Episode 0 - Chain Mail - Part 13 - Alt. Ending

 Check the 4th and 5th parts if you've forgotten the beginning of this route!

However, let me give a short summary here too. After deciding to meet with the mysterious woman behind the chain mail, we meet up with her in a family restaurant, where she reveals herself to be the very person she accused! Or so it seemed, but as she explained, the killer claimed themselves to be her during their confrontation in a back alley. Now, we reach the moment where we decide to believe or distrust her story. Let's begin.

Miyuki Kawahara's True Intentions

Why did she choose such a roundabout way as chain mail in the first place?

        >Because she didn't need to use her name.

                           >Because it can be sent to an unspecified number of people.

   

Let's see what's on the other option.

                           >Because it can be sent to an unspecified number of people.

Is her aim really to stop the culprit?

        >That's right.

                     >It may be something else.

  

Since we won't believe her, we should choose this one. 

                     >It may be something else.

Different possibilities... Those could be---

                                   >That she never saw anything.

   >I don't know...

   

Well... there's not much confidence here, but at least we have a path to the conclusion we want.

                           >That she never saw anything.

Then, is her testimony completely false?

                              >Unfornunately, yes. (Conclusion)

           >No, I should rethink this.

   

There is another way to get here through the very first option, by the way. It's the more logical path too, oops!

  >Unfortunately, yes.

Miyuki Kawahara's testimony is a complete lie---

People use lies to often cover up the truth.

But, in this case, she has no reason to hide the truth about the serial killings unless Miyuki Kawahara herself is the culprit.

However, why would the culprit bother to contact us? So why would she lie?

"Habitual lying".

I've heard stories of an illness in which people lie so that they could look greater than they actually are, or to stand out more.

If it's just at the level of bragging, it can be charming, but when it becomes a serious problem, not even the person themselves can recognize what is true or false.

If we assume she is a pathological liar, everything would make sense, wouldn't it?

Although I'm not confident in this idea, I should try to talk to Mr. Kogure about it.

"Mhmm..."

"What do you think, Mr. Kogure?"

I asked Mr. Kogure, who continued to groan with a sour face, for his opinion.

"Well, sir... I can't believe it myself. Miyuki-chan's testimony being a complete lie..."

"And, while that theory explains why she wasn't killed by the murderer, it doesn't explain why she went to the trouble of testifying that the culprit called themselves after her real name."

"And, that frightened look on Miyuki-chan's face... That is undoubtedly true!" Mr. Kogure strongly asserted.

Mr. Kogure's words certainly make sense. Maybe I'm the strange one for suspecting her story to be a lie.

But, I am a detective.

There are times when you must doubt each and every human being for the sake of pursuing the truth...

"This is an ill-fated job, after all..." Without speaking to anyone, I muttered to myself in a self-deprecating manner.

"Excuse me, Detectives." Covering her mouth with a handkerchief, Miyuki Kawahara sat down.

She's still a little pale. Maybe because of that, her impression feels a bit different.

"Is everything alright, Miyuki-chan!?"

"Yeah... Apart from that, I still need to work. I have to get back to the set as soon as possible."

When she said that, she sat up as if to run away.

"Hey...! Wait a minute!" I couldn't help but grab her hand. It was thin and cold.

Since the veracity of Miyuki Kawahara's testimony is still uncertain, we can't just leave her alone.

Besides, if she really did see the killer, her life would likely be in danger.

"You are a witness to a murder case. And, the murderer saw your face. As it is, you are in danger. The police will take you into custody for your protection." I tried to persuade her to stay.

"That's a problem. I have a job to do. I have a lot of fans waiting for me, you know?"

"But, if the killer attacks you and you get injured, you'll have a bigger problem. Your opponent is a horrible serial killer. It might end up being more than just an injury."

"Miyuki-chan! This is for the sake of your fans too! Please listen to us!" Mr. Kogure, on the behalf of her fans, earnestly requests her cooperation too.

"...Alright. I'll ask my manager to adjust my schedule for the future."

"But, I can't do it today. I can't cancel this shooting right now."

"In that case, we'll take you to work. You never know what might happen along the way."

"No, it's fine. My manager is waiting for me right there. The shooting set is just a short drive away, so don't worry."

"But..."

"If I stay with you guys, strange rumors could pop up. That would be a problem. You understand?"

Strange rumors, what kind of rumors... I had the urge to say something in return but decided to hold back.

However, this is a problem. Again, since we have no warrant, I can't do anything forcefully.

What should I do---?

                      >Follow her, even if forcibly.

   >Do as she says here.

   

Let's take the safe route this time, we might get something from her if we're nice.

   >Do as she says here.

It can't be helped. Let's respect her wishes here.

If we force her to do something and she doesn't cooperate, there will be no way to get her trust back.

Not to mention, I don't want to make enemies of Miyuki Kawahara fans all over Japan, including Mr. Kogure.

"Well then, if something strange happens or you feel uneasy, you can call my cell phone."

"Also, never be alone. Always have someone you trust near. Understood?"

I made sure to remember to ask for her phone number.

Of course, this is for my job. I have no ulterior motives.

On the other hand, Mr. Kogure didn't forget to ask her for an autograph and a commemorative photo before parting.

Of course, this wasn't for his job.

[Photo flash]

Then, we saw her off...

The following day---

"---Popular singer Miyuki Kawahara's sudden death shocked not only fans but also many others."

"According to police, Ms. Kawahara's cause of death was a heart attack."

"Last night, during filming for a TV program, the program staff found Ms. Kawahara collapsed in her dressing room."

"Ms. Kawahara was immediately taken to the hospital, but she was dead on arrival."

"There are concerns from many sides that the sudden death of this nationally popular singer may lead to suicides by her passionate fans."

 "Ridiculous... Miyuki Kawahara suddenly died? By heart attack? That's... I can't believe it..."

I stood there, unable to move at the shocking news that came on as soon as I turned on the TV.

[Crashing sound]

"Sirrr-! Miyuki-chan's...! Miyuki-chan is...! Guhfhfhfhfhfh...!" [Crying maybe?]

Mr. Kogure burst into the room and buried his messy face and runny nose into my chest.

 "Sir...! Am I having a nightmare?! To think that Miyuki-chan would end up dying...!"

 "Yeah... I can't believe it. By a heart attack..."

"Sure, she said she wasn't feeling well yesterday, but for her to die... No way, could the killer have..."

All sorts of speculation run through my head.

 "Sir... the person we met yesterday was definitely Miyuki-chan, right?"

 "Eh... What do you mean by that?" Mr. Kogure had said something weird out of nowhere.

"...Please look at this." Mr. Kogure held out two pieces of colored paper.

The colored paper on the right is vaguely familiar. This is the autograph Kogure got from Miyuki Kawahara yesterday.

I've never seen the autograph with the heart on the left. Is it also an idol's autograph?

 "What's wrong with them...?"

 "Well sir, as you know, the autograph on the right is the autograph Miyuki-chan gave me yesterday."

"And on the left, that's the autograph that I won from a magazine sweepstake."

 "Huh, who is it from?"

 "From Miyuki-chan."

My head went blank. "W-what do you mean?" The left and right papers are clearly different, but...

I grabbed them and asked for an explanation.

 "That means that the autograph I got from Miyuki-chan yesterday wasn't Miyuki-chan's autograph!"

 "No way...! I mean, she drew that autograph right in front of us!"

 "That's right, sir... That's why I asked if we could be certain if she really was Miyuki-chan..."

"I was so excited at the time I didn't even notice that the autograph was fake."

"However, when I compared them this morning..." So this isn't Miyuki Kawahara's signature?

"I thought I was mistaken, so I looked up her signature on the Net, but..."

"...As expected, yesterday's autograph is a fake."

Good lord. What the hell is going on?

The woman we met yesterday... She must have been, without a doubt, Miyuki Kawahara. But then, why---?

[Inference Logic time!]

Okay, I've decided to skip the answering process because it's the same as in the other ending for this route, only with fewer keywords. However, the dialogue after it may be different, so I'll translate those, but first...

I'll stop here. Next time, we'll get every route ending for this episode. After that, I'll show this route's dead ends and get all FOAF files. This will probably take only three more posts before moving onto the actual 1st episode, lol. But, before ending this post, the fact she died of a heart attack is actually pretty interesting to me. The real Elizabeth Báthory died of one as well, meaning that no matter how many people she kills or how much she reincarnates, she'll never be able to live forever. That's a nice detail.

Anyway, see you next time!

49 - Habitual Lying

【虚言癖、kyogen-heki】

[A conjunction of "falsehood" and "habit".]

There are various types of lies, but lies about one's status, skills, etc. spoken for the sake of their own vanity, through repetition, can become chronic and eventually indistinguishable from reality.

This occurrence is generally referred to as habitual lying, mythomania, pathological lying, or pseudologia fantastica.

This symptom is a manifestation of excessive self-aggrandizement and a desire to be seen for who they are. Moreover, since the liar does not consider their lies to be falsehoods, there is no malice towards the listener on their part.

Since the goal of pseudologia fantastica is to fulfill the desire to draw attention to oneself, the contents of the lies could be great claims, such as being famous, or they could be an attempt to gather sympathy, for example, having an unfortunate upbringing or background.

Since the liar themselves is not aware they're telling lies, it is difficult for those around them to know whether what they're saying is true or false. Pathological lying is often seen in young children and women and is thought to be a form of hysteria.

In contrast, if someone intentionally continues to lie even if they know they are lying, it is considered a type of behavioral or personality disorder.

In the case of a behavioral disorder, the symptoms are considered similar to those of kleptomania, or compulsive buying disorder. [They didn't use the actual names here and instead described similar situations. Also, did you know that CBD can also be called oniomania?]

In the case of a personality disorder, the person will consciously act out scenarios they drew up to draw attention to themselves through self-aggrandizement or to satisfy the desire to transform themselves into someone else. This condition is also said to be common among actors, religious leaders, and politicians.

197 - Warrant

【令状、reijou】

[Lit. Letter of command.]

For the purpose of protecting human rights, when there is a strong suspicion that a person is a culprit in a criminal case and a compulsory investigation is needed, judicial police personnel, or police officers, must request a warrant from the court to conduct the investigation. This is stipulated in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

"Code of Criminal Procedure - Second Volume - First Instance"

Article 199

When there are reasonable grounds to believe that a suspect has committed a crime, a public prosecutor, a public prosecutor's assistant, or a judicial police officer may arrest the suspect by employing an arrest warrant issued in advance by a judge.

However, concerning crimes that are punishable by a fine of no more than 500 yen, detention, or a minor penalty, this is only applicable if the suspect has no fixed residence or does not respond to the request to surrender under the preceding Articles with reasonable grounds.

Article 218

A public prosecutor, a public prosecutor's assistant, or a judicial police officer may when necessary for the investigation of a crime, conduct a seizure, search, or inspection employing a warrant issued by a judge. In such cases, a bodily search shall be conducted according to a search warrant.

Regarding warrants, there exist many types, such as:

- Arrest warrants.

- Seizure warrants.

- Search warrants.

- Inspection permits.

- Writ of detention for expert examination.

- Bodily search warrants.

- Disposal appraisal permits.

- Monitoring warrants. [As in a stake-out.]

In short, without these warrants, police officers are prohibited from conducting random searches of a person's body or home without their consent.

Episode 0 - Chain Mail - Part 12.5

Now, you must be wondering why I used a .5 instead of just going to Part 13. Simply put, after translating an alternate choice that's not relevant to the story, I realized it was long and interesting enough to make a single part, and so, I chose to make just a small post and keep the last ending to its own post. For this reason, I decided to make this a .5 part to show it isn't really story-relevant.

This will make it an easier read for both parts, or so I believe. Anyway, let's begin, shall we?

And that is---

                                    >"Did you really see the culprit?"

>"How old are you?"

                     >"Why didn't you call the police?"

>"How old are you?"

Yes. Her age. That's the most important thing. I asked her without hesitation.

"Hey, girlfriend, what's your age?" [He used 'kanojo' here, meaning either 'she' or 'girlfriend', so this makes Junya look like a massive prick no matter what.]

...Huh? That's weird. I didn't get an answer.

"...Are you making fun of me?" Damn it. I pissed her off.

Um, what do I do?

                >Apologize honestly.

   >Return the anger.

   

   >Return the anger.

No, wait. Why shouldn't I be angry?

Aren't you the one who's bothering me with strange e-mails?!

"It's your fault for sending this stupid chain mail! I'll arrest you if you don't put an end to this!"

As a police officer, I gave her a stern warning. "You, a policeman...?"

It seems that she didn't think I was a police officer. Fufun. [Smug chuckle] How about it, you scared?

"I see... I get it. Well then, bye..."

When I told her yes, she one-sidedly hung up the phone. Was it my imagination, or did she laugh, albeit slightly?

Well, it's fine. It's best to forget about this silly prank call.

"Junya~ How long are you going to skip work? You underlings need to work hard as underlings should."

"...By the way, I have to go out on an important mission. While I'm away, could you please take care of whatever happens?"

Without hearing my reply, the Inspector hastily left. For, most likely, a horse or bicycle race.

"Yessir! Inspector, thank you for your hard work!" When Mr. Kogure says that, it seems like he's in a different profession.

Having lost our boss, we have no choice but to do our paperwork.

There is a rotten amount of documents needing to be sorted out. It's unlikely that we'll ever be without a job to do.

For the next few hours... Mr. Kogure and I silently worked hard at our desks.

"Sir..."

"W-what's the problem, Mr. Kogure?"

"Well, sir... I'm feeling kind of sick... Even though my only virtue is my health, something's wrong with me..."

Mr. Kogure's forehead is dripping with sweat. His complexion isn't good either.

"Excuse me, but would it be alright if I left early...?"

"Yes, it's alright. Don't overdo it, please take care of yourself."

"Yes, sir... Thank you very much..." Mr. Kogure thanked me without hesitation and then went home without saying goodbye.

"A developmental fever, maybe...?" There was no one to reply to my rude monologue.

This may be the first time I've worked alone.

Mr. Kogure who comes to work early in the morning and works overtime until late. The Inspector who had come to live here as if it were her own home.

Thanks to those two, I've seldom been alone.

Even so, there's no way a fine adult could say, "I can't work because I'm lonely", so I went back to working again.

The screen starts shaking, and all the while black bars go up and down on the extremes of the screen.

After a few tremors, the screen goes black.

Ngh...? What...? What's that sound...?

That's right. My mobile phone. It's my phone's ringtone.

...Oh. It seems I fell asleep at some point.

"Hello?" I answered the phone in a clearer tone than necessary so that they wouldn't find out I had just woken up.

"Hello, it's me. Why didn't you help me?" ...It's that woman! I knew it intuitively.

"Huh? Hello?" It got cut off...

Is she going to harass me? What extreme resentment.

It's 5 minutes later. The cell phone in my inside pocket began to make noise again.

"Hello, it's me. I'm about to go and meet you."

...Going to meet me? This is the 5th basement floor of the MPD. How could she get here?

It's like when she sent that chain mail. In any case, it's going to be some boring harassment.

But, yet another 5 minutes later---

"Hello, it's me. I'm in front of the MPD right now. I'll see you soon."

Whoa, is she crazy? There's no way an ordinary person could enter here at such a time.

There's no doubt. She's just harassing me.

5 minutes later---

"Hello, it's me. Right now, I'm on the 1st basement floor."

Ridiculous...! That's impossible!

However, even after that, I received regular calls, spaced by exactly 5 minutes---

"Hello, right now, I'm on the 2nd basement floor."

Stop that!

"Hello, right now, I'm on the 3rd basement floor."

Stop it!!

I slammed my phone on the floor.

I could have turned it off, that would have been fine, but I had lost both my calm judgment and my peace of mind.

But, I'm relieved now. With this, I can't receive any more prank calls from that woman...

"Hello, right now, I'm on the 4th basement floor.", the woman's voice came over from the loudspeakers for building-wide announcements.

That's... a lie!

I hastily locked the door.

No matter who comes, I won't open until dawn. I swore so.

"Hello, right now, I'm in front of the room. Open the door. There's no point in hiding." No matter if I locked the door, there was no way to stop the voice flowing from the speakers.

"Open the door. I know you're in there." A low female voice grabs my heart.

My instinct warns of the danger. A strong warning like needles piercing my whole body--- Regardless of my own will, I moved.

UWAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

All reason flew away once I shouted. Like a madman, I slammed a nearby chair into the speaker.

Forgive me already...

I'm begging you...

This time, I'll help properly...

I'm begging you...

So, please...

I prayed to all gods and buddhas I knew---

[Ringing sound]

My watch's alarm sounded at midnight. It was the bell of salvation for the zealous me.

Just now, five minutes have passed since I last heard that woman's voice. As I expected, she couldn't pry open the door.

No, wait... That woman couldn't have come to the MPD from the beginning.

The voice from the speakers could have been remotely sent from the outside. That's it. It must be so.

When I succeeded in convincing myself, I took a slow, deep breath. To experience the joy of liberation...

[A distorted voice is heard.]

"Why didn't you open it?"

No way... I broke my phone and the speaker. I shouldn't be able to hear her voice!

"But, this is enough. This is how I'll meet you..."

"Understand? I am, right now, behind you..."

[Child's laughter]

WE FINALLY MEET

[The unlocked file is of "Mary-san", or "Ms. Mary". If you know Japanese urban legends, you've probably realized how similar these events are to that story.]

"...Hello? Hello, can you hear me?"

Huh? What was I doing...?

"Hello, can you hear me alright?" A woman's voice is heard on the other side of the phone.

Oh yeah. I got a phone call from the chain mail woman, and then...

Strange... I can't remember anything after that. Did I fall asleep in the middle of the call?

"I'm sorry. It seems like I was a little absent-minded..."

"Did you have a good dream?" The voice stroked my ears with a strange laugh.

"Eh...?"

"I saw the serial killer..."

"The culprit is... {Erisa Hattori}..."

[Everything continues as normal from here.]

That's the end of this post. It's pretty small, but also a fun read, at least for me. The next post will be the actual Part 13 and will be interesting in its own right.

Anyway, see you next time!

186 - Ms. Mary

【メリーさん、merii-san】

A certain girl decided to throw away her cherished doll "Ms. Mary" when she moved out of her old house.

The day after the move, the girl received a phone call.

"Hello, it's me Mary. How could you throw me away. Remember this. I'll do the same to you."

The girl, who naturally thought it was a prank, didn't care in the slightest.

But on the next day, the phone rang again.

"Hello. I am in front of the station right now. Please come pick me up."

Again on the next day.

"Hello. I am in front of your house. I'm almost there."

Frightened, the girl immediately hung up the phone.

Later that night, the girl's house phone made a piercing sound.

But, she was too scared to answer the phone.

However, once the phone switched to the answering machine, a message from a familiar voice was heard.

"Hello, it's me Mary. Why didn't you come to pick me up? But that's alright. After all, I am..."

"Right now... behind you."

The following day, the girl's room was empty of her, with only the doll lying there.

This is the rumor of "Ms. Mary". In addition, there is a variation where the girl turned around and was stabbed by a kitchen knife, but the flow of the story is almost the same.

Episode 0 - Chain Mail - Part 12 - Alt. Route End

 Don't forget to check the last part if you haven't, or the start of this route if you want to binge-read it!

In the last part, we lost badly to the killer, however, we somehow survived and learned the last bits of information necessary to make sense of this case. Including the identity of the mysterious portrait lady: Elizabeth Báthory. Now, let's infer some logic, shall we?

Verification 1: What is the connection between Nao Hayashi and Miyuki Kawahara?

I'll save me some line space and instead just name the options as I go along this time.

Fan: no. Rival: as Junya would say, too old. Same person: obviously not. Therefore...

>Make-up

Verification 2: What is the connection between Miyuki Kawahara and "Erisa Hattori"?

Different people: Nope. Same people: yes, but just like last time, I think another will fit better. Therefore...

>Dual Personality

Verification 3: What is the true identity of Miyuki Kawahara?

Liar: we never met her, so who knows. Murderer: yes, but with the knowledge of the other route, we can be pretty sure she is the reincarnation (or something similar) of Elizabeth Báthory. Hell, even their names are similar, Erisa Hattori = Eliza(beth) Báthory. Therefore...

>Elizabeth Báthory

I've also added the "fan" to Kogure's blank, and with this, we're done. Let's finish this logic.

(Verification 1)

Nao Hayashi was in charge of Miyuki Kawahara's "make-up".

As a result, Nao Hayashi discovered Miyuki Kawahara's abnormality and used chain mail in an attempt to seek help.

(Verification 2)

Miyuki Kawahara has a "dual personality"...

When one considers the popular singer "Miyuki Kawahara" and the coldblooded murderer "Erisa Hattori" to be the same person, the keyword "dual personality" seems to be the most appropriate.

However, her strange transfiguration cannot be explained simply by saying that she has a dual personality.

This incident is no ordinary case.

Although, what if something happened to Miyuki Kawahara, causing her to develop a special alternate personality that modern medicine can't explain...

(Verification 3)

Miyuki Kawahara's true identity is "Elizabeth Báthory"...

An extraordinary villainess who actually existed in Medieval Europe. What if there is some kind of connection between Miyuki Kawahara and Elizabeth Báthory...?

A nationally popular singer that suddenly changed into a murderer... An evil ritual reminiscent of black magic... A portrait of Elizabeth Báthory...

What is the meaning behind them? Once I throw away common sense and accept everything, the enigma of this bizarre case will reveal itself.

If Nao Hayashi, the only eyewitness, testifies, we'll be able to learn more details...

All correct, baby! Also, I may have forgotten to take some pictures here, oops.

Anyway, the game jumps from this screen to a pitch-black one, with only the text box with us.

The subsequent investigation officially revealed that Miyuki Kawahara was the serial killer.

In the abandoned building, body parts of the victims were found one after another.

The media were all over the place, calling them ritualistic or pleasure killings, exposing the hidden face of the popular singer to the public.

A week has passed since then---

"Haa..." Again? I can hear Mr. Kogure sighing today again.

Ever since then, Mr. Kogure has been sighing day after day.

No wonder. His adored idol singer has been branded as a murderer.

 "Haa..."

 "Agh! This is so irritating!"

 "B-but, Miss Inspector..."

 "But you also have a duty, don't you?!"

"Miyuki Kawahara was the culprit of the serial killings. That is an undeniable fact."

"If you really are a detective, you should know to throw away your personal feelings and accept the facts!"

 "U-uuu..." Mr. Kogure, who was rebuked, is pitifully on the verge of tears.

However, for Mr. Kogure, who shows no signs of getting back on his feet at all, this level of rough treatment may be just what he needs.

 "Inspector. Speaking of which, was Nao Hayashi found after that?" I suddenly became curious about her, so I tried asking.

Since Nao Hayashi's disappearance, I have never heard of her being found.

 "Ah. If you're wondering about that, we found her..."

 "Really!?"

 "Here, look at this."

Me. Kogure and I looked at each other as we held the documents handed to us by the Inspector. What in the world was in these documents?

 "It's the second from the bottom." The Inspector said bluntly, and we flipped through the papers.

Victim: Nao Hayashi

Profession: Make-up Artist

 "I-impossible...! She... Nao Hayashi was a victim...!?"

 "I heard she was found in the Iron Maiden torture device in the abandoned building."

"Both eyes were gouged out by being skewered with needles... A truly brutal way to die."

 "Both eyes were gouged out...!?"

Mr. Kogure and I seemed to have remembered the same thing. The Nao Hayashi we met was constantly holding her eyes...

 "An autopsy revealed that Nao Hayashi was killed four months ago. It looks like she was one of the earliest victims."

 "Four months ago!? But, didn't we just meet her only a week ago!?" Forgetting that she was my superior, I approached the Inspector.

 "Well, Kazami, and Kogure too, listen to me. There are many things in this world that defy common sense."

"If you deny the facts you see and hear because they don't fit your ideas or because you don't understand them, you'll never be able to grasp the truth no matter how much you try, y'know?"

We couldn't say anything back to the Inspector's words, so we just hung our heads and looked back at the case...

In 1976, there was a rumor of a female ghost that would appear on the road near the temple and shrine of Chichibu, in the Saitama Prefecture.

There was a large cistern set up on the side of the road, and the female ghost was often seen in its vicinity. This was a popular ghost story.

However, in the following year, local firefighters noticed a foul odor emanating from the water tank, and when they investigated its contents, they found the decomposing body of a murdered woman.

It is said that her clothes were the same as the female ghost that appeared in the eyewitness account...

The dead's accusation--- A means for the silent dead to convey their regretful thoughts.

We, the living, are often unaware of their signs.

However, in reality, they may be frequently sending signs to places close to us...

Comprehensive Evaluation: S Class

Episode Zero - Chain Mail - End

And here is the end of this path. Next time, I'll show another choice before the route selection, and then return to the other route to get its other ending. We're pretty close to 100% completing this episode, only a few more parts left.

Anyway, see you next time!