Part 103: Prologue

Good morning. This is a surprise, that even now you do not surrender. At this point, even I must expect great things from you.

The game is played not only on the board. Perhaps this time, you should take a small peek beyond its borders? As they say, if you know your enemy, you need not fight a hundred battles.

The difficulty level depends on you. How you have chosen to battle until now will influence the difficulty.



BGM: Doorway of Summer

"Uu-, hahahahahaha! Faaall, faaall, hahahahaha!"

In the lobby of the Niijima airport, Maria dashed around in excitement. Battler's uproar on the plane must have been hilarious.

"Hey, Maria! Cut that out! I'm sorry, Battler-kun. Please don't take it badly."
"What a pathetic guy you are. Even with that huge body, you still can't handle vehicles?"
"Ah, shut up... All humans have one or two things they can't handle..."
"Battler-kun, why don't you come with your aunt on an overseas trip sometime soon? How about Europe? I'm sure you could manage a half-day trip on a plane. *giggle*giggle*giggle*!"
"...Stop it, Mother. Battler-kun's dislike for vehicles is probably genetic."
"Oh, you mean Asumu-san?"
"...For some reason, she just couldn't handle vehicles. Pretty much anything other than a bicycle or a car. Whenever we tried to go far away, that woman was so annoying with the 'not this, not that, I'm scared, I'm scared, fall, fall, gyaah, gyaah'."
"Children tend to learn that things their parents can't handle are dangerous. I'm sure Battler-kun saw Asumu-san doing something like that and learned that vehicles are scary."
"*giggle*giggle* So it's Asumu-san's genes then, is it?"
"Who knows. Those would be some pretty annoying genes. That's enough talking about Asumu. Right now, you're the one who's here. Right?"
"...You're right, sorry."
"Heeey, the cars are here! Exactly three of them. Get in, get in!"
"Fall, faaall!! Where's the parachuuute, where's the parachuuute?!! Uu-uu-, *giggle*!!"
"Why you little!! Hold on, hold on, stop right there! I'll sentence you to the little girl tickle punishmeeent!!"
"Heheheheheh. Being in high spirits is such a wonderful thing. Without Battler-kun and Maria-chan, the atmosphere in that plane would have been pretty grim."
"Thanks. I'll assume you mean that literally. Hey, brats! The taxis are here! You can play around later."
"Uu-uu-!! Taxiii, taxiii!! I'm getting in fiiirst! *giggle*!!"
"Hey! Maria, and you too, Battler-kun, stop fooling around! You'll bump into someone!"

The tone of Aunt Rosa's voice grew a little frightening.



"Oh, sorry..."
"Battler-kun, you guys are going in that car. You're keeping them waiting."

After George urged him to hurry on, Battler apologized to the person he had bumped into and ran up to his parents, who were telling him to come quickly. With a clunking sound, the doors on the three taxis were shut one after another, and they departed for the harbor...

As their taxis dashed away... The entire world grew suddenly dull... and slowed to a halt.



BGM: Melody (instrumental)

People and machines and clock hands, even the dust dancing in the wind, were frozen. Some people who were walking froze with one leg still in the air. Scraps of paper dancing in the wind were pinned in midair, frozen in place.

...Then, among the shadows standing still in this unmoving world, a single one stirred.



Though she had moved, it was a truly subtle thing. Her gaze dropped, her shoulders lowered a miniscule amount, and she sighed. That was all. In a normal world, that probably wouldn't even be taken as movement, but in this still world, it looked very out of place.

...Then, something else moved. It was a black cat wandering around the shadows near the taxi rank. It came up right behind the girl... and leisurely changed its form into that of a Human. This was no cat. It was a witch.

Of course, the girl was also a witch. As the witch stood still, her gaze still downwards, she muttered...



"You cannot. On October 4, 1986, you are not here."
"...If I were, would stopping everyone really have been possible...?"
"Well, I can't imagine what a six-year-old girl could do to make them turn back. Still, that's right. If you were in this place, the probability wouldn't have been zero. Whenever there's a probability greater than zero, I can seek out a miracle."
"...If I hadn't been sick, and they hadn't left me behind..."

With her head facing downwards, the witch tightened her fists... They were trembling very slightly.



"Thanks for being patronizing. I know that. I know that just seeing Father, Mother, and Onii-chan healthy like this... even that alone... is a spectacular miracle..."

Ange had tried to stand in the way of her family, attempting to stop them from leaving the airport... and heading towards Rokkenjima. However, it was impossible for her to exist in October 4, 1986, so she couldn't do it. Even though her brother had only bumped into her and apologized... Even though he hadn't realized she was his own little sister, it had been such a miracle... that she could cry...

"...Sorry about the sarcasm. I won't waste the miracle you've given me."
"I'm glad to hear it. Come, let us go with them. To Rokkenjima. All of the pieces are already gathered. The curtain will open on the fourth game. By this time, Beato and Battler will already be seated."



...What happened on that day? I'll expose it. I'll learn what it is. And I'll bring them back...!

As she stood there with her fists still clenched, she surely turned her face up to the heavens. A single teardrop from the depths of her eyes dripped down into the air.



Video: Opening



LET'S PLAY UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI, EPISODE 4: ALLIANCE OF THE GOLDEN WITCH