandfather is unable to appear in front of people who aren't in on this with Natsuhi oba-san.
That's why they needed to set it up so that he would shut himself away in his study and not come out."
In the games before now, Grandfather has always shut himself away in his study.
We never met him directly.
However, there were some people who spoke in a way that made it seem like he was locked up in his study in a bad mood, and who claimed to have met him only a short while ago. We blindly accepted that and believed that Grandfather was in the study.
That's why it was possible for an illusion・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
of Grandfather to exist in the study・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
That's right, in the games before now, the only people who met Grandfather were Krauss oji-san, Natsuhi oba-san, and the servants.
Because they all stuck to the same story, an illusion of Grandfather was able to exist on this island, making it seem like he was alive.
"......You even showed me a scene at the beginning of this game of Natsuhi oba-san convincing Doctor Nanjo and the rest to cover up Grandfather's death. ......I'm not gonna fall for a cheap trick like that after all this time."
".........Not bad. But I was hoping for the unknown drug Purupurupikopuyo."
"Yeah, that's right. They're the ten wedges to drill into witches that Knox, the peerless archbishop of witch hunting, brandishes. Those are the true weapons with which to fight and defeat the fantasy known as the Illusion of the Witch head on. ......Just like you, Bern. Bringing in such a troublesome weapon. That's the great rival of the fantasy genre."
"What do you mean, okay? You sure do say some strange things. ......Aren't you fighting to kill this girl?"
"..............."
"We've rewound this 5th game for your benefit, but right now, Bern has done a good job cornering her opponent and is about to break through the Illusion of the Witch. ...Her existence has been almost completely denied. It's only natural that she's suffering."
".........Lambda, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here. I'm anywhere you want me to be, Bern."
"......Then crawl into the cupboard under the kitchen floor. Or in a jar of rice-bran paste, if you want."
"Ooh, you're gonna dip me in bean paste and bite me? But in that case, I wish you'd dip me in hone~y. In return, I'll cook you in sugar water."
"......At least make it sweet soy sauce with sweet sake."
"So what's up? You gonna make me repeat something?"
".........That's right. Is Natsuhi's phone conversation here a fact?"
Lambdadelta grinned unpleasantly, as though sizing Bernkastel up.
She was probably trying to tease Bern for making that demand.
".........You refuse to repeat it?"
"Well now... Should I refuse, or should I respond... As the Game Master, that's up to me to decide, and I get to make that decision any time I want."
".........Unless I state it in the blue text, you aren't obligated to respond."
"That's it! *giggle*giggle*. Now the best you can do is wonder about Natsuhi's secret of 19 years ago, right?! Make sure you're sitting on the edge of your seat, alright? *giggle*giggle*."
Of course, this fishy telephone call happened before October 4, 1986.
This is still before the start time of the game.
So, there's basically no need to question whether it's true or false.
".........Since you, the Game Master, went out of your way to show me this, I'm guessing you're setting up some sort of strategy. ......It might be a trick, but I'll at least keep this move of yours in my memory."
"Ehheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh......... So, you'll leave without turning the card over. Ouch, wh, what?!"
"............< Direct Attack >."
After suddenly being conked on the head, Lambdadelta was bewildered.
But perhaps this incomprehensible exchange was funny to her...because she quickly went back to giggling.
"......Are you done preparing the game board now?"
"Yeah, that's right. Now I'll finally move on to the game. On to October 4, 1986...!"
".........I wonder what number October 4, 1986 this is. ......So, the Endless Witch. ...Beatrice. ...She really is a frightening child."
"Is your side going to do anything, Bern?"
".........Nope. If you've refused to repeat what I asked, then I'm done."
"< Turn end >, right? < Untap, upkeep, draw >!! Come!! October 4, 1986!!!"
"This is Beato's game board, right? If Beato refuses, then I'll think about it. And Beato's opinio~n?"
"........................"
Beato was unable to answer.
......Lambdadelta grinned as though in triumph.
"......Wanna try complaining about the rules and stepping down from the game? Isn't that the favorite move of you mystery people♪ If there's even a tiny element that goes against your expectations, you have a tantrum and totally stop thinking."
".........Ugh..."
".........Don't worry. I'll make a detective proclamation about this piece."
"Detective proclamation......?"
"I proclaim that Furudo Erika is the detective."
"The detective is not the culprit. No proof is needed to show this. ......In short, there is absolutely no need to suspect this girl. Even if she appears as a human piece from now on, you can theorize the same way as you always did, get it...?"
"......Because of Knox's 7th. 'It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit'. There was an exception clause in the original, but for this game 'the detective isn't the culprit' has been proclaimed in red, so you don't need to consider the exception. I hate word games, so I'll say it in red too. Furudo Erika is not the culprit."
"Repeat it. ......'Furudo Erika had no influence on any of Beato's games before now'."
"Sure, I'll respond. Furudo Erika had no influence on any of Beato's games before now. She's nothing more than an extra character who appears for the first time this round. She does not exist in the worlds before this one, nor does she influence them."
"In that case, what happens to the number of people on this island right now?"
"Of course, it's plus 1 over the previous number. But don't worry. Furudo Erika only increases it by one person. Besides her, the number of people on this island is exactly the same as it was in the previous games."
"This is where Bern solved the riddle of the epitaph. ......I'd expect no less from the Witch of Miracles. 'If a riddle is solvable, she can solve it without fail regardless of the difficulty'. ......How many years did it take to solve this one?"
"Heheheheheheheheheheh...... You really are terrifying."
"OK. ...Don't get queasy, Battler."
"If you want the concept of gravity, just create it yourself, okay? ......Come on, calm down and look at us. ......Come on, don't we look like we're just fine? ......Believe that your feet are on the ground and that you're being controlled by gravity. ......If you do that, you'll find your equilibrium."
"Very good, very good. ......What's your name?"
"Ushiromiya Battler. ......Who else do I look like?"
"OK. You mustn't lose your will, emotions, or form. After all, this is the ocean. If you lose your purpose, you'll fall into the depths of eternity and become a scrap of ocean seaweed. Be careful."
"They aren't memories. They're Fragments of worlds. ......Well, I guess they might feel like memories to you."
"Of course. If I told you that, there'd be too many hints. .........If a riddle isn't
hard, there's just no point to it・・・・・・・・・. ......Uh-oh, that's a hint too. *giggle*......"
"Yeah. And on top of that, Rosa tossed it aside, saying that sweetfish weren't that significant."
"There you go. Bern-Battler splendidly discovered the gold. Congratulations. Heheheheheheheheh!! I had her hide the more central parts of it, but nothing wrong with being just a little mean, right?"
"It'd be a waste of time to do that 'repeat it' game, so I'll give you a little bonus. This mountain of gold is the real thing. All of the ingots piled up here are real, pure gold! There are absolutely no tricks such as replicas or fakes!!"
"*giggle*giggle*! Even though Kinzo's supposedly an illusion, you met with him just a second ago, didn't you? *giggle*giggle*, I guess that really was magic, wasn't it?!"
"I have none. At least, not now, okay? *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
".........That's pretty handy. You can change your voice?"
"*giggle*! Anyone can change their voice. A sweet voice when coaxing Papa♪ A sick-sounding voice when taking the day off school. An apologetic voice when turning down a friend that you actually hate! If you want♪, I can do~ any voice at all☆ Got i~t?!"
".........You should stop being a witch and become a voice actress."
"Heheheheheheheh! So, are all the pieces set up on both sides now? .........'Furudo Erika'. What a wonderful piece. She's a much more suitable piece for you than Ange was, Bern."
"The pleasure is mine. ......She really is wonderful. Truly cute. I'd like to make her surrender to the Illusion of the Witch and see her face twist in humiliation."
"*giggle*giggle*giggle*! She's right. That Ange didn't do anything useful except get turned into meat chunks to egg Battler on! I have absolutely no interest in family love or sibling love! The game we want to see is more gruesome and sticky! A < grotesque >, < pop >, and < cute > murder case!!"
".........If Natsuhi is the king, then I wonder if Beato is the queen. *giggle*. The pack of witches and furniture guarding Natsuhi is less like a set of chess pieces and more like-"
"Especially Beato! We're already bored of you! This 'Legend of the Witch Murders' game of yours is over already! Your time is up!! This game board is already Bern's and mine. It'll suit you to be reduced to one of our pieces and toyed with for all eternity!!"
"Yes, you can have a lot of fun with it. Hey, are you watching? Beatrice? Look at how much fun can be had playing with your board. I'll show you. This 5th game really is fun!!"
"Hear that? I'll give you special permission to talk. What do you hope to gain from this latest game?!"
"Ahahahaha! She said nothing! That's right, that's right! You're the loser who surrendered to Battler! Leave it to me, okay? I'll put the witch side on top right away! But that means I'll have to sacrifice the piece you are!!"
"The Golden Witch Beatrice is out of the picture now! You and your furniture have only a miniscule role in my game! A loser's role!! Resign yourself to getting blasted away and becoming Bern's and my toy!!"
"She's saying she doesn't mind! *giggle*giggle*!! You're totally a pin!!"
"Ahhahaha, ahhahahahahaha "kyahhhahahhah hahahahahahhhahahahgwahyahhahaaah!!!""
There's no need for a Golden Witch anymore.
All that's needed is a sacrificial doll so that the two witches can enjoy some time playing.
Die, die, disappear.
Confess to your filthy past and your crimes, speak out your sob story of regret and repentance as you throw yourself off a cliff and die!!
The Golden Witch will never again have her turn......!!
Ahhahhahahahahaahhahhaahahahahahaahahahahahahaha...!!
".........Ready, Battler? The second day is finally about to start. Heheheheh! Just like Beato, I hate slow story progression!"
"*giggle*...! Isn't it great that you've been blessed with such a helpful-looking ally?! In the past, it was Virgilia and Ronove. Then Ange came as well. And now you have Bern and Erika! There are so many pieces supporting you! So how does it feel knowing that you still can't catch on to the truth despite that? How does it feel?!"
"*giggle*, dance for me, Natsuhi! Dance in fear of your sin 19 years ago!! My turn's going pretty well. Okay, your turn now, Bern!!"
".........I'm sure this is a waste of time, but let me confirm whether correspondence with the outside world, including reporting this to the police, is possible or not."
"It's impossible to make use of the external li~ne! Looks like you can use the internal line! It's impossible to use a boat inside the typhoon! I guess the closed circle is complete now! Congrats, you're now a full detective, Bern!"
"It sure will lead to some developments! *cackle*cackle*cackle*. Beato's pieces have brought about an interesting change. *giggle*giggle*!"
"Your reasoning goes like this, right? The four of them weren't actually dead, they were just playing dead. Then, when no one else was around, they hid somewhere. Am I right?"
"Of course I won't. Unlike that dolt Beato, I don't give red out for free!"
"Ahhaha! Even if you've been shown their gaping wounds, you're still trying that one on principle as long as there's no red, right?! But don't get your hopes up. I'm not giving you a freebie red truth! After all, I just have to deny it all at once at the end of the game, at 24:00 on October 5!"
"Yeah, that's right. It's not like I proclaimed that Krauss was being confined with the red truth. *giggle*giggle*! You know how they say you've got to confuse your friends before you can confuse your enemies! So he lied to Natsuhi, making it seem like he'd been captured! Eheheheheheheh!! Any others?!"
"Ahhahhahhahahahahahahahaha!! That's messed up!! So even though all those people gathered around and saw their dead faces, none of them realized that they were substitute corpses?"
"No wa~y♪ I'm not falling for that provocation! The red truth is only useful if you use it with flash, right? I'll take a single truth out of a large pile of blue and smash it with the red! Then, the rest of the blue truths will be swallowed up by darkness before you can find out whether they were right or wrong!"
"That darkness is the world of witches! You won't be given any truth at all! Ehheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!"
.........Heheh.
...This girl acts like she's stupid, but she's not bad at all.
She'll never rise to provocation.
"Ahahahahahahaha, kyaahhahahahahahahahahaha!! That's so totally laaame!!"
"Ahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha...!! Here it is, the ten wedges to pierce witches...!! Just like usual, it's the kind of irrational argument that I just love to hear...!"
"Ohhohohohohohohoho, ooohohohohohohohohyahhyaaaahhh!! Ah, this is good stuff!! Erika, that was so laaaame, ehihhahhahahahahahahahaha!!"
"Neither Krauss nor Natsuhi nor Genji knocked!"
"This isn't the limited meaning of them knocking on the door, okay? It means they didn't use a pillar to transmit the sound or push the play button on a cassette tape they'd recorded or create that knock sound by any means! Of course, this applies to direct, indirect, intentional, coincidental, and unintentional means!"
"I'll reword that red about 'placing it' in the corridor a bit. No one in the mansion placed the letter in the hallway. This includes doing so by all concepts, such as directly, indirectly, intentionally, coincidentally, and unintentionally."
"......For example, let's assume there was a device on the serving cart that 'drops the letter when it stops moving'. In this case, you'd think they could predict that the cart would probably stop just once when those two knock on the door to the dining hall, and by doing so, they'd be cleverly making it so the letter drops right in front of the door."
"But even this doesn't work, okay? The action of 'stopping the serving cart' would indirectly lead to 'placing the letter in the hallway'. That would mean Shannon and Kanon, who were pushing the cart, had 'indirectly and unintentionally' placed the letter there! So even this is no good! Furthermore, setting it up so that the letter peeled off with the passage of time would mean that the people pushing the serving cart had 'coincidentally and unintentionally' placed the letter there. Of course, this is also no good!!"
"......Repeat iiiiiit...? Even though I'm nice enough to give you all this red for free? Aren't you being a bit greedy? I'm not an idiot like Beato, so I won't go around saying everything my opponent tells me to repeat..."
".........I'll give you a full body massage in a bath with marshmallows and konpeito sometime soon. Enough to rub your skin off."
"Eheheheheh, now you've gotta keep that promise. *slurp*! ......Alright, then, here's a freebie♪ I'll respond. 'At 24:00, only Erika, George, Jessica, Maria, Nanjo, Gohda, and Kumasawa existed outside the mansion'!"
"Eheheheheheheheheheheh...! You really are a cute kid, piece of Bern's. Very lively. Anyways, she's yelling that you forgive her because she's solved one of the two riddles, even though she resigned on the other. So, will you forgive her......?"
"Then it's time to get punished・・・・・・・・・・・・, Erika-chan♪"
None of the characters misidentified a knocking sound.
"Misidentifying a knocking sound means this: they would not mistake a sound very similar to a knocking sound for a real knocking sound. Hitting a pillar to make something similar to a knocking sound is no good. When you record a knocking sound on a cassette tape and play it back, it becomes 'the sound of the tape with a knocking sound on it', and not a knocking sound. So that's no good either!"
"In other words, all of them would correctly distinguish a knocking sound of something truly hitting the door, and they definitely wouldn't mishear it. It's totally impossible that any sounds except hitting that door directly would be misinterpreted as a knock!!"
"Yep, they don't exist. After all, the Golden Witch Beatrice hit it. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*...!!"
"'To knock' means someone hitting a door with their hand, right? I won't accept hitting it with some device, eheheheheheheheheheheh!! They heard a knock at the same time as the 24:00 bell. At that time, everyone inside the dining hall definitely heard it. And none of them misinterpreted a knocking sound. Krauss, Natsuhi, and Genji were not involved with the knock. No one else existed inside the mansion. And that knock refers to the action of standing directly in front of a door and hitting it with a hand."
"......Hey, Bern. What do you think of my red? Don't you think this is pretty simple and enjoyable despite being before the first twilight? The Golden Witch descended quietly with a knocking sound. *giggle*giggle*, eheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh...!"
"......After all, Bern is pretty forgetful. If you don't try a little harder, Bern's gonna forget you, okay...? You'll collect dust in that forgotten piece tray, awaiting your turn that will never come. ......I imagine that'd be pretty harsh, don't you think...?"
"Listen witches, humans!! I hereby announce that with this assembly of witches, the Court of Illusions will now begin!!"
The commander of the game spoke with words of power.
Though her words were spoken inside such a vast space, they rang out with the force of a bell in a bell tower...
"Your lives and roles as they correspond to this game are over! The 5th game is now closed, and the 24:00 answer session shall begin! ......Well, I'd like to get started quickly, but why don't we have everyone quickly introduce themselves first? After all, there are so many people here."
"Eheheheheh! I am Lambdadelta! The Witch of Certainty and the new commander of this game!"
"I'm also looking forward to it. Okay, remaining pieces, introduce yourselves in whatever order."
"Listen witches, humans!! Two claims have appeared for a single truth! Is the culprit a human, Ushiromiya Natsuhi? Is the culprit a witch, Beatrice?!"
"If the witch wins, the truth about the 5th game will disappear into darkness. If Erika wins, the Illusion of the Witch will be wiped from the game board. ......In other words, for Beato alone, this is a battle which must not be lost. Are you prepared?"
"Good point. What do you say, Bern, Erika? Why can you claim that Gohda and Kumasawa have alibis?"
"Blue truth, effective. ......What'll you do, Bern? Will you or Dlanor step in instead?"
"*giggle*giggle*... If you really could do that, it'd be seriously interesting... Very well, Erika. Let's see what you've got...!"
"Red truth, effective. ......Well done, Erika. The alibi due to your seal on that door has been acknowledged by Bern and elevated to the status of red truth."".........To go even further, at 24:00, Natsuhi, Krauss, and Genji were in a corridor on the second floor of the mansion. All the remaining people were at the family conference in the dining hall. Of course, at that point in time, no murder had occurred. Genji was also alive."
"Goodbye, Beatrice. .........I made you a witch expecting that you would either become my friend or help distract me from my boredom. And you've answered to my expectations. The second one, that is. ...Eheheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!"
"......I......am a witch...... Even if Lady Lambdadelta doesn't acknowledge it......I'm a witch........."
"Oh, sure, but you wouldn't even be capable of believing that if I hadn't become your guardian in the first place...!! Yep, this is 'game over' for you. You will be buried in accordance with the rules of your game board. ......What happens to the losers in your game, again...?"
"Yep. Our contract said that whenever you stopped entertaining me, you would relieve me of my boredom with your life!"
"Come, strip the title of witch from this woman and throw her into the pot of goats!!"
"Oh, and I'll mix the leftovers from your precious sister into that pile. Wouldn't that make for a wonderful stack of meat? ......Then we can wrap it up in a dumpling, steam it and maybe add some soy sauce!!"
"No, the best way would be to fry them in a pan with some eggs and ketchup!!"
""Ahyahhahahahahahahhhayhhyahyayhyahahahaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!""
"The red truth from the previous games says that Kinzo is already dead. ......But that's not enough to satisfy you, right, Bern?"
"Then why don't you try it? Show us what you've got."
"......? Well, that's true...he was a corpse after all. ..................No, I'm sorry. That's right, totally right. I won't butt in. It sounds interesting, so keep going."
"I've received testimony from those involved. Wow, this is pretty fatal. *giggle*giggle*giggle*...! No room for doubt now!"
".........Ushiromiya Battler... You were an interesting guy. ...And you might have become even more interesting......too bad."
"*giggle*, that sounds wonderful. Really tasteful. Maybe you can coat him with plaster and make a beautiful white statue. ......And it'd be wonderful if you decorated him all cute!"
"Galaxy Express?"
"The one that isn't 'Night on the-'."
"......You know, I read that back when I wasn't a witch. ...I always thought it strange that humans who obtained eternal life would become so cruel. ......At the time, I honestly couldn't relate."
"......After becoming a witch and living a thousand years, I fully understand it. ......That writer could understand our cruelty really well, in the truest sense. *giggle*giggle*!"
"......Where will you go next? I'll bet we say farewell with our backs turned, right?"
"That's because I don't want to let you get bored."
"Thanks, Bern. But you can be sure that I'll count to a hundred and then start searching for you again."
"You really don't let a person get bored. That's why I like you, love you. ............Let's meet again somewhere. However, we may not be reunited for another hundred or thousand years...if ever."
"That's alright. The sea of Fragments is tiny to a pair who love each other."
"The Third Man?"
"No, Children of Paradise of course."
".........If each time you smashed one of those countless Fragments that glitter like a starry night, you could escape the poison of just a single evening's worth of boredom, even you would want to count the stars in the sky."
"Ooh, not bad...pfft, *giggle*giggle*...!"
The Voyager witches travel across the countless glittering futures of possibility, ......and gobble them up, trying to escape their illness called boredom for as long as they can.
The tiny, tiny Fragment created by the human known as Beatrice......had now been gobbled up by the two witches......and had lost its glitter.
The two who had earlier called themselves rivals in front of Beato...now stopped that charade and laughed together playfully.
"......This sure is an elaborate act. ...Is this one of your tricks, Lambda?"
"Th, .........that glow............i, it couldn't be........."
Lambda stared wide-eyed at that bright golden glow in awe...
When she noticed that Battler's resurrection wasn't part of a script Lambda had thought up, Bern also frowned slightly...
"Lambda. What kind of farce is this? ......The Illusion of the Witch has been completely destroyed, and the trial ended with our victory."
".........Sorry, Bern. ......You'll have to stick around a bit longer. .........Isn't that right, Ushiromiya Battler......?"
"............Yeah. ......Sorry to keep you waiting, Erika, ......Bernkastel. ......Now it's time for my truth......"
"Request for a retrial accepted. ......The assembly of witches retracts the adjournment of the Court of Illusions!!"
"O, objection. The trial has already been concluded and the results have even been announced...!"
"Objection overruled...!! All verdicts are overshadowed by new truths!!"
"Objection!! Not only has Battler been banished as a player, he also doesn't hold the rank of witch...! He isn't qualified to call for an appeal...!"
"Objection overruled!! He already does have that. ......By the name of Lambdadelta, Witch of Certainty, I acknowledge it.........Ushiromiya Battler...! I acknowledge you as the new Golden Witch, ......no, .........as the new Endless Sorcerer, Ushiromiya Battler...!!!"
"Yes, that's right. ......So you still don't understand? You don't know what that gold sparkle signifies? .........He's reached it, ......Battler has. ......He's made his way to the innermost depths of all truths!!"
"That means Battler's understood everything about this world, this tale, this game. ......In other words, he's reached the position of the game's master. ......*giggle*, I'll bet you don't want to believe it, right, Bern?!"
"Too bad, Erika. .........Just when you were finally appointed as the territory lord of this Fragment, you've been deprived of that title."
"The new territory lord of this Fragment is Ushiromiya Battler. ......*giggle*, is it awful? Hey, hey, don't you feel just awful?! How's it feel to be deprived of that title just when you'd finally gotten it?! How's it feel?!"
"Bern's reasoning is perfect. You won't be able to overturn it easily. ......But still. If you can present a theory on par with Bern's, the fight will come down to a verdict. That means it's possible that either one of the truths will be defeated and denied!"
"......Ooh. Any counter with the red truth will be ineffective? I guess that works."
".........How are you gonna prove that the corpse was Kinzo's if the red truth is sealed? It's impossible. ...It can't be done...!"
"......With red or blue, ...right......?"
"Wh, what is that...? Lambda, does this follow the rules?!"
"..................Yes. ......Golden truth, effective. The gold truth.........can only be used by the territory lord of this world......no, ......only by the Game Master himself!!"
"Battler, it would be excessively unrefined to say any more. Even without saying another word, you've fully made your truth about the corpses' disappearance 'understood'! I see, 'that thing' you're thinking of doesn't conflict with any of the red in this trial so far! Your truth based around the revenge of the man from 19 years ago had been completely understood and processed!! I proclaim that your truth has now been established!!"
"......So. ......You still intend to argue back against Battler.........?"
"Yeah, that's right. From Erika, I haven't heard of a single way for the corpses to disappear that doesn't involve Kinzo. Looks like your theory is about to be denied, doesn't it?!"
"The game goes back to being even!! And I transfer the position of Game Master from myself to the Golden Sorcerer, Ushiromiya Battler!!"
"Ushiromiya Battler, step forward!! I appoint you as the new Game Master!! Will you accept? You will, right?! Do it, you new Endless Witch!!!"
"Wow, incredible. She said 'I'll give you a chance'. Isn't this a miracle? The Witch of Miracles, Bernkastel."