You know...I have been curious on what year the game is set in. The game keeps bring up WW II and 50 years later. So doing the math the game is most likely set around 1995 or 1996. probably 1995 as it said it was nearing summer time. weather i have that true or not...I don't know. I'm just going off from what I am reading in the story.
It's been nearly a day since we found Mary. We're like a boat adrift on the ocean without a compass to guide us. Who knows where the currents will take us. Will we find salvation at the end?
"Hey, Miss Yashiki. Looks like we wasted a whole day. Is it going to be like this every day?" Hiroo asked "If you're done checking in here, why don't we take a look outside?"
"Mary said unnecessary contact with outsiders could speed up the Mark's curse. And if I lose any more of my memories, I'm not sure I'll be able to function…For the past 10 days, the only other person I've spoken to is the convenience store clerk."
"Ah, that explains why we've only had TV dinner and snack food to eat. But sitting and waiting isn't going to accomplish anything. I'd rather not wind up forgetting my own name, like you. N-Not that I completely believe that this curse thing is real!" She raises her voice to hide how it shakes. She's still stubbornly sticking to her denial of the existence of spirits and the Mark. But I know she's already accepted it. After all, she went through it herself last night. "Ghost and curses don't exist…Why'd this have to happen to me…?"
Knock knock knock
"Eeeek?!" Hiroo is startled at the sudden knock.
A visitor in the middle of the night…I don't need Mary to know it's a Mark Bearer.
"Sorry to impose on you so late." A tall, thin man walks in. His skin is as white as a sheet, and dark circles nearly swallow his eyes…It's almost like a dead person stands before us. "You're Yashiki and Hiroo, right? I heard about you and the Mark from Yasuoka before I came here. Something about a Miss Zoo, too? Sounds like you had a rough night."
He seems to know Yasuoka. Maybe she's following through on her promise and sent him to help us.
"Well, let's get introductions done." He said. "I'm Shuuji Daimon. I think you can guess my occupation. Wearing this thing means I don't have to explain, thank goodness." He gestures to the stethoscope around his neck.
"What kind of business brings a doctor like you here?"
Daimon's eyes flicker over at the suspicion in Hiroo's tone.
"No need to be so defensive. I have the cursed scar, same as you… The Mark…" He unbuttons his shirt to reveal…a familiar mark on the left side of his chest. "It just suddenly appeared one day. Though to be honest, I never thought it'd happen to me. Maybe it's punishment for being stupidly curious about it."
"Curious….?" I question. "Did you know about the Mark before Yasuoka told you about it?"
"Yeah, that's right." Daimon nod "There's mention of a strange scar in my grandpa's records as a military physician. I did some personal research."
A military physician's records would mean they'd be from the Second World War More than 50 years ago.
"But that doesn't add up." Hiroo said. "Rumors of the Mark only started about a month ago now. If it was mentioned in those records, the rumors would be much older."
"There's a reason for that." Daimon said "Patients with the symptoms were kept in a secret army laboratory. After the war, all top secret documents related to the lab were burned…Except the clinical records I found."
"A secret lab, huh…" I mumble rubbing my chin in thought. "That's kind of hard to believe."
"Dr. Daimon, you don't mean to say…The Mark was used as some sort of biological weapon?" Hiroo asked with furrow brows.
"Every country had a least one or two soldiers who were divinely possessed. People only call on gods when they're in trouble. It was the end of the war…And they were backed in a corner."
"H-How unscientific…Don't you think so, Miss Yashiki?"
"Huh…?" I blinked at the sudden question thrown my way. "Oh, um….we can't deny it's possible."
"What? Are you serious?"
"I can see why Yasuoka gave you her stamp of approval. The way you consider every possibility is indeed admirable. That open-mindedness must allow you to face the supernatural. However…it's hard to picture the Mark being used as a weapon." Daimon scratches his chin "It seems the 13th Army Engineering Lab was developing something…It was called the Kannon Solider."
"Kannon Soldier…" That makes me think of the bodhisattva Kannon…Fifty years ago… And the Buddha statues…It can't be… "Dr. Daimon, where is that lab?"
"Unfortunately…I have no idea. Sorry." He apologized "The documents my grandfather kept don't give any details about it."
"I see…"
"…Hey, Miss Yashiki." Hiroo spoke up looking a bit thoughtful "That 13th Army engineering Lab…It's the shelter Zukawa went to." She pulls out her old map. "I'd wanted to keep it secret…But as I'd rather not die from this Mark, I'll tell you. This shows the entrances to the 13th Army Engineering Lab."
"Whoa, are you serious?!" Daimon raised a brow in disbelief examining the map "*Cough cough*!" In his excitement, he starts coughing. "M-My apologies…Where did you get that, Hiroo?"
"My grandfather passed six months ago. We were sorting his belongings. Isn't the idea of a secret lab just fascinating? So I thought I'd look into it."
"And the Miss Zoo, Zukawa stole it." I concluded.
"I accidentally let it slip to her. She loved strange experiments like that, so it probably stuck with her. I thought as much, though…whatever turned her into a monster is down in that secret lab."
"That's a pretty unscientific line of reasoning…" I mutter.
"U-Using the occult to turn yourself into a monster is utter nonsense…But if there's as scientific method behind it, I'll have to consider it."
I supposed that's just how she is.
"Was your grandfather involved with the lab in some way, Hiroo?" Daimon asked her.
"Hmm, he could've been. All I know is he was an engineer with the rank of captain."
"Wait, hold on…" I began with a frown looking at the two "You're both grandchildren of people involved with the Engineering Lab…And now both of you have the Mark?"
"Yes, that would be correct." Daimon said. "That, and our lab coats, are probably all Hiroo and I have in common."
From what we understand, people with the Mark appeared in the secret lab 50 years ago. There might be something there that'll help us find the truth behind the curse. That's also the origin of the 'Kannon Solider.' A name that reminds me of a statue… The traces of Miss Zoo in the shelter…It might all be connected to the Buddha statues that were stolen from H Shrine.
"Dr. Daimon gave us a lot of info." Hiroo said. "We'll have to thank Yasuoka for introducing him to us."
"The fates are indeed mysterious."
"Dr. Daimon, will you help us?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. Just don't expect anything physical."
I frowned scanning him one more time. "Are you sick? You don't look so well."
"Yes, something like that. I don't practice what I preach, ha ha." His dry laugh sounds like he's deflecting. He's abnormally thing for a man his age. It's possible that he's gravely ill.
"So, we're head to the shelter?" Hiroo asked.
"About that…We were stopped from going further by a locked door."
That strange old man was there, too. I doubt he'll cooperate with us though. It'll be difficult to break in from there.
"Hmm…" Hiroo had a thoughtful look on her face deep in thought "Where did you enter the shelter?"
"A manhole on K Miyamachi North Road."
"Hm, I see…" She opens the map and studies it. "You're right. An entrance is there. But, there seems to be one other one. It's a M-Nou South Alley. Have you tried going there?"
"No, not yet."
"Then let's go there."
"Hopefully we can get in."
DEATH MARK
We reach M-Nou South Alley. Like the North Road, it's silent and empty.
"It's hard to believe a lab entrance is on a residential street like this…" Daimon said looking at the houses surrounding us "In any case, we should look around."
"Yeah…" I nod, even though this is a residential area, the street is completely deserted. Scanning around I spot a single manhole in the ground "I think this is the entrance…" Unlike K Miyamachi, this road only has one.
"It definitely looks suspicious." Daimon said.
The manhole lid has a place to grip it, just like the one at K Miyamachi. This has to be it.
"…Still, this is strange. Why doesn't the public have any idea about this underground shelter?" I wonder. "You'd think the Sewer Department would, at least."
"A reasonable conclusion. We can all assume all info on this place is being concealed by someone."
"It'd be trouble if it were made public, huh…" I said "Then it's people who used to be involved."
"Yes. Some are still alive today. A certain city representative used to be my grandfather's colleague. The Kujou's may not be innocent either."
"Where they involved somehow?"
"Oh, you don't know? After the war, the Kujou head was prohibited from public services. It was because he assisted the army in some manner."
"So he could've been involved with the lab?" I said.
"If I had to make a guess." Daimon began "This manhole's a Pandora's Box for any dignitary with a damaged reputation. I wonder what secrets we'll find."
"Still, you know a lot about it, considering."
"I'm interested in the lab myself, though not as much as Hiroo is. I've already done some research."
"But…This being such an important, secret place, isn't it a little too easy to get into?" I mean we have homeless person living down there after all.
"True. They're not guarding it…The lid could've originally been locked or bolted shut somehow. This Miss Zoo might have done away with the restraints."
When I lift the lid, a musty smell greets me. Ugh, this smells familiar…Like the other entrance, the hole goes deep. Thankfully, there's a ladder here too.
"This reminds me of when I was a kid." Daimon commented as I began to grab hold of the ladder to go down. "Let's get going, Yashiki."
Daimon and I descend into the dark world hidden beneath H City…
What awaits us down in that darkness?
Will we find the truth we're seeking?
Or a hell smeared with blood?
DEATH MARK
' ~ … … ~ …'
The sight that greets us at the bottom is the same as what we saw at K Miyamachi. The looming concrete walls and the suffocating stagnant air… We weren't wrong to assume that the two places are connected.
"*cough cough*! This is not a place someone with bad lungs like me should be…And…is that an army song…? Hearing that, I feel worse…"
"It's been 50 years, so there's no way a radio or phonograph is still playing…Something supernatural has to be at work."
It's so easy to fall back and blame things on the supernatural now. I've gotten too used to this occult world.
"Hmm, I see. I don't have any spiritual powers, so that kind of thing is beyond me. If you say so, then I believe you."
We proceeded with caution as we headed down the tunnel with the flashlight and the emergency light being our only guidance to see. Though this place is abandoned. Has a power generator been running for all these years?
As we walked we saw some more blood that leads to the ladder at the entrance. Was someone trying to escape? On the wall not too far from the blood stain there is a pitch black stain.
"Is this…blood?" I question moving over to it.
"Seems so. Still, there's entirely too much of it. It's like a blood bag burst."
"But doesn't that other thing bother you, too?"
"Of course it bothers me. I imagine we're on the same page…"
I nod "It looks like…something was posted here."
There's a clearly defined clean space on the wall, as if something had been there. It looks like it avoided being sprayed with blood because something was originally posted here.
"Some kind of poster of bulletin?" Daimon guessed. "There's unfortunately no way to know."
"Yeah, let's keep going then." Moving forward we soon reach a fork. Great. Which way should we go now? "…?" Something flows swiftly down the pipes that are attached to the wall. Guess someone is using the plumber.
"We should go left for now." Daimon said.
"Huh? Okay, then."
When I step in view of an iron door that appears before me, the air clearly shifts. Goosebumps rise. A presence is approaching. There's an incessant beeping, like from a telegraph. I shrug and keep moving forward.
Live or Die
The beeping becomes gradually louder. Almost as if it's trying to tell me something.
-. -..-
The sequence '-. -..-' just keeps repeating. This code… What in the world does it mean?
"I think…it's 'soul'…" I mumbled.
Then I hear a quiet voice.
Point…to…your…soul…
I pointed to my head and the beeping suddenly stops and the music of the singing ghost comes back.
Survived
"…S-Seriously…?" Daimon gasped "Amazing… A real supernatural event."
He seems pleased.
"Glad you enjoyed it." I'm sure this'll happen again, but there's no need to tell him that.
"Is it safe now?"
"Yeah, most likely."
"Hm, then let's keep moving."
I opened the door and step inside the room. The air in this room is musty. At first glance, I'd say it's part of a medical facility.
"It looks like an operating room." Daimon commented looking around. "And this smell must be…Oh, there it is. Yashiki, sorry but could you shine the light over there?"
I shine the flashlight as directed…and find a corpse. Daimon crouches down and begins to study it.
"Whoa, it's pretty old. You might be better off having an archeologist or anthropologist look at this." Daimon skillfully examines the body. When they're done, they stand up again. "The corpse is odd. Extremely odd. The cervical vertebrae is severed. But the cut's a mess. Some kind of small bladed object did it most likely. Though it clearly wasn't cut with a surgical tool. I cannot even imagine why anyone would do something so cruel."
"The head was severed with a tool, huh…" I said looking over the corpse.
"It's too old. The corpse isn't enough. Someone should've left behind records. It might be wise to search the room."
"Yeah, good idea."
We began to search around the room. I went over the cabinet with a glass door that stood in front of the corpse. Examining it I can see something's inside of the cabinet. I open it and search around. I find bells attached to a handle and a notebook with a black cover. It's titled 'Disposal Vat Mgmt. Record'. I flip the cover open.
Dispose…two hundred…super-dimension…suddenly, iron door…half-spiritualized… …hypothesize…focused mystical forces… …need…sacred object to erase… 'Safety valve release code: Diamond'
What in the world are these notes going on about? Disposal…half-spiritualization…I don't understand half of these words. Plus, those bells I found don't fit this place at all. I close the notebook and put it in my bag. Just then…something tangles around my hands.
"Huh?" It's a thin thread. It seems to be human hair. It glitters pale gold in the light. "What…?" The Mark starts sucking at my blood. I ignore it and instead stare at the shinning hair, as if being pulled in. It's odd, but I get the real feeling that…
"This moment…No…it's here…this place…I-I…I've been here…before!"
Ding tick-tock tick-tock
The Mark's color grows more vivid…
Early Dawn
A few hours left until death closes in.
"Mumble…mumble mumble…"
Someone mumbles right next to me. Wait, that's not someone else, that's my own voice.
"?!"
"As I thought…it's here…"
The words pour out from deep inside. I have absolutely no knowledge or control over them. Memories that aren't mine, words and feelings I couldn't possibly know are falling from my lips.
"Check the disposal vat…It must be…behind that wall… …felt weird when standing…in front of the wall…"
"Yashiki…? What's this, all of a sudden?"
The instant Daimon speak, the voice stops.
"It's nothing." I shakily said. "I just…remembered something important."
"Are you honestly all right? Those were some rather odd mumbles." Daimon looks at me with some concern in his eyes.
I nod my head "I'm fine. Really. Just spaced out for a bit." For better or worse, Daimon didn't clearly hear what I was saying. "…" Still though, that voice…
'Could it be that…My old self, the one I lost along with my memories, was talking to me?' The feeling I got when I saw that golden hair…Maybe that's what triggered it. 'I haven't heard that other guiding voice for a while now. I guess all I can do is rely on my old self.' I thought 'the disposal vat beyond the wall…The voice said to find that.'
I looked over at the metal cabinet and see some of the door are open, but most are locked tight. I search the ones that are open. I find a notebook titled 'Research Records' and an army short sword. The letters in the notebook have faded, but I can still read it.
The experiment miraculously succeed… This…divine…protection…the…ura statue…onated from H Shrine….created by…line…statue makers… …using…chisel…donated by…same family… …severe head…tool…together…becomes the key…Finally our dearest wish…'
It mentions a chisel. Does it mean those used for sculpting?" Daimon said.
"Yeah, most likely."
"It's hard to believe, but… Did they actually use that to sever the heads? It's unbelievable…doing something like that…"
"…There doesn't seem to be anything else. Let's head back out an continue looking." I said.
We left the room and went back to the fork, when we tried to go to the left we came across a lock iron door and couldn't continue. So no other choice we head back and went down a different path. We came across another fork and in the middle was dried blood that has blackened on the floor. There's quite a lot. Whoever left it probably died. Instead of trying to figure out where to go next we continue to head straight to save of the trouble of deciding.
We come across another iron door that, thankfully, wasn't lock and headed inside. And just like the other room it's set up the same way as that operating room. This place may have been used for the same experiments.
"I hope there are experiment notes." Daimon mutters to himself "Now let's get searching."
As we were looking around we spotted another corpse on the ground and it seems it too has been here for a number of years like the last corpse. The dried skin gives the appearance of a mummy. The cut by the neck is jagged. It must've been cut with some kind of tool.
I looked over at a rusted filing cabinet. It's a well-built metal cabinet. Whatever's inside should be intact. When I open the door, a cloud of dust flies up and blocks my vision. I let out a few coughs from the dust, and when my throat cleared up I spotted a notebook with a black cover is left inside.
'Experimental Unit Correspondence Code'
It seems to be a document about cryptograms. Inside it says…
'Kannon: Weapon's Code Name …-..-'
'Heavenly Buddha: Project's Code Name .-.-.-.'
'Soul: Human heads used as materials -.-..-'
It looks like Wabun code. It's similar to Morse.
Next I check the glass cabinet above and open the door. I find a notebook titled 'Research records' and a small gun. The notes have deteriorated, but I can just make out what they say.
'70th…next experiment Asura statue conne…male body and female head…success Then…ernatural phenomenon, spirit… frequent…hard…continue experiments…'
That's all I could make out.
"It seems to be a record of the experiments performed here. How fascinating." Daimon said reading the notebook.
"Well…there doesn't seem to be anything else in here."
"Yes, most of the stuff is lock. Guess we'll head back out then.
DEATH MARK
We go north at the intersection and…
"?!" An outline of a door is flickering faintly in the wall ahead of us. "H-Hey! Look at that."
"Huh…" Daimon looks at me confused "What? Are you seeing odd thing again?"
"…?! You can't see it?"
"Unfortunately…no."
Look like Daimon can't see the door.
"Mumble mumble…That's the spiritual…" My mouth begins mumbling words that I don't recognize all on its own. "…oppose the spiritual with spiritual…If you touch it…with a tool that honors the gods…"
…The flow of words out of my mouth stops.
'Touch it with a tool that honors the gods?' I thought in confusion. I touch the door, but…It…just feels like a wall. Seems the door has no substance. I frowned looking at the door; I took out the Kagura Suzu Bell. "Is just touching it okay?"
"Yes…have to…mumble mumble…" Strange words spill from my lips again "It's…the priestess's tool…touch the door and it will reveal…"
All I have is questions, but I've no choice but to trust the other me. "…" I touch the bells to the door carefully, as they made light chiming sounds. The next instant, the door physically appears.
"What?! Wait, I'm not hallucinating am I?" Daimon splutter in shock "I'm completely shocked. What magic did you conjure to do this?"
"It just felt…like it was the right thing to do." I told him "But…" I stare at the door. I sense an alarming presence. According to my own voice…if I can call it that…the disposal vat is beyond this door. I found some documents about it in the room with the operating table. It might be good to look through those.
"Let's be careful. That place is giving me a bad feeling." I push open the iron door and we head inside.
"Whoa… This is amazing." I heard Daimon speak from my other side.
On the other side of the door is a large, empty area reminiscent of a vault. "Is this the disposal vat?" It should be, but…it's not quite what I expected.
"Something's on the ground. Hm, looks like a sword."
I take what Daimon picked up. I shine the flashlight around the area. "Are these…heads of Buddha statues?"
"They're kind of just scattered around. This might be a garbage dump."
Just then…
"Huh?!" A sound echoes off something heavy moving, and suddenly the room is lit with a pale light.
"I have…a rather bad feeling." Daimon said looking up at the light.
"Let's get out of here for now." I try to open the door to get out, but… "Wha?! It's locked!"
"Impossible…"
"…?!"
A cutting coldness invades and envelops my feet. My head snaps up and I see water pouring into the room like a waterfall. "W-Water?!" It's ice cold. A polar bear swim is not something I ever wanted to do. It quickly rises to our knees. I can't even feel my feet anymore.
"W-Water underground?!" Daimon yelps. "We have to get out of here! We'll die of hypothermia!"
"I-I h-have to r-remember…!" I stutter from the cold my body shivering "What was written in those documents about the disposal vat?" All I see near me are the Buddha heads.
"I think…i-it was th-the Diamond!" Daimon yelled out over the rushing water.
I quickly look around and spotted the Diamond Arhat head. I quickly…as fast as one can in waist high water, move over and touch the Diamond Arhat head. There's a heavy shudder and the sound of movement. Then the pooling water suddenly starts sweeping in one direction, down into a drain!"
"Whoaaa!"
"I-It's pulling us in!"
DEATH MARK
When I open my eyes…all I see is darkness.
"Ugh…!" I quickly lift my head and rub my eyes. My vision slowly comes back. 'This is…' An intersection in the underground shelter. Looks like we were drained out with the water and flushed down a pipe. 'We were lucky.' I very nearly breathe a sigh of relief. But then I remember Daimon. 'Th-That's right. Where's Daimon?'
"No need to be so worried."
"?!"
"Ha ha, so it's you. It's been a while, you sneaky intruder."
It's that old man I met in the passageway beneath Manhole Street. I try to ask him about Daimon, but…
"Ugh…ah…" My jaw is nearly locked and my voice is gone.
"Don't try to talk just yet. The water here comes straight from the T Mountain range, so it's deadly cold. You were submerged in it for near an hour, so you'll be slurrin' your words for a while." The man said before he gave me a smile "Relax, relax. Your friend's fine. So, you uh…Got somewhere to go back to?"
"Ugh…" I nod as I groan.
The old man's face brightens like the sun. "Well that's great! Not that I'm demanding a reward for savin' you or anythin'…But I am pretty darn hungry." The man eyes me, his smile sharp.
DEATH MARK
We get in the car, and even though it's the wrong season for it, I turn the heat on full blast. We dry of with towels and the like, but it doesn't stop our shivering for a long time. While this is going on, the old man…
"Whew…It's hot…Can I open a window?" He's blatantly fanning himself in front of us.
Okay, yes, in a way we owe him our lives. But even so, he's being a pain.
"Han in there a little while longer." I told him.
Daimon shudders. "Y-You can see us shivering, can't you? How selfish can you get…"
It was an honest question, and it probably sucks for him, but we still keep the car like a sauna. After driving like that for a while, our teeth finally stop chattering.
The man's name is Banshee Itou. That's how he introduced himself…but that obviously isn't his real name.
"…" As he sits next to me, Banshee gives off a savory smell, like freshly baked bread. It kind of cheers me up. Or at least it does for a few moments until I realize it's the stench of dried filth. "So, Banshee…what were you doing in a place like that?"
"…" Banshee remains silent.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Don't feel up to talking yet. I'll tell you in exchange for food."
"…" I shouldn't be surprised. Life's rough.
"Wait. That should be my question. What were you two doing down there?"
"It's a long story." I summarize everything we know…about spirits and the Mark, until I catch up to when we met him in the underground shelter.
"Hm, hmm… so that's how it is, huh…" He nods vigorously to himself.
"I wonder if you truly understand, old man."
Daimon's doubts are reasonable, but Banshee waves a hand dismissively.
"Of course I do. Who do you think I am? A terrible grudge is mucking up that underground shelter. And you guys are wrapped up in it now."
His story suddenly sounds fishy.
"A grudge…?" I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Banshee…Do you know what happened down there?"
"I said I'm not talking about that yet. I was born into a noble family, so I've always had the ability to see things others can't. I stake my name, Banshee Itou, on it, so you can trust me. There's a terrible grudge swirling there, and you've gotten swept up in it."
He's got nothing to base his claims on, but…I get the feeling he's on the right track. "In that case, oh noble Lord Banshee, would you tell us…? How do we overcome that whirlpool?"
Banshee replies with a magnanimous flourish. "That should be obvious. Whirlpools always have a center. You've gotta find that."
"The center?"
"That swirling grudge and the spirit thing…Is that what you called it? The birth of the spirit, the heart of the curse…Something like that should be left within that there's swirling grudge. If you look for that, I'm sure then…" He trails off. He gazes at the dark road, his mouth hanging open. It's like he's run out of batteries.
Then…what? What will happen?
The black sky simple goes on forever before Banshee's eyes.
DEATH MARK
"Oho, that reminds me, Yashiki." Banshee calls out as soon as we enter the garage. "Take this. Just a little symbol of our friendship."
"Is this a key for the underground shelter?" I asked taking the key from his hand and examine it.
"Mm-hm. I found it when I was popping in and out from that place. I held onto it. But I'll lend it to you for now, Yashiki."
He just picked it up. Why is he acting like it's a favor? But I have no reason to refuse him.
"Thanks, I'll borrow it."
Hiroo walks up to us. "Oh, welcome back. Learn anything?"
Daimon butts in before I can speak. "Wait a second. You're not really considering…You haven't fallen for that suspicious old man's story, have you?"
"Wow. That's rude. If you want my opinion, a snotty punk like you should be trusted even less. Of course, Yashiki…You believe me, right?"
Hey, now…don't drag me into this. I sigh and nod my head "…Of course." I'm going to be drag into it.
"Gwa ha ha ha… That's my good pal Yashiki for you." Banshee laughs patting my back.
"Well…I suppose if you're fine with it, then I won't worry about it."
I coughed in my hand "Anyway, changing the subject…"
Good grief. Can we just move on from talking about this?
"Banshee, you're hungry, right? The dining room should have something…"
"Wooo! Food! Food!" Banshee bolts out of the garage and vanishes into the mansion.
Hiroo gives me an exasperated look. "Miss Yashiki… You've got a crazy one on your hands this time."
Yeah…I know.
DEATH MARK
To appease the starving Banshee, I offer him some cup noodles and sweet buns. The epitome of hunger, he greedily begins scarfing it down like a starving dog.
That…was enough for ten people…
He devours all of it, and I'm reminded of a high power vacuum cleaner.
"Eeexcellent! I haven't been this full in forever!"
"Ah, glad to hear." Daimon mutters "Mind answering some questions? Why were you down in that shelter?"
"Well, that's an easy one…because it's my home."
"…What?" Hiroo looks at him in shock.
"Been livin' there ever since I found it ten years ago. It's not too shabby a place. Keeps me out of the rain, and no damn brats messing with me. Though it gets a mite cold in winter."
"…"
I…don't know how to respond to that. Hiroo and Daimon seem to be the same.
"It was a paradise for me because no one knows about it…Until a weirdo showed up 6 months ago. Some woman doused in perfume. It was winter, and I don't like stirring up trouble, so I just stayed away."
"That must've been Zukawa." Hiroo said.
I nod. That's my thought as well.
"That was a month ago. I figured she must've up and left, so I went back…But now there's something stranger."
"Which was…?" I said.
"A damn walking Buddha statue! I know I'm pretty out there, but even I was shocked by that. I even got this weird scar." Banshee removes his scar, revealing the Mark on his neck.
"You many not believe this, but…That statue gave you that scar." Daimon told him.
"I figured…" Banshee grumbles "It was the Kannon Soldier, after all."
"The Kannon Soldier…?" Daimon eyes narrow in suspicion "How do you know that name?"
"Some document I saw had it. It was an old plan to make a Buddha statue move with supernatural powers. A Heavenly Buddha Project weapon."
"A-A-Are you nuts?! Spirit powers making something move?! That's insane!"
"Now now, Hiroo. Calm down." Daimon told her then look over to Banshee "So those documents that you found, are they still around?"
"Nope, I burnt them for warmth. I had a delicious roasted potato, too."
…Not the smartest thing to say man…
"H-How could you-?! *cough cough*!"
"Maybe take your own advice, Dr. Daimon." I told him patting his back. Our measure of common sense seems to be rather different than this strange old man's.
"It's fine. My noggin works different from most people's. I got it all memorized."
"As you say. Just tell us." I told him a bit annoyed. "We need to know about that project."
"The Heavenly Buddha Project was the pet project of some general at the end of the war. So they built that shelter for it. Tada! The 13th Army Engineering Lab. To make the Kannon Soldier thing, they did test on Buddha statues. They were brought from some shrine or something somewhere."
I narrow my eyes at that line. Could those statues been from the H Shrine?
"They did a bunch of stuff to infuse the statues with spiritual power. There was a monk from T Mountain…Spiritual treasures from all over…but nobody thought anything'd actually come from it. The Project was just an excuse to keep that fanatical general busy. At least, it was s'posed to be…But one day, the statue started moving. It went berserk throughout the lab and went crazy on a ton of people. The bloodstains and old corpses in the shelter are probably the victims. Some people survived, but…They had red, bite-like marks on them. The thing went and wrecked the place, then…It stopped. And never moved again. No one knows what even triggered it. …That's about everything it said."
Hiroo and Daimon are as white as a sheet. I probably am, too.
"It's a hard story to believe… But he has no reason to lie to us." Daimon said. "I think he speaks the truth."
"What? Are you kidding me?! A statue going around killing people and cursing them?! Impossible!"
"Then how do you explain the Mark on his neck?" He raised a brow at her. "Logic would dictate that the moving statue he saw was the Kannon Solider."
"Guh…"
He got her there.
"The dormant Soldier suddenly starts moving after 50 years…That might be the cause of mine and Hiroo's Marks."
"What if you flipped that though? Both of your grandpas got the Mark from the Kannon Soldier. When the Soldier stopped moving, their Marks disappeared. But with it started up again, you got them cuz you're their descendants."
"If that's true, then the children inherited their parent's fate."
"…"
Hiroo can't seem to muster up any kind of counterargument. I think she's in shock.
"I want to ask you something, old man." I looked over at Banshee. "You say the Kannon Soldier stopped moving 50 years ago. But why?"
"Uhh… I think it was…Some spiritual person used a thingamajig to do something…"
"So you have no idea. It's the most important part. Try to remember."
"Mmm, it's not that easy, dear…The Mark might've made me forget."
Taking his age into account, it's more likely it just completely slipped his mind.
"It seems we must defeat the Kannon Soldier to be free of our Marks. We'll have to figure it out on our own, if he can't be of more help. You seem a pro at this, Yashiki. We'll be relying on you."
"I don't have spiritual powers or anything…" I told him.
"But you've already faced down four different spirits, haven't you? A normal person wouldn't have survived."
"…"
Now that he says it, I guess he's right. I have been hearing a mysterious voice a few times, and having weird premonitions. I even caught myself unconsciously talking when we were down in the shelter.
"So what're you folks gonna do now?"
"Good question…I guess we'll…investigate the Kannon Soldier in the shelter. We'll need to do something about that to get rid of your Marks. If I'm descended from someone on the project, then mine might disappear, too."
"I guess we're going back in then." Hiroo said.
Hiroo's still kind of sulking, but she's at least recovered from her shock.
"We all share the same fate." Daimon said. "It's too late to try to run away."
"Yep, you should find it there. The heart of everything that's causing the curse. You need that to stop the Kannon Soldier. That's what my gut's telling me."
"…What are you going to do, then?"
"I'm full now, so I was gonna go take a nap in that park nearby. I'll sit and wait until you fellas do somethin' about that Soldier."
"Wait just a minute, you old fart. Didn't we just say that it's too late to run away?" Hiroo said annoyed.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Well, you folks did feed me, so I guess I can help you."
DEATH MARK
"Is that music I hear…" Hiroo asked when we got down to the bottom of the tunnel.
"Yeah. Don't know what really causing it. So don't worry too much about." I said bring the flashlight out of my bag.
"If you say so…which way should we go then? Back where you and Daimon left of?"
"Something like that…" I look down at the opposite direction of the tunnel "But…first I want to check down here. We didn't do that the last time we were here."
"All right. I'll just follow you then."
Walking down we stumble upon an iron door. When I went to open it, I notice the door is locked.
"That old man did give you the key to the place, right."
"Yeah he did…Let's see if it works then."
I took out the key and slide it in the lock, twisting it the key the door unlock with no problem. "Looks like it work then." Stepping in the room there's a single out-of-place Buddha statue. It's head has been cut off. And in the center is a iron chest with blood surrounding it. There's an thin layer of dust on it, but it looks fairly intact.
"What are these doing here?" Hiroo asked.
The box is packed with carelessly tossed Buddha statue heads.
"…" A real, actual head can clearly be seen among them. It's dry and mummified, but going by the hair, it's probably female. Most likely one of the experiment's victims. "Huh, so this is where it was. Let's take it…and bring it to its owner. I thought you'd say that. O-Oh…Just kidding, ha ha." I feel Hiroo's gaze on me.
I can only carry one head. I need to choose which one to take. Though…I have a strong feeling it's the human skull. I sigh grabbing the head and putting it into the bag. When this is over…I'm definitely burning this bag and getting new one.
"Did…you just put a human head in your bag?"
"I…have a feeling will be needing it later."
"…"
I can practically feel Hiroo's judgmental stare.
"… L-Let's head back out. There was another lock door Daimon and I ran into." I quickly stood up and headed out the door. Hiroo followed behind me after standing there for a bit collecting her thoughts.
Unlocking the door when we got to it, I open it and step into another walk way of the tunnel. Why have an door here if the hall way just keeps going? When we kept walking we came to an intersection. Then…
"BANZAI!"
"BANZAI!"
I can hear a victory chant coming from the other side of the intersection. I saw Hiroo freezing up in her stop but I shrug my shoulders and moved forward a bit till…An electric current runs through my body and my muscles seize up.
Live or Die
"You layabout! What are you doing there?! You have time to be loafing around, do you?! Recite this base's slogans at once! Cheer for the final battle in the homeland!"
I froze in my tracks "Uh…One hundred million honorable deaths!" I said out loud.
"Once more! Declare our resolve to strike back with air raids! We won't lose even if our country's reduced to ashes! Show your determination!"
"The land of the gods is indestructible!"
"Our army has fought bravely from the southern tropics to the northern arctic. But the tide still hasn't turned in our favor. What do you think? Can we win this crusade?"
"If the Kamikaze winds blow."
"You're pretty promising for a new recruit. Keep a good eye on this squad! Farewell."
Survived
"Whew…" I don't know how I pass that much less know the answer but I'm glad that it worked.
"Wh-What was that…?"
"I'm guessing…the spirit soldiers from the past. Let's not worry about it too much. As long as we pass their test…they generally leave us along." I turn to the left and made my way down the hallway.
"Yo-You sure about that, Yashiki?"
"Yeah…from the previous encounters that I had with them, that's generally the case. What the…" I came to a stop upon seeing human bones laying near the iron door. It looks like the person was crushed to death. And there's something written on the wall near the corpse in blood. It says 'Ai'…
"How interesting…" Hiroo mumbles looking at the corpse and the wall.
"…" Yeah…interesting indeed. I grab the key and unlock the door before stepping inside. It's the operating room in the southern section. But on this table is…
"It's a corpse. With a severed head. No surprise." Hiroo said examining the body.
A headless corpse is lying there on top of the operating table. The head I picked up earlier might fit on this corpse's neck. I try attaching the human head. The head fits the severed neck perfectly.
The world suddenly distorts.
A horrific scene appears before my eyes.
'This is…?! The woman on the operating table?'
Some kind of experiment is being performed on her. I must be seeing the past. The sound triggers a change in view.
Men in a lab coats, holding surgical tools…But they don't look like they're alive. The ghosts of the researchers seem to be stuck forever in the nightmare of the past.
I can hear the men whisper from my left side.
"Hey, she's awake."
"Don't worry. She'll be dead soon anyway."
"True enough."
Then something else interrupts.
"…You…"
This time it's a cold whisper from my right.
"You can…hear me…can't you? …Don't be afraid…soon…"
The voice on my right cuts off and I can hear the men in lab coats again.
Live or Die
"Hey, woman. Which of these tools do you want us to use to cut your neck? This is it for you, so we'll let you decide."
There was a chisel, scalpel and a sabre. The woman had pick out 'Chisel' as her choice.
"Ha ha ha! Good answer! You're pretty smart. Unfortunately, you'll soon be saying goodbye to that clever head of yours. It's valuable material. We'll cut it off nicely."
Then the sounds of a drill went off and the woman cries of pain.
"Shut up. You're just like a pig. This is why I hate handling woman. Be patient. We've finally found a clue."
"Not yet…wait…Now…give you…power…"
The whisper from my right falls silent.
"Yeah, I never dreamed breaking from our usual method would go so well…Hey, pig. Do you understand? Do you know the correct combination of head and body for the heavenly Buddha?"
The woman cries out 'Female head, male body.'
"Precisely. And that's why we need your head."
"Gladly offer it up for the sake of our beloved country. The problem is the soul freshness. Regardless of refrigeration, it's all up to the quality of the cut."
"Though there are only so many available methods. This is all the equipment we have. Then to the freezer…"
The voices on the left cut out. A determined voice echoes in my right ear.
"Hate…hate…hate…Hate this whole world, tear it to pieces…The power to do that… I'll give it all to you, in the place where you hear me now. Hate them…Destroy them… …Understand?"
The woman shakily nods her head to the best she can.
"Good…Destroy…them…"
When I return to my senses…I'm standing beside the operating table.
Survived
Just then, something slides out of the hand of the corpse on the table. It's small key.
"Wh-What I just saw…No, more importantly…" The voice that kept speaking from my right side. Who was that?
"Y-You don't look so good." Hiroo looked at me with some concern "Did you see something weird again?"
"Yeah… Actually…" I explain to Hiroo what I just saw. "A horrible tragedy happened here in the past…It's probably that whatever triggered it might've been whoever that voice belonged to."
"Wh-Who cares about that! Erasing the Mark is more important right now."
"Well…I'm not sure about that part, but…"
Hiroo's right. This isn't helping us accomplish our goal. We need to search for whatever gave birth to the spirit.
"Let's keep looking. That small key I just found might belong to the cabinet here." I turn my attention to the Mark on my wrist. "It isn't coming yet." I glance over at Hiroo…But she doesn't seem to be acting differently at all. Death should be slowly closing in on us, but…it seems we still have some time. What's important right now is making sure we survive.
We search around that would work for the small key, till I stumble upon a lock iron cabinet. I open the door using the small key and inside is an old gun and some research records.
'Suddenly…berserk…severe damage…sutra chanting…complete insanity…Only those who made themselves deaf…managed…rema…sane… Half-spiritualize…like disposal vat…need…scared object…attack…Destroy…human head, the heart of all this… …need to destroy…human head…'
That's…interesting. It seems that this was written sometime during the Kannon Soldier attack. To stay sane…they made themselves deaf…does the Kannon Soldier have something that can make one insane?
"Not much is left in here." Hiroo said.
"Yeah…there's one more place left to look into then we have check everything here. Let's go."
Heading out we went straight down the hallway till we came to the other end and saw an iron door stain with bloody hand prints all over. I unlock the door and step inside.
Inside the room…are a number of Buddha statues. They're all missing their heads. It seems this is where they stored all the various statues they gathered through theft or donations.
"I-I-It feels like something's here. M-Maybe this is where the heart of the curse or the source of the spirit is."
"…" I brace myself for input from the other me…but it doesn't seem like that's happening. 'Does that mean I should already know?' I search all the statues in the room and every status here has a male body.
Suddenly…there's the sound of moment from within the box. It's a big iron box, it's coated with a thin layer of dust, but it seems to be in decent enough shape. I manage to open the box. Sheets of white paper are inside. They seem to be a multitude of talismans.
"Was something…sealed here?"
Hiroo peers into the box beside me. "So? Was something in there?"
"Well… …Uh…" My voice sounds distant. The cause of the curse, what birthed the spirit…There's nothing like that here. "No…There's nothing here."
"What? What do you mean? Then what's that in your hand?!"
Hiroo is right. It's not true that there's nothing inside. There is one thing. I never would've expected something like this. Something that doesn't belong here…a box sealed by talismans has enshrined…
A…Western-style cushion.
Hiroo sighs, disappointed. "Guess we're out of luck. No way this thing gave birth to a spirit."
"True…" But the state of this room and the voices…something important was definitely sealed up in this place at one point. Yet there's nothing here. "Then the thing we're searching for…Where the hell did it go?"
A long silence falls between us. It is then that a now-familiar pain flairs up.
"Guh!"
Ding dong ding dong tick-tock tick-tock
The Mark burns scarlet...
It immediately is dyed a deep crimson…
Dawn
Death is only a few…
Sunrise
…Minutes away.
"…!? Guh…! Wh-What's going on?" Is death closing in on us all of a sudden? No, it's…
"The spirit…is here."
I grab Hiroo hand and bolted out of the room when the Kannon Soldier drops on us from above. Slamming the door shut we continue to run till the door behind us burst open.
"Shit!"
A low sutra chant hum trembles the air. It feels like my whole body is numb. It maybe because of that hum. That notebook said something about making yourself go death to stay sane…I must have something in my bag that could work…
I grab the gun, but I can't control my hand. It turns the gun toward my head and fires. The blank explodes. My consciousness fades. There's a strong ringing in my ears, and it's preventing me from hearing the sutra chant. Hiroo is clutching her head like she can't hear anything either.
…The numbness has faded.
"Hiroo…shake the Kagura suzu bell." I toss the bell to her.
Hiroo shook the bell, but nothing happens. The Kannon Soldier suddenly yells, making my heart clench.
"!"
"!?"
I took out the palm pistol and fired at the Kannon Soldier. The spirit fades and becomes intangible. When Hiroo shook the bell, the spirit seemed to be wounded by the sound. Then the spirit became solid again.
The Kannon Soldier let out another scream as it moved closer to us. I grab the ranged short sword blade and slashed it out at the spirit. It seems to leave a mark on it body. The spirit fades and becomes intangible.
Oh man…the thing is really close now and I'm running low on weapons. The Kagura bell can only do so much. I took out the rusted sword and made another slashing movement at the Kannon Solider. When Hiroo rang the bell again the spirit stops…I guess the attack finally worked.
Out of nowhere, footsteps approach behind me.
"Whoaaa! Heh heh heh…" A voice yells comically, and whoever it is puts their hand on my back. But I can't take my eyes off of the spirit before me.
"B-Banshee?! Is that you?! What are you doing…?!" Instead of replying, he shoves something into my hand. It's a large chisel with the grip stained in blood. "Th-This is…?!"
"I…found it…In that…room in the mansion…"
In that instant, I understand everything. The heart of the curse that we were searching for, the object that gave birth to the spirit…
"So it was kept in Kujou Mansion? Thanks… I'm going to use it!" I grab the chisel and face the spirit. "Okay…!" If I remember I need to cut the right ear! I jab the chisel at its right ear.
The Kannon Soldier stares at me dispassionately. Finally, it smiles and disappears. The statue stops moving and collapses.
"I-It's stopped…right?" Hiroo asked.
"Seems so…" Banshee said. "I don't got the Mark anymore, so there's no doubt about it."
Once again, I'm the only one still cursed.
"Glad I made it in the nick of time. If my legs weren't in such good shape it would've been over for us."
"Thanks for saving us, but you know that was pretty reckless. I thought I said it's dangerous for a group of Mark Bearers to go somewhere haunted." I told him.
"Ah yeah, you did mention something like that when I was eating. Completely slipped my mind."
"Tell us, old man…What happened at the mansion?" I question him ignoring his pervious comment.
"I'm not quite sure myself…But I'll tell you what I know." Banshee said "After you left, I wandered the place looking for something to eat. My Mark hurt like hell right by a room. I slipped inside and found a bunch of chisels and things."
He must mean that room I found.
"I was kinda out of it because of the Mark at that point…But I noticed one of the chisel's was glowing all weird with a dark light. I knew right away that I was hiding some awesome spiritual power."
"But what made you decide that you had to bring the chisel here? You seemed sure it'd be effective against the Kannon Soldier."
"I heard a voice when I picked it up. It reminded me of a lady sorta. It said…To bring the chisel to you. And that's when it hit me. It was what I'd been looking for."
"Oh, that thing you mentioned in the car…The heart of the curse that created the spirit."
"Exactly that. So I hoofed it over to give it to you."
When I looked through that room before…Yasuoka said that the Kujou family used to create Buddha statues a long time ago. It's possible that chisel was used to create the statue that became the Kannon Soldier. I don't know what that voice was that he heard… Probably something like the mysterious voice that's guided me before. You know, I haven't heard it in a while…
"…And that's what happened. So, we heading back to the mansion then, Yashiki? For one, I'm hungry. But I bet Daimon's worried, too. I left without saying a word, after all."
"Yeah…" Searching for documents on the Mark… Carting all the statues out…It'll take more than a day to do all that. We should go back to the mansion and figure out what to do next.
"What? We're leaving already? I wanted to examine this place." Hiroo complained.
I glance at the statue fallen to the floor. "Sorry, but you'll have to do that another time."
"… …Fine. In exchange, not one word about this shelter to anyone else. I'm going to study every inch of it."
"Yeah, yeah, okay."
"Hey now, this's my home. Can't have you rooting around here."
"That's just you saying that. You don't legally live here. I'll bring you food, so stop complaining."
"Much obliged."
DEATH MARK
We return to the concrete passageway. I might be imagining it, but…it feels like the air in here is a little less stagnant than it was before.
We climb up out of the manhole in M-Nou South Alley. Daimon runs up to us, drenched in sweat. He looks even worse than usual. He probably shouldn't have run.
"*cough cough*…I-I found you…Hey, old man…Why did you suddenly sprint out of the mansion…? My Mark is gone now, too. What in the world happened…?"
"I had sometin' to give Yashiki. Isn't that right, Hiroo?"
"I guess…I'd rather not think of the consequences if you hadn't made it in time."
"I'm not sure I follow, but it seems he really helped you out." Daimon said.
"Well then…If I must do my investigation another day, are we splitting ways here? Our Marks are gone now." Hiroo said.
Daimon glance down at my wrist. "Yashiki still has hers, though."
I should my head in defeat "This always happens. I'm used to it. But now I might be able to change that. I finally discovered where the statues stolen from H Shrine are."
"I'm lost, but I'm glad for you." Banshee smiled.
"It's thanks to all of you. I'll figure the rest out by myself. You should all return to your regular lives."
"You saying we should split up then?" Daimon asked.
"Uh, you sure you'll be okay?" Hiroo asked with some concern.
"Something will work out eventually." I told them "Besides, this is Saya Kujou's dying wish. I want to respect it."
"Huh…Well, thanks. I'll head back then. I've been missing all those chemical smells from the lab."
"Good to hear your research is exciting…But don't forsake you humanity over it and end up like Miss Zoo."
"L-Like I'd do that! It's not even funny, by the way!" She snapped "…Oh yeah, Miss Yashiki. Whenever you want to get those statues…I'll help out. Until then, see you." She waves and walked down the street.
"I'll be off as well." Daimon said. "Honestly, all this has put a strain on me. I'm barely staying upright. *Cough*…"
I look him over with concern "Whatever you do, don't collapse on your way home. Please."
"Hey, Yashiki…One day, I'm hoping to let the public know about the underground shelter. For the sake of the wandering souls without a proper burial. I'd like it if you helped with it. See you around."
"Guess I'll go, too." Banshee said.
"You're not returning to the shelter, are you?"
"I'm not THAT brave. The Soldier's gone, but there's plenty other things down there. I'll give it a few days to settle."
"…So you're still planning on going back…I'm not sure I'd call that a smart move."
"Comes with living this kinda life. I'll bunker down in a park or under a bridge until things calm down. See you, Yashiki. Bring more food next time, yeah?"
The former Mark Bearers have all left. I should probably head to the mansion myself. I've got to decide what to do next.
Turning around, I went to head back to the car but…I hear a voice calling from behind me. I turn to see Banshee in the middle of the road, staring intently at me.
"What's wrong?"
"…I…remember now…" His eyes are as wide as saucers. "I forgot cuz of the Mark, but…I… I've met you before."
"What?! What do you mean?!"
"Uh, well… Let me think…" He scratches his chin.
I know his memories are probably all a mess having just gotten them back. But I don't have time to wait for him…
"Ah, yes…We first met 5 years ago. And then again 10 days ago."
I feel like I've been struck by lightning. I first arrived at Kujou Mansion 10 days ago. That means I met him before I lost my memories. "I need to know… Who in the world am I?"
"I-I couldn't say…I wasn't interested in asking your name, and you didn't give it."
"Then tell me what you do know…Tell me about myself. Please."
"…Hm, okay. I owe you for the food, so ask."
"You said we meet 5 years ago…can you tell me that?"
I think it would be best to start from the beginning.
"You should up at the shelter. Wanted to know about the Heavenly Buddha project. Gave me food. Huh. Actually…You were more focused on the Kujou family than the Kannon Soldier."
I was trying to study the Kujou family? "Why did we talk about them?"
"The head at the time was majorly involved in the Project. He was famous for his spiritual power, so the army asked him to help. He loaned them a number of his family's prized sacred treasures. You really zeroed in on that bit."
"Do you know what exactly the army got?"
"Yeah, the shelter had a list. A mirror, a chisel, Buddha statues…Cursed objects and hold talismans. They were all returned to the family."
Which means they're all in the mansion now.
"You kept popping by a few times until one day you just didn't. I only saw you next 10 days ago."
"What happed 10 days ago?"
"I'd just seen the Kannon Soldier and you can bet I booked it out the manhole. I ran into you on the street. Had you treat me to food to celebrate. Thank for that, by the way."
"Uh…your welcome?"
Banshee's talking about the person I was before I lost my memories. It's weird to hear about myself this way.
"You'd mentioned you'd been overseas. You'd only come back recently, about a month ago. Oh, and that's when I learned of the Mark. You told me about it. It'd slipped my mind until just now."
"By that time, was my right arm…?"
Banshee nods "Yeah, it had the Mark. You were acting all odd though. You'd go to remember something, then stumble over the words."
The curse was probably in the late stages. In fact, I'd completely forgotten my name and past a few hours after that.
"By the by…I've got something to tell you. This here Banshee Itou is of much nobler character than regular folk. That's why I lead a detached life, away from the world's vulgarities."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I could be crazy desperate, but…I'd never shame my dear, departed mom or divine providence. You understand?"
I shook my head. "No. You lost me."
"I'm saying I'd never resort to stealing, even dying of hunger. Here. These are yours." He pulls out a wrist watch and a wallet. Each looks like an antique. They're inlayed with subtle designs. "You forgot them at the restaurant."
"Let me see them!" I garb them both and rush to open the wallet. …But there's no ID inside. "There was no driver's license or company card with an ID in it when you go it?"
"Don't ask me." Banshee held his hands up "You said you forgot your old wallet somewhere and lost it. It was probably in there."
"Oh…" I look at what else is in the wallet. Bills, coins…and a number of familiar business cards.
Saya Kujou Spirit Healer
"Ah, those things. You tried to give me one. Told me to go there if I remembered anything. But I gave it back. I don't make a habit of carrying useless stuff."
Saya Kujou's card was in my pocket when I first arrived at Kujou Mansion. It must've been the one Banshee returned. There's no doubt about it. I lost all my memories after I met Banshee. I've asked everything I want to know. But something's still bugging me.
"Did I say anything about the Mark when you saw me 10 days ago?"
"Hmm… Well… I was so focused on eating that I wasn't paying full attention."
I look at him in disbelief before rubbing my forehead "Are you kidding…"
"Oh yeah, you said the same thing as Hiroo about the Kannon Soldier. 'There's no way a human head on a statue will make it move.'"
"But…it did actually move."
"That's what I thought, too. And then…You said something strange. You said what happened 50 years wasn't because of the Project…it was all because of her."
"Her…?" I question.
"That's not all. You said she gave you the Mark. That she loved watching you lose your memories and fear death. You made her kick the bucket one…But she came back to life. You said you needed to do the same thing done 50 years ago to get rid of her."
My heart wants to beat out of my chest. I can feel sweat run down my face…There's no way I can keep calm…Before I lost my memories, I'd know who had cursed me with the Mark.
"Hey, old man! Who's 'she'? Did I tell you?!"
"I wanted to know too, so I asked. But you couldn't answer me. I don't think you were tryin' to hide it, you just honestly didn't remember."
Was that because of the Mark…?
"…Well, that's about all I can tell you. Yashiki, we should get going soon."
"Go? Where…?"
"I'll tell you in your car. I'm real tired of standing. I'd like to sit for a bit."
There's no point arguing here. I'll just get it out of him once we're in the car.
DEATH MARK
"Nope, the mansion's out of the way." Banshee clambers into the back seat of the car. His heavy scent fills the enclosed space. "Ah, I can finally catch my breath. Now then, driver, take us to the forest by H Castle."
"Yeah, yeah…"
I drive down the familiar road. All lights along the way are strangely green. We reach our destination without me having to slow down the car once. The engine chugs along…I feel the wheels of fate turning like those on the car I'm riding in.
"Ten days ago, I promised…In exchange for you buying me an extra order of almond jelly…If you did forget everything…I'd take you to H Shrine."
Sounds like I prepared for everything. But if I was that careful, why didn't I leave myself a clue? Why prepare if I was just going to forget? Did the curse progress faster than expected so there wasn't time…? Or did someone get rid of it?
"But if I had business at H Shrine…Why didn't I go there while I still had my memories?"
"Something about timing. Waiting for some magic summer cleaning to clear away impurity…"
…! Suddenly, my old self echoes in my head. I speak the words out loud slowly, as realization dawns.
"…The summer purification rites. They're rites held at the shrines to exorcise evil. On the last day of June, you pass through woven reeds to cleanse yourself. I was trying to use that ritual to exorcise the impurity."
"Aaah, gotcha. Luckily, today's the first of July, so the rites or whatever are done. Should be no problem now."
Exorcise the impurity, huh…What kind of impurity was I trying to cleanse? The more I learn, the less I understand. My pervious self is like a complete stranger to me.
DEATH MARK
How many times have I come to this forest now? The creepy arch and thick trees look the same as always.
"You know where H Shrine is, yeah? Lead the way."
"You've never been there?"
"First I heard of it was 10 days ago."
Banshee and I push through the vegetation and make our way down the beast trail. We pass under the stone tori gate…and finally arrive at the desolate H Shrine. The few headless Buddha statues that are left shine in the light of the flashlight.
"So the statues used in the Project…were stolen from here?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Is it really true the statues are connected to the Mark somehow?"
"…"
I've consider the possibility that the Mark was caused by their divine wrath. But ten days ago…
'You said what happened 50 years ago wasn't because of the Project…it was all because of her.'
This course I've been following this whole time…
Then…at some point I had to have been fed some huge lie…But what could it be? A shudder runs through me at the though. It feels like I'm looking into the depths of Hell.
"You said 10 days ago that…That altar holds something important. Something about needing to keep it here to exorcise the impurity…" He approaches the small alter and puts his hand on the sliding door. "…Huh? What's going on here…? The thing's empty!"
"Don't ask me. It was already gone when I was here earlier."
"Well, that's darn weird…You said there was a cloth pouch."
"What was inside?"
"A small, fist-sized statue… A 'nenjibutsu' or something. It was the go-shintai for the shrine. The Kujou head used it in the shelter to stop the mess 50 years ago."
And again, it's the Kujou family. They must have strong ties to the Mark.
"Well, this's about all I can do for you, dear. At least it was enough to pay off the dessert. We should head back."
"Right…"
I'm still unsure about what my old self was thinking, but… It's clear whatever plan I had didn't work. Where did the nenjibutsu go…?
One the way back, I feel reluctant to go. I keep turning to look toward the shrine. Each time I do, Banshee hurries me on to the forest entrance.
"Well, this's where we part ways."
"You're not going to ride back with me?"
"I'm gonna be honest with you. I got a bit carsick on the way here. Flat roads were fine, but the curves and hills did me in. I just got a nice meal, and I'd hate to throw it up, so I'll walk back."
While I don't want him to throw up in the car, making me have to clean it up later, though…
"But…it's pretty far from here…"
"Kids are such wimps these days. When I was young, I used to walk across the Himalayas all the time. This ain't nothing! Ha ha ha!" His laugh is loud enough for the whole forest to hear. He waves, and leaves me alone.
Once he's out of sight, I get into the car. I pull out of the deserted parking lot and drive back to the mansion. As I count the street lights passing by…I go over everything Banshee told me.
Fifty years ago, in the shelter…The Kannon Soldier went berserk. But it wasn't because of the army's experiments, it was her. The army was unable to stand up to the threat of her and the Soldier. But the Kujou family head used the nenjibutsu to settle everything.
However, she still exists in this time period. She was the one who gave me my Mark. Before I lost my memories, I was planning on using the nenjibutsu like they did before. I left it at H Shrine so it could be cleansed of its impurity…But somewhere along the line it went missing. The past me probably couldn't have predicted that would happen.
I'm almost back at Kujou Mansion. As my drive comes to an end, I focus on what the most important detail is.
That's right… Who she is…
I have a hunch about her identity, but I can't be sure yet. And that definitely proves that she was there. Fifty years ago, she made the Kannon Soldier move down in the shelter. The Kujou family's head sealed her. They would've brought her to the mansion. The sacred objects for the Project, of which she was one, were returned to the Kujous.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. If there were any way to defeat her…It just has to be in the mansion. I don't have any solid proof, but…the fragments of my memories are whispering to me.
When I pulled up the drive way, I park the car and look at the mansion deep in thought. Grabbing my bag I dug around till I found the cell phone Mashita had given me.
Ring
Ring
Ring
"…Hello?"
"Mashita?...sorry if I'm call you at a bad timing…it's just…I think I know who gave me the mark."
"What…?" I heard him move around on the other end of the phone. Looks like he wide awake now. "Explain now."
I proceed to tell him everything that happen down at the shelter and what Banshee had told about my past self. "Looking at it now…I think I know who she is. It's a hunch…but something tells me I'm right."
"Yashiki, where are you right now?"
"I'm back at the mansion. I need to see if I'm right."
"Yashiki, don't do anything stupid you hear? Just wait there ti-"
Click
"Huh…? Mashita? Hello?" I pull the phone away from my ear and saw that the call had hung up. "What?" I dial his number again but all I get is a beeping sound on the other end. I pull the phone away from my ear and saw it say 'no signal'.
"No signal…? How can that be?" I looked over at the mansion looming in the darkness. A bad feeling sinks down in my stomach.
"…" I put the phone away and hop out of the car. "Sorry, Mashita, but I need to do this myself."
DEATH MARK
"Hello? Yashiki?" Mashita pulls the phone away from his ear and saw the words 'signal lost'
"What…? Shit! That doll is making her move now." He jumps out of bed and quickly changes his clothes and ran out the door "Damn it, Yashiki. Don't you dare be dead when I get there!"
DEATH MARK
The entrance doesn't look any different.
My Mark burns…The sharp pain nearly brings me to my knees.
It seems she has no intention of hiding her presence any longer.
"Welcome back, Lady Yashiki. So we meet again."
Mary voice is soft.
I know now…Behind those words is hidden an intense lust for blood.
"You came back to life rather quickly…" I chuckled uneasy.
"You gave me nearly a whole day. More than enough time." She said folding her hands in her lap. "I admit that rabbit's attack surprised me…but unexpected events can themselves be rather enjoyable."
When I had brought Mary to H Shrine, we caught sight of the rabbit there. It might have suspected Mary's true nature.
"That rabbit…Its great love for you pushed it into recklessness"
I narrow my eyes at her in suspicion "…What was that rabbit really?"
"Determine that for yourself. Who are you…? Know that, and the answer will come. Though it is impossible so long as you bear the Mark I gave you."
Mary gave me the Mark…
I had a hunch, but hearing it from her lips fills me with dread.
"Just what are you trying to accomplish?"
"Dragging the living to the depths of despair before killing them. I believe I explained that it is a spirit's utmost desire and joy. And I had your cooperation with achieving that."
"Cooperate? That's ridiculous…"
"Oh? Have you not realized yet? You did bring those pathetic Mark Bearers directly to the spirits, did you not? Mashita figured it out…though I might have let it slip on accident. He try to warn you did he not?"
"What…?"
Mashita knew…or had a guess.
'Be careful in who you place your trust in.'
'It's okay to be doubtful at times.'
That's what he meant…he was trying to warn me about Mary, but couldn't tell me because she was there. He had to leave not because he finally solved the case…it was because Mary threaten his life.
"His a smart man, I'll give him that much. He tried to help you in any way he can, guess that an ex-detective for you." Mary stated "People fear the spirit's existence… Trembled in the face of death…I savored the taste of that fear and despair. Most delicious."
"You had all of us help out…Just to terrify the Mark Bearers even more?"
"Clearly. I could have waited for the curses to complete if I only wanted them dead. That is not the only lie… 'Mark Bearers must stay in small groups. Do not contact outsiders.' All my instructions were to drive you into a state of emergency. And not once did you doubt me."
I bet she's telling me all of this…because she wants me terrified with how hopeless the situation I find myself in is. I'm frozen in place and I know my face must be as pale as death.
She must be loving this…
"Don't tell me you created all those spirits…Just to accomplish that?"
"Indeed. When Lady Christie believed divine wrath was the cause of the Mark…I had never been more amused. Her foolishness was so delightful; I just had to come along with you."
I frowned "So you lied…"
"Of course." Mary bluntly stated "…How could a pile of broken statues possibly do anything?"
I could be imagining it, but…I feel like she hesitated for a moment there.
"Fifty years ago, I was sealed away by the head of the Kujou family…I awoke here 5 years ago. At the time, I was still unable to speak and communicate…But it seems my awakening alone cause a number of ripples. Those who died unfortunate deaths on cursed land became monsterous spirits."
The H Elementary abuse. The Honey Bee mass suicide. Seiko's assault and suicide…They all happened 5 years ago. Just like I had mention to Mashita over the phone. I had mention that somehow there was a connection between those spirits…
"I finally regained my full power a little over a month ago. Then the Buddha statue connected to me 50 years ago began moving. The woman killed by the statue was also influenced by my power."
That must be the Kannon Soldier and Zukawa. Zukawa believed it was divine oracle from the Soldier, when it really had been Mary. She did as the 'Great Asura' said and transformed herself into Miss Zoo.
"Once my strength returned, I again bestowed my power on spirits. It connects humans to me and manipulates them into a panic. The Mark."
"I know you've been toying with us…But, well, was there really a need to make us be connected to you in some way?"
"Of course. By being in direct contact with you, I could taste you fear. Even now…Are you scared of me, Lady Yashiki?"
"…"
"So you are terrified to the extent that it steals your speech."
Crack
Her porcelain face cracks.
"Ever since you declared that you would 'fight the Mark'… I have waited eagerly for this day..."
Crack
"Over the past 10 days…I have tasted your fear through the Mark…Thick and syrupy…as sweet as honey…Each savored morsel made me want to smash you to pieces…But…I waited…I am not so foolish as to kill a goose that lays golden eggs…"
Cracks
"AsAaah…But I canNOT…take it anymore…Like crushing a riPE fruit… and sipping itS juices… I Want to breAK you down…And savor your SWEet fear…"
CRACK!
BBBBBOOOOOOOMMMMM!
Ding dong tick-tock tick-tock
The Mark is dyed a deep crimson…
Sunrise
A few minutes left until death closes in.
The power cuts off by the unexpected thunder outside. My thoughts blur together suddenly. What happens to a Mark Bearer right before dawn… I've seen it many times. Is that…what's happening to me now?
Lady Yashiki… WAIT FOR ME… I'LL K-K…KILL…KI…KILL…
Squeak
I can hear Mary stand up over by the sofa…
At this rate, the rabbit's fate will be mine, too. I have to run away.
"Check within the red…in my room…"
Something whispers in my ear.
That's right… That voice…
But…what does 'my room' mean…? Focus… Who does that voice belong to? Yasuoka…She said… It was someone who loved me…
Live or Die
Mary's coming closer… Where should I run?
I sprint at full speed up the stairs…and fly into Saya's room. Much like the entrance hall, it's dark. The voice said, 'Check within the red in my room'…
Is something there…?
But…where should I look? Saya Kujou's bloodstain is still on the floor. It's obviously dry by this point in time. There might be something lying on top of it. I can't be sure as it's took dark. Nothing was there the last time I was here.
Picking it up, I discover that it's a small pouch. Inside is a hard, thin object. I move over to the moonlight to see it better.
It's a small Buddha statue.
It can't be… Is this the nenjibutsu…?
It seems to be stained with blood, and I get an ominous feeling from it.
"The impurity… It hasn't been exorcised yet…'
I instinctively know the instant I see it. My mind is suddenly flooded with all of my memories of the nenjibutsu, one after another. Fifty years ago, the head of the Kujou family used this to seal Mary's power. He put the nenjibutsu inside her to seal her. Then, about a month ago, someone took it out. That person…
"…was me."
Because of that, Mary regained her powers. The nenjibutsu in my hand looks exactly as it did back then, full of impurity. Impurity that's built up from sealing Mary's power for 50 years…
To cleanse it, I left the nenjibutsu at the uncontaminated H Shrine. It would take time to exorcise all of the impurity. It's already July. The summer purification rite is over. So why is it still impure?
The object the rabbit had in its mouth…It could have been carrying the pouch then instead of the master key…Then the nenjibutsu was taken away from H Shrine before the beginning of July.
Maybe the rabbit saw Mary by the shrine and was scared that she would find it. So it had no choice but to steal it away…
Creaks…
The door to the adjacent room opens.
Mary must be looking for me.
But she can sense the presence of Mark Bearers…What's going on?
Wait…is it possible that Saya's blood is protecting me?
"Bring it…to where I met my end…"
The voice whispers in my ear again. If this isn't where the voice's owner died they must've met their end elsewhere.
There's only one other place.
While Mary is in the room next door, I sprint down to the entrance hall. As I ran down the stairs my foot suddenly slip and I tumble down the stairs.
"…Guh?!"
I landed painfully on the ground. I can feel blood dripping down my face when I hit my head on the staircase.
"…Hah!"
My ribs hurt…I think…I might have fractured them. But…I can't wait around I need to get to Mary's sofa is…
When I tried to stand up, massive pain ran down my left leg and I collapsed on the ground again. I yelled out at the sudden pain grabbing my leg. From the little moonlight I could see that my leg is twisted in an odd angel.
"…Shit!" I curse. I broke my leg.
LADY YASHIKI…
Oh no…I have to hurry! Struggling to the best that I could I dragged my body over to Mary's sofa and the spot where the rabbit died. The voice that spoke to me and helped me every time a spirit was closing in…
If Saya was working though anything, it must've been that rabbit.
Sensing something, I look down at my hand.
The nenjibutsu's impurity is gone.
"Is this what you've been telling me, Saya?" I speak to the departed woman who's guided me as I struggled without memories.
"Put the nenjibutsu…the source of the doll's curse…Press it to the black Mark…"
Then…the whispers stop.
The floorboards creak ominously. I raise my head to the staircase rising into the darkness before me.
A dark figure stands on the landing.
…III FOOOUUUND YOOOUUU…
The Mark scorches me…
My head goes blank…
Mary's coming closer…
My body…won't listen to me…
AHAHA HAHA HAHAHA….AAaaAAAah… LLAAADY Yashiki…
Mary grabs me by my hands and forces me to stand, sending more flare of pain down my leg.
"G-Guah…"
She throws me at the wall on the opposite side of the mansion. "?!" I hear a loud crack and pain flaring again much worse than before. I coughed out blood before falling to the ground. Shit…that thrown must have made me puncher a lung. It's getting hard to breathe.
HEHEHE…LADY YASHIKI….
Mary comes before me again and puts her hands around my neck, cutting off my already limited air supply.
"Gu…ah…uh…!"
She's… S-S-s-s-he's….trying-g-g-g-g to…
k-k-k-killl…meee…
?!
I squeeze the nenjibutsu and the fog that's impeding my thoughts lifts. It's still a struggle to think…
I… I should be able to move my arm now…
'Put the nenjibutsu on the source of the curse…' I only have one chance…Where do I need to stick the nenjibutsu? I managed to drag my impossibly heavy arm and stick the nenjibutsu on Mary's right arm!
She's hiding it…
But I'm sure that's where the black Mark was.
… …AAA…AAAAAAH…?!
Marks bloom on Mary, one after another. They're all the color of blood. It's like they're the curses of those she killed.
AAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA
AAAAaaaAAAAA
AaaAAAAAAAAHHHH!
Survived
Mary shatters into dust…
"*cough cough*" More blood coughs out of my mouth. Did I…really do it…? I hesitantly look down at my right arm.
The Mark is gone.
"I…*cough* did it…? I finally did it…*cough cough*" I have to say it out loud to convince myself. A victory at the expense of Saya's life. I can't claim it's completely over, but…there's no harm being relieved for now.
The fog clouding my head clears away. My memories slowly return to me. I look around the dimly lit hall again. I know this mansion well.
Because…I'm…
"ACK!" I coughed out more blood than usual, my vision begins to blur as I slumped down to the ground.
Is this…it for me…? After everything thing I've done…?
"Saya…I'm so…*cough* s-sorry…"
"It's okay…forgive…sister…help is coming…hang in there…"
That was the last thing I heard before I had fully black out.
DEATH MARK
"Hurry…there's not much time left…"
"Shit!" Mashita almost slam the breaks at the sudden voice that whisper into his ear. "The hell?!"
"Yashiki…is running out of time…losing too much blood…"
"What…?" Is this the voice Yashiki is talking about? If that's the case and this voice says, she's running out of time "I better hurry up!" He slammed on the gas pedal and speed down the road, till he finally manage to get the mansion.
Parking the car, he quickly got out, not bothering to shut the car off. He saw the van outside and the mansion lights are turn off.
"…hurry…"
"Tch." He ran inside the building slamming the door open and scanning around.
"…There…in the corner…to the left…hurry…"
Mashita look over to where the voice said and saw a figure lying on the ground. "Yashiki!" He ran over and gently picks her up. "Yashiki! Oi!" He tried calling out to her, but Yashiki won't respond. It was then that he notices the faint breathing and the injuries to her body.
"Shit! Hang in there, Yashiki!"
This is probably the most longest chapter I have ever written in my life. but damn am I happy to have it done. And don't worry you'll find out happen to Yashiki in the notes. So please be sure to read them! I had plan to make it longer...but nah I'll let you guys wait on that part! ^.^
Though in the notes some parts of it are actually in the game. Because I did my own twist to the story I'll have to move it over there instead. just for it to make more sense. And beside you didn't think the little (almost) spoilers that I gave back in chapter 3 notes was a on purpose for people who didn't play the game, did you? Not really. It was going to be shown in chapter 4 from the pics and then revealed in chapter 5. If you have bought the game the picture on the back of the case even show Mary with the three black Marks. Though at first it just look like a design for the cover...no...she actually has those Marks on her body. Amazing how the answer was really there...and we just looked over it thinking it was a cover design.