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!