The following contains spoilers for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Including novels 10/11) as well as Umineko no naku koro ni. Both franchises are the properties of Nagaru Tanigawa and Ryukishi07 respectively.
My dreams were pretty much exactly what you'd expect from someone in a situation like this. I didn't sleep well. I was glad when a particularly loud thunderclap woke me up in the morning.
Faint light streamed through the shutters, but the storm raged harder than ever. Getting up, after a rather long stretch, I made my way to the windows to look outside. The grounds outside the mansion looked gray and lifeless. Just like closed space. I could hear Haruhi stirring from her nest – that thunderclap must've woken her too.
"Mmmf. *Yawn* 'Morning Kyon. "
Well, aren't you a sight waking up.
"Shut up. You've got a bit of drool on your face too, you know."
Haruhi got up and shambled her way into the bathroom. I took the chance to get dressed, and then check on last night's preparations. Everything still seemed to be locked and in order, although the chair had apparently fallen down in the night. The bolt and chain were still set, at least.
After a few minutes, Haruhi came back out, her hair straightened out and looking considerably less ratty. She went to undo my locks to the side room so she could get her cloths, and I took the chance to use the bathroom myself.
I really felt like I needed to brush my teeth, but this wasn't actually a hotel, and there weren't any toothbrushes here. And I certainly wasn't going to use somebody else's. Damn, it's dark in here. Where the hell is the light switch anyways?
*Click*
Guaaaah!
No, I did not just scream like a girl. Though probably had a reason too. Flipping on the light drew my attention to the mirror, where a message was written just for me.
"Did you sleep well last night, Kyon?"
It was written in English with what appeared to be red lipstick, over the length of the whole mirror. What the hell! How did this get here? How did Haruhi not see it? Wait, she didn't write it, did she? I don't think she'd actually pull a prank like that at a time like this? Does she even own lipstick?
I took a deep breath to calm myself, then suddenly had the oppressive feeling I was being watched. Wait, that's not even Haruhi's handwriting. Well I don't think it I, but I guess I don't see her write English often. Might as well just ask her.
"Hey Haruhi, did you—"
Kyaaa!
Haruhi screamed from the other room. I dashed over there faster than I knew I could run. She was staring at the door to the hallway in horror.
"Kyon, there's... It's…"
I followed her gaze to what had her so shocked. A dark, red liquid was seeping underneath the door.
"Haruhi, get back. "
I quickly swept my gaze around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. There's got to be something in here. Aha! I ran over to a window, and climbing on a nearby end table, managed to yank out one of the curtain rods. It was old fashioned, made of a hollow brass tube, and seemed relatively sturdy.
Weapon in hand, I approached the door, ready for the worst. I slid the bolt and chain back.
"Do it, Kyon."
I swung the door open hard then gripped my curtain rod like it was a baseball bat.
…
Huh?
That wasn't what I expected. There was a big puddle of… red on the floor, and painted on the wall in red directly across from the door was what appeared to be some kind of magic circle, a 6 pointed star inside of a two circles. There was nobody in sight, but this is just..."
"Huh? Kyon, this is just paint."
Yeah, I can smell it too. Was this somebody's idea of a bad joke? I leaned out into the hallway to peer down both ends. Nobody in sight. Haruhi cautiously stepped over the puddle to inspect the circle.
"Hmm, the paint is still a little wet here. That means whoever did this did it recently.
"Maybe it was Maria. Back when we were all hanging out in the guesthouse, she showed me her journal which had some circles in it like this."
"Come on Kyon, do you really think a 9 year old could do something like this? She'd need a stepladder just to make the whole thing!"
Hmm. Maybe we should call someone, tell them what happened.
"Good idea."
Haruhi went to the phone to go dial someone and report this heinous crime of vandalism. I kept watch in the hallway – Maybe one of the servants would wander by or something.
"Huh? The phones dead. The storm must've knocked it out."
That's weird. I thought this place had an internal line. Let's just head down there ourselves. Is there anything you need before we go?
"No, let's hurry. I'm worried, Kyon."
Weapon still in hand, we cautiously made our way down the corridor. If this all turned out to be a false alarm, I had a good excuse ready. Hey wait, left or right here… Haruhi, do you know the way?
"Of course I do. When you were playing chess with George I had Jessica show me all around the mansion, and I made sure to remember it all. It wouldn't do to get lost in a place like this. "
Haruhi pointed me in the right direction, until we finally reached the great stairs leading down to the entry hall. Huh? It sounds like people are talking down there. And that's the sound of… crying? No, wailing.
We rushed down the stairs, straight into the pit of hell
"Kyon… no, this cant' be real… this isn't actually happening, is it?"
The scene displayed before us was unimaginable; truly, something dragged from the darkest depths of a nightmare. There was a design painted around the portrait of Beatrice in the entry hall: a 6 pointed star inside a circle. At each point of the star was a body, crucified to the wall with long iron spikes sticking from the hands and legs.
It was Krauss, George, Kyrie, Rudolf, Genji, and an old woman who must have been Kumasawa. Their faces seemed frozen in expressions of pain and anguish. Blood had leaked from their wrists and feet, dripping down over the portrait of Beatrice, giving the witch an even more chilling demeanor.
My stomach suddenly roiled, and my vision swam before my eyes. I couldn't focus properly, and the curtain rod slipped from my grasp. I could barely hear the wails of despair coming from the others nearby, but I was acutely aware of the iron death grip Haruhi currently had on my arm, as she leaned on me for support. It occurred to me I was leaning on her as well.
"Kyon… there's six of them… just like in the riddle. So Koizumi's story was… we're going to die, aren't we?"
"Haruhi, listen. Do you remember that thing I asked you to do earlier? Please, could you try to do it again?"
Could you try to wake up?
"George! How can this really be true!"
"D-dad… *Sniff*"
"Brother…"
This was real. I had seen this outcome from the very start, and could do nothing to stop it. And yet, some part of me had still doubted the situation, didn't really believe something like this could happen. And now, seeing this…
There was something hot and wet on my arm – Haruhi buried her face in my sleeve. I didn't know any of these people very well and barely even talked to most of them. But, pinned up like that, and their faces… But my loss was nothing compared to others. What tears can I shed compared to a mother who lost her only son? A loving daughter who's father has been ripped away. They've all lost friends and family dear to them here. We're just outsiders. And yet…
This is just too much.
…
I barely remember what happened next. It took a good 10 minutes for most of the people to calm down, and Eva simply wouldn't stop wailing. Rosa took charge, and her and Dr. Nanjo led everyone into the lounge to get away from the bodies. I was in a bit of a daze, and sort of just followed along.
"Hey, Kyon. C'mon, are you okay?"
Huh?
The two of us sat in the corner on a small couch. The adults who could collect themselves seemed to be arguing about something, talking about contacting the police or some such. Haruhi looked up with reddened eyes.
"So Koizumi was right. 6 people just like the riddle. I didn't want to believe it at first, but now… Kyon, the riddle keeps going on, but we're going to stop them this time, okay? "
Haruhi's eyes burned with a steadfast determination. Wait a second, Haruhi, are you trying to cheer me up?
Hah. I must've been more out of it than I thought. But she's right – this is just the beginning. Just as I was about to stand up and try to get a better handle on the situation though—
"You!"
An accusation, flung across the room directly at me. Eva was on the other side of the room, staring directly at me, her eyes filled with a murderous hatred. Uh-oh.
"You did it! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOOK MY GEORGE FROM ME!"
"Honey, wait!"
You know, I kind of had a feeling this would happen too. It's pretty obvious, right? Remote mansion, someone gets murdered, who's the most obvious suspect? The two mysterious teenagers with flimsy backstories who showed up out of the blue. Hell, I'd suspect me.
"And you have the nerve to wear his clothes too! Give him back, give me back my George you bastard!"
Eva was rapidly making her way towards me, ignoring the protests of her husband and siblings. This was going to very hard to talk my way out of. Look, let's all calm down here and talk this out before—
Gyuh!
Eva interrupted my half started sentence with a brutal roundhouse kick to my side, and I went sprawling backwards. Holy crap; that middle aged woman can pack quite a punch.
"Kyon!"
"Eva, that's going too far, isn't it! We don't know it was them!"
"Shut up! It was them, it had to be them! Murderer!"
I pulled myself up on all fours, feeling at my ribs. Did she break something? Hey, come on lady, do you really think I'm capable of—
Interrupted again, this time with sweeping kick to my jaw. As I fell down, I had the odd thought that all the money my parents spent on my dental work probably just went to waste. Hey look, there's a stain on the carpet.
"Stop it! Kyon could never do something like that"
"You… you're a part of it too, aren't you? You helped him kill George you little bitch!"
As I was down for the count, Eva turned her attention to Haruhi and began advancing on her as she backed away. Damn it; got to get up. I managed to pull myself to my feet, and spat out the blood that was starting to pool, wiping my mouth.
"Don't you dare touch her."
Halfway to Haruhi, Eva turned back around to face me. This is going to suck. Does anyone who is actually good at fighting want to take my place and play the part of the hero?
"Do you think you're some kind of badass, huh? Protecting your little girlfriend? Did you do it to impress her? IS THAT WHY YOU KILLED GEORGE!"
This time she came at me with some sort of jumping snap kick aimed at my chin. Damn, is the Ushiromiya family also known for its martial arts? I was ready for it, but barely. I managed to dodge backwards, but lost my balance and fell to my knees. Eva stood, looming over me. A manic smile had crept on to her face.
"That's right. You killed George. It's only fair that I should do the same to you, right?"
Damn, she's serious. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? And why the hell wasn't anyone helping me? I stole a quick glance to the sidelines, and their faces answered for me. They all think I did it too.
I wasn't really in a position to dodge. Eva lifted her leg above her head, ready to smash a devastating axe kick down on my skull. A blow like that could easily kill me, or at the very least knock me out until she finishes the job. Guess this is it. Since she was still wearing that Qipao, at least my last sight was an awesome one.
"STOP IT! [Red] KYON AND I HAVE NEVER KILLED ANYONE! [Red]"
…
…
…
Huh?
"Hey, Kyon, are you okay? Snap out of it? What's going on with everyone?"
What the? I was… on the couch now? What just happened? Haruhi was dabbing at my face with a handkerchief, and Eva was over on the floor quietly sobbing.
"Kyon, you're okay. And hold still, you're bleeding a bit. I was worried she had knocked you out or something. I shouted something and everyone suddenly stopped. Nobody even blinked for a good 30 seconds. What the hell is going on here?"
Huh? Is that what happened? I… can't seem to recall. Whatever, it's probably not important. I mean, we've got a bunch of dead people and a murder to solve, right?
"Huh? Don't just brush me off like that Kyon, I'm being serious!"
"It seems like the phone lines are no longer working. Are the two of you doing alright?"
That came from Rosa, who was standing over us looking down. She seemed to be very level headed and cool, and because of that had taken charge of the situation.
"I've lost two brothers, a nephew, and servants who have been raising me my entire life you know. But my daughter is still alive, and I'm going to protect her."
I see. Hrm, where was Maria anyways? Ah, there she is. She was sitting on a different couch next to Jessica and her Mom, who seemed to have stopped crying for now. Maria seemed to be completely unperturbed by the situation, happily scribbling away in a coloring book. I suppose she's too young to understand.
Battler was lying back in a recliner, looking bored. If he really was stuck in a time loop, I suppose it's understandable. Wait; is it possible we could get stuck here too? No. We're going to get solve this thing, and Nagato is working to get us out too.
The three remaining servants; Shannon, Kanon, and Gohda were standing in a corner, looking downcast. Hideyoshi was by his wife, comforting her, and Dr. Nanjo was with Rosa, helping her keep the situation under control. So 6 people are dead, and there are 13 people in here, counting myself and Haruhi. The only person unaccounted for was Kinzo. Hey, has anyone told him what happened?
"Huh? Oh, you're right. We really should tell father, make sure he's okay."
"I'll go. It's my duty as the wife to successor of the head."
Natsuhi stood up, with a face streaked from crying; but determined. She seems like the kind of person who takes the duties of being a wife and mother very seriously.
"Hideyoshi and I will go too. We're going to go check on my father and tell him what's going on. Nobody here is to leave this room until we come back, understand?
Looks like Eva's made her recovery as well. After a bit more discussion, the trio left to go visit the elusive owner of the mansion. I took the chance to lean back and stretch a bit. Man, my jaw really hurts. Are any of my teeth loose?
The next five minutes was probably one of the most uncomfortable silences in my life. Everyone just sat there, nursing their internal wounds. (Or external ones, in my case). Finally, Maria got up from the couch and broke the ice.
"Look mommy! I drew Beatrice-sama!"
"Huh? Oh, that's very nice dear."
Everyone seemed to relax a bit after that, and a few attempts at small talk were made. Well, might as well make my move now. Might not get another chance.
"Hey, Haruhi. I'm going to go talk to Battler, see if he's doing alright. You know, guy to guy."
"Huh? Oh, that's a good idea. I didn't realize you'd manage to make friends with him though. He seemed so distant compared to the Jessica and…. George. Right, I'll go talk to Jessica too, okay? And don't say anything stupid!"
Haruhi ran across the room to go sit by Jessica, who seemed grateful for the company. I guess those two really seem to get along. I couldn't help but smile a bit, remembering the Haruhi I had first met; what seemed like ages ago. She's changed so much. But never mind that. I made my way over to Battler. His chair was located in an isolated corner of the room, so we'd have at least a little privacy.
"Hey."
The way Battler was slouched in his chair reminded me of the way villains are depicted slouching in their thrones. His arrogant, slightly amused smirk wasn't really helping matters either. In fact, his right hand was loosely gripping a wine glass, which he swirled the contents of idly.
"Are you enjoying the first twilight? It was pretty spectacular this time around. She normally doesn't do anything this elaborate – It must be a special show just for you. You should feel honored. "
His arrogant posture was matched by an arrogant, condescending tone of voice. It reminded me of certain someone, which in normal circumstances would piss me the hell off. But no, I have to focus.
"Should you really be drinking that so openly?"
"I'm eighteen, after all. And I'm just so traumatized by the death of my Dad and Step-mom that I have to drown my sorrows."
That's an obvious lie. You don't even care anymore, do you? How long has this been going on for you, I wonder? Battler drained the rest of his glass, and then set it down on the floor, leaning back and tenting his fingers. Aren't you trying a bit hard here?
"Look, I'll just cut straight to the point. You're stuck in a time loop, aren't you?"
There we go. Battler's arrogance and smirk vanished in an instant, replaced with surprise and anger.
"How do you know that?"
"You just told me."
See? I can be arrogant and cliché too. Battler stared at me for a long time before replying.
"I guess I'll ask this again. Who are you?"
I took a quick glance around the room to make sure nobody was paying attention. Good. Now, how to put this.
"I'll just be as honest as possible here. Haruhi and I are from the year 2011. We came to Rokkenjima to investigate a decades old mystery. Some stuff happened, and the two of us woke up here, in 1986."
Battler gave me a long, considering look. It felt kind of weird just telling all of that to a complete stranger. But this is Nagato's request, and I would never wish for anyone to go through even a fraction of what she had to go through.
"Hah. Hahahaha. I see. From the future, huh? Not the first time it's happened, I guess. But that was… You're not secretly related to me or something, are you?"
Huh? I doubt it. I think I'd know if I had a family like the Ushiromiya's connected to mine, even distantly.
"Well then. Welcome to Rokkenjima, future boy. Spoilers: Everybody dies. But you seem to know that already. Is everyone from the future so casual about something like this?"
That half-smirk, half-self loathing look had returned to his face, and Battler reached down to grab his glass. Pulling a bottle from the folds of his chair, he filled it, and offered some to me. Yeah, I don't think this is really the time.
"Actually, I kind of tend to get in situations like this a lot. I've even been stuck in a time loop before."
Battler did a spit take at that, and his eyes went wide with surprise.
"What? How did you?"
I cut him off with a raised hand.
"Sorry, but it's really nothing compared to you. It lasted almost 600 years, but I couldn't remember any of the previous loops, just the last one. However, a friend of mine remembered every second, and it hurt her more than I possibly care to imagine."
Battler idly rubbed at the wine now staining his jacket before sighing.
"600 years. That's a long time. I can't really say how long this has been going on anymore. I just drink now, and let it all pass by. I've… tried everything. Everything..."
Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, and look of deep regret and shame. This time, he took a long drink straight from the bottle.
"I just want to forget now."
That's… what's a guy to say to something like that? I suddenly felt very glad my past memories had been denied to me during that endless summer. Could this be me, for a want of a nail?
"Look. I've never been here before in any of your time loops, right? We can solve this mystery, and put an end to your eternal torment. Let you, no, everyone on the island have the rest they deserve. But I'll need your help."
Battler stared at the ground for a long time. When he finally looked back up, his gaze met mine with a look of steely anger.
"Out of everything I've been through, all the tragedy, the lies, the horror. Out of all the tortures I've been put through, do you know which one is the cruelest, and most painful?"
…
"It's hope."
Battler refused to say anything after that. To think, something could break a man that far… I returned to the couch, lying back and resting my eyes for a bit. I hadn't gotten much sleep, and after the additional rush this morning I was starting to feel very tired.
"Hey. How did it go?"
Haruhi plopped back down on the couch next to me, looking inquisitive. I suppose I couldn't get away with a nap like this anyways.
"Oh, you know. He was really torn up about it."
"I see."
Haruhi sighed, and laid back into the couch the same way I was.
"You know… if this were another time and place, I'd invite Jessica into the SOS Brigade. She'd make a good fit, I think. And Maria would be an honorary member, like your little sister. And if you think he'd work, you could invite Battler too."
Not that he doesn't have his reasons for acting the way he does, but the guy kind of pisses me off, honestly. Invite as many girls as you want, but I think the SOS Brigade is full on its quota for other guys.
"Pervert."
She smiled a bit, at that. Just then, the doors opened and the scouting party returned. Eva, Hideoyoshi, and Natsuhi made their way back in, each of them carrying what appeared to be a shotgun. Great, more dangerous things. Hideoyoshi was carrying two of them, one of which he handed to Rosa as she approached, and they held a short, hushed conversation. After a bit, they broke apart, and Natsuhi turned to address the room.
"My father Kinzo Ushiromiya is missing. We tried to contact him, and when that didn't work, we used the master key to gain access to his study. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found."
I see. You know, I was kind of hoping to get to meet the guy at some point, but it's starting to look like that won't happen. The three women made their way back around the room, talking to people individually. I guess we were just going to sit here for now.
And so we sat, doing nothing for the next couple minutes. The whole time, Haruhi seemed to be fidgeting restlessly. If something's bothering you, just go ahead and say it.
"Kyon. It's now or never right? Are you ready? C'mon, let's do this."
Huh? What are you talking about? Haruhi, wait a second!
Haruhi stood up from the couch, and moved to a position near the center of the room, clearing her throat loudly.
"Excuse me everyone. I'm really thankful for your hospitality, and I'm really sorry for intruding, but I think it's very important we have this discussion.
Huh? – That thought of mine was probably shared by the entire room. Just what is she getting at here?
"It might be a bit presumptuous of me, but I believe we need to confront the reality of the situation. And that reality is this: We're stuck on this island, in the middle of the storm, and the police cannot be contacted. Six people have been killed. So, the killer was someone unknown to all of us, it was, and I apologize for the insult, the missing Kinzo Ushiromiya, or… It was one of the twelve people in this room. "
Your declaration might have a little more impact if you didn't suck at counting, Haruhi.
"Hold on a second! How dare you! You have no right to make such accusations! You're just an outsider!"
That came from Natsuhi, who admittedly had a bit of a point.
"I know that, and I'm sorry. But please, hear me out. Shouldn't a detective be a neutral, third party? I know it's presumptuous of me, but I just want to get to the bottom of this. "
"That's just… but"
"Mom, it's okay. I think she's right. We should listen to her, for now at least."
Jessica came to Haruhi's defense. Natsuhi just stood there, sputtering, until Jessica got up and led her back to the couch.
"Ohohoho. You're a detective now, are you? Why don't you share your brilliant deductions with us, little girl? Tell us who you think is responsible for the death of my son!"
Eva sneered at Haruhi with arrogance and contempt, her grin resembling that of an evil noblewoman. (Which I suppose, she just might be.) However, her eyes still betrayed a sense of manic desperation.
"Right. Well then. The first thing we should look at is the nature of the crime itself. 6 murders at once, painstakingly laid out in an elaborate fashion, complete with a mysterious magic circle to mark the location of the bodies. The number of deaths also matches the number in the witches riddle. Kyon! What does this tell you!"
Gah, I'm being put on the spot? Warn me beforehand next time, this isn't the lightning round on some game show! Let's see. Normally if you want to kill someone and get away with it, you hide the body. Something like this… I suppose the point would be to scare us?
"Correct! Something this elaborate and brutal only could be meant as a message to those who are still alive. Further evidence comes with what Kyon and I found when we woke up this morning. Someone had painted an identical "Magic Circle" outside of the room, and recently too. The paint was still wet. And last night, we received a letter from someone claiming to be the witch Beatrice, filled with vague threats and strange declarations. When you add all of this up, it seems like someone really wants us to be afraid, and believe that this was all accomplished with magic, or as a part of a dark ritual."
What makes you so sure it wasn't, Haruhi? Nothing is particularly normal about his whole situation anyways. And I had totally forgotten about the magic circle outside our room until now. With all the excitement… Crap, I forgot about the lipstick on the mirror thing too. That might've been an important clue. Guess I'll have to wait until Haruhi's done to bring it up.
"This next part… well…"
Haruhi turned a little pale, and took a few calming breaths before continuing.
"Dr. Nanjo, I noticed that there are a lot of blood streaks staining the portrait of Beatrice. Could you please tell everyone why?"
"Ah, well. I'm afraid to say that suggests that the victims were still alive when they were being crucified."
I suddenly had the strong urge to empty my stomach. Judging by the reactions of some of the others, my sentiments were echoed. Eva broke down into wailing sobs again, and Haruhi looked very regretful for bringing this up, but continued on anyways.
"I'm very sorry. But what also puzzling is the arrangement of the bodies. The portrait of Beatrice is maybe 20ft tall, and getting someone still living up there too… It would be very difficult. One can presume than, that they were unconscious, and possibly drugged. To accomplish something like this, the culprit would need something like a tall, sturdy stepladder. Is there anything like that here on the island? "
Haruhi was only answered with silence, as everyone seemed to look toward everyone else for an answer. Until finally, Shannon spoke up from the corner where she'd been waiting this whole time. I'd forgotten she was even there.
"U-um. I believe there is a ladder like that in the storage shed, out back. It's normally kept locked though…"
"Huh? Oh, hi there. You must be Shannon-chan, right? Kyon mentioned you, but I guess we haven't had a chance to meet until now. Anyway, who all has the keys to the shed?"
Something felt off. I had the very distinct feeling that I was missing something. Something important. But whatever it was, the thought kept floating just out of my grasp. Damnit.
"There is a key to the shed located in the servant's room. Furthermore, every servant carries a master key which would allow access to the shed as well.
"I see. Four keys, huh? Guess that doesn't answer any questions… hmm."
Haruhi thought for a bit, pacing back and forth. She was building up momentum earlier, but it looks like its run out.
"I guess I'd like to ask everyone for their alibi's, and we can start to form a—
"Enough of this! I won't sit around any longer listening to this farce! You think playing detective just gives a right to insult my family? Come on Jessica. We're going to go find father, and have him put an end to this."
"But, Mom, wait!"
Natsuhi got up with an explosive display of anger, and after verbally abusing Haruhi a bit more, she drug Jessica out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Hey, is that really safe?
Haruhi just kind of stood there with her mouth open for awhile. The moment was gone, and everyone else turned their attention elsewhere. Eventually, Haruhi plopped back down on the couch next to me and buried her face in her hands.
"How do the great detectives do it, Kyon? Holmes, Poiroit, and all the others? I thought I had something there, but… I kept thinking about how all the victims are real people, and..."
That's an easy question to answer. Sherlock Holmes is just a fictional character. His stories are fictional, the cases are fictional, and the victims are fictional. Unfortunately, this is reality, and reality doesn't' work like that. Well no, actually this isn't quite reality, it's more of a quasi-sub dimensional thingy where stuff plays by certain rules and honestly is probably a lot like a fictional detective novel and where was I going with this?
"Kyon… I'm missing something here, I just know it. Something that should be really obvious too… Argh!"
Yeah, I know what you mean. Something's been bugging me too. Hmm.
"I think it was something you said."
I tend to say a lot of things, and not say even more. It's kind of hard to keep track of it sometimes.
"Uuu, you shouldn't worry anymore Haru! It's already been answered!
Maria had made her way over to our couch, and patted Haruhi's head reassuringly. Haruhi looked surprised, but it was a sweet gesture, even if the image was a little silly.
"There's no need to bother with mysteries or ladders or alibis! All of this was done by Beatrice-sama with magic! Magic can do anything! And she's gonna take us all to the golden land!
Haruhi let out a little sigh, and smiled, and presumably was about to say something like "Yes, of course!" while totally blowing her off. Instead, she gasped and turned to me, eyes wide. I could practically see the light bulb flicking on.
"Kyon, that's it! Last night you mentioned talking with Shannon about Beatrice! But you also said there was another servant with her, a boy named Kanon!"
Yeah, short, kind of scrawny, and a bit of an attitude. What about him?
"Well, where is he? Where is Kanon?"
Huh? Haruhi said that last part loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Everyone looked up startled, and then started to glance around the room looking for the missing servant. I was positive I saw him earlier, when we first got here. He was nowhere to be seen now; I guess he must've slipped out at some point when everyone wasn't paying attention.
"Huh? He was by my side a couple minutes ago; maybe he went to the bathroom?"
Shannon spoke up, looking a little flustered. No, I don't think so. I feel like he's been gone longer than that.
"Hmm, maybe we should go look for him."
Hideyoshi said, picking up the shotgun he had procured early from where it was resting on the ground.
"Yes, that's right. Let's organize a small group to go look for the boy, while the rest stay here."
Hmm. Hold on a second. Natsuhi and Jessica just left, didn't they? Maybe they've already seen him. I'll run to where they went real quick, see if they have any info.
Or to warn them he might be the culprit.
"Huh, Kyon? You're not serious are you? What if—
It's fine, don't worry about it. I'll be back in no time. I kept brushing Haruhi off as I got directions to Natsuhi's and Jessica's room from Hideyoshi. It would be a good place to look first, anyways. He offered me one of the guns, but I refused. I'd be more likely to shoot myself with it than anyone else. I quickly made my way out of there before Haruhi could actually get around to stopping me.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Splitting up in a murder mystery? But I had a hunch, a gut feeling that told me I'd find something out here, a clue, or the answer, or something worse. Besides, if I'm going to uncover the nature of this data anomaly, it's best to do it when Haruhi's not watching.
I made my way through the mansion at a light jog. I had to go through the entry hall again and pointedly kept my eyes glued to the floor. Hey, my curtain rod. I reequipped myself, and jogged up the stairs, then down a few more corridors. This should be about it. I could hear faint voices up ahead, and light streamed from a half-opened door.
Before I could approach, a dark shadow was cast over me, and it felt like a very overpowering presence was towering above me. A deep, angry voice rang out from behind.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house, boy?"
