Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kan Kai

Hakyoku-hen (The Cataclysm Chapter)

Here I am,

I am your Fear.

Here I am,

I am your Lust.

Here I am,

I am your Anger.

Here I am,

I am your Doom.

Chapter 1: Benign

Part A

My death came closer with each passing second. I could feel my body turning cold, even with the hot sun beating down on my back. I was crawling on all fours, like some kind of wounded animal trying to evade its predator. I had to get away! I just had to! I couldn't die…not like this! Not yet!

I hid in the shade of the trees. I planted myself behind a bush. My breath was trembling and my throat hurt with every swallow that I made. It was so dry.

My legs were exhausted from running so hastily. All the muscles in my body were giving out on me. I needed to rest…but I didn't have the time! I'd have to move soon or they'd see me! If they did…I would die!

The sandy ground in front of me crunched. My predator was standing there…scanning the area for any sign of my presence. I held my breath. His footsteps grew closer…and closer…and closer. He was standing over me!

I tensed up. I pretended that I was invisible. He couldn't see me! It was impossible for him to see me this way! My fantasies were getting the best of me. I knew better than that, but that childish hope was one thing I still held onto.

His dark eyes passed from the trees behind me, and from the bushes I lay in. He was walking away! With his back turned, I could easily sneak past him! I could make it to my target! I would be safe there!

I gently crawled through the bushes. I was so careful not to make a sound. I had to be a phantom. I had to be nonexistent. I could do this!

There was a snap.

"Huh?" My predator turned. He spotted me. "Hey, you!"

Dammit! My foot snapped a branch that was underneath me!

"She's over there! Get her!"

I sprung to my feet and dashed in the opposite direction from my pursuer. I couldn't let him catch me! I just had to keep moving!

Another predator emerged from the corner of the building I was near. Her cold eyes ran all over my body. She was drooling. She was thinking of so many things that she could do to me! I didn't want to imagine what would happen if she laid her hands on me!

More and more predators emerged from the depths of Hell. They all eyed me the same way! They all yearned for a nibble at my bones! A drink of my blood! A piece of my flesh! A helpless tool to satisfy their dark pleasures! No…NO!

I spun around and ran back at my first pursuer. He opened his arms in an attempt to grab me. His legs were wide open. I slid feet first on the ground, like a baseball player, right under him. A look of shock and amazement filled his face. I hopped back up and sprinted towards my haven, with my predators giving chase.

They were right behind me! They were so close! I felt their breaths on the back of my neck! I felt their tongues run over my cheeks and shoulders! I heard their laughter…it shook my very bones! It numbed my mind and my emotions. I wasn't afraid…I wasn't feeling anything. All I could sense was that my haven was close. If I could just get there now…!

They swiped at me. I jumped, bobbed and weaved, and even slid a few times just to avoid their claws. Each attack came closer and closer to breaking my flesh open! Their laughter, their grunting, their flailing limbs…I wasn't going to make it!

I tripped on my shoelace. I collapsed to the ground. My stomach throbbed and my chest stung. I glanced over my shoulder; there they were! I crawled on my back slowly. If I made any sudden movements, they would pounce on me! It was over…

The school bell rang. My predators had feared the sound of that bell. They hung their heads in defeat and cursed amongst themselves.

"I won! I won!" I cheered. "Nipah~!"

"Damn, damn, damn!" Keiichi stamped his feet and grasped at his head. "We were so close!"

"It's all your fault, Keiichi-san!" Satoko looked at him with her little brow furrowed. The vein in her forehead pulsed. "You were the closest and you let her slide under you! You could've gotten her!"

"Hey! She was moving too fast! Besides, you didn't do any better either, you little brat!"

"What did you say?" Satoko gritted her teeth.

She rammed her fist into Keiichi's stomach. He doubled over in pain.

"Hauuuu," Rena knelt down to nurse her friend…or so I thought. "Keiichi's behind is in the air…so cuuuuuute!"

"Nuh-uh-uh, Rena! Be a good girl now!" Our club leader put her foot on Keiichi's hunched back and folded her arms. "And don't go helping him either! He gets what he deserves for costing us our victory!"

We were playing a game of Zombie Tag. Satoko was the first to fall to the infection. Keiichi pulled a mean prank on her in order to kill her, as he was chosen to be the first zombie. He told the children, who were also on the playground with us, to inform Satoko that Dr. Irie had stopped by. He wanted to speak with her about something important. Unfortunately, Satoko fell for the trick. Instead of a crazed Dr. Irie, waving maid's dresses about, there was a blood-thirsty Maebara Keiichi!

Rena was the next to die. I was running with her until we split up. She hid in the shed behind the school while I went elsewhere. The second I ran away from the shed, I heard her bloodcurdling scream of terror. Satoko had descended from the rafters onto Rena and tickled her. I think Rena…enjoyed that a little too much!

It took the trio a while, but they eventually killed Mion. Rena pretended to be normal, a player that was still alive, and ran up to Mion. She acted as if she was stressed and even fearful of who would end up killing her. Mion quickly caught on that Rena was just playacting, Mion turned tail to run, only to find that Keiichi was standing right behind her! It was a trap within a trap, all orchestrated by Satoko!

I was the last one alive. I must have hid and sneaked all over the property for twenty minutes! I just had to hold out until the bell rang, or if I could lock myself up in Chie-sensei's office. I planned to tell Chie-sensei that Mion and the others had formed a new club that spoke ill about curry! Chie-sensei would have throttled the lot of them while I came out on top! Luckily for my friends, I wasted enough time so that such a fate could be avoided!

"Alright!" Mion took her foot from Keiichi's back and threw her arms out into the air. "It is with great honor that I appoint you, Furude Rika, as the winner of today's club activity!"

Keiichi and Satoko feigned applause for me, as they whispered curses under their breaths, while Rena genuinely clapped for me.

"Yay! I won!" I smiled cutely at my friends.

"So," Mion gulped. "What will you do to us then? That was our punishment, remember? Whoever loses has to do whatever you say…"

"I think that you stressed 'whatever', Mii!"

"…Don't remind me…"

I held my finger to my chin and tilted my upper body from side to side.

"Hmm…? What-should-I-do-to-you?" I sang.

Keiichi was still grumbling.

"Keiichi?" I walked up to him and smiled. "My feet are killing me! Could you give me a foot massage?"

"I am not touching your feet, especially after this club activity! They're gonna be all sweaty and stinky!"

I wagged my finger. "You have to, Keiichi! I won!"

"…Sonuva…!"

I turned to Rena. "Rena? Could you give me some of your special cookies? I really like those cookies! I like the ones with the frosting shaped like a kitty cat!"

Rena was turning red as she thought about the image on the proposed cookies. "Hauuuuuuu…!"

"Satoko?" I faced her. "Could you fan me? I'm feeling kind of hot out here! This P.E. uniform gets really uncomfortable when you play outside for so long!"

"Alright...fine…!"

"And Mii?" I looked up to her sweetly. "Can you rub my shoulders and get me something to drink? I'm thirsty!"

"Okay! That's not so bad!"

I grinned evilly. "While wearing the cow-skin bikini…with bunny ears!"

"E-E-E-Excuse me?" Mion shouted at me. "No! I'm not doing that!"

"You gotta, Mion!" Keiichi snickered. "The club's rules are absolute!"

She grunted. "Damn…!"

"Haha! I can't wait to see how you'll look, Mion!" Keiichi squirmed as he stood. He hugged himself and started to drool. "I'll get to see your neck, your boobs, your stomach…ehehehehe! Hauuuuuuu! I wanna take you home with me!"

Rena was "hau-ing" as well.

"Keiichi?" I smiled even sweeter at him. "I want you to wear a bikini too, with cat ears and the poofy cotton tail!"

"WHAT?"

He really should have kept his mouth shut! That's what happens when you lose a club game…to me!

After school had ended and when all the children went home, the Club and I stayed behind in order for me to administer everyone's punishments. Rena brought me a bento box filled with the special cookies she made for lunch. They were so soft and chewy! The chocolate filled me with delight and the cat-shaped frosting was so adorable! I wonder how Rena was able to make these without losing consciousness! She'd swoon and knock herself out at the first cute thing she saw!

As I sipped at the lemonade that Mion gave me, Satoko was fanning me with the large feather-shaped fan Mion had in her locker. Mion was probably planning on making Keiichi use that on her if she had one. Unfortunately for her, luck shined upon me today!

Satoko didn't look happy at all! She grumbled and kicked at the floor beneath her. She was scuffing the floor with her shoes because of how hard she did it. Her little arms gave out a few times because of how large the fan was, but after a quick rest, she was back to fanning me. She was to fan me until I was satisfied, and I wasn't anywhere near being satisfied!

Mion was massaging my shoulders. Her bust poked against me a few times as she pulled me back and pushed me forward as she untied the knots in my muscles. I laid my head on her and relaxed. Her hands were delicate, but they had such strength behind them! I bet Keiichi would kill to be in the position that I was!

I saw him eye her cleavage as she wore that bikini. He was drooling. Whenever he stopped rubbing my worn feet to steal a glimpse of her skin, I kicked him hard in the face. Keiichi mumbled and continued to rub me.

His bikini wasn't bad at all either! Most of his chest was exposed and the briefs he wore hugged his body tightly! Rena and Mion couldn't peel their eyes away from him! Mion's breathing trembled. She squeezed me harder as she watched Keiichi. The both of them were running their eyes up and down at each other. It was disgusting! That mushy perverted crap really pisses me off!

"…Alright! I think that does it! Haha!" I said after an hour of pampering. I straightened up in my chair and stretched my arms. "Thank you everyone! You made me feel super! Nipah~!"

Satoko turned away from me and pouted. Rena lifted me up into her arms and squeezed me, and even twirled me around. Mion and Keiichi blushed as they timidly walked away from one another to go and change. All was right with the world!

When it was time to leave, we all gathered outside with our things and got back into our school clothes. I yawned and then breathed deeply. The sky was so clear and the air was so crisp. It almost made me feel…somewhat happy.

"Alright, well," Mion said to us as she walked off. "I gotta get home right now! The new game I ordered was supposed to come in the mail today! If it doesn't there's gonna be hell to pay!"

"Ahaha!" Rena clapped her hands. "I can't wait to see the new game! What's it going to be about? I wonder!"

"Hehehe! That's a secret until I show you guys!"

"Is it another card game or something?" Keiichi asked her.

"It's not just any old card game! It's one that's gonna top Old Geezer and Rich Man Poor Man! Count on it!"

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" Satoko held her hand near her mouth. Her little vampire emerged from her lips. "Keiichi-san's gonna lose again! This time, I'm gonna be the winner! I won't allow Rika to win anymore!"

"…I wish you luck!" I giggled at Satoko's confidence.

"Anyways…see you later, everyone! We got another big day of club activities ahead of us tomorrow! Get some rest!" Mion smirked and winked at Keiichi. "You'll need it if you don't want to fail again, Kei-chan!"

"Look who's talking!" he hollered back. "I'm gonna kick your ass! I'm not losing again!"

"Ahaha! Keiichi-kun's so energetic!" Rena stopped speaking. She held her face in her hands and wriggled where she stood. "Keiichi-kun's…energetic…hauuuuuu…"

"He-Hey! Stop that! What're you thinking about?"

"She's thinking about the wild beast, Kei-chan!" Mion elbowed him. "Don't you boys have a wild beast that needs to be tamed every now and then? Ahahaha!"

"Cut it out! That's so gross!"

Even though he was disgusted, Keiichi laughed heartily. That's what we did, that's what we always did. We'd always laugh and play with each other. We always enjoyed each other's company. That's how it was…how it would always be…even in a place like this.

Mion and Keiichi walked home to their respective houses after we had finished. Satoko asked me to do some shopping with her, to prepare for tonight's dinner, but I declined. There was something that I wanted to do. I said that I wanted to take care of my family's shrine. I was the priestess and the caretaker after all. I had duties that I needed to honor. Rena took my place and scurried off with Satoko to go bargain hunting for ingredients. It was good this way. I needed some alone time anyway.

I readjusted my backpack. I strolled down the road by myself, gazing at the clear blue sky and the emerald green fields to kill time during my walk. I had seen too many stories that began this way. I had seen too many endings that never once complimented this scenery. Before I would know it, this place would be gone. It would be gone just like all the others.

The steps to the Furude Shrine were taking their toll on me. I forgot how many times I climbed up those stairs. I climbed up them for more than one hundred years, but it never became any easier for me. I felt a great weight upon my body. It made me want to fall, to crawl on the ground like a snake. It felt as if it was going to crush me.

I passed by the shrine and walked up the back road. The trees encircled my and the cry of the afternoon cicadas were welcoming me back home. Most people would believe that "crying" would mean singing, in the case of these insects. It wasn't. The cicadas were literally crying. They cried out over the sins of the past, the fallen, and for the future. Whenever they cried out, it foreshadowed my inevitable doom…our doom.

I opened the door to the Saiguden. It was a little brighter than usual. The light that seeped in reflected off of the torture equipment to match the light of the candles I had recently been burning. This place was my second home.

I stood in front of the altar that sat before the grand statue of Oyashiro-sama. He looked down at me with that emotionless stare. I used to be uncomfortable by that gaze when I was little, before my ignorance was killed by the knowledge that I have now. Nowadays, I didn't mind the stare from the golden god. I always took that stare he gave me as a welcoming gesture.

I went behind the altar. I stooped over; I picked up a large wine bottle and a glass. I broke the neck of the bottle and poured myself a drink. The liquid flooded my mouth and slithered down my throat. It tasted delightful. I gulped down the whole drink in a few seconds flat.

I gasped and wiped my mouth. I poured another glass. I needed this. I needed this to keep my nerves steady.

"That's not very appropriate, Rika!" someone called out to me. "You can't hide something like that in a place like this!"

"Oh shut up you…" I turned around.

A little girl was hovering behind me. Her hair was long and purple and she wore a shrine maiden's robes, just like the ones I would wear when I looked after the shrine. I wore those same robes when I served at the Watanagashi Festivals. The girl had horns hanging from the side of her head too. The horn on the left side of her head appeared to be chipped. She was intangible. I could see right through her. I could look past her eyes, her horns, her hair, and even her body. I was talking to a ghost.

The girl was on the verge of crying. She sniffled and dabbed her eyes with the sleeves of her robes. I hated weeping. I hated it whenever she would whine or cry. It made me furious…and it made me want to cry as well.

"Hanyuu," I said sternly. I deepened my voice and stared her down. "Stop that crying! You know I can't stand it when you do that!"

"Auu -auu~! Rika! Don't be so cruel!" Hanyuu hovered to me. She stood on the ground. We were at eye-level. "Please, don't drink that stuff! You know I don't like it when you drink wine!"

"Using my last few words against me? I don't appreciate that!" I chugged down my whole glass.

Hanyuu grasped her throat. She fell to the floor and writhed in agony. "Ahh! Don't drink all of that in one gulp! It's so gross…!"

I peered down at her. I wanted to laugh at the swirls I saw in her eyes, but I held back. "That's what happens when you irritate me."

"Auuu…."

I sat on the altar and rubbed at the glass with my finger. "Hanyuu…are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" she raised her voice. "You had all that wine and you made me sick! Of course I'm not fine!"

"…You know what I mean…"

Hanyuu blinked at me once or twice. She averted her eyes. "…I don't know…I guess…maybe not…"

"Another world, huh?" I twirled the empty glass in my hands. I examined it long and hard. "It's the same story every time: I die and we're thrown into a new world. It's just like before. Though I have to wonder…when will our good luck run out?"

"Rika…we should be thankful that we're still alive! We have another chance! This is a blessing!" Hanyuu cracked a tiny smile. "Even though all my power is gone, we're still able to go to back to the beginning! We're still alive, Rika!"

"Another chance…another chance…I'm tired of second chances!" I gripped the glass. "We were finished, Hanyuu…we were finished when we defeated Takano! Why…why are we back in this Cycle again?"

"I'm not sure." Hanyuu floated over to me and sat on the altar next to me. "I…just wish I knew too…"

"…We should be dead. After that first world, when everything had ended…Rena murdered me."

I recalled that world clearly.

"Rena became so lustful and paranoid that she murdered Satoko and I…she set up Shion to be killed as well and allowed her to kill Mion. She realized in the end that what she did was wrong…but still. That was the first world in this new Cycle…we should have died for good then."

"I put everything I had into that world. I came into existence as a human so that I could help you all. We defeated Takano together and we were all so happy! We all played together and had fun! However…I somehow lost my human form and I'm trapped in this lonely realm once more." Hanyuu sighed. "No one even remembers me…they don't even question why I left or where I went. No one remembers my name…"

"My guess is that since you lost your human form, along with what little power you had left, they lost their memories of you. Everyone forgot about you when your link to the physical world, your last shred of power, was lost."

"But how was it lost?"

"…I wished that you knew…"

Hanyuu twiddled her fingers. "…Rika…if I knew something…I'd tell you everything. I'd never hold anything back from you!"

"I know you wouldn't." I sighed now. "You vanished…and then we all died. We've kept on dying since you left us. Even though we should have been dead for good, time resets and we're back at the beginning. Our Endless June has become our Eternal July. Hanyuu? How long have we been in this one loop? I lost track after that one month…"

Hanyuu looked at the floor. She bit her bottom lip. "We've been stuck in this loop for at least a whole year now."

"A year…a damn year…" I poured another glass of wine. I took gentle sips this time.

"Rika? Have you also noticed something about each of the worlds we've been to as well as the one we observed?"

"Each of the worlds…something different happens. In the first world, we played baseball. I thought that if I ran that idea of playing that game to Mion in the second world, when she had committed suicide when she posed as Shion, I could stop the events from ever happening! But no…she wanted to play something else."

"I remember that world too." Hanyuu folded her hands together. "I even tried to warn Keiichi that something was bound to happen at some point, but he thought I was a monster! His paranoia made him believe that I was trying to kill him!"

"Every world…something different happens." I squeezed my glass. "Even the Keima Clan changed. The last world we observed…Hinamizawa in 1993…that was the finest example."

I took a quick swig of my drink.

"In all the other times, Akasaka never returned to Hinamizawa. He put the village behind him and allowed Mion and Satoko to sink into their depression after the Great Fire. They eventually started a war with the Keima Clan, which buried the village, causing more innocent people to die. It was because of him that the village was completely destroyed in that one world of 1993.

"This time though, he returned to Hinamizawa! He saved Mion and Satoko! He ended up saving the village too…but at the cost of answers to our questions. That was when Shion murdered Abbot Ayatsuri, the head of the Clan. If only Akasaka had saved Shion too…we could have learned something important from him. Even so, Hanyuu," I said as I grinned at her. "I'm happy you were able to communicate with him!"

"I was too! He listened to me in the dream! I was able to enter his heart; I was able to keep him, Mion, and Satoko safe!"

"I'm very thankful that they had some hope in that world, now that Akasaka had returned. While I am thankful that things sort of worked out, I'm still very troubled by the mystery of that world..."

"You're talking about learning if TOKYO is behind the village's destruction? As well as with everyone's deaths?" Hanyuu looked to me.

"Yes. If Shion was saved in that world, then we could have found out the secrets that Ayatsuri had. If Shion was saved before the Great Fire had occurred…then maybe…we'd have a chance at stopping the cause of our doom!"

"Shion's demon is our most formidable adversary it seems," my friend said pondering the things I mentioned. "Everyone overcame theirs except for Shion! Keiichi never had a demon so he was the never a cause for anything!"

"If Keiichi had a demon…we'd lose the battle before it began! That boy is another essential piece to stopping this Cycle! Everyone has their part to play! If he had a demon, it'd all be over, I'm sure of it!"

"Demons…it's hard to believe that they're our prime enemy now!"

I peered at Hanyuu. "Are these demons everyone mentions truly real, or is it Hinamizawa Syndrome getting the better of them?"

"I looked into their hearts." Hanyuu folded her hands over her heart. She closed her eyes. "I saw their goals, their wishes, and every sin that they've ever committed, Rika. I saw…dark presences within everyone. I saw their animalistic wishes…they were lustful, angry, and fear! It was their fear that led them down that dark path! That fear led to hate, hate led to violence, and that violence…led to our suffering! Keiichi never had that problem! I never saw anything evil within him! Mion, Shion, and Rena…they all did those crimes because of the dark entities living in their hearts!"

I thought about it all as I took another sip. "Rena's demon was defeated when she gave up her love for Keiichi. Mion's demon was destroyed when Rena used the Onigari-no-Ryuo on her in that other world. Shion however…she has never been able to overcome her demon!"

"That reminds me, Rika. The Onigari-no-Ryuo…my daughter's sword." Hanyuu turned around and looked upon the statue of Oyashiro-sama. "It still retains its power after thousands of years…and it keeps that power even when the blade is shattered!"

"What're you suggesting, Hanyuu?" I raised my brow at her.

"That sword…what if we were to…use it on Shion?"

"She'd die. Rena slew Mion, along with Mion's demon, when she used it." I became frustrated. "This world may be the last one we get! I can't risk any one of my friends dying!"

Hanyuu looked back at me. "You're right…I'm sorry."

"The sword may also have other powers," I spoke to myself. "Everyone talks about it! It was the very thing that connected the Keima Family with the Furude Family!"

Hanyuu twitched at that name.

"I'm not sure…but it might have something to do with these time loops!"

"Ouka slew me with that holy blade. My blood stained the metal of that sword. I…remember hearing Ouka speak about it…as I watched over her."

"You watched my ancestor?" I was surprised.

"For a little while." Hanyuu frowned. "Ouka said that she'd never clean the blade. She'd never remove my essence, that which gave me life in my human body, from the sword! She always wanted to remember what she had done to me! She wanted my blood to stay on that sword so she would remember it all! She wanted to suffer from the knowledge that she killed me! She hated that sword! She hated that she used it on me!

"That's why she sealed it away! It was then…that she asked Keima Katsuhiro to look after the sword. I know so…I remember seeing him speaking with her about it!"

"Is there anything else you can remember, Hanyuu?"

She shook her head. "Everything went black afterwards! I can't remember what happened to my daughter or to Katsuhiro! I'm sorry, Rika!" Hanyuu was tearing up. "I'm our link to the past and I can't even remember anything to help you! I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…!"

"Stop apologizing!" I yelled at her. "I'm so sick of hearing you say that!"

"…Rika…!" Hanyuu wiped her eyes and her nose on her sleeve.

I was quiet for a moment to let my anger quell. "So…are you saying that some of your essence…your power…is still on the sword after all these years?"

"I'm not sure. I just know that my blood remained upon the blade. Maybe…my blood…the blood of a demon…the blood of a god…is what's keeping us alive! My blood, my power, maybe added more abilities to the sword! Maybe it's giving us all of these chances!"

"Maybe…but frankly…I don't care! As long as we're alive now, that's all that matters!"

Hanyuu looked back at the statue. It was as ifshe was looking right through it.

Legends spoke about how Ouka had sealed the Onigari-no-Ryuo within the statue of Oyashiro-sama. There were a few documents in the Furude Shrine that spoke of this legend, but I couldn't find anything that told me any truth. Hanyuu, however, told me how Rena had found the sword when she went after Mion in that one world, and how the sword was imbedded into my head in the other world where Hanyuu had followed Shion. The sword did exist!

Even so, it was useless to us in combat. Mion was killed by it, along with her demon. Even if we wanted to release the sword of the statue, we couldn't use it on Shion to kill her demon. We'd kill her in the process! This might be our last world, I thought to myself. I couldn't risk anything! It would be better if the sword stayed locked away! It would stay there until we could figure out a plan!

"Shion's not the only thing that concerns me, Rika." Hanyuu scooted closer to me. "What about Irie? What about the poison he gave out to Rena and Shion?"

That's right! Hanyuu observed that as well!

"I remember you telling me about that! From what you saw in the 1993 Hinamizawa, the Clan had military grade weapons and poisons, with cyanide being one the major drugs next to the H-150 virus! Irie had that poison and he researches Hinamizawa Syndrome at the Clinic! He's been helping Satoshi recover ever since!"

"So-So is Irie our enemy too? Auuu~!" Hanyuu trembled. "He's our friend! There's no reason why he should betray us like that!"

"Didn't you observe his chat with Shion before he was killed in that world? He said he had no choice, he had to give her those pills!" I put the glass down on the altar and folded my arms. "Irie could be part of the Clan, but he's also part of the TOKYO group that started the clinic. We're still unsure if TOKYO and the Clan are related, but all the evidence suggests that! Either Irie is betraying us or he is really being forced into doing this!"

"So…demons aren't just the only enemies we're facing then, Rika? I can't imagine Irie being crooked!"

"No! We're not just fighting demons!" I slammed my fists down on the altar. "Our enemy is also human! Whoever this person is…he or she is controlling Irie! I'm sure of it! Hanyuu…it's an all-out war now!"

Part B

The longer I thought about it, the more concerned I grew about our situation. Hanyuu had observed the outcomes of each world after I had been killed in them. She watched Rena murder her friends and fall to her death. She witnessed Mion's ferocity in two separate worlds, where she killed herself in frustration and in the other where she imitated Rena. The last world she witnessed was the one where Shion had murdered both Irie and Teppei, before being thrown into a mental institution following the Great Fire. She even watched Shion slowly slip from her remaining sanity when she returned to Hinamizawa in 1993 to slay Ayatsuri, the head of the Keima Clan. Hanyuu had seen everything replay over and over again…for a whole year.

In each new world, she would tell me all that happened so we could strategize. Even when I thought I had the answers and when I tried to save myself and my friends, my new world took an unexpected turn and my friends became enemies, all because of their inner demons. In every world my hope faded, in every world I learned of a new adversary, and in every world my life was draining.

This world we were in now could be our last. Needless to say, the pressure was gargantuan. Everything needed to go just right in order for everyone to be saved! If I failed accomplishing even one objective, we would lose again! I wasn't going to die again! I've had enough of this Cycle! I was breaking free!

Keiichi taught me, back in the Endless June, that you couldn't get anywhere with prayer alone. Praying has its power, but it also needs the willpower and want of one to make those wishes come true! I use to pray without doing anything, hoping everything would be alright. I was wrong. I was the one that needed to fight! I was the one that needed to lead my friends into battle! I once lost hope, and I was losing it now. Even so…I sound like a hypocrite, but there had to be a way! There's always a solution if you're willing to fight for it!

We had three main objectives now.

First, we needed to save Shion from her demon. She was the only person that never overcame her inner devil! Shion was a fragile woman with an unstable heart and mind; she could be easily taken advantage of! She was strong, but she never once resisted the demon! Hinamizawa Syndrome was getting the better of her every time too! It fed her paranoia and anger, which in turn strengthened her demon! If we could just liberate her from her torment, we would have a chance!

Second, we had to discover Irie's true motives! He helped us greatly before, but I feared that his allegiance wavered. For all I knew, he could be the one pulling the strings behind this series of disasters! He tried to kill us by giving us poison disguised as painkillers. It was a heinous trick to do away with each of us, but what was the purpose? Why were my friends and I targets? Why would he go to such lengths to kill us that way? And even if he did prove successful in murdering us in that manner, wouldn't the poison be traced back to him? It was traced back to him when Kasai's death was determined in Shion's world! It didn't make sense! Why wouldn't Irie cover his tracks better?

There was another issue that disturbed me. In every world, I was always the main target! I was always the first one to die along with Satoko! Why her? Perhaps it was because she was always by my side and the Enemy needed to shut her up? I still wasn't quite sure, but I knew we were the main focus. Rena and Mion had tortured us and killed us both viciously. Even in Shion's world I was killed first! Whoever kept killing me each time must have had a vendetta against me!

This brought me back to the Keima Clan. In this time frame, they were still a cult. They didn't become a recognized religion until after the Great Fire. As a cult, they could linger in the shadows and strike without fear of alerting anyone, since nobody truly knew about them. Only Akasaka and Hanzaemon Takuma, Akasaka's new partner, were investigating the Clan before they went public. They were the only people in all of Shishibone City that knew about them!

The Clan believed that their savior, Kami Ousama, was cursed by my family and later killed, in his human form, by Mion's family. I understood perfectly that they would want revenge on both of our families. However, if that was the case…then why didn't Mion die with me in the beginnings of each world? If the clan was behind everything, they would kill both Mion and I first! They hated us!

I had no idea about the Clan's innocence. TOKYO was still another issue. They could be affiliated with the Clan or the Clan is just a front for them. I wouldn't know any time soon though. Maybe I would ask Akasaka to help me! If I asked him early enough, I bet he could find out the truth for me before the Enemy made the first move!

I thought about our Enemy as well. This brought me to our third objective: to uncover the Enemy's identity. Ayatsuri was the prime suspect. He led the Clan, and the Clan hated my family more than anything, so he could have led the attack against us! Hanyuu saw the kind of trouble he could do! He could manipulate people through the Syndrome that infected their bodies! He was the King Carrier!

I didn't want to think that there was another Carrier, but there existed another! The kind of power the King held…was it real? It had to have some truth to it, especially since he tormented Mion and Satoko when they grew up. He even influenced those suicides in 1993 Hinamizawa; there was even the "Keima be Praised" writing on the victims' walls of their abodes. Even Takano had it.

Ayatsuri could be our Enemy! He influenced the Syndrome in Mion, Shion, and Rena somehow, which fed their demons. He awakened their demons to kill all of us! He made them attack me! It was a perfect crime! Nothing could be traced back to him at all! But…how did Ayatsuri come into contact with them in the first place? What other powers did that monster have?

There was another thing I'd have to ask Akasaka to investigate for me too. I needed him to look up Takano's death. If Hinamizawa Syndrome, the H-150 virus, and the King Carrier were involved, Takano could be the culprit! I hated to think about it…but maybe she had returned! Maybe she faked her own death! Maybe she broke out of her incarceration and got another team together to try and kill us again! It was another possible scenario! She knew about Hinamizawa Syndrome intimately! She knew everything there was to know about it!

If Takano was back, we'd all be facing a stronger evil than before! Her rage would be immense and her thirst for blood would be unquenchable! The diseased that ravaged her would make her our enemy again! What if…Takano and Ayatsuri were…allies?

Later on in the evening, I went back to my home. I arrived just in time! Satoko had a beautiful dinner waiting for me! After we ate our fill, we washed up and hopped in bed. It took me a while to get to sleep, but when my eyes finally stayed shut, I was in Heaven. I needed my rest. I needed to stay strong.

Morning came sooner than I expected. Satoko and I readied ourselves and donned our school dresses. We grabbed our backpacks and began our descent down the hill from our home. Mion would have her new game today. It was going to be the one that was fantasy based. I remembered the card game very well. I had only played it at least a hundred times during the year I had been stuck in this loop.

Satoko was talking to me, but I didn't pay attention to her.

My mind was filling with more thoughts and questions about everything that happened to us. What world would this be now? Which friend of mine would be become my enemy this time?

"Rika? Rika!" Satoko elbowed me.

"Huh? What is it, Satoko?"

"Rika! Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?"

"Uh…oh…I'm sorry, Satoko…"

"Are you okay?" Satoko felt my forehead with her hand. "You're not warm. Didn't you sleep at all last night?"

"…I did. I'm sorry to worry you!" I smiled at her. "I'm just trying to figure out what Mii's game is today! I'm gonna win!"

Satoko's competitive personality took over, just as I hoped.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! I don't think so! I'm not going to lose to you again!"

"We'll see! Ahahaha-oof!"

I bumped into something.

I fell flat on my behind. Satoko immediately held my arms and gently pulled me back up. She asked if I was alright, but I couldn't open my mouth at that moment. This…this never even…happened before! Not in this whole year! It never…ever…!

A man in a black suit was on his knee looking down at me. His face was filled with concern and his eyes were apologetic. He bowed his head furiously at me.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't look where I was going!"

"Hey! You better watch it, Mister!" Satoko yelled at him. "I'll kick your ass if you hurt her again!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Satoko!" I smiled weakly at her, just to calm her. "It's okay! I'm fine! I was the one who should've been paying attention to the road! Hahaha!"

Satoko still glared at the man in front of us.

I got a better look at him.

His eyes, though very apologetic, held a special light in them. I sensed beauty and warmth in the man. He was very handsome too! His wife was a very lucky girl! I could tell he was married because of the band around his left ring finger! He wiped at his face with a handkerchief. He was so nervous that he knocked me down! It must have also been hot in that black suit, especially in this summer weather!

"I'm really sorry, Miss!" he said.

I knew this man. I recognized him right away from the suit and the hanky. This man was Hanzaemon Takuma, Akasaka's partner from the police station.

"It's okay, Mister!" I said sweetly.

It was so tedious meeting Hanzaemon once again, after all the worlds I've met him in, but this time was different! I never met him on the way to school before! I never met him the day where we all played that card game!

"You sure?" Hanzaemon examined me. "I can take you to the Clinic if you're hurt! I know exactly where it…wait…" He scratched at his head. "Was it…right next to the junkyard…or was it…was it near that 7th Mart place…? Ah shi-uh…cra-…d'oh! I'm lost again it seems…!"

"I'll tell you where you can go!" Satoko raised her voice again.

"Satoko, please!" I tapped her shoulder. I turned back to Hanzaemon. "Can we help you, sir?"

"I uh…yeah! I'm really lost!" He hung his head in sorrow. "Senpai gave me a map and everything, but I still goofed up! It's not easy being the new guy at the station you know!"

"You're a police officer?" I feigned interest.

"Yes I am!" Hanzaemon showed me his badge. "Officer Hanzaemon Takuma, Okinomiya Precinct! At your service!"

Satoko examined the badge. "So you're a cop?"

"Yep! That's right!" Hanzaemon laughed nervously. Satoko was making him more and more uncomfortable by how long she glared at him.

"You know it's a crime to touch little girls like that? What are you, like, thirty?"

"I didn't touch any little girls! I swear!" Takuma held his hands up in the air. "See? See? I'm not touching anybody! My hands are up! I didn't do anything!"

I couldn't help but laugh at him. Akasaka's partner…he was such a fool! How could a joke like him have been such a great help to him in the future?

"Oh ho ho ho ho!" Satoko pointed at him. "You should arrest yourself for assault too!"

"Satoko! That's enough!" I said firmly, before looking back at Hanzaemon. "I'm sorry! My friend really cares about me! I'm a lucky girl! Nipah~!"

"Yeah…I bet…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "So uh…where am I, exactly?"

"The closest area we're near is the school. Was that where you were headed to?"

"Come to think of it… There was that small building I passed when I came here. I saw all the forestry equipment so I thought it was their warehouse! I was looking for the Furude Shrine place and I thought this road led up to it. Great…Senpai's gonna make fun of me for that too! I can't even read a stupid map!"

I smiled a little wider to make him feel better. "Who's your Senpai?"

"Akasaka Mamoru! He's kinda like my boss!"

"Oh, I know him!" I tried to act surprised. "Akasaka and I are really good friends!"

"You are?" Hanzaemon eyed me a little more. "Then…are you the little girl he talked about? He talks about this one girl like she's his daughter or something!"

"I'm that girl! I'm Furude Rika!"

"That's it!" Hanzaemon extended his hand to me. He squatted down again. "Nice to meet you, Rika-chan! Can I call you Rika-chan?"

I ignored his hand. I lifted my own hand up and petted his head. "Worries, worries, fly away! Let Hanzaemon be happy!" I spoke as cutely as I could.

Hanzaemon blushed and looked down at the ground. He was so bashful! No matter how many times I saw him, I loved seeing him become so timid!

"And this is Houjou Satoko!" I gestured to her.

"Yeah, hi…" Satoko mumbled as she folded her arms.

"…I see that you don't like me too much, huh, Houjou-san…?"

Satoko was about to say something, but I stopped her.

"We should get going!" I said. "We're going to be late for school if we don't hurry!"

"Ah! I'm sorry I took up your time!" Hanzaemon stood up. He smiled warmly as he wiped at his forehead again. "Well, I'll um…I'll see you ladies around sometime? Have a good day then!"

"Please tell, Akasaka that I say 'hello!'"

He nodded. He then bowed and walked off along another road, scratching at his head as he tried to get his bearings. The poor man!

"That guy's a weirdo…" Satoko said quietly.

"He's not so bad!"

"Yeah, well…" Satoko turned her gaze from him and looked out in front of us. "Rika?"

"Hmm?"

She smirked. "Now that that's over…I bet'cha can't beat me to the school! I'll race you! First one there gets to have the first helping of Rena-san's cookies!" She dashed without so much as a response from me.

I stood there, watching her dumbly. The event still hadn't sunken into my mind yet. We never met Hanzaemon this early in a world before! Was…was this a sign? Were things going to be different from here on out? But…if we met Hanzaemon this time, and we never did in any other time before…then what world were we in? Was this a new world we never saw before…?

"Rika?" that small voice said behind my ear. "I know what you're thinking…"

"Hanyuu…what world are we in now?"

"I'm not sure…I'm just as stunned as you are!" Hanyuu squirmed behind me. Those noises she'd always make indicated that. "Auu auu~! What could this all mean?"

"I don't know…but whatever it is…we need to stand ready! We cannot afford another mistake, Hanyuu! I'm not giving up! I'm not losing again!"

"…Rika…"

"Rika!" Satoko called out to me from the bottom of the hill. "Come on! What's wrong? Too afraid that you're gonna lose to me! Oh ho ho ho! Come and fight me!"

I shook my head quickly. "Coming!"

As I ran down the hill, Hanyuu floated by my side. That frown never left her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked between breaths.

"…I'm just worried…I'm just not ready for you to be heartbroken again!"

"I won't be! I'm going to break free! I did it before…and I'll do it again!"

"…Rika…please…don't be so confident. We don't know what world we're in after all…"

"That's not going to stop me!" I smiled at her. "Nothing's going to stop me! I'll win this time! I won't let anything bring us down again!"

"…Yes…" Hanyuu closed her eyes and slowly drew away from me. "…If you say so…"