We are the chick. The world is our egg. Let's play Kara no Shoujo.

Ah yeah, that's a good point. I'm guessing that the postcard won't come into play this time around, but maybe we'll find out something about that, too?

... I wonder what will happen with Toko then, though. ; I don't think we'll be able to do anything if we go along with Yaginuma, but at the same time I wonder if it's okay to leave it to him. And then I'm curious as to what's up with Shinzo and Shinji... Darn my indecisiveness.

I think I'd rather work alone as well.

We shouldn't let petty emotions get in the way here. Toko's life might be at stake! Let's work with him; Reiji can always be a loose cannon and turn in his badge if he gets too much in the way.

This won't help you vote but there's an interesting BBC article about (modern) Japanese policing:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20810572

... Aghh, think I'll throw my vote in for working with Yaginuma. I really want to find out what some of the hanging plot threads are about (and I'm not particularly keen on working with him, given what happened with Uozumi), but focusing our efforts towards finding Toko might be best right now, and it seems that we'd be able to cover more distance working with the police (which unfortunately involves working with Yaginuma). Kind of hoping some of those plot threads will be touched on, though...

... Which unfortunately puts us at a tie, I think. Ahaha. ;

Fine. I'll switch to working with Yaginuma.

Since we're close to the end I'm going to let this vote drag out a bit...

I'm just a little doubtful that working with Yaginuma would help; I'm worried it'll hold Reiji back and stop us from getting to Toko in time. But you all have great points as well so I'll switch my vote too.

foo, you're all just trying to make me move ahead faster! okay, okay, probably not going to get four votes overturned...

Reiji: "...Got it. Let me work with you."

I swallow my pride. If there's a chance of saving Toko ----

2296

Yaginuma nods, triumph clear in his eyes.

(fade to black)

(And now we fade to another perspective, but without either a White or Black transition screen. I believe this indicates that what we're about to see is NOT happening at this exact moment, like most perspective switches, but is either Fiction or Backstory... and intentionally unclear about which. Also, there's creepy music playing, which means it's about time for a CONTENT NOTE)

Welcome back, mystery boy! Yep, totally Mamiya Shinji right there. Guess we have the explanation for why Nene's face was slashed up too, huh? And the obsession with rebuilding the faces of his recreations.

I'm willing to venture that the boy and his father are Shinji and Shinzo and that the mother is the lady who appears in the paintings/Toko1's clonemama. I mean, if you're looking for a motivation that'd make a dude cut up a bunch of ladies for an art project that might very well do it.

The Mamiya residence sits deep in a stand of trees located smack-dab in the center of a residential area; it looks exactly as it did when I was first here.

We'll find something here; no doubt about it.

Muffling our footsteps, we approach the front door. I borrow a glove from an officer and gently turn the knob, but to nobody's surprise, the door is locked.

Reiji: "Tch ----"

Well, now what?



Reiji: "...We came here because you led us here. Wouldn't it make sense, though? Even if he's gone, he may have left something behind."

Yaginuma: "Well, it's quite a relief to hear you say that. ... Go charge on in, then."

Reiji: "...You're not going?"

Yaginuma: "There's no reason for the Commissioner to go in first, right? Sally forth, vanguard."

Reiji: "...You're not going to arrest me for trespassing the moment I bust in there, are you?"



... So that means if I don't find anything, he'll arrest me? Good grief ----

Reiji: "No complaining afterwards, okay?"

I step back a few paces, gather up my strength, and ram the door with my shoulder. Plumes of dust curl upward from within. The antiquated western construction is sturdier than I had anticipated - the door didn't even budge.

Yaginuma: "Well, well... Just what use are you?"

Yaginuma sneers at my efforts.

Yaginuma: "It seems you leave me no choice, yes?"



(And you guys were worried the asshole wouldn't be willing to get past red tape!)

Reiji: "Whoa---!?"

Yaginuma: "Hmph. --- It's open now."

Yaginuma indicates the broken knob.

Reiji: "..This is absurd."

Yaginuma: "If you please, Sempai?"

Reiji: "...I'm not cannon fodder, buddy."

Even as I complain, I open the shattered door and take the lead.



Dust carpets the floor, with footprints clearly visible in it. It must have been quite the opulent home once, but all the furniture is faded, all the glass shattered. It's almost tragic, in a way. Even the spiderwebs are clotted with dust. It doesn't look like their residents are in, either.

Covering my mouth with a handkerchief and trying not to cough, I proceed cautiously inward. The fresh footprints head further in. And if those footprints belong to Mamiya Shinji ----



Yaginuma mutters, pointing to the inner door.

Reiji: "...If there are people inside, they would've noticed the gunshot earlier ---"

Yaginuma: "Then there's no need to hesitate. Go on, Sempai."

Reiji: "...May you live a long and healthy life."



Mamiya Shinzo isn't in here. And naturally, neither is Mamiya Shinji ----

Yaginuma: "---Someone was just here."

Yaginuma rests his hand on the seat of the chair.

Reiji: "If that's the case, then in the adjoining room..."

The door leading futher inside is slightly ajar; light spills out from within. I move to it before Yaginuma can say anything.

--- There's somebody on the other side.

I warn Yaginuma with a hand signal, then quietly open the door.

(fade to white)

---- And within, it is a world of whiteness.

It's almost as though I'm looking at everything from the inside of an eggshell; in this room, everything is smooth.

And over there ----

Aha. Ahaha. Ahahahahahahahahahahaha.

noooo, the banana is going scary on us!

There's a lot of deaths piling up. And many of these deaths are neither teenage girls nor Reiji. Truly this is the endgame cutting in.

A short, elderly man stands there. I remember this guy - I met him at the art museum in Ueno.

Reiji: "---You're Mamiya Shinzo?"

Shinzo: "Indeed."

I shift my gaze to his feet. A man ---- Mamiya Shinji ---- lies fallen, covered in blood. He's not moving. The fresh splatters of crimson are the only thing disrupting the white brilliance.

Reiji: "...Did you kill him?"

Shinzo: "----This caused me a lot of trouble."

Shinzo mutters.

Shinzo: "It's all my fault. I'm the one who warped his life. ... This very room was where it all went wrong."

Shinzo directs his vision toward the inner wall.



Reiji: "...'Kara no Shoujo'----"

The painting that captivated Toko so ----



Reiji: "...A while back, you commented that this painting was twisted. What did you mean?"

Shinzo: "My mind was warped when I made it. I threw away everything I had in order to finish this."

Reiji: "...Including Shinji-san?"

Shinzo: "...He ran away after it was finished. Shinji was possessed by that girl."

Reiji: "Possessed---?"

I looked up at the fresco. Mamiya said that this one was the original. I can tell --- The impact is completely different from the painting I saw at the museum.

This one looks even more like Toko. It's almost as though Toko would step out of it if you scraped away the stucco on the wall...

Reiji: "...Where's Toko?"



Yaginuma: "---Go!"

Without waiting for him to finish, Yaginuma barks orders to the officers.

Reiji: "However... What?"

Shinzo: "No need to worry. She's alive. Who... is she?"

Reiji: "...Just an ordinary student. At the very least, she's not the person you used as a model for that."



Reiji: "Even so... It's an uncanny resemblance, huh?"

Shinzo: "Yes... It's because of that resemblance that this man was entranced by her."

Reiji: "...In your atelier in Shimo-Ochiai, there were four objets d'art created exactly like this painting. ... Made using four human corpses."

Shinzo: (grunts)

Shinzo's gaze drops to the ground.

Shinzo: "What a fool he was... I'm the one who bears responsibility for his actions; it's not something that I can make amends for anymore ----"



Yaginuma steps forward.

Shinzo: "...Nothing will turn up if you investigate me."

Yaginuma: "I don't care about that. Just solving this case is fine with me. Now, hold out your hands, please."

Keeping one eye on the two of them, I examine the fallen Mamiya Shinji.

It looks like his carotid artery was severed. The floor around him is wet with the blood. There's no doubt he was killed here. But... I don't see the murder weapon anywhere.

If it's not here, then ----

Reiji: "Yaginuma! Get away from him! He's still got the murder weapon!"

Yaginuma: "--?"

Yaginuma, on the verge of slapping the cuffs on Mamiya, leaps aside.

Shinzo pulls something shiny from the cuff of his sleeve. It's a painting knife, used in oil painting.

(wikipedia link - because this isn't the same as a palette knife, which I thought of at first.)

It's obviously plenty sharp, and coated with Shinji's blood.

Yaginuma: "T-there's no point in resisting arrest---"

Shinzo: "Don't worry -- I know how to atone for this."

Shinzo presses the blade against his own neck.



---- There's no time to stop him. Warm blood pours out.



Yaginuma fires off another order. Officers run up to Shinzo and apply pressure to his neck with some towels.

But... it won't be enough. It probably hasn't occurred to them yet. He's an old man. And with that much blood loss... I don't think he'll last very long.

Even so, they still carry Mamiya Shinzo out.

After taking a glance at the blood gushing out of him, and then at Shinji's corpse, I leave that white room behind me.

(So, we've caught the killer... or at least, what's left of him... do you think it's over yet? Of course not. In this game, things can ALWAYS get worse!)



Reiji: "----Did you find Kuchiki Toko?"

Officer: "Y-Yes. We found her in a bedroom on the second floor. B-but..."

Reiji: "What happened?"

Officer: "...You'd best see for yourself."

What's that mean?



A small knot of them are carrying something.

A baby carriage---?

It's bigger than the ones you usually see ----

Reiji: "Hey... What is that?"

Officer: "It's..."

The officer falters.

I run up the staircase to them and look inside. And there...

Reiji: "Toko...?"

... is Toko, sleeping quietly as a baby. Like "Kara no Shoujo" in a black egg ----

From time to time, her eyebrows move slightly. --- She's alive.

Reiji: "Get her to a hospital, now----"

---- And when I lay a hand on the carriage, it hits me.

It's too light.

---- It should have been obvious, really. No matter how slight a girl she might be, Toko's body would never fit inside a baby carriage ----

All four of her limbs are gone.

HURRAH

TOKO'S ALIVE

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY

/sob

(I'm guessing Shinzo doesn't kill himself immediately if we chose not to let Jerkinuma tag along.)

Yaginuma's a total ass but compared to a lot of people in this game he's still a good guy...

Very, very true.

Ahaha. That's real funny, game.

-_-

That actually makes me curious about prosthetic limbs at this point in Japanese history. Oh well, being a helpless invalid for the rest of her life sure beats her being dead! :D

I think that's enough gut punches for one day so I'll leave it there for now.

Hope you weren't expecting the Mamiyas to answer any questions...

Aww, can't you keep the soul-crushing despair and nihilism going for just a little longer?

Isn't that what I'm doing by making you wait?

ENDLESS DESPAIR

then i will sit here consumed with lust despair for the rest of the evening

Reiji: "Hey... Toko...?"

What.. On earth...?

Female Voice: "---Take a deep breath, Tokisaka-san."

I heard Natsume-san's voice from the entrance.

Reiji: "Natsume-san...?"



Natsume-san issues orders; once the carriage has descended the stairway, she takes a glance inside.

Natsume: "It looks like she's still alive... Arms and legs amputated, abdominal incision as well, but... This is weird."

Reiji: "...What's wrong?"



And then she stops.

Natsume: "...Come to think of it, this girl was kidnapped from the hospital, wasn't she?"

Reiji: "Yes----"



After saying that, Natsume-san puts her hands into the carriage.

Natsume: "C'mon now Tokisaka-san; you can carry her for me."

Reiji: "Okay..."

Timidly, I accept Toko's body from her. ---- She's disturbingly light. And so tiny. It really is almost like I'm holding a baby.

Natsume-san accompanies me outside. We climb into a waiting vehicle and speed off to the Kuchiki Pathological Research Institute.



It looks like Natsume-san was correct in her assessment; even the director offers no comment upon seeing her.



Natsume-san flops down onto the sofa beside me.

Reiji: "Yeah..."

I found Tsuzuriko and Mizuhara Toko's corpses, Toko was kidnapped, Akazaki Nene was killed, and both Mamiya Shinji and Shinzo died.

The only person I was able to save was Toko.... Though I have no idea what will become of her.

Reiji: "...What time is it now?"

Natsume: "Almost midnight."

Natsume-san glances at her pocket watch.

Natsume: "Tokisaka-san, you should head home for today. You'll just get in the staff's way if you stick around here."

Reiji: "Yeah, I suppose you're right..."

Despite my words, I can't bring myself to move.



Reiji: "No... I don't have that kind of energy left in me."

Natsume: "I'm not talking about that!"

She pouts slightly.

Natsume: "Ah, whatever. I'm heading home. I rode my bicycle here, anyhow."

Reiji: "All right ---- Be careful then."

Natsume-san exits the waiting room. It's dead silent in here.

Well --- What do I do?



Reiji: "...Yeah, I'm dead tired though."

With an effort, I look up at Saito.

Saito: "We have some empty rooms; why not take a rest in one of those? If you need, I can prescribe some sleep aids for you as well."

Reiji: "I'll pass on those... But I'll gladly borrow one of your rooms, though. I'm tired enough that I'll probably conk out as soon as I lie down."



Reiji: "Thank you."

(I hope he remembered to call Yukari and tell her he's alive at some point.)

Giving Saito my thanks, I slowly plod my way up to the second floor.

The furthest back, eh? That's pretty close to Toko's room. She's probably still under anaesthesia... But let's go and check on her.



I quietly peek inside the room from the hallway.

--- Someone's there. That's ---



She's staring at Toko's face while she sleeps. So she hasn't gone home yet either.

Just as I'm about to call out to her...

(screen fades to black)

(And without further comment, we roll on to the next day.)



It isn't until Yamanouchi Koharu pokes her head in that I remember.

Dr.Y: "Ah, you're awake."

ReijI: "Dr. Yamanouchi... Sorry for bothering you, I'll be out in a second."



Reiji: "I can't be doing that. Oh, right. Is the director in?"

Dr.Y: "The director? I think he'll be here soon."

Reiji: "I see... Erm, Dr. Yamanouchi?"

Dr.Y: "Yes? What is it?"

Reiji: "Are you... acquainted with Kuchiki Chizuru-san?"

Dr.Y: "Of course. I'm her personal physician, after all. What do you need to know?"

Reiji: "...Has she been worried about anything?"

After turning it over and over in my mind, I decide to start with something fairly innocuous. I can't just tell her flat-out what I witnessed last night.



Reiji: "Yeah... For instance, whether her daughter would make it through okay."

Dr.Y: "Well..."

I wonder if she's thought of something.

Reiji: "I just thought it was kind of curious. Why would she adopt Toko-san, even though she wasn't married..."

When I looked into Toko's family register, I didn't find any evidence that Chizuru had been married. It is possible for unmarried people to become foster parents, but ----



(Is that really information you should just be handing out?)

Reiji: "...And that's why she welcomed Toko as an adoptive child?"

Dr.Y: "Well, I don't really know the specifics..."

That still doesn't explain what I saw her do last night. Why would Chizuru throw such words of hatred at Toko? Why go so far as to curse her?

Reiji: "Doctor... Do you know anything about Toko-san's condition?"

Dr.Y: "Right now they're just keeping her stable ---"

Reiji: "No, that's not what I meant... I wanted to know about her condtion prior to the abduction."

Dr.Y: "Her... I'm afraid only Dr. Kuchiki and Dr. Murase know about it. I have no idea."

Koharu's head droops.



Reiji: "...And that's the reason why she's in that state now?"

Dr.Y: "...I don't know."

She's repeating herself.

Dr.Y: "Please ask the director if you have more questions."

Reiji: "Yeah ---- I fully intend to."



Without him here, I can't see Toko or ask about her condition.

I get a bottle of milk from the cafeteria and gulp it down, then use it as an ashtray while smoking a cigarette.

After a while, a silver Mercedes enters the parking lot. He's here.

I stub out my cigarette and stand up.

Reiji: "---Dr. Kuchiki."



He spares me only a brief glance before entering the building.

Reiji: "I have something I'd like to ask you."

I follow along behind him.

Dr.K: "What is it?"

Reiji: "It's about Toko-san."



He finally responds after giving me another glance.

Reiji: "...You call that a treatment?"

Dr.K: "I don't know what you're getting at here."

Reiji: "...I heard that your 'treatment' involved keeping her alive by removing all four of her limbs."

Dr.K: "It was our only option."

Kuchiki's making no effort to hide it.

Reiji: "But why ---"

Dr.K: "...Do you need a reason to save someone's life?"

He mutters in a low voice.



Reiji: "...I'm not criticizing you. Weren't there any other ways---"

Dr.K: "Did you know that it's not possible to produce blood through artificial methods? Her blood type is unique, and there was no way to arrange a blood transfusion on such short notice. This was the only option we could take."

Dr.K: "We removed the areas with fractures that were unable to heal, and slightly lowered the volume of blood in her body. We reduced her number of kidneys and lungs from two to one, and removed a portion of her liver, stomach, and intestines."

(I know nothing about medicine, but I have difficulty believing she'd survive the trauma of having all that removed, considering the state she was in. But like I said, I know nothing about medicine!)



Reiji: "But that's just... prolonging her life, right?"

Dr.K: "I'm sure there are many who would be grateful just to be alive, even if not the picture of good health."

He retorts, the venom in his voice nearly palpable.

Reiji: "...Did Fumiya-san and Chizuru-san agree to the details of the surgery?"

Dr.K: "...Chizuru's weak. There's no way I could talk to her about the particulars of that surgery."

Reiji: "If she learns about how Toko is now, I think she'll be even more heartbroken."

Dr.K: "...Leave that to Dr.Saito. I intend to break it to her bit by bit."

Reiji: "I knew it. You value your granddaughter, unrelated by blood, more than you do your own daughter."

Dr.K: "...You cannot weigh human lives so easily."

Kuchiki glowers as he replies.

Reiji: "...Were you aware that Toko-san was the heiress to the wealthy Nakahara family in Kurashiki?"



Reiji: "...It's just one of many possibilities."

Dr.K: "That's ridiculous. We have enough money in this family without resorting to that. And furthermore, Chizuru has already refused the inheritance."

Reiji: "...Really?"

That's news to me.

Dr.K: "Of course. Her background is of no importance. She is, above all else, one of the Kuchiki family."

Reiji: "I... I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

I bow my head, duly chastened.

Dr.K: "Hmph."

And Dr. Kuchiki leaves for his own office.

So Chizuru's refused the inheritance, eh? I want to talk to her and Toko a little. Too many things about the Kuchiki family are still weighing on my mind.

(The different cultural context makes this whole bit somewhat confusing.)

Well that was kind of uh.

Wow.

Did the writers have some sort of amputee fetish? ...Don't answer that please.

Sounds more like a scene from Black Jack to me. :|

I cut through the park and arrive in front of the Kuchiki home. After knocking on the door a couple of times, I settle down to wait.

--- Finally.



Chizuru appears, greeting me in a frail voice.

Reiji: "Hello there. May I have a moment of your time?"

Chizuru: "Um... Might I ask what for?"

Reiji: "I want to talk about Toko-san."

Chizuru: "Toko...?"

Chizuru inclines her head.

Reiji: "Is Fumiya-san here as well?"

Chizuru: "Yes... But he's heading over to the hospital soon..."

Reiji: "Could you ask him to stay here a bit longer? I've something I wanted to ask him as well."

Chizuru: "...Please wait."

Chizuru disappears inside the house. After a short while, she returns.

Chizuru: "Please, do come in."

Reiji: "Thanks. Pardon the intrusion."

She leads me over to a sleepy-looking Fumiya.



Reiji: "---Hello."

Fumiya: "Has something happened? I was just about to head over to the hospital."

Reiji: "Yes... But before that, there's something I'd like to ask you, as well as something else I'd like to discuss. Also, you don't have to call me 'Sensei.'"

I address this last bit to Chizuru as well as she enters the room.

Fumiya: "...Did you quit your job?"

Reiji: "No... I'm actually a detective. I was a temporary instructor at Ouba Girls Academy in order to investigate the murders that occurred last month."

Fumiya: "A detective... No wonder they let you participate in the investigation at the hospital."

Fumiya nods, putting the pieces together in his head.



Reiji: "I guess I don't mind..."

Well, that's one misunderstanding cleared up. Now it's time for me to ask some questions.

Reiji: "First things first; Chizuru-san, you refused the inheritance that Toko-san was to receive from the Nakahara family, correct?"

Chizuru: "Y-Yeah..."

Chizuru looks downard.

Reiji: "Why did you do that? It would hardly have been a bad thing for you."

Chizuru: "T-that's because... Toko is my daughter..."

It never was my intent to press her into a corner, but Chizuru's already stammering.

Reiji: "...I saw you at the hospital last night, Chizuru-san. You were there to visit Toko-san, correct?"

Chizuru: "Yes... Th-that's right..."

Reiji: "---What possessed you to say what you did?"


Clearly, she sees what I'm getting at.

Chizuru: "Umm... Umm, that is..."

Reiji: "...I don't mean to criticize you. I just want to know why."

Fumiya: "Tokisaka-sensei..?"



Fumiya: "Uh, sure... I'll be heading over to the hospital, then."

Fumiya leaves as his sister instructed, though he still looks confused and suspicious.

Reiji: "Now... Could you tell me?"



Reiji: "...Well, I guess first and foremost is that it's just been troubling me. I can't see any reason for you to resent Toko-san, aside from irrational murderous thoughts, perhaps."

Chizuru: "Murder? ... I would never ---"

Reiji: "The matter of the Nakahara family inheritance came to mind, but you had already turned that down. You're parent and child, even though you're not related by blood ---"



Chizuru speaks softly.

Reiji: "Jealousy...?"

Chizuru: "Yeah... Perhaps it was. ... How much of the story do you know, Sensei?"

Reiji: "...I've heard that you miscarried, and are unable to bear children."

Chizuru: "... I see."

Reiji: "...Who was the father of the child?"

I've been curious about this for a while. If my intuition is correct, then perhaps ----



Chizuru stares at the screen door through which Fumiya had exited.

Reiji: "...I know that he always wears a glove."

(Everyone is losing pieces of themselves around here!)

What does Fumiya's lack of fingertips have to do with ANYTHING!?

Well, at least it looks like we'll probably be getting the answer to the weird chromosome issue that Toko has.

Going to save the big finale for tomorrow when more people are around. Feel free to guess all the ways it can manage to get more despair-inducing by then!

edit: actually wait, I may be leaving for the weekend tomorrow... oh well, I'll get to it eventually... I'm not evil or anything...

Man, I totally thought Toko was going to be Yaginuma's niece (his older sister was pregnant when she slipped into a coma, right?) and the incest would explain the weirdness with the paternity test (and the irony of Grandpa Kuchiki not escaping a grand-daughter by incest), but I don't see how that's possible if she's the Nakahara heiress. (Althought wtf happened to her mother?)

And Fumiya cut his fingertips off to evade detection since he is totally the original killer from years ago (the shoe has got to drop there eventually, right? Although if it's only one hand...) who has been supplying Kusaka & Katsuragi with anaethesia. He went baby/fertility/egg-related nutso since he's not able to have a child with Chizuru. He's probably going to kill Ayumu since she's like the only schoolgirl left now (besides our sister) :|

That's totally what I thought when I first played through the game. It would seem to make sense - since she's at the Kuchiki hospital it would be reasonable for them to take the kid into their family, right? But it doesn't seem to be the case. It's never stated anywhere what happened to that pregnancy. I suspect she lost it, with all the violence and the hanging and everything. Either that or it's being saved for a surprise revelation in the sequel, but not in this game.

Unrelated to current events, but while we're on the subject of speculations that turned out to be wrong: when Saeki was talking about how Mamiya Shinzo was one of his acquaintances, for some reason I was convinced that he was actually going to turn out to be Shinzo himself. (Forgot about the old guy at the museum that one time.)

Reiji: "...Really?"



(Reiji tries to figure out why this is relevant.)

Reiji: "So the man who got you pregnant was ----"

Chizuru nodded silently.





Chizuru stopped talking there.

Reiji: "...And that's when you got pregnant, correct?"



("I accidentally cut off my brother's fingertips, ruining his future, and was so upset that we had comfort sex and then I got pregnant and then I got leukemia! IS THIS WORSE ENOUGH YET?")

Reiji: "Leukemia ---!?"

Chizuru: "Yes... Fortunately, it didn't develop into something serious since it was diagnosed early. However, my child miscarried - probably because of the chemotherapy."

Reiji: "...And Dr. Kuchiki never knew the truth behind your pregnancy?"

Chizuru: "... That's correct. Afterward, I never spoke of the relationship I had with my brother. However... Our father was probably aware, all the same."

(As we know, he definitely is.)



("You're a complete failure of a daughter. Here, have a random child to raise.")

Chizuru: "But I tried my best. I thought she'd become mine if I just poured my love and affection into her. But... it was impossible."

Chizuru hangs her head; tears drip from her face.



Chizuru: "...And so I became jealous of Toko-san. I told myself that she had stolen my brother Fumiya away from me."

And all the puzzle pieces have clicked together.



Reiji: "...There's nothing I can say to that, since relationship advice is out of my league. However... Even with all that's happened, you shouldn't wish for Toko-san's death."

(This line seems sort of funny considering the enormous drama bomb being unloaded in front of him. "Ma'am, I couldn't possibly comment. But, uh... death is still bad. Okay?")

Chizuru: "Yes... I know that. What... What have I been doing... What sort of mother am I..."

(rising pitch and increasingly more upset as she speaks)

Chizuru rests her head on the table.

Reiji: "No, Chizuru-san. You must be her mother. You have to support Toko... As a mother would."

Chizuru: "B-But... I can't..."

Voice: "---I think that you can, Chizuru-san."

The voice comes in through the window.

Reiji: "...Commissioner Yaginuma?"

I open the window to the veranda, and there's Yaginuma, staring at me.





They know each other?

Reiji: "Why are you here...?"

Yaginuma: "...It's none of your business, Sempai."

Sparing me just a glance, Yaginuma steps inside the house and faces Chizuru.



Chizuru: "Eh..?"

Yaginuma: "Fifteen years have already gone by, in which you've come and visited my sister."

Chizuru: "That's..."

Yaginuma; "Toko-san has a greater chance of recovery than my sister does. ... Why don't you try to put a little more effort into it?"

Chizuru: "I-I..."

Distraught, she looks at me.

--- It's now or never.

Reiji: "Though I may be of little use, please allow me to help you."

I bow to her.

Chizuru: "I... I..."



Burying her face in her hands, she breaks down into sobs.

Chizuru: "Can... Can... Can I ever be forgiven...?"

Reiji: "---You've committed no crime. In forsaking Toko, you were being a traitor to your kin - An action by which you will fall into Caina."

(Reiji is making a Dante's Inferno reference - Ninth circle of Hell, First Ring. I'm not sure how he expects her to have any idea what he's talking about, or why "You're not a criminal. You're only condemned to hell." is supposed to make her feel better.)

Reiji: "Besides, you don't actually resent Toko. It seems that you're troubled by the rift between you two, but things like that can be solved if you just talk it out."

Chizuru: (crying) "Ahh... Toko, I'm sorry, I... I've been a terrible mother. I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Reiji: "---Shall we go see her now?"

I take her hand and pull her to her feet.

Chizuru: "But, she's..."

Chizuru looks at me through the tears.

Reiji: "Don't worry. If you're there for her, she'll listen to what you have to say. I guarantee it."

(fade to black, then to white)

On that day, Tokyo experienced an unseasonable snowfall. It piled up lightly on top of the cherry trees as they shed their petals. For a brief period of time, the city became a world of white.

The snow melted as soon as the sun rose, but for that short time, it delighted the denizens of the city.

(Despite the date display not changing, it seems like this really takes place the next day? anyway, fade to)



Fumiya: "Good morning, Tokisaka-san."

Reiji: "Hello. How's she doing?"



(oh NOW you find a donor)

Reiji: "I see. That's fantastic. ... Is Chizuru-san inside?"

Fumiya: "Yes..."

His expression clouds over slightly.

Fumiya: "But... I never realized that it was torturing Chizuru so badly..."

Reiji: "She's done nothing wrong."



Reiji: "...I don't think it's anybody's fault. The problems you have can be solved by just talking it through."

Fumiya: "I hope you're right about that..."

Reiji: "May I go inside?"

Fumiya: "Oh, sure... Go ahead."



Chizuru: "Tokisaka-san..."

Reiji: "Good morning."

I return Chizuru's greeting and look over at the bed.

The only bulge in the futon is at the center. The lower half of the bedding is undisturbed. It's amazing how much a person's body mass changes when they're missing their arms and legs.

Her complexion looks pretty good. If you focus on her face, it looks like she's just sleeping.

In reality, I suppose she might actually be asleep ----

Chizuru: "...I wonder if Toko will forgive me..."

Chizuru murmurs softly.

Reiji: "Well, I don't think she resents you. What you lack is communication. If you'll simply talk about it, then you can easily clear up these misunderstandings."

Chizuru: "I hope so..."

Chizuru stares at Toko's sleeping face.

I walk over to the window and take a look outside.



It's going to get warmer from now on. With all the roads they've paved recently, this summer's probably going to be a scorcher. I doubt there'll be another snowfall after today.

Voice: ".... whaa?"

Someone speaks behind me.

Reiji: "..."



Toko: "---Morning, Tokisaka-san."

Reiji: "Toko---"

Toko: "Hehe... What's wrong? You look like you're gonna cry."

Reiji: "...Aww, shuddup."

I make my way over to the bed and stroke Toko's cheek.

Toko: "Hehe... At any rate, it's really inconvenient not having any hands. I can't squeeze your hand in return, and I can't paint anymore."

Reiji: "...You noticed, eh?"

Toko: "Of course I did, it's my body. ... But sometimes my fingertips hurt a little bit. It's that thing they call phantom limb pain, right?"

Chizuru: "Toko..."

Chizuru softly calls Toko's name.



Chizuru: "No... Don't say that... I'm the one that should be apologizing..."

Chizuru breaks down into sobs.

Toko: "...That's not true. Thanks for being by my side. And---"

Toko faces me.



Tears trickle down Toko's cheeks.

Brushing them away with a finger, I whisper to her:

Reiji: "Good morning, Toko."

Things we accomplished:

Saving Toko (in other endings she turns up dead or disappears completely)
Stopping Shinji (he can get away!)
Learning Fumiya's backstory
Learning Yaginuma's backstory
Finding Stella's pendant (you'll need it if you play this game on your own, it's important to other endings, and at least now you know when/where to look)

Things we failed to accomplish:

Saving Kazuna's baby
Capturing Kusaka alive
Learning Toko's backstory
Learning Shinji's full backstory
Catching Shinji's accomplice
Finding the TRUE Kara no Shojo (not the mural)
Finding Rokushiki Makoto (yes, he is out there)
Finding a girlfriend for Reiji with whom he can have something resembling a good ending (it's not impossible!)
Figuring out what on earth Stella has to do with anything

And probably some other stuff but those are the major highlights that might tempt you to play this on your own... or to now begin frantically guessing about the "real" story.

For those of you who've never played an 18+ game before, how does this line up with your expectations? (And for those of you who *have*, same question, since this is sort of weird for an eroge!)

And also, now that we've come this far, we can have a look at the trailer video for the upcoming sequel:



... and as you can see it tells us pretty much nothing.

It is known that Chizuru will be a returning character and that Toko will be part of the story somehow. We don't know if she's dead or alive. The images of dolls and ball-jointed limbs have many people hoping that she IS alive and will be getting prosthetic limbs, but... nobody knows.

Sadly unlikely to get an English release because the original has not sold well... But you can help!

As someone who's seen the True Ending, I will say that this ending is completely and utterly more satisfying to me personally.

I am sad that the playthrough's over though. ;w;c