Hinamizawa Hell
"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3
Ch. 12: Purpose
/
Everything was set in motion, and everything was as it should be. From the time that Rika had beaten Fate and defeated Takano, to overcoming the Dark Spector and Mion's Inner Oni, everything was what it should be. But to Rika, as Fate would have it again, something went amiss; someone betraying her like none other. For the group of friends, now facing off against Hanyuu as an unlikely foe, time spiraled out of control and all sense of rationality and logic went out the window. They had remained a cohesive team through thick and thin, but now of all times and happenings Hanyuu had seemingly switched sides and was now the harbinger of their ends.
For what reasons, though, they had not known yet…
Rika could only stand with her friends, their backs to the walls of the stage, as what seemed like a horde of possessed villagers descended on their area. Without any chance of escape, they tried to bide their time and figure out a way out of this mess, though, from Hanyuu's side it seemed like she had almost prepared for something like this. The exact moment where they stood and the exact moment Hanyuu initiated some unseen force upon her victims, she had played every move as if it were a chess game; her move for checkmate on the horizon with Rika on the receiving end of her close victory.
"How can it be…that you would do this Hanyuu?" Rika backed away in fear, the grip on her sacred hoe loosening as she shook in terror. Hanyuu gave no response to Rika's question, but merely sighed. Hearing Rika's pleas, as well as the ones from her friends, seemed to aggravate Hanyuu to no end. As a few moments of silence passed, Hanyuu looked up at Rika and the others, her eyes glowing a dull crimson red.
"Does it matter? Does anything matter anymore, Rika-chan? Would it ease your pain knowing for the umpteenth time why I put us in this predicament? Or would it satisfy your curiosity as to how I, of all people, was the one literally holding the knife at your throat this entire time?" asked Hanyuu, brushing a strand of her hair away as if it was more important than the sadness growing in Rika's heart. Seeing this mere act, Rika could only grip her weapon in anger, making sure that none of the possessed villagers came down on her friends at any chance they had. What she needed now, of all times, was a way out of this mess with her friends.
"So…you truly are doing this on your own accord?" Rika narrowed her eyes, trying to study the Hanyuu that was before her. Rika gazed over the woman she thought she knew as her closest friend, however; what she saw was a woman of the past. This woman, still bearing the same horns as her friend, seemed much colder in spirit and weary of all things. She wore a kimono looking very old, probably dating back hundreds of years into Hanyuu's past. The black of the fabric, along with her crimson sash and hair bindings, made this woman seem evil straight to her core. At her side, though, was a weapon ancient in design and even older in magic; a weapon so powerful that it was said to have killed a thousand demons with one blow. The Onigari No Ryou, a weapon passed down in the Furude family for countless generations, was in the hands of Hanyuu; its glowing aura almost clashing with her own crimson aura. For some reason, though, the blade seemed very weak in her hands; its power not fully granted to Hanyuu while still being its rightful owner.
As Rika questioned Hanyuu, the others looked on in worry, confusion and betrayal. Keiichi at the forefront, along with the others, managed to find some small wooden beams and rocks to defend themselves with. Standing in a perimeter that protected Rika from the possessed villagers, their grips tightened as their eyes scanned their options for escape. In disgust and anger, Mion and Satoko screamed out to Hanyuu, demanding answers.
"Hanyuu-chan! Why are you doing this to us?" pleaded Satoko, tears falling from her eyes to the dirt floor.
"What have you done to everyone? Why are they acting like this?" yelled Mion, loosening her kimono in the event that she needed to use her martial arts skills in defense. Sweat beaded down her brow as she cracked her knuckles; prepared to do what it would take to protect her friends.
At hearing these please and seeing her friends still remain defiant, Hanyuu merely smiled oddly and looked sideways, her eyes narrowed in a sick like fashion.
"Yes, I'm doing this on my own. Actually, no, if you want the truth, I've found a better ally than you, Rika-chan. To think a mere crimson flower could provide me with the necessary opportunity to achieve my one and truest desire…" Hanyuu's tone was deeper than before, as if she had aged in her wisdom beyond Rika's own inner self. For what it seemed, Rika was still a child in mental strength compared to Hanyuu that moment.
"You call a flower a better ally? I never stooped so low as to coincide with Evil as an ally, Hanyuu. What you're hoping to gain from its power, I know it will be false promises, I assure you…" retorted Rika. She watched Hanyuu's movements very carefully; dwelling on the prior vision which allowed her to spare her friends' lives for the time being. If anything, Rika could use the sacred hoe for another intended purpose; one meant in ending her life and preventing Hanyuu from gaining what she wanted, whatever that was.
"A farce comedy, wouldn't you agree? Though as strange as we are for bedfellows, I was left with no options but to go along with its power and release it back into the world; a world that was doomed to fail for all I care." Hanyuu closed her eyes and then refocused on Rika, the crimson light of the night cascading all around them. If the night grew on any longer, Rika could swear that the color would be equivalent to blood.
"Failed? You make no sense, so why not start enlightening me as to how you fell so far from grace? You killed the others in that past world and had no remorse in it! But…you needed me for something. You needed to kill me, is that right? It has to be by your hands that you kill me and get what you want. SO TELL ME WHY!" screamed Rika, her ability to restrain all her pent up emotions dwindling by the minutes. The longer she faced off against Hanyuu without any answers, the more she felt her mind would move closer to the edge of insanity.
Sighing from hearing this question, as if it pained her to explain an unknown answer once more, Hanyuu's gaze met Rika's own; the friction between their icy cold glares enough to cause winter to set into Hinamizawa once more.
"You still don't get it, I assume? I don't suppose it would hurt to tell you, but I don't think you will enjoy the answer, Rika-chan. Why not save me the trouble of wasting time and let me kill you already, then? If not, I'll make you and the others wish they were at the mercy of my blade by the time the story is through. Make your decision, Rika-chan, because my patience is growing thin…"
"You already know my answer, Hanyuu! Tell us, and let us figure out how this is all going to end…whether it is tonight or in the next world…" Rika gritted her teeth, but in the next few moments all of her confidence was lost to her. At seeing the spectacle before her, Hanyuu began chuckling eerily as Rika made her decision. It was as if Hanyuu knew some sick joke that Rika had not been in on this entire time.
"You truly know nothing, you pathetic child. You've made your decision, so where to begin? I told you that I want to fix God's greatest mistake inflicted on me, right? Can you believe that, as a child, I was cursed into being some other entity; a being feared by humans? Can you believe that I was entrusted with a task as a child, and at some point failed like anyone else would? Can you also believe, that when I tried to find my own happiness, God found it fit to punish me for my failure and send everyone I ever cared for to meet their deaths; all the while, I either watched, had no control over, or had to participate in as her own daughter was forced to kill her mother? No, it's a long story, that one. Why not begin with all of this; this wonderful crimson filled night given to me by the Flower from Hell? It's strange; to think that a mere flower can reset the queen carrier of the Hinamizawa Syndrome back to me…"
"Wait…you don't mean…" Rika gasped at the mere thought, but soon it was confirmed in Hanyuu's crimson eyes.
"Yes, I do. I once was a carrier for this curse. If anything, I was the origin of it. This was one of God's many punishments inflicted on me, and a curse I had to live with and force on this village. By making a pact with Evil and releasing the power of the crimson lotuses, I was allowed to regain control of the curse and sideline you from the equation. I can use the lotus's power to control anyone even having a hint of the syndrome in their bodies; though why our friend's are an exception, I do not know…" Hanyuu frowned at this notion, looking over to Shion and the others. In all possibility, they too should have fallen under the power of the crimson lotuses. So why not them?
"They're not your friends, Hanyuu! After what you've done tonight, there is no way that you can be forgiven for this…" As much as it pained Rika, she knew these words were filled with anger and hatred. She couldn't think and she couldn't understand any of it; any of this madness.
"Forgiven? FORGIVEN? A…AHAHAHAAHAHAH! You fool! That matters not to me anymore. I asked time and again for forgiveness, even from God, and yet, I received the pain of reliving countless lives and watching my family and friends die time and again. No matter what I try to do to fix what I did, even as a child, I will never be forgiven! Even when I came to you for help, just like God, you failed me…all of you failed me! To Hell with calling you friends, I care not of it! You could never be my friends after failing me like you did!" screamed Hanyuu, taking the others off guard. They backed away in fear, unable to grasp onto the mere sight of Hanyuu expelling such fury and rage. Whatever God may have done to Hanyuu, or what Hanyuu failed to do as a child, seemed like a broken bond stretching back many years.
"How did we fail you Hanyuu? What could we have ever done to fail you?"
"You…forgot about my own pains and sufferings, and couldn't help me escape my own fate. You think you know of only a thousand lifetimes, Rika? You couldn't be more wrong. You and I; everyone here, has been caught in a never ending cycle of suffering, pain and death for years beyond imagining. You think you're a thousand years old on the inside? What if I told you it's 100 times that? Could you believe in that? Could you even believe that we faced off with Takano countless times and beat her in the end? Could you believe that your friends failed you time and again, as well as other villagers and even random chance, and helped prolong the cycle of fate? WELL?"
Rika thought this over for a moment. Recollecting all that she could, Rika could only remember her past lives as she knew she had lived. However, in the void of her mind and soul, something was there; something hidden and something almost impossible to recall back to her memory. If Rika had to guess, along with the fact that she had remembered that horrifying memory of Hanyuu's merciless slaughter, then the truth was that Rika had lived other lives. The number of lives, though, not known.
"Is…that even possible? Rika-chan! Is she…telling the truth?" Shion quelled with fear, finding the suggestion horrifying. If Hanyuu said any truth in those words, then that would have meant that she killed her friends not once, but possibly many times over in the other worlds.
"She's lying Rika-chan! Don't believe a wor…" Ryuu tried to reassure Rika, however, all she could do was cast her head down in defeat.
"She's…right…there are other lives we've lived. I can feel them…but…I can't remember them…"
"A safeguard I implanted in your memories, one that was expected to fail. Come now, Rika, do you honestly believe that your friends would never remember? If they did, like you had, they would have carried on so many burdens in their minds throughout the repeating cycle of death and misery. They wouldn't have been able to accept it, and in time, it would have meant their end. I shelled my thoughts from you and I ensured that some of the Kakera were never remembered so that I could achieve my goal here and now. Just as expected, though, those memories want to resurface…badly…" Hanyuu gave off a sickly twisted smile, almost taking delight in the fact that Rika and the others were suffering as much as they were now.
"It figures…our mental connection diminished into nothing after Mion's Inner Oni was defeated. I had hoped that was the last of the Evil in Hinamizawa, but…ahahah…I guess that was you playing me for a fool all along, wasn't it Hanyuu? Ahahaha…" Rika smiled, oddly enough, at this thought; causing wonder to grow in her friend's minds and loathing in Hanyuu's thoughts. The mere idea that Rika was gaining some newfound confidence in whatever form it took was setting off Hanyuu.
"Why are you laughing damnit?" cursed Hanyuu. Rika could only look up at her old friend, giving off a small grin that was enough to make Hanyuu start to worry.
"Our dreams weren't dreams at all, huh? They were our memories flooding back to us…all the restless worlds of our pasts coming back to light. They started as nightmares, and in Shion's case, began manifesting themselves into an actual possession. That question is cleared up, at least, but…ahahaha…you wouldn't know that, would you Hanyuu? You wouldn't know a lot of things…you silly girl…" Rika narrowed her eyes and ceased her chuckling, her newfound resolve burning wildly in her heart.
"You little…"
"What? Getting angry right now? I would be if I was you, Hanyuu…because once this night is over my wrath will not go unheard. I'll have my revenge on you in time, but till then I want to figure out this mystery for the time being, if only, to fend off my boredom. So tell me, if you were able to use the power of these evil flowers to control the villagers, and you and I have been caught in a never ending cycle of death and pain because of what you did as a child, then what now? What will you gain by killing me?" Rika didn't smile or frown now; her eyes merely remained dull and looked on at Hanyuu; causing the woman to slightly be taken back by such a change in her expression.
"I'm surprised to find that you were able to remember that last world, Rika. However, the night is moving on and my patience has run its course. If you want your boredom to be fended off…then let me give you a taste of hell first…"
"GARHG! GET THE HELL OFF ME!"
"SATOSHI-KUN!"
As Rika's focus went into overdrive, she whipped her head backwards to find Satoshi being grabbed by a pair of hands from under the stage. As he fell to the ground and was being pulled under, his screams of pain and terror were heard all around. Thankfully, within a moment's notice Shion and Ryuu had managed to pull him back and then break the hands holding his legs. Using a heavy stone, Ryuu began smashing the arms with tremendous force; bone shattering and blood staining the earth floor in quick succession. Once the hands released Satoshi, they pulled him back and made a tighter perimeter from their enemy.
That perimeter, though, didn't include Rika.
"GAH!"
"Huh? NO! RIKA-CHAN!"
As a possessed villager grabbed an unsuspecting Rika, her small body was lifted off the floor and tossed into a crowd of possessed villagers, now descending on her and separating the young miko from her friends. Over the screams of the others, Rika could only notice that in her struggle of trying to get free, she was being brought to Hanyuu's side hard; her sacred hoe ripped from her hands and sent cascading away into some unseen direction. In moments, Rika was held in the arms of a possessed villager; his handle on her too strong to break. Being walled off from Hanyuu and Rika, the others could only feel agony and despair for not protecting their friend better.
"HANYUU! Give us back Rika-chan!" screamed Keiichi, his teeth gritting in anger. He, like the rest of his friends, mentally bashed themselves for being fooled so easily.
"I'd rather not, not when I'm close to accomplishing my goal." Hanyuu smiled, grabbing her weapon and waltzing up to Rika. Rika did not struggle anymore, finding the strength of the villager beyond measure to defeat. Looking on hard at Hanyuu, Rika could only surmise as to what would happen next.
"Nice job, it seems you got me Hanyuu. So, tell me, once you kill me, what happens?" asked Rika, her eyes full of determination and confidence. Hanyuu hesitated for a moment, looking on at the woman in the arms of the possessed villager.
"Are you going mad, Rika, or has this newfound confidence of yours been lying in the fact that if I kill you that you will wake up months or even years before this?" asked Hanyuu genuinely. Rika's grinning stopped, and now she could only nod her head in response.
"The crimson lotuses…and Evil for that matter, cannot grant you what you wish, Hanyuu. You will only gain my wrath when I wake up in the other world when this is through…"
"AHAHA…AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Suddenly, without warning, Hanyuu threw her face into Rika; her eyes menacing with a crimson glow so terrifying that Rika could not breathe for a few moments. Hanyuu grabbed Rika's chin very hard and made sure at that moment Rika's mind only focused on her next words.
"Oh, but Rika, yes they can! They proved that to me in one world! YOU PROVED THAT TO ME IN THE PERFECT WORLD!" she laughed, releasing her hard grasp on Rika's chin and stepping back now. Rika could only look sideways in contemplation at these words, a look of confusion replacing her lost confidence.
"What? I…proved what?" Rika looked back at Hanyuu, beads of sweat and fear falling from her forehead now. Hanyuu looked back up to her and smiled; her twisted grin shattering all that remained in Rika's being in strength and courage.
"You don't actually believe I just made a deal with Evil and went completely along with it, do you? That would be foolish, Rika! I told you before that this is the last world, so what was I supposed to do? If I let things go as they would, even without my intervention here, you and the others and everyone in this village would die off anyway! And then we would blink out of existence and go into limbo, though that is befitting of a mercy rather than a tragic ending I must say. Oh, what? You look confused? I'm not the bad guy here; the whole situation is fucked up as it is! With nothing left to go on, I set in motion an experiment and it proved worthy! Don't you remember the perfect world, Rika?" Hanyuu moved closer to Rika again, as Rika tried her best to remember what Hanyuu was talking about.
In moments of pulling forth the story of that Kakera, Rika remembered a perfect world that she alone went to without the form of Hanyuu. Rika had been killed through her own foolish pride after defeating Takano and thinking that nothing would go wrong in her life from that point on. However, that one hope for happiness shattered the moment her body collided with the truck as she sped down on her bike that fateful day. She had been beheaded, from what Hanyuu later told her in the hospital that day. However, before that, her soul was sent to a perfect world; one without any flaws. Every obstacle that was faced in Rika's life was not existent in that world. Rena's parents had never been divorced, Keiichi never moved to Hinamizawa, Mion would never fall in love with Keiichi and would obediently run the Sonozaki family without hardship, Satoko's parents never died and Satoshi never fell into the full effect of the syndrome, Shion had gone off to boarding school on her own choice and lived a happy life, and Rika's parents had never been killed. Takano, Tomitake and Dr. Irie never came to Hinamizawa, and the Hinamizawa Syndrome never existed. More so, the Dam Construction was to go on as planned, and the entire community of Hinamizawa would agree with it without any qualms. That world was perfect, but when Hanyuu gave Rika the opportunity to come back, she first had to do the unthinkable and make it an imperfect world; an act that would shatter the Kakera and return Rika back to a period in her own world that had a different ending. When she did the act, she woke up in that hospital with a concussion and nothing more. Hanyuu had helped Rika survive that tragic fate and reset her ending for her. Why would Hanyuu do that if only to kill her here and now?
"Yes…I remember it…what does any of that have to do with this current situation of ours?"
"In order to reclaim your soul from that world and reset fate in this one, you had to commit an act that would create a paradox in a perfect world. When I told you what you needed to do, I worried that you wouldn't go through with it; though that risk paid off. The night you committed such an act was the same night the crimson lotuses bloomed; the ritual taking place and succeeding without flaw. You returned to me that day, Rika…and you proved to me that rewriting the past by the hands of the crimson lotuses' power was possible! BY KILLING YOUR MOTHER IN HER SLEEP, YOU RESET FATE RIKA! That's why…THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO KILL YOU TO RESET MY OWN! AHAHAHAHAH!"
In a crazed state, Hanyuu grabbed her weapon and aimed to strike down Rika with enough force that would piece her and the villager holding Rika; death imminent for both of them. With wide eyes of madness and longing to kill her closest friend, Rika watched on as Hanyuu rushed into Rika; the blade aiming for Rika's heart. The others looked on, screaming in terror as Rika was about to die before their very eyes.
But just like before, Rika grinned on and watched Hanyuu attempt to kill her. Without a moment's notice, she pulled forth the power to create a miracle, and succeeded in doing so. As if her own fate bended to her will, Rika merely smiled and prepared for the next few moments to unfold.
"Have it your way Hanyuu! I'll show you how foolish your hopes really are!"
"DIE, RIKAAAAA!"
*Crack*
Sparks flew in the air, and the sound of a weapon being sent away from Hanyuu's hand was heard. As everyone stopped dead in their tracks, Hanyuu grasped her slightly bruised hand in pain; looking around for whatever unseen enemy lurked in the shadows. Having heard a gunshot, everyone could only surmise as to who their unlikely saviors were. In seconds, though, those allies would come forth with a plan ready to save them.
"ARGH! KOMOTO! MIZUHO! WHERE ARE YOU!" screamed Hanyuu, looking around into the trees for the enemy. However, the only response she had received was the sound of metal canisters hitting the earth floor, and in moments a plume of white smoke erupting from them. In no time at all the battle area was masked in a storm of clouds and smoke; the field hazy all around. In her anger, Hanyuu rushed up to Rika; not taking a moment's thought to delay her goal.
"YOU! I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE! JUST DIE RIKA, JUST DIE!"
As Hanyuu clasped her hands around Rika's throat and began to choke the life out of her, Rika could only look on in fear and hope at Hanyuu. Finding it hard to breath, Rika didn't once take her eyes off of Hanyuu's; the crimson glow almost terrifying yet saddening to her. Pulling her hands up to Hanyuu's own and trying to gain a few moments to breathe, all the while her friends screamed and fought to reach her, Rika found her odds of surviving that moment equaling that of a coin toss. Deep down inside, she made her choice and waited for that coin to land, hopefully in her favor.
"Ha..nyuu…hah…if you…kill me…now…then I hope…you get your wish. If not…then…I'm sorry…for not…helping you…I'm…sorry…I made you…like this…but…I'll survive…and I'll…save you…" Rika's grip on Hanyuu's hands gave away, the strength leaving her body as the life and light faded from her eyes. Hanyuu grinned on, knowing her goal was near. Watching Rika's life give out, though, caused tears to fall from Hanyuu's eyes; an action she never meant to happen or lose control of. Gritting her teeth in efforts to complete the deed, Hanyuu squeezed harder in order to kill Rika once and for all.
"Save me? HAH…now…who's…giving false promises? Eh, Rika-chan?"
No matter how many tears fell to the ground, Hanyuu had only one goal in mind and that goal was almost hers. With the power of the crimson lotuses filling her mind and soul, she felt like she had almost succeeded. If she just killed Rika, then she could reset everything and go back to the moment she failed in her life. In that moment, once corrected, everything would be for the better. Everything would be as it should be.
In Rika's last moments of what seemed like the end of her life, just as the world faded into a black void around her and the cold clutches of death grasped onto her soul, the miracle she pulled forth previously came to fruition. As Hanyuu failed to notice her surroundings, two figures suddenly came forth from the hazy shadows and bludgeoned Hanyuu in the head. Falling sideways and being grabbed hard, a tall figure threw Hanyuu straight into a nearby possessed villager; causing the two to fall over one another. In seconds, the villager holding Rika was smashed hard in the face; his grip giving away to the young miko now coughing for air. It felt good to have the breath of life enter her being once more, but it was even better to be held in the arms of her rescuers. Coughing but looking up at the two masked individuals, she smiled and cried tears of joy.
"*cough* Komoto-senpai…Otome-sensei…thank you…"
With only a nod and with Rika suddenly being thrown onto Komoto's back, she and now the others regrouped in the chaos of the smoke screen; no words said but only hand signals being given. As Rika looked over to her friends; their grins expressing their utter happiness at seeing her safe, they made their exit together without any problems. Incapacitating any possessed villager in their path, Rika and the others made their escape down a long dirt road, whilst Mizuho threw out more canisters of smoke to mask their getaway. In moments, they were long gone from the chaos; everyone being thrown into a truck and quickly speeding down the long road away from Hanyuu and her evil machinations.
Whilst everyone escaped, and as the smoke cleared the field, Hanyuu got up groggily and collapsed onto her knees; holding her head in pain as the trickle of red blood fell in drops to the earth floor. Slowly getting up, she examined the field of the battle; noticing the many bruised and defeated possessed villagers lying in heaps on the ground. Gritting her teeth, Hanyuu looked sideways to the villager who held Rika previously, now finding her target long gone from the battlefield. In rage felt like none before, Hanyuu picked up her weapon and screamed till her lungs gave out; making sure her fleeing targets knew her fury. With eyes glowing a darker crimson, Hanyuu, in her madness, yelled to the heavens.
"!"
/
Run…
That's all they seemed to be doing most of their lives, even during the endless cycle of Fate. They had no other choice then; they never knew their foe, and they didn't know what had caused one another to commit such horrible acts. For all they knew, they were just some characters in a tragic story with no choice in the matter. For all other times, giving up and going along with what Fate presented to them would have been their only option. Not this time; not this time when they were stronger, braver and ready to defeat Fate once and for all. To do so, though, would take everything the game club members had at their disposal; all their tricks, all their cheats, and all of their unique strengths to defeat their opponent: Hanyuu.
As the crimson night lingered on above the now chaotic village of Hinamizawa, an echoing of a name was heard high above the clouds and all across the area. Such a terrifying scream, one filled with hate, with revenge, and with wanting of their friend, reverberated well into their hearts and souls. As the horrifying scream for murder broadcasted over the group, sending chills up their spines, they could only grasp onto whatever strength and resolve remained with them for the time being.
"!" screamed Hanyuu off in the distance.
"Hanyuu…why…" murmured Rika, casting her head into her shoulders; wishing she could erase that terrifying scream for her blood from someone she thought of as her closest friend.
The truck ride leading away from the village festival grounds was a quiet one for some time. In the front of the truck, Mizuho and Komoto sat silently with their fingers on their triggers; their senses heightened in alert for anything coming their way. Their eyes scanned the village floor; noticing here and there some possessed villagers turning their heads in their direction. As worry increased in mere moments, it faded just as quickly as the possessed faded off into the distance.
Sitting at the forefront was Mion and Keiichi; Mion resting her head on Keiichi's shoulder for comfort. Once the terrifying scream of Hanyuu's voice arose, she lowered her face somewhat and let the tears fall secretively into Keiichi's sleeve. To their right was Rika and Satoko; barely mentioning a single word as time passed by. Satoko fumbled with her kimono in silence, whereas Rika tried not to look at anyone, as if she were in deep thought. Sitting opposite of them, Rena and Ryuu were lying back against the truck bed wall; peering up at the crimson moonlight. To them, it was sickening; as if the color of blood was drenching everything in such a light. Lastly, at the back of the truck, Shion and Satoshi sat whilst holding one another. Shion hadn't said a single thing since their escape, as Rika knew all too well that Shion was dwelling on the idea of having killed not once but countless times over in the past worlds. Amongst all the friends, the same feeling lingering in the atmosphere was mutually felt.
They had been betrayed, they had been outnumbered, they had been played as fools, and most of all: they had lost a friend.
"So…where are you taking us now Komoto-senpai?" asked Rika. She looked up to the others, though her gaze was a bit dull. Inside, she had felt a crushing blow in her heart. With Hanyuu's sudden betrayal, Rika felt weaker than ever. Not only that, but the idea that she and the others had failed Hanyuu, who had deserved so much more than an eternity of misery and death, was something they couldn't accept.
While still keeping his eyes on the road, Komoto sighed and shook his head in defeat. Without any clear answer, and with some unknown pain growing on his mind, he was at a loss for words. To help the situation, Mizuho spoke up for him.
"I'd say we should run and try to escape the village, but if memory serves me right that will prove impossible for us. We noticed that the village perimeter is heavily surrounded by the possessed villagers, and mainly so the only road out of here would be the mountainside exit; but that would again lead us straight into the old dam construction site and a horde of possessed villagers. Our best bet is to go back to hold up somewhere till morning and reconsider our options. Till then, I have nothing better to suggest…" Mizuho sighed and looked out the rearview mirror; afraid that at any moment Hanyuu or the possessed villagers would catch them off guard and slaughter them. At the same time, she put a hand to her stomach, concern growing for another reason.
"Our best bet is to just keep driving and get as far away from Hanyuu as possible…" spoke Shion at last. She picked her head up and held her own arms, but still, kept her glance to the truck floor. Everyone eyed her with despair; knowing that she was having a hard time accepting the truth.
"Why would Hanyuu ever do such a thing to us…" murmured Keiichi. Like the others, he seemed lost at the moment without any understanding as to why one of their own friends had committed such an act.
"I'm not sure, but Hanyuu is doing this for her own reasons. If she told the truth back there, then this is all because of the curse God inflicted onto her so many years and lifetimes ago; for what I do not know. Since then, we've all been living on in so many lifetimes and scenarios that we've reached the final straw as of now. This was the final world, and Hanyuu knew that very well. She made a deal with the devil using the power of the crimson lotuses, and she is now attempting to rewrite history at the point she made the mistake in her life. If she succeeds, she'll jump so far back that every world up until now will be rewritten; again, I do not know in what way. What I know is that she has…remembered every one of those worlds, but we have seemingly forgotten most of them. Our memories are starting to take form and come into this world. The past and the present are colliding with one another; this really is the final world. If one of us dies tonight, then…there is no reset button for them. It's game over…" Rika looked hard into everyone else's faces; making sure that fact held strong in their minds. Some of them sweated in fear, whereas the others didn't dare to think about such a thing.
"We're not going to die tonight. We're going to make it through this…" spoke Komoto, sounding as if he were in some sort of pain. His breathing became slightly heavy for the moment, but after managing to center himself he seemed like he was back to normal. Mizuho looked at him.
"Komoto-kun…are you ok?"
"Yeah…I'm fine. I just need clean air right now. Smoke screens always irritate my lungs, you know that." He put the topic to rest and readdressed Rika quickly.
"Rika-chan, I told you before, we're going to be fine. Mizu-chan and I are going to get you guys out of this. Everyone...open the bags on the truck bed floor and pick and choose…"
Out of curiosity and confusion, all eyes fell on the two black bags that had been idly sitting amongst the others for some time. Without question, Keiichi reached out as did Ryuu and opened the two bags. After digging around, they noticed under the crimson light that the bags were full of weapons and various gear. Slowly pulling out one item, Keiichi pulled out a pistol similar to the one he and Mion had practiced with at the range not too long ago. In Ryuu's bag, though, he pulled out a shotgun and several boxes of ammunition. It seemed like the bags were packed to the brim with guns and ammo.
"Komoto…you can't be serious?" Keiichi was shocked as to even the thought of using the guns on the innocent villagers. Even if they were possessed, they didn't deserve to be used as target practice.
"All right! This is what I'm talking about! Not even Hanyuu will have a chance against us…" On the other hand, Ryuu seemed ecstatic with his newfound arsenal of weapons. Taking out a shotgun and loading the weapon carefully, Ryuu found his choice rather natural. In the past, he had gone hunting with an old coworker before moving out on his own, so naturally the weapon felt like a part of himself. The same couldn't be said for Rena, Satoko, Rika and Satoshi: having no weapon experience in guns whatsoever.
"Keiichi…I am dead serious. This is a fight for our lives…if we have to use them then I'm not taking any chances. Understand?" Komoto sounded very coldly to the others, making his notion very clear to them. However, Rika shot a glance at him and denied ever looking towards such an option.
"Komoto-senpai! We can't kill the villagers! I won't stand for it…" Rika, in her wisdom, sounded dark and angry for ever considering such an idea. But that darkness and tone was equally matched by Komoto.
"If that is our only option then I will kill every possessed villager in Hinamizawa, including Hanyuu, with extreme prejudice so that my unborn child and Mizu-chan survive! ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?" he yelled. Komoto stopped the car whilst hitting the breaks hard. Everyone in the back, including Mizuho at his side, looked at him with wide eyes like never before. However, Rika did not hesitate to fight back.
"You said yourself that you never wanted to kill again. You promised even that you would never take another's life! I know you are worried about your unborn child and Mizuho-sensei's safety, but that doesn't mean you have to become a monster! Komoto-senpai…I lost one good friend tonight to madness, now don't tell me I'm losing you too!" Rika cried, letting all the pent up emotions dwelling inside of her come out. She fell to her knees and cried, whilst Rena went over to her side and held her in her arms.
Silence passed for a few moments between everyone after Rika's heartfelt comment. Komoto only casted his head to the floor, opening his mouth here and there, but not finding the words to speak. Mizuho put a hand onto his shoulder, and turned to the others; understanding entirely well what was going on in Komoto's mind at that point; if only, half of his thoughts.
"Rika-chan…don't make it harder on him. Even so…you don't understand yet what it means to carry a life inside of you. Our unborn child hasn't done anything wrong; this child deserves to experience a life and grow up. Komoto-kun and I accepted one fact a long time ago, and that's what allowed us to kill people in our profession. If you had lived a life, no matter how short it was, and at least saw the light of day and the darkness of night, they you had a life. My child hasn't had that yet. I will kill to protect our child, and I will not think twice about it! You can call us monsters, but I will not stand by and have anyone begrudge us for not sacrificing our child for the sake two thousand other lives…"
Mizuho's words hit the others deeply, causing them to step back in fear of her. For once, they saw the fire of a mother burning in her eyes; a sight which made them question even their own choices. If Mizuho could make such an easy decision without regret, then could the act of killing others be justified? Rika, she thought, would have none of it.
"That still doesn't make any of it right. Most of us learned the hard truth so long ago. I'm not killing anyone tonight; not even Hanyuu! I said I would save her…and I'm going to fulfill that promise!" declared Rika.
"Rika-chan is right! I'm not going to kill anyone tonight either. We'll make it through this without any loss of life." Rena looked at Ryuu hard. She frowned at him, causing him to step back momentarily in fear.
"Don't give me that look, Rena-chan! I'm going to protect you and anyone else I can! If I have to kill my enemy to do so, so be it! That's my path…I chose that long ago and I will stand by it, but I will not become…the monster I once thought I was…in the process!" Ryuu sighed and stood by his final decision without question, causing Rena to look away slightly. As chivalrous as Ryuu was, and as much as she and him had gone along on so many things, this was one of the things they separated on.
"We can't kill the others no matter what! They're our friends and family!" spoke Satoko, looking from one person to another in worry. It seemed she was beginning to notice how everyone in the group was picking sides.
"Muu…I agree with my sister. No killing…I can't do that again…" Satoshi, after choosing his side, felt his hand gripped tightly by Shion. Looking over to her, she smiled to him; for the first time in awhile.
"Then don't worry, Satoshi-kun. I'll protect both of you…no matter the cost. I can't live with killing innocent people, but I can live with the fact that I did it for you and Satoko-chan! So…if it ever comes to that as a last resort…I'll do what it takes…besides…what's a few more sins on my soul anyhow…" Shion felt Satoshi grip her hand hard, sad to hear those words but in no way ever trying to condemn her actions. Satoshi would never judge Shion for such a thing.
"Shi-chan…please…don't give in to what Hanyuu said…" Though Satoshi's words held some truth about the possibility of Shion having killed her friends and others many times over, Shion could only become silent and look off in another direction; not facing the reality of this idea.
On the opposite end of the truck, Keiichi and Mion sighed and looked at their weapons, then one another. Putting the weapons in the waistline of their clothing, they looked on at the others and spoke their minds.
"We're going to do what it takes to survive, but we won't kill anyone. I can't bear the idea of killing our own mother, Sis…" spoke Mion, frowning with worry.
"Nor can I think of killing my own mother and father…wait, on second thought, maybe my father…" spoke Keiichi, if only sarcastically and jokingly. That seemed to lighten up the mood a little, but not so much. It seemed like with everyone taking sides that in some way the group of friends had become divided in a sense. This mere thought troubled Rika in so many ways.
"I hope it doesn't ever come to that, you guys. I'm not going to outwardly kill anyone unless I have to. First…I'll cripple them before that ever happens…" Komoto put his foot on the gas pedal again and sent the car flying down the road, hoping that none of the possessed villagers had seen them.
"So can we at least agree that we aim for arms and legs first before headshots and center of mass?" asked Mion. Everyone, thankfully from Rika's perspective, agreed with this notion. That, at least, the young miko could live with.
*Rather a village full of cripples than a village full of corpses…* thought Rika. Dwelling on her thoughts again as they raced down the dirt road in some unknown direction, Rika needed to plan her next move very carefully.
"You guys…we need to stay on guard at all times. Hanyuu has control of any villager with the Hinamizawa Syndrome in their body. If that is true, then everyone is an enemy to us at this point. What we need to do is figure out a way to fight Hanyuu and defeat the Evil in Hinamizawa once and for all!"
"What about contacting people outside the village for help? If we can escape then…" asked Satoko, however, her idea was shot down once more.
"No can do. We tried that idea already. Phone lines were cut off before we had a chance to call Tomitake-san's military contacts. So, leaving the village is a no go…" replied Mizuho, locking back the slide on her pistol before placing it once more into her holster.
"We could hole up in my family's dungeon and seal the doors shut. The new doors Kasai installed are impossible to even blow up they're so thick." Mion was ecstatic about this solution for the time being, however, Rena shot that idea down as well.
"Mi-chan, the doors may hold us in, but the secret passageway would lead them right to us. It would be a dead end. Remember? Hanyuu knows about the well and all…" Rena casted her eyes down, saddened by yet another lost solution. Mion's moment of happiness quickly faded as she remembered that very flaw in the dungeon's design.
"The shards…"
"Huh?"
Their eyes glanced over to Rika, who now reached into her pocket for some item. As everyone looked on in confusion, Rika revealed a crystal shard from her pocket; its blue aura slightly reacting with the crimson rays of the night. For some reason, its reaction almost collided with the crimson-like surroundings, as if the shard had the power to fight off Evil with its mere presence.
"Rika, what is that?" asked Mizuho with curiosity. Mion took one of the shards in hand and examined it; feeling like she had seen something like this before. After passing it to the others, the shard eventually fell into the hands of Rena. She lingered with the shard for a few moments, feeling that for some strange reason she had seen the same thing somewhere before.
"I'm not sure, but whatever they are they seem to pose a threat to the Crimson Lotuses. Even the presence of it glows in the crimson light. Whatever it is, I think this is our answer."
"What, so it's some mystical item? Is it going to help us beat Evil?" asked Satoshi, taking the shard in hand and examining it.
The moment he felt the shard, though, he suddenly froze without saying a single word. The others saw his eyes suddenly widen, and at Shion's own expense was worried. Taking his hand in hers, her fingers lightly grazed over the shard; her worry escalating with each silent moment.
"Satoshi-kun, are you…"
As her fingers contacted with the crystal, her eyes widened as well. Both Shion and Satoshi didn't move for a few moments, causing Mion to grab her sister and shake her out of whatever was happening.
"Sis! Snap out of it. What's wrong?"
As if on cue, both Shion and Satoshi blinked a couple times and looked down at the shard, dropping it on the floor of the truck bed and fretting over holding it. For some reason, they seemed scared.
"Are you guys alright?" asked Rika, her eyes narrowing at their reaction. For some reason, she expected the shard to do something, but seeing their response to holding the shard only proved one of her inner thoughts.
"I…just remembered something…a lot of things actually…" Satoshi rubbed his blonde hair as his little sister came up to him to give comfort. Shion sat back into the truck, wondering what the hell had happened.
"It was like…I was back in that time…reliving all those memories again." Shion closed her eyes, tears coming forth as she lightly cried into her arm. Mion put a hand on Shion's shoulder to comfort her, hoping that whatever happened wouldn't break her friends.
"You mean your sins, right?" asked Rika. This time, she got a different response than what was expected.
"Yes…but…no. I remember…growing older with Shi-chan…with all of you! I remember our wedding…and going to college…and…"
"…and…even having a child. I remember other times…worse times even…" Shion stopped crying and remained silent, as Satoshi turned to her as if knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"Wait, so you remembered different lives?" Rika was now genuinely curious about the new powers of the shards. If they somehow could help her friends remember, then maybe they would also give an answer as to how to help Hanyuu and end this nightmare. For the meantime, though, it seemed as if Shion and Satoshi both aged mentally on the inside.
"Yeah…but…they all ended tragically. What Shi-chan was referring to was…" Satoshi spoke, but couldn't find the right words to say.
"…the Hinamizawa Syndrome. It led to our ends in every world. If I remember correctly now…whether it was by one of us becoming paranoid of one another, or because Rika-chan died off in old age, we were either killed off by one another, met our ends by our own hands, or…within three day's time of Rika-chan's death, killed one another through madness or clawed our throats out or even had heart attacks…" Shion cringed somewhat from this experience, but the mere thought of Rika's mention of old age and death set her off somewhat deep within her mind.
*If I died in old age, then…I never had a child to prevent the curse from gaining an edge over us. Without the queen carrier, the rest of the Hinamizawa Syndrome's victims would die within three days…so what happened to me then?* Rika thought silently to herself. However, this question was suited for another time, and now she had at least some kind of answer to fathom here.
"I think I understand some of the puzzle here, guys. I found this shard the morning Shi-chan became immersed in her nightmares. When you guys left, I found this on the ground. I think…this is the shard which belongs to both Satoshi-kun and Shi-chan. These are…their memories…bound by love and bound by Fate…." Rika took back the shard which lied on the floor, pocketing the mystical item for the time being. The others were still at a loss as to what it was.
"So if those are their memories, then does that mean we also have shards too?" asked Satoko with genuine curiosity.
"Most likely, but as for the rest I only know of one other. There was a similar shard in the leather bound diary that I found in my family's storage house. It is exactly the same thing, and if I'm correct it is probably another shard. That one…belongs to me most likely…and maybe even Satoko-chan as well." Rika looked to her friends with confidence, knowing full well that they were on the path to defeating this hellish scenario.
"So we either have or know of two shards. How many can there be, and how do we even use them against Hanyuu?" asked Keiichi, excited that they had at least one solution to look forward to.
"That's not entirely true Kei-kun. There is another shard, now that I've seen this one up close. Can you guess where it is?" Mion looked at Keiichi, smiling as if she knew of some small secret on her part. Keiichi thought it over for a moment, and kicking aside his small tendency of being thick headed, he eventually caught on.
"You mean the necklace I retrieved in order to have the right to marry you, right?" Keiichi's answer was confirmed in Mion's smile; her holding up a thumb in support.
"You guessed it, and that shard is at my home in a locked safe. I was going to wear it tonight when we were to announce our intentions to marry, but the necklace was so old I worried that it would break and fall off. You can never be too careful, huh?" she lightly chuckled.
"That's great! Then that shard would belong to you and Keiichi! If this all fits like that, then each pair of us has a shard connected to us. Supposing that…then…there must be…at least 5 shards then…" Rika smiled on to the others, as her weary mind slowly started putting this mystery into focus.
"So where are the other two?"
"I know of one, I do! One day, Ryuu-kun was helping me dig for buried treasure at the dump grounds. I found something similar to this one, I know it! It's back in my secret spot on a shelf!" cried Rena in joy, thinking of all her cute things back in the van.
"So that's our shard, huh Rena-chan?" asked Ryuu, wondering how they would manage to get to the dump site undetected to get the item in question.
"Yup yup!"
"Then who does that leave us with, then?" asked Satoshi, looking over the others. All eyes went forward to the driver and passenger of the truck.
"Wait, you guys can't mean us, right?" asked Mizuho, startled for a moment. Rika nodded to her in confirmation.
"It makes the most sense. All of us present were not affected by the influence of the Crimson Lotuses, which means that in all probability you two have a shard belonging to you. The question is where is it? We know of 4 already, so we need the 5th one to use in our fight against Hanyuu…" spoke Rika, trying her best to sit up against the truck bed's wall. She felt dizzy at first, but with Satoko's help managed to sit up straight. Looking on at her friends, she questioned whether the older adults knew of anything even hinting to where their shard may be.
"I don't have a clue. I've never seen those shards before, Rika-chan, so most likely they are not in our possession right now. If those shards really are our best bet, then what do we have to lose? The question is where do we go from here?" Komoto looked on to the road crossing of the old dirt paths of Hinamizawa and slowed the car down to a crawl. If they went right, it would mean leaving Hinamizawa to take on the mountainside exit and possibly escape with their lives. Going straight past the water mill would mean heading to Mion and Keiichi's home, whereas the left path would take them to the dump yard on the outskirts of the village.
"Hanyuu's had quite some time under her belt to plan this out. Since I killed myself in that one world where she tried to initiate the ritual, then I'm sure she has planned the second time around much better. I think…we should head for the dump. It's the closest location for the next shard, and if we're lucky we can take a back trail to Mion and Keiichi's home. After that, we'll go to grab the necklace. If we can, we may even have to use the dungeon as a rally point if things get heated. Hanyuu should not be taken for a fool. She will know each and every one of us and will think like us if she has to. I can already assume in this chess game that she will prevent any means of escape from the village and any attempt to contact the outside world. Are we agreed?"
At Rika's solution for the time being, the others nodded without question. Choosing their weapons and supplies from the bags, they armed themselves as the crimson night fully relished in its horrifying glow over the now not so quiet village of Hinamizawa.
"Then it's settled. Gear up everyone, we're going treasure hunting!"
/
"Seriously…I think my other half could have chosen a better punch-line…but oh well…"
Separate from all other worlds, in this Meta-world, Reimei and Bernkastel had sat together for what seemed like ages, watching as both Rika and the others drove on in the truck and away from the crossing of the dirt path. Heading down towards the dump area, everyone was determined to win this crimson night back and defeat Evil. As much confidence as they had, however, none of it was shared with Bernkastel.
After seeing Hanyuu betray everything Bernkastel had known and cherished in her dearest friend, as of now her heart remained a gaping hole. The wound was too much, and it was too severe to fill. She gripped her seat's armrests' tightly, gritting her teeth in shear torment. Were she to be given the option of living another ten thousand years of pain and suffering, just to not end up with Hanyuu's treason, she would have done so without regret. Seeing Hanyuu as the Evil in Hinamizawa was all too much for even the Witch of Miracles.
To have Reimei Ryuu making jokes at a time like this, though, did not help her feeling of loss and despair. She remained silent, almost straining to look into the orb again. Watching any more of Hanyuu's betrayal had become like knives through her heart. Had she the right to interfere in this final world and stop Hanyuu herself, she would. However, laws unknown yet known to witches and those of higher powers knew better; especially in this world's laws. Yet, the desire remained to stop Hanyuu from committing something she could never take back.
"Hanyuu…why…" she murmured, tears falling from her eyes. Reimei merely looked at her and shut his mouth, deciding better against his attempts to cheer her up. Unable to do so, Reimei sighed and put his head on his arm, resting for the moment again. Loooking deep into the orb, Reimei attempted to shed his thoughts on the matter.
"Will you give up so easily or will you continue to strive onward just like Rika-chan is doing now? Though Hanyuu's act has hurt you deeply, do not dwell on it. Hanyuu is just as much a victim as anyone else is in the world when Evil is present…" spoke Reimei silently without emotion.
"I'm not giving up, but with every moment I sit here unable to do anything…unable to fix this mess that Hanyuu is attempting to accomplish…I'm slowly fading away. I can't bear it…" she cried, leaning forward in pain.
"You're going to have to bear it…but if I were you, I'd put such thoughts aside and see the bigger picture here. Rika-chan and the others will try to find the shards and piece together this big mystery once and for all. In the process, you will have all your answers…" stated Reimie. However, Bernkastel shot her head up and looked at him; a glare which meant all too well her anger.
"You claim to be our ally, and I trust you now, but don't hide it Reimei! You knew about all this…didn't you?" Bernkastel looked long into Reimei's strange eyes, finding no fear this time in it. She looked on at him with some renewed fire in her soul somehow; a determination to win this final game with Rika once and for all.
But what came next from Reimei merely set Bernkastel off. Her thoughts were truly exacted in the smile he was giving her now.
"Yes…and no…"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Bernkastel questioned. If this was going to be another one of his riddles, then she would have none of it. However, for the time being, she would listen to what he had to say.
"I simply did and didn't know what was to happen?" Reimei said, looking deeply into Bernkastel's eyes as well. She still didn't find the answer she was hoping for, and for that Bernkastel wanted him to prove it to her.
"Care to enlighten me?" she asked. Reimei nodded and initiated a part of their old game with one another; a game of Truths. Without hesitating, Reimei initiated his logic.
"In Black: When Komoto first looked into Hanyuu's eyes, he could not see her past lives. My eyes can see all no matter what. In White: Hanyuu is a demi-god, and with that comes an ability to protect the Kakera. Hanyuu's memories of these past worlds could not be seen by Komoto's eyes at the time. In Twilight: Depending on all probabilities, Hanyuu was clearly hiding something from Komoto at that time. Likely, it can be assumed that she did not want Rika's connection to pick up on her own past lives. Therefore, Hanyuu's actions were suspicious from the beginning. Hanyuu was a suspect the moment she denied a part of her being to Rika and the others…" Like always, when Reimei initiated his truths and laws, the room shifted in color depending on the saying. When the room shifted from black, to white, then normally, the law had been made and Reimei's undeniable truth was given.
Now that Bernkastel thought about this, there was no denying it. She remembered looking into Rika's memories and noticing that Hanyuu never once gave up her connection to Rika or Komoto detailing her past lives when their eyes met. Like Rika's case, Komoto should have seen all of Rika's past lives and Hanyuu's, but Hanyuu's lives were clouded and unseen, whereas some of Rika's were only seen. This answer only created another question.
"If Komoto was to be able to see into Rika's past lives, then that means he too could not see all of her memories. That means…the memories were not there, were prevented from being seen by Hanyuu's powers or…even missing…" she stated, judging back on Reimei's former truth. His logic was perfect yet flexible in its own way. Therefore, Bernkastel had no other choice but to accept it.
"Correct. Were I there, I could probably see into Hanyuu's past entirely with ease, but I cannot interfere in such a way. Komoto could not see like I do as of now; that is a power diverse in its own way. When Hanyuu blocked memories from being seen, I knew from that moment after studying this world that Hanyuu knew more than the others did about something. I suspected her from the very beginning to be harboring some kind of dark past, but I did not know what until this world's day where Rika and the others were fighting for their lives and existences. I'm surprised like you are that Hanyuu has chosen such a path, but not to your degree Bernkastel."
"Then I accept this law of yours, Reimei, despite how much I want to deny it. If that is the case, then in terms of the shards how will they seem to aid Rika and the others? If it is a test of regaining their lost memories, then where does the answer lie?" she asked. Remei put a finger to his chin and wondered this as well, but smiled.
"Maybe that's not the question you should be asking, Bernkastel. If I posed a better one to you, then the question would be: How were the memories lost and found up until now? The answer includes the shards, but in what way?"
Thinking on this new question, Bernkastel remained silent again for some time. She believed Hanyuu to have blocked the memories from coming forth, but if so then why would the shard's be able to give the memories back like they did for Satoshi and Shion? That part didn't make sense to her. Something was still missing for the answer to be found.
"If my thoughts are correct…then I've been looking at this the wrong way. Maybe…if I take Battler's "flipping the chessboard" approach, I can see this differently. If your question is how were the memories lost and found, but through the use of the shards, then my question is what exactly are the shards? Why do they matter so much in this world...unless…they are…."
At this mere moment in time, Bernkastel's eyes widened in complete and utter disbelief. Slowly raising her head up now and looking at Reimei with utter bewilderment, her mouth gaped open and said no words. Shaking at the mere thought, in Bernkastel's mind, she had now realized the answer to one of her many questions was now in her grasp. She had the answer all along, and Reimei was trying to show that to her.
Upon seeing her face, Reimei merely grinned and narrowed his eyes in her direction. His next few words, as truths would confirm some of her thoughts.
"In Black: Shards are nothing more than broken pieces of some structure. In White: Piece together similar shards, you will see the bigger picture. In Twilight:…"
/
Fall…
Fall…
And keep falling…
Break…
Break…
And keep breaking…
Drift…
Drift…
And keep drifting…
Open your mind,
Let it fall…
Let it break…
And let it drift…
One as one,
Different but the same,
All going down the same path,
Like grains of sand on a beach,
I am there,
But where you look,
I take no form,
For no matter where you fall as well,
We are one,
We are the same,
We are falling,
We are breaking,
We are drifting,
All to nowhere,
But to everywhere.
I am the Truth of Fate.
Next time on Hinamizawa Hell: "The Truth of Fate" Arc 3 Ch. 13: Needle in a Hay Stack.
Are you ready to hunt for Treasure?
Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter here. I've been pretty busy in Japan recently with school and studying abroad before I finish up college for good. Otherwise, I've been living it up here and accomplishing one of my dreams in life.
So I've hope that everyone has started to just figure out what exactly the Truth of Fate is in this world for Rika and her friends. Not only that, but more questions arise as to why Hanyuu is doing this, what it means for her friends, and how this will all play out in the end. For those of you staying with this puzzle, PM me your ideas and let me see if anyone has guessed by now what the answer is. Can any of you see the Truth of Fate?
Till next time, I'll be sure to write more and finish this story. Thank you to all who have been reading and staying tuned.
By the way, if you are buying anything anime related anywhere else besides in Japan directly, in terms of manga, figures and the generic convention shop items, then cease buying because you are being heavily overcharged. Let's put it this way, if I wanted to buy all of the Higurashi manga, it would be about 4 US dollars per volume. Figures, which go for 20 US dollars and upwards in the states, go for around 3-10 here. Food for thought…