Part 16: Chapter 3, Part 2

Music: Chapter 3's Theme



We've started chapter 3, and we're controlling Satoshi, who is accompanied by Yuka. Like everyone else so far, we start in Classroom 1-A.

Before heading out into the hallway, we take a quick look around.



The headline reads, "Breaking News: Serial Kidnapping Ends in Murder," but much of the newspring is worn away.

The bodies of the absconded youths were discovered within the Heavenly Host Elementary School building on September 18th, 1973 at around 7:00 PM. Authorities further revealed that a male instructor from the school was found with them, alive but near-catatonic, holding a pair of bloodied scissors.

(Everything before and after this part is too faded to be legible.)



...during one of her candlelight vigils. I guess she did say it was a true story...



The door behind the cabinet is affixed to the wall like a decoration, so we won't be getting into the secret room this time.



After exiting the classroom, we head north. The stairs are blocked off, but the classroom is open. After reading the nearby note, we head inside.



Unfortunately, they keep lightening and darkening, moving and fluctuating, making it impossible to infer whatever message they're meant to convey.

Music: None



Classroom 2-A is super dark. We stumble around in the darkness for a bit, and...

Music: Uneasiness



Owwie! ...You hurt my hand, big brother...



Yuka! Don't look!
*whimper*

Satoshi takes a closer look at the body.



(This...is really happening, isn't it...)
B-Big brother...?
(A dead body... An actual dead body... Am I going to end up like this, too? Are all of us going to die here...?)
Big brother!



Come on, Yuka. We're leaving this room.
Nnng...ooh...

As a side note, I'd like to mention that I really don't like it when translators directly translate things like "big brother" in regular conversations. It makes dialog sound really unnatural, because no English speaking person calls their brother "big brother" during a conversation with him. I don't see why they couldn't just have her say "Satoshi."



A message has been painstakingly carved into the floorboards next to it, seemingly with fingernails alone.

Read it
Don't read it



KILL ME PLEASE KILL ME PLEASE KILL ME PLEASEKILLME

CANT TAKE ANYMORE CANT TAKE ANYMORE CANTTAKEANYMORE



Investigating the corpse a second time gets us a name tag.

Takayuki Motomura Age: 17
Amazaki West Senior Private School, Class 2-4

Suicide upon discovering little sister's lifeless remains.



There's also another corpse in this room, in the corner.



"Dear brother: I regret that we couldn't see one another again before my death, but I no longer have the energy to move, and I'm so desperately thirsty. My tongue's started swelling up like a sponge, and it keeps cutting off my air. I'd find it fascinating if it would stop nearly suffocating me... I just want something to drink -- anything! Heck, I'd even drink that scary orange juice from the back of the fridge right about now. But there's not a drop of anything to be found. I'm so thirsty, it's actually making me nauseous! Weird, huh?"



Hiroko Motomura Age: 16
Amazaki West Senior Private School, Class 2-4

Withered away from dehydration.



"The Ballad of Bad-Evil Bunny"
"Booke of Beetlewings"




We exit through the door at the front of the class.

Music: None
Background Sound: Quiet Hum



There's nothing over here but a dead end and a note.

[Victim's Memoirs]
(1/5)



Apparently, you were brought here too, but we're in different spaces. Even though we're in the same school, I can't see you. Why did this happen to us? I shouldn't be here! I should be in my Math I class at prep school! My sister's going to be really mad at me for skipping. I don't think she'd believe this excuse even if I told her, though!

I feel like if I can ever find you, I'll be able to get out of here alive, I don't know why...but if we really are in the same school, then I know there MUST be a way of getting in contact with you. And I'm going to find it!



For some reason, reading this note gets us a name tag.

Mitsuharu Ohtaki Age: 17
Misato Municipal Brotherhood High, Class 2-4

Succumbed to darkening and died in anguish.



There's nothing else down that way, so we head back through the classroom.

Music: Uneasiness

Background Sound: None



Yuka?
Big brother... Will we ever be able to go home again?
...
Or are we really stuck here...until we...d-die...?
It's not true, right? Big brother? Right?!



We'll be okay... We'll make it out of here, Yuka. All of us. Together.
There's no need for you to worry. After all...you've got me, right?
*hic* *hic*
...Uh-huh!
That's a good girl...
Biiig broootheeeer... *sob* *cough* *cough*
Nerves got the better of you, huh? Poor thing...



(I have to swallow my own trepidation, and show Yuka there's nothing to be afraid of. Somewhere in here...Naomi may also be feeling scared and alone. We need to find her as soon as we can.)

Picking the other dialog choice doesn't have any impact, aside from making an eight fourteen year old girl cry.

Music: Chapter 3's Theme



We head back to the south, past the first entrance of Classroom 1-A.



...Huh.

We can't continue south, so we enter the classroom's rear entrance.



Looks like I missed a board back on the other side of the room, so we head back out and loop around.

Sound Effect: Tone



As we approach the front entrance, we come face to face with a ghost in a red dress. She looks at us for a second, then turns around and leaves.



That red dress...looked pretty old-fashioned... *shudder*
Big...brother... *shiver*
I-It's okay. She's gone now...
We'll be...fine... *shudder*

We head into the classroom to get that board.



Oh, it's this again. We loop back around to the other side of the room.



Yeah. It was over on this side a minute ago.
Maybe we can...ambush it? Let's try to find the exact spot it was sitting before...

We do so.



...Huh? Big brother, no! Don't leave me!
Dont' worry, I'll be right back. I just had a thought, that's all...
Well...okay. But you have to come right back! You promise?
You bet.

Leaving Yuka behind, we loop back around to the front of the class.



Yuka! Can you grab that board?
Uh-huh! ...I got it!

Sound Effect: Item



After obtaining the board, we're automatically brought back out to the hallway.



You all set? Come on, let's go.
Okay.



Hmm? What's up?
Ummm... This...is for you...
Oh? What is it? Such a cute little bottle...
Well, you see... It's my secret charm. It's full of scented beads.



Give it a sniff.



Hey, caramel! That smells really good!
Isn't it neat?
(She probably spent her allowance at that stationery shop in town again...)
See, caramel flavor is special. It protects you from accidents, and shields you from danger.
That's why I want you to have it!



Ummm...but I really don't mind. You take it!
Huh...?
...I just...
I don't want...anything to happen to my big brother...
...!
You're a scatterbrain. You always get freaked out so easily...and it really scares me...
(Her whole body is quaking in fear... She really wants me to take it...)



All right. I guess I can borrow it for a little. ...Thanks.
Eheh! Take good care of it, okay?
Caramel flavor will keep you safe, but that's not all. Wanna know what else it does? ...It's a secret!
Huh? What do you mean by that?
If I tell you, you'll get all bothered...so I'm not gonna!
Something that would...bother me? More than calling me a scatterbrain?
Eheheh...

Sound Effect: Item



The Scented Beads are similar to the Power Stone. They're helpful, but you don't need them to get the chapter's true ending.



We use our board to cross the gap, then head downstairs.

Music: None



Damn, another earthquake... Yuka, grab my hand!
*weep*

The school shakes for a few more seconds, and slowly comes to a stop.

...It's over...



...!

Oddly, a gap in the floor seals itself after the quake, allowing us to proceed to the first floor.

Music: Chapter 3's Theme





Looking closely, she seems to be holding a letter in her boney fingers:

"Yohsuke... Yohsuke... I'm so sorry... If only I hadn't discovered that stupid charm..."



(A junior high student?! Good God...)

Mao Kashiwatani Age: 15
Hakuro #3 Junior High School, Class III-5

Starved to death while searching for friends.



Continuing to the east, we find a note.

You missed the final bell.
You missed the end of school.
If you're still here...
...then you always will be.



Oh, it's our old friend from chapter 2!



He's just chilling out on that floor beam, not a care in the world. He won't bother us or chase us around, so we're free to continue exploring.



We can't proceed north, however, due to a very oddly placed cabinet. Instead, we head south into the entranceway.



It's very dark in here. First we check the note on the nearby wall.



srehto eht yb dniheb tfel neeb evah segassem ynam
sllah eseht nihtiw deppart emoceb ev'ohw
kaerb pleh ot ediug a sa sdrow rieht esu ouy yam
esruc eht fo eerf



The entranceway won't open, of course, but there is a note on the ground nearby.

[Victim's Memoirs]
(2/5)



And then there's that sound that just won't stop... What is it?! My ears hurt. I can't focus on anything. I feel like there's a thin film surrounding my entire brain.

I found a dying message next to one of the corpses earlier... It said there's a hallway somewhere in here that changes its size, appearing longer or shorter pretty much on a whim. I wonder where it is?

I hate that I don't feel anything when I see a human body anymore. It sickens me...



There's nothing else in the entryway, so we exit and head to the east.



As we walk past, the ghost talks to us, but he continues chilling out instead of attacking.



Hey, you know what's fun? Doing really stupid things. We turn around and gaze lovingly into the ghost's eyes.

Music: None



*: *hiss*



*: Ooooooooah...

Music: Discomfort



He's staring right into my eyes... Wh-What?! I-I can't move...!

*: Come...wihh...me...



Satoshi starts walking across the beam.

Aah! Big brother, don't!
(My body... My legs... They're moving on their own!)

Satoshi takes another step forward.

Big brother! Stop!



Satoshi collapses, and drops the Scented Beads onto the beam next to him.

*: ...?



*: Ooooooaaaahhh...



Big brother! Come on!
(...I can move again!) O-Okay!

Music: None



Satoshi climbs back onto solid ground, and the ghost child vanishes.

*gasp* *pant*
(He's...gone...?)
*sniffle* Big brother...are you all right?
Yeah. Sorry, though, Yuka. Looks like your charm's been taken.



Waaaaaaah... *sniffle*
I won't. I'm sorry.
Come on. Let's blow that nose.



Keeping the beads beyond this point serves no purpose. If you leave the Scented Beads with Yuka, you can simply never look into the ghost's eyes and avoid a wrong ending that way.

After the scene, we continue east.

Music: Chapter 3's Theme



- repulsive bag of meat and tissue -
- yet one must scrub and clean it well -
- present it at the moment of salvation -
- for the lord doth watch over us always -



We reach the end of the hallway, and head up to the east side of the second floor.