Beta: Orichacos

The seagull's cries greeted me as the car door slid open, revealing the cool, salty air that I barely remembered under memories gone past. The nyaa nyaa noises they made welled up some nostalgia in me briefly, before I squashed it under my other thoughts.

I took a deep breath and exhaled, the refreshing sea breeze tickling my throat.

"Are you sure about this?" my friend and longtime companion asked.

I smiled, a rueful a smile that I'd only ever shown to one other person than the one in front of me. "…Ha ha… no. But I'll make sure to bring back souvenirs if you'd like."

"Oh? I'll take a new murder story, but I won't say no to a mug."

"Hmph, you rely on my ability to pitch story ideas too much. Why don't you think up of something yourself for once?" I snorted.

"No way," my friend said bluntly, "Why do more work than I have to? That's your job, not mine."

"Heh… fair enough," I conceded.

…And just like that, we fell into our regular banter. We'd lived with each other for a great number of years, but it seemed that neither of us had changed much in that regard. Well, not that I was complaining. I stayed quiet, allowing her to open the trunk and take out the wheelchair that had become my legs for the past few decades. With a fluidness born from experience, she quickly unfolded the chair and wheeled it towards my side of the car.

I wanted to ask if she could fetch me coffee next, but I decided to stay quiet on the off-chance that she conveniently forgot about me for a couple of hours and went to a nearby café instead.

…My name used to be Battler Ushiromiya (右代宮 戦人). It was a name I hadn't used for a long time. Barring the fact that I was alive, "he" had died on October 6th at midnight — apparently in an explosion that had taken out the entirety of the Ushiromiya family.

But I didn't know if it was because the explosion knocked something loose in my brain, or if it was something else, because I couldn't completely remember what "he" knew. All I could recall at first was that my friend and erstwhile companion, Ikuko Hachijo (八城 幾子) almost ran me over with her car. Not that I begrudged her for it much, since she'd been taking care of me ever since. From that point onwards, I'd taken on the name of Tohya Hachijo (八城 十八), and we'd bonded over our love of mystery novels.

It wasn't until later that I remembered "his" memories, and that Ikuko told me to write books on the Rokkenjima Mass Murder Incident. But unfortunately…

…Unfortunately, I just couldn't accept "that man" as myself… no, it wasn't just that. I couldn't accept sins from a complete stranger that burdened his problems with someone like me. But unfortunately, it looked like I was the only one who could do the job.

"Alright, let's get you on that ship," Ikuko smiled gently, "We paid the ship captain a good amount of money, so we'll head out when you're ready."

I smiled back in response. "Ahhhh, thanks. Sorry that you had to go on this wild goose chase with me."

"Don't go sappy on me. It looks like accepting that invitation to the Fukuin house didn't resolve your problems completely."

"Yeah…" I whispered softly, "I… I just needed to see it for myself one last time…"

I couldn't see her, but we understood each other well enough to know that Ikuko acknowledged my decision for what it was. In turn, I could hear her exasperated voice in my head, even if she never actually said her thoughts aloud. She wheeled me towards the rickety wooden boards of the docks, where a small boat floated in the water gently.

The waves were so different from those two days half a century ago…

"Oh ho ho! Is that you, Ms. Hachijo!? I've been waiting for ya!"

From within the white, pristine boats innards emerged an elderly man with a peg leg. Like some sort of stain blemishing your favorite t-shirt, he stuck to the boat, puffing his beer gut until I thought he'd explode. I just stared in silence and let Ikuko do her magic.

I didn't look back either, since I knew she was making a face.

Ikuko sighed softly behind me. "Have the preparations been complete, captain? We don't have time to dawdle around."

"A-Ah, y-yes it is. But I'd just like to say what an honor it is for a mystery author like yo—"

"—Then let's go," Ikuko cut him off.

I placed a hand on one of her arms, "Hey, c'mon… we don't want to scare him off. Wipe that sneer off your face. You really should talk to more people besides me and Bernkastel, you know."

"Bernkastel and I," she corrected, "besides, we hired him to do a job for us, so the least he could do is be professional."

"Here we go again…" I sighed. I rubbed the ridge on my forehead with a well-practiced motion. "Just give it a rest for now."

Ikuko fell silent.

I took that as a reluctant consent, and turned back towards the sea captain, "Sorry about her, captain. She's not really a people person. Thanks for doing all this for us."

The captain, who had been stunned by our bickering, finally snapped back to attention. "H-Ho ho… it isn't an issue. Well then… come on aboard, and we'll see about getting you to that island."

"Thanks, again."

"Hmph," Ikuko snorted. "You know, if you had my way, we would've been on the boat thirty seconds faster."

"Either that, or we'd have been here for a thousand years," I smiled wryly.

We shared a grin, and then Ikuko wheeled me aboard, stepping on the boat behind me. The ocean was so… peaceful, so calm. The waves lapped against the boat gently, as if cradling some newborn in its arms. I was entranced by its motions as Ikuko and I talked about inane topics for a couple of minutes or so.

And then…

"Ah, Ms. Hachijo. My final checks have been completed. We're about to set off for the island, so feel free to sit inside."

Ikuko waved her hand dismissively. "No need for that."

"…I see," the captain sighed, before heading back inside the boat.

A minute later, the engine revved up with a deep roar, like some T-Rex that was garbled through a fast window fan. With a lurch, the boat propelled forward, and sped off towards the island.

The island where Tohya Hachijo had been born, and where he'd left a part of himself behind.

The island of Rokkenjima.

Rokkenjima, as the locals informed us, was now a lush and feral land that had sprouted into a thick jungle after the explosion at the end of the Rokkenjima Mass Murder Incident. Apparently, it had become a popular tourism spot after "Beatrice's" message bottles were recovered, and the police had finally ended their investigation.

Although it was popular in decades gone past, the intrigue had slowly dwindled once the mystery died down and people had finally realized that real flesh-and-blood people were involved.

…Not that I could criticize them for their actions. After all, I was the one of the ones who'd written stories based off of Beatrice's message bottles.

"Ah… the wind feels so nice today," I said.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Ikuko replied, offhand.

The boat bucked downwards as it hit a rather rough patch, sending particles of the sea everywhere. Ikuko probably would've wiped her face off with a "are you real" sort of expression. But I weathered the splash with a smile and a laugh that she couldn't even argue against. Ahhhh… I couldn't even remember the last time I was on a boat. From the time I was "born", it had all been plane rides up, down, left, right, left, and right around the country. In comparison, taking the boat was like a breath of fresh air for me.

Suddenly… as if by magic… the world around us began to rain. It blew against us with a heavy slam, as if we were pinned underneath the bulk of an ex-wrestler that had been building weight lately. Then the mild scattering of rain immediately grew more intense until we were completely drenched before we could head back inside.

I shivered from the cold, and balled up a little. "…Hey, Ikuko… Did the weather channel say anything about a typhoon? I'm pretty sure it didn't, right…?"

"No, they didn't say anything about a typhoon, at least to my knowledge. But you know the weather channel." Ikuko wryly smiled, "They can be wrong, sometimes."

"…Like… that time w-when we… w-went out for ice cream." I coughed, "Still though… this is bad… what are we going to do once we reach the island? W-We didn't bring an umbrella with us, either…"

"If I remember correctly, there was a log cabin that was built a couple of decades earlier for the tourists that decided to visit the island. Perhaps we could bunk down there for tonight?" Ikuko suggested.

I tried rubbing my arms for warmth. "Alright… god, how are you not c-cold? It's practically f-freezing out here, even if it's J-July…"

"Hm… yes, that is odd, isn't it? You'd think the rain would be warmer… alright, let's get you inside, then. We don't want you catching a cold now, do we?"

Without waiting for me to answer, Ikuko wheeled me around, and we started heading back inside, like the captain told us to. I tried to relax, letting Ikuko do all that work. But then—

—Disaster struck.

A violent wave bucked the boat even more than the last one ever did. In surprise, I heard Ikuko gasp, and then let go of the wheelchair handles briefly — presumably in shock. And then, slowly, I began to pick up speed as I travelled backwards.

…Towards the railing, and more importantly, the sea that was no doubt icy cold in this weather.

Ikuko reached a hand towards me — apparently she had tripped on the slick floor when the wave struck, and I whole-heartedly reached a hand out in turn. That was until the wheelchair struck the railing behind me, the shock sending me careening out of my seat.

The swirling blue miasma grew closer, and closer until-

"I've got you!" Someone yelled in my ear.

Was that Ikuko? I couldn't tell. My vision had blurred from the rain and the sea particles in the air as I grasped blindly in the air. And then, suddenly, as if answering my prayers, they grabbed my hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

"Tohya, your hearing hasn't gone, right?" Ikuko asked sarcastically, "Can you see?"

"…No…," I said, holding onto my only lifeline as tight as I could, "The r-rain… what are you trying to tell me?"

Ikuko's voice picked up in urgency. "Look, can you use your other hand right now? It isn't broken, right!?"

"Y-Yeah, my other h-hand isn't broken right now!" I chattered in response.

"Alright, then. I want you to stay calm and listen to me," Ikuko ordered sharply, "I want you to feel for the railings right now."

Bringing up my other arm, that had been dangling in midair for a while now, I felt the cool metal ship for the railings. First, I'd felt the ship's hull, then the ridges that the front of the ship had, and then I felt the smooth, wet exterior of the railings. I gripped it tightly, and blinked the water out of my eyes.

Ikuko nodded.

"Good," she said.

She wrapped the hand she was holding on onto the railing. What was she doing? No, I couldn't ask those questions right now. I held on tightly to the railing as Ikuko withdrew her support.

She looked into my eyes. I could see the fires, rarely lit, in full roar. "I'm going to go to the captain and have him help us. Stay put."

I gritted my teeth in exertion, and then nodded. Ikuko couldn't possibly pull me up on her own. She was a mystery writer, not a fighter. She didn't have anywhere near the body mass required to pull me up, especially on a slick surface like this.

Standing up swiftly, she stood up and walked quickly over to the door, opened it, and then slipped inside. I watched her go, and then tried to haul myself up.

"Hnnnngh!"

…But it was no good. My brain was useless here, as were my legs. If my brain was a useless toaster, then my legs might as well have been two stilts that I couldn't use to haul myself up, since they were too long and they'd skid off the metal. No, it was no good. It looked like I'd have to wait for Ikuko and the captain after all.

So I waited.

…And yet, the boat never slowed down. It kept plowing through the waves as it raced towards the island, soaking the clothes on my body thoroughly. Despite Ikuko's assurances that she'd seek help from the captain, the boat hadn't stilled at all.

Where were they!?

Every tendon in my body screamed for relief. I'd never been much for exercise given my… condition. And even if pull-ups mostly had something to do with the muscles in my arms and the torso area, I still wasn't exactly the best candidate for getting up to the bar in the first place.

I wasn't sure if it was sweat or simply the water from the sea, but slowly and steadily, my hands began to give out on me in exhaustion. Inch-by-inch I found less and less purchase in the slick surface of the railing, my fingers slipping away from my firm grip. I tried to hold on as long as I could, but as I found out, I just didn't have enough strength left to keep holding on indefinitely.

…And then, with my heart pounding in my ear, my grip loosened on the railing, and I fell. Down into the cold, gray miasma below that invited me with swirling arms.

The boat's front hull slammed into me as it kept charging forward towards the island, and I was swept aside as a result. My useless body fell into the sea with a large splash as I sunk like a piano thrown from a window.

Instantly, water invaded my lungs as I struggled to cough from the shock of the icy cold sea. Disoriented, I tried wading with my arms in one direction, only to find that I'd been reaching towards the bottom of the sea rather than the top. Then, my body became light as it was swept aside by the rage of the sea.

I wondered if I would be able to hear the cries of the seagulls again.

Sorry… it looks like I won't be bringing you back that souvenir, after all.

The seagull's cries greeted Battler Ushiromiya as he stepped on the sandy beach. He took in a deep breath before stretching his arms out like the boor he was.

He grinned. "Ahhhhhhh! Man, this beach… that air! Ihihihihi, this place hasn't changed all that much, huh? What I wouldn't do to get an island like this of my own!"

Jessica stuck her tongue out. "Ha! Yeah, you'd think that, wouldn't you!? Trust me, you'd get tired of seeing the same sights day in and day out. Seriously, I've been nagging my parents to let me rent an apartment on the mainland. There's nothing to do when you guys aren't here!"

"Uu— island! Island!" Maria repeated.

"…It may be extraordinary to us," George conceded, "But for Jessica, who's lived here for a long time, the island might be a little boring. Don't you think, Battler?"

"Ihihihihi! I said that the island hadn't changed too much, didn't I~? Weeeell, except for Jessica's chest, right~!"

"Uu—island! Jessica's chest! Uu, uu!"

Jessica slammed her fist on the top of Battler's head, jokingly. "You idiot! You're gonna give Maria the wrong idea! How are you gonna expect her to grow into a respectable person now with the ideas you've put in her head!?"

"N-Now, Jessica… Battler… calm down," George reprimanded, "But really, Jessica's right, you know? Maria's still an impressionable child at this age, so…"

Battler rubbed the back of his head. "…Ahhhh… I know, I know. Man, you're so responsible, George. I'm kind of jealous…"

"I know, right~. George is so far above us, it's not even funny!" Jessica joined in with a laugh.

"Y-You too, Jessica!?"

…The Ushiromiya family had arrived for the family conference.

It was a conference that took place once a year, where the adults of the family took the time to discuss their successes and their failings between the last conference and the current one. It was the one time each year when the entire family gathered together on one place — the island of Rokkenjima, where half of the adults had grown up, as well as where their father had made his peace.

But for the cousins, it was the one time each year where they could see each other. So they chose to make the most of it, joking and laughing at each other's expenses. It was especially true for this year, since it was the first time that Battler had returned to the family in a while.

And suddenly, Battler remembered why he decided to give his family another chance.

"Ahhhh, to be young again! You remember when we were like that, Eva?" Hideyoshi laughed as he caught sight of the cousins when he exited the boat.

"You mean when you were like that," Eva scoffed good naturedly, "I was always the dignified one between the two of us."

"Wahahaha!" Hideyoshi chortled, "Does that mean that I can share the takoyaki incident with them later!?"

"Only if I can share the kitchen incident," Eva shot back, smiling.

Hideyoshi looked away. "W-Wahaha… you don't need to share that with them, dear."

"You started it," Eva answered triumphantly.

Hideyoshi coughed, and then looked away.

Another two people emerged from the boat. As they readjusted their vision by squinting at the sunlight, a tall man in a butler's uniform greeted them. He bowed low, before he smiled and nodded at the couple. He had already done so for the rest of the disembarked party, but that didn't mean he could skive off his duty at the end.

"Master Rudolf and Madam Kyrie, welcome to Rokkenjima," Gohda greeted with a light smile, his eyes crinkling in the corners, "Can I help carry your luggage?"

Kyrie smiled in response. "Ah, Gohda. It's nice seeing you again. Sorry, but we'd rather carry our own luggage."

"As you wish, madam," Gohda acquiesced. He bent down to pick up the rest of the guests' luggage before turning towards the rest of the party. "If you will follow me, ladies and gentleman, I will guide you to the mansion now."

"Finally! I've been waiting for this!" Battler said.

Following Gohda, the nine members of the Ushiromiya family stepped on the forest path leading to the mansion. No matter how long they had lived here in the past, they could only ooh and ahh at how beautiful the dense forestry. Battler, especially, looked around his surroundings in wonder.

Of course, the only person who didn't join in was Jessica, who had rolled her eyes. She'd seen it every day, of course. Making light banter with the rest of the family, the cousins began talking about the sights that Battler had missed out on for much of the way to the mansion.

And then… finally… after what felt like forever, they emerged into a garden, which Battler didn't quite remember. He sucked in a deep breath as the gorgeous scenery was laid out before him.

Rows upon rows of rose bushes in all different variations of colors was laid out in neat little segments. To him, it was like a masterful watercolor landscape painting in a museum… in other words, it was beautiful and priceless to his eyes, not even fit for the touch of any humans on the island.

"Wooooow, I don't think I remember ever seeing this much before! Hey Jessica, when was all of this planted?"

Jessica scratched her head. "I think… it was a couple of years after you left. Heh heh… you should've seen last year's bloom if you think this is amazing!"

"Reeeeally~! Ah, that makes me want to invent a time machine, and then go back, ihihihi!" Battler laughed.

"No matter how many times I've seen it, it's still breathtaking," Rudolf murmured next to Kyrie.

The rest of the adults nodded their heads.

"I know what you mean, Rudolf. There ain't nothin' more beautiful than these flowers!" Hideyoshi agreed.

"Oh, dear~? Does that mean they're more beautiful than I am?" Eva asked playfully.

"Wahahaha! You're part of the garden too, ain't ya?"

"Oh ho ho! Too true, too true, Master Hideyoshi!" a new voice cut in. It sounded familiar to Battler… but he couldn't quite place it.

As if by magic, Kumasawa popped out of nowhere besides Battler. The old maid chuckled and patted Battler's arm like some clingy grandmother would to their grandchildren. Battler jumped a little, and then smiled uneasily.

"I-Is that you, Granny?"

"Ho ho, indeed it is, Master Battler! It has been a long time, hasn't it!" Kumasawa chuckled.

Battler grinned, "Yeah, it has… and here I thought you'd have gotten younger instead of older!"

"Aiya… I wish," Kumasawa said wistfully, "to be young again, instead of the bad back I currently have… ho ho... I'll have you know that I had some perky ones when I was younger!"

"I-I don't want to imagine that," Battler stammered.

He slowly edged away from Kumasawa, and ended up backing into Rosa. She whipped her head in Battler's direction and took a hasty step backwards, having been distracted with her supervision of Maria.

"Oh? Master Battler, the tales of my youth that I could regale you wi—" Kumasawa said with a sly undertone.

Battler placed his hands over his ears. "La la la, I can't heeeeear yooooou!"

Everyone laughed at Battler, whose face burned scarlet. Dammit, he'd get back at everyone for this…! Even if it wasn't now, he'd get back at them in the future!

"Alright… I think we've stuck around long enough," Rudolf cut in. "You brats better go to the guesthouse and do whatever it is you do. We'll be… catching up in the meantime… Rosa, are you coming!?"

"A-Ah, yes I am. Maria… Maria! Get away from there!" Rosa snapped suddenly.

Battler twisted his head almost comically as he tried to spot where Maria was. One way, and then the other… and then he spotted her. She had been exploring the rose garden in its entirety, accumulating cuts and scratches from the thorns as she romped around. And yet… she didn't seem to be preoccupied all that much, her gaze focused on something.

Battler followed her gaze, and blinked.

A wilted rose had set up shop where Maria had bent down to observe it. She looked at it with a sad expression, and ended up letting out the occasional "uu" as she took in every part of the rose.

"M-Maria!" Rosa snapped, worry clear in her voice, "Come here, right now!"

And just like an extremely interesting tennis game, Battler's head swiveled the other way when Maria piped up with a protest.

"Uu, mama. This rose…" Maria said.

Rosa shook her head. Battler watched as she took the initiative, diving into the rose garden and taking a few scratches herself as she pulled Maria out of the den of injuries. He looked on, concerned as Rosa scolded her.

"You should know better than that!" Rosa snapped, "You're hurt! How many times do I need to tell you…? Honestly…"

"Uu, but mama, the rose… it's dying. Maria wants to take it with her…," Maria murmured.

"What about the rose!? How many times do I have to tell you to speak in complete sente—"

Rosa cut off, suddenly aware of the number of eyes on her. Clearing her throat, she sighed and then turned towards the rest of the family.

George tried to diffuse the tension. "Ah… maybe we could mark the rose? Aunt Rosa, I have a candy wrapper we could tie around the rose so Maria can find it later. You know, when we're less busy."

Battler broke out into a cold sweat as he looked on everything. He glanced at Rosa's suddenly mollified glare, and then at George's wary expression. He decided to jump in with his two pieces, even if he was nervous about getting into the family matter in the first place.

"I-Ihihihi, I agree with George. We can mark it later. Maria can take it with her when we go out to have some fun, riiiiight?" Battler said.

"Y-Yeah! Don't worry, Maria! You'll be able to find your rose later," Jessica agreed.

"…Rosa," Rudolf called, "Just let the brats do their thing. We can always catch up with them later."

Rosa visibly hesitated, and then nodded. "…Alright. Maria, go play with Battler and the others, alright?"

Maria looked away. "Uu…"

Satisfied, Rosa turned away and joined the rest of the adults. Gohda, after looking between the cousins and the adults, coughed in his hand to garner their attention.

"Ah… Kumasawa, can you lead the children to the guesthouse?" Gohda whispered.

She laughed with a shaky "ho ho ho", before acquiescing. "O-Of course."

"Thank you. In that case, ladies and gentlemen, if you will follow me…" Gohda called to the adults.

The cousins watched as Gohda shepherded the adults away from the garden and towards the main mansion. Battler laughed and scratched his head to diffuse his awkwardness, choosing to watch as George carefully wrapped the candy wrapper around Maria's rose.

Ahhh, I shouldn't get involved in family matters, his brain advised him.

He shook off his thoughts before turning to Jessica. Battler noticed how they all looked worried at how things turned out, and shook his head — this was the first time he was back in six years. It was supposed to be a happy occasion.

"Ihihihi, so there's a guesthouse now? I don't remember that being there six years ago."

That seemed to do the trick. Everyone seemed to visibly perk up at Battler's question. He himself let out a sigh of relief as the change of subject had the effect he desired.

"Oh, yeah! You weren't here when it was built!" Jessica recalled, "You should've seen the look on my mom's face when dad suggested it…"

It was, Battler thought, supposed to be a happy occasion. He should've enjoyed the reunion for what it was.

But as he looked at Maria's sullen face, he couldn't help but wonder what the Ushiromiya Family Conference was really about, even after all these years…

"…Your children and grandchildren have arrived, Master… won't you greet them?"

…The only lighting in the study was from the chandelier that bathed the entire room in a warm, yellow-orange light. It reflected off of the floor and the suits of armor, giving the entire room a pristine appearance.

Well, at least you could call it a study. In reality, it was more of a house. It had everything a house required — a kitchen, a bathroom… even a library, of sorts. Anything a human needed to survive, the study had. There was even a refrigerator of sorts in the kitchen.

And next to the sole window in the study, a figure stood there, peering out of the only view to the outside world as he swirled the top of a wine glass idly with a finger. His frown only grew deeper as he heard the news.

Hmph… and Nanjo was too much of a coward to play chess with me. Very well! It looks like I have no other recourse to stave off my boredom than my drink.

On the other side of the room stood another figure. However, unlike Kinzo, who seemed to vibrate with a sort of frenzy, the figure was the complete opposite — calm, and professional. He stood at attention as if he was a soldier in the military… even his face seemed to be chiseled from stone.

"Hah… I won't repeat myself, Genji… my children are nothing to me! Krauss!? Rosa!? Eva!? Rudolf!? They are all vultures waiting to swoop down on me the moment I die! As if I would go down for the conference! As if I would grace them with my preeeesence! If they want to talk to me, then they must prove that they're fool enough to breach my home! My shelter!" Kinzo bellowed towards the sky.

Genji silently took Kinzo's beratement with his usual stoicism. He said nothing as Kinzo continued to howl like a werewolf gone mad at the sight of the moon.

Kinzo's eyes seemed to bug out of his sockets. "Why should I share any of my inheritance with these foolish offspring of mine!? Krauss is a craven fool whose investments failed, completely and utterly! And don't think that I don't know about the others! Rosa is a complete failure of a businessperson – even as a woman! Rudolf is in debt, and that's not to mention the shame he's brought upon the family. And Eva, as competent as she is among fools, is a woman! She will not be allowed the inheritance! And that's not to speak of those foolish grandchildren of mine!"

And, suddenly, as if a puppet with its strings cut off, Kinzo's manic energy seemed to collapse on itself. Then he straightened up, as if nothing happened, and downed the entirety of his green alcoholic drink in one go. He held the wine glass out to the side, and without looking, called to Genji.

"Another, Genji. The same formula, if you will."

Genji bowed… not that Kinzo could see it. "Understood, Master."

…Kinzo continued to look at the courtyard behind his study as Genji moved in to pick up the bottle of absinthe that the old patriarch had been drinking. It had been sitting on the little platform that Kinzo's chessboard was resting on. Earlier, Kinzo had ordered Genji to play chess with him… for old time's sake, he had said.

It wasn't too much of a challenge for Kinzo, of course. No matter how many games Genji had played with Doctor Nanjo — no matter how good he was at chess, he couldn't defeat Kinzo, who had transcended the line between casual and professional players.

Currently, Kinzo had placed Genji's King in check with a well-placed Knight. The servant debated his options for a moment before moving his King back.

"...Playing defense all the time won't help you, old friend," Kinzo said. "Sometimes, a gamble is all you need to win the game, after all."

Genji said nothing. But he did acknowledge the advice, and inclined his head. Resuming his duties, he took the bottle of alcohol and moved towards Kinzo's side — the one that held the wine glass. He uncorked the bottle and poured some of the poison in, before corking it and placing it back. Then, grabbing a water pitcher, Genji filled up the rest of the wine glass with water, before stirring it with a nearby spoon.

Kinzo smiled calmly. "…Thank you, my old friend. That will be all, for now. Feel free to tell that foolish son of mine that I will never come down, no matter how much he begs."

Bowing low, Genji excused himself and left the room. Kinzo heard a loud click as the autolock to his door sealed the room from the outside world. He guffawed loudly at himself, and shook his head.

That was checkmate, Genji. You just didn't know it yet, he laughed.

It was a well-placed stratagem. By moving all of his pieces to the front and positioning them strategically, Kinzo in reality was only two moves away from checkmate, no matter what Genji did. After all, he had transcended both casual and professional play — he had thought thirty… no, forty steps ahead of him.

Ah, but an interesting diversion was all it was. Nothing could soothe the pain in his heart, even after all these years… not Nanjo, not Genji, and absolutely not chess.

There was only one object of worship that could help him now. A tear leaked down his cheek as he once more howled to the gods above.

"Oooooooooooooh! Beeeeeeeeeeatoriiiiiiiiice! How could you leave me like that! I placed you in a cage you could never escape from, but you diiiiiid! If only I could see your face once mooore! I would cast the die… to sacrifice my family if I could see your smile one last time! If I could, I would place you in that cage forevermore and make it so that you couldn't escape, you witch! Oooooooh, Beeeeeeeatoriiiiiice…"

As if answering Kinzo's call, the gray clouds in the skies above began to gather together, as if by some miracle of magic.

A/N: Hiya. Hello. Welcome to my gameboard. This will be a typical Umineko gameboard (well, barring Tohya's presence on the island. Spoilers). That means you should know the 'whodunnit', and the 'whydunnit'. And you should, at the very least, have some semblance of an idea as to the howdunnit given Episode 7. And if you've come all this way, what are you doing with your life? Go read the rest of the series. But if you have read the rest of Umineko, then feel free to try and unravel the mysteries. After all, I won't give up until you admit that witches exist, riiiiiiiiight~?

...To that end, allow me to give you some pieces of Red Truth (denoted in Bold):

1) Tohya Hachijo has the Detective's Authority for this Episode. That means that anything he sees with his own two eyes is the truth. This also means that he isn't affected by Fantasy scenes or anything along those lines.

2) Much like Umineko, this is a fair-play mystery. You will receive sufficient clues as to how the murders were committed. However, do note that if you haven't played Episode 7, you may or may not be able to piece together how they were done. Just accept that a witch did it, if you will.

3) I will be accepting the Blue Truth via reviews and PMs. However, note that you must have a valid theory as to how they were committed in order for me to counter it with some Red Truth. For example, if you throw out Blue Truths that everyone on the island was a culprit, I have the right to refuse it. Or I'll just fucking troll you and say "Beatrice is the culprit", because that's the way I roll.

4)The way you win readers, is by deducing the 'howdunnit' of the mystery. You should know the culprit and the heart of the board at this point, so there's no mystery in that. All the solutions will be revealed at the end, so feel free to struggle in vain~.