Don't forget to check out the first or previous part if you haven't!
[Before anything, let me add some context, Izumi went missing and wasn't found anywhere in the new building]
"...Oops."
[The principal, however, let it slip that there exists an old building, which while kept locked during the night, is unlocked during the day, making it another possible location for Izumi's whereabouts]
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Where's the old building?"
Seizou Konoe:
"No comment."
"It has nothing to do with this case. It's a delicate subject, so pardon me."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"......"
[But the principal doesn't like the thought of going there, but maybe he'll turn over once he realizes there's nowhere else to search]
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Let's leave soon. I'm worried for Izumi."
Seizou Konoe:
"Where will we investigate next, Yashiki-kun?"
"It can't be the old building we talked about, right?"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"I intend to. You don't have any other places in mind, do you?"
Seizou Konoe:
"Well..."
"That place's locked. There's no way Izumi-kun is in there."
"There's no point in going there, I say."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Even if you're right, it doesn't matter. We still have to confirm that."
Seizou Konoe:
"Sigh, you're very stubborn, aren't you."
"I get it. Do as you like.
An amateur in spiritual matters has to follow the expert's opinion."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Headmaster, how can I go to the old building?"
Seizou Konoe:
"The door right to the side of the music room
leads into a connecting passageway."
"Going straight ahead will lead you to the old building."
[Pretty simple, huh? You'd expect more from someone in a position of power like him, but in this situation, being more open-minded isn't a bad thing. Let's leave the infirmary and go there now]
Seizou Konoe:
"Speaking of which, Yashiki-kun."
"What weapons are you carrying?"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Weapons?"
Seizou Konoe:
"We're dealing with ghosts, remember?
You have to have talismans, holy water, and all kinds of stuff."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Maybe an exorcism or demon purification expert would bring those, but..."
"I don't have anything like that."
Seizou Konoe:
"Hrm, how unreliable."
"It can't be helped. Let me give you this."
The principal pulled out a small knife in a leather sheath.
It contains an old silver knife with a peony flower engraved on the handle.
It seems to have value as an antique. However, the blade is too thin to be of practical use.
Seizou Konoe:
"This knife is part of my grandfather's, the founder of this Academy's, collection."
"It was used as a charm to ward off evil. It might even work on ghosts."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"You're very well prepared, headmaster. I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."
Seizou Konoe:
"J-just in case, you know... I'm a very well-prepared man."
"Look, just take it."
"Obtained "Konoehara's Knife"."
Seizou Konoe:
"Don't treat it too roughly, okay?"
"It's a memento of my grandfather's legacy that I received at his bequest."
Konoehara's Knife:
A small, ornate knife that belonged to Seizou Konoe. The handle is carved with a peony pattern and the blade is made of aged silver.
Details: No information
Obtained from: Seizou Konoe
Weight: 190 grams
[We can't equip it, sadly. But, that's not going to stop us from going to the old building]
[Here's the passageway's entrance]
This appears to be the passageway connecting the two school buildings.
But the surroundings are so dark that I can't see much.
Seizou Konoe:
"This hallway and the old wing are unlit.
Probably because of the electrical problem."
"I left it alone because it didn't do any real harm, but... now I'm regretting it."
The principal shrugged his shoulders with a "good grief".
Seizou Konoe:
"We'll be relying on your flashlight to do the investigation. I'll leave it to you."
[This is the only search point here]
There's a path that leads to outside the passageway.
It extends towards the sports ground and clock tower in the back of the school, and toward the courtyard in the front.
[We continue forward for a few steps, but suddenly we stop]
A human silhouette appears ahead in the passageway...
Male Student:
"Gaaaahhh..."
"Shit... shit... shit... my head... it hurts..."
There stands a single male student.
He swears while holding his head in agony.
Kazuo Yashiki:
"You're... Izumi-kun?"
Male Student:
"Uhh?"
Responding to my call, his eyes turn toward us.
And he nods slightly.
Seizou Konoe:
"A-are you OK? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"Please leave me alone... ahh..."
"......"
Izumi groans in pain and falls silent. It seems that it's agonizing for him to even speak.
But, we can't leave him like this. What do we do...?
>Ask about his circumstances
>Talk about Douryou
>Ask about Shibito
[I think talking about Shibito will cause him to at least give some info, I doubt he'll be helpful no matter what though]
>Ask about Shibito
Kazuo Yashiki:
" "Shibito's calling me"... I heard that you said something like that."
Toshihiko Izumi:
"...Shibito? You said Shibito?"
"Yeah, I know about that... Hihi!"
Izumi lets out a creepy laugh. His voice is strangely high-pitched, losing its normal intonation.
Toshihiko Izumi:
"Shibito, well..."
"It had the nerve to hide in the school so it could find a "companion"..."
"It pretends to be human... You can't even tell it from the real thing..."
Seizou Konoe:
"P-please stop it with the jokes..."
"That's just gossip... Ridiculous!"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"I'm not lying... Besides, I..."
"Know who Shibito is..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Wha!? Who-"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"But, it's already too late..."
"I made a mistake... Shibito hates me now..."
"I keep hearing its voice echo in my head... "DIEDIEDIE" it says..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Oy, Izumi!"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"Why did this happen to me... Shit... Shit... Shit..."
Izumi is terribly confused. Is our voice not reaching him?
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Please, calm down. We can only help you if you cooperate-"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut uuuuup!"
"There's no more time! For me!"
"I don't want to die yet! That's why..."
"This time for sure! I'm going to beat the shit out of Hanako in the music room!"
Izumi ran to the end of the corridor, in the direction of the old building.
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Izumi!!"
Seizou Konoe:
"T-the music room..."
"It couldn't be the old building's music room, could it..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Wait a sec. The old building also has a music room?"
Seizou Konoe:
"Yes, but it's been out of commission for a while."
[Sting]
Something's been dropped around where Izumi was standing.
These are... brass knuckles I believe, they're a type of weapon attached to the fist."
No such thing was in Izumi's hand as far as I could see. Did it fall out of his pocket?
Seizou Konoe:
"He was terrified of Shibito... Perhaps it was for self-defense."
"Yashiki-kun, you're going to collect this as well?"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Yeah, just in case."
"Obtained "Self-defense Knuckles"."
Self-defense Knuckles:
A weapon used to enhance the striking power of the fists, dropped by a delirious Izumi. Also known as an American sack. [The Japanese equivalent to 'knuckle dusters']
Details: No information
Obtained from: First Floor Passageway
Weight: 105 grams
[Yes, he really did say he was going to beat a ghost to death, and here's how he was gonna do it. Let's ignore this for now. We return to the side view perspective, at which point I go to the end of the passageway]
The old building's door is unlocked...
Seizou Konoe:
"Why is it unlocked... It should have been locked in the evening..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"That doesn't matter now."
"Let's go inside..."
The structure of the old building is similar to the new one. However, the atmosphere was quite different.
The walls are stained with mold and dust, and cobwebs are everywhere.
This place hasn't been properly cleaned, and it also seems to have faulty ventilation.
Seizou Konoe:
"Cough... what poor air."
"Let's leave the door open. Yashiki-kun, please take care of it."
I reach out for the entrance door.
[Clack clack]
Kazuo Yashiki:
"? What the..."
"Why isn't it opening..."
Seizou Konoe:
"That's foolish..."
No matter how much force I put into it, the door won't budge...
Seizou Konoe:
"W-what is this...?"
"Impossible... are we trapped here?"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"......"
Seizou Konoe:
"Yashiki-kun! What do we do!?"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"I don't know. But... If push comes to shove,
there's always the option of breaking it down."
"However, we should prioritize finding Izumi, headmaster."
Seizou Konoe:
"T-that's right... I understand."
"The music room is in the same place as in the new building,
at the end of the first floor's hall.
The special classrooms are all in the same location in both buildings."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"In order words... right next to the door, huh?"
The old building's music room is right in front of us.
[Sting]
I can hear a voice coming from the other side of the door...
"...Hih...hiiiih......"
"...She came......she's here..."
"...Please help me...help meee..."
Seizou Konoe:
"H-hey! Yashiki-kun!"
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Let's go!"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"My hand! My hand! My hand's gaaaaaahhhh!!"
The moment I opened the door, the scene I witnessed was...
Sewage, spewing from rubber hoses, cutting off Izumi's hand...
Ignoring gravity, the rubber hoses sway through the air...
From them, the sewage becomes akin to a warped whip, sending off an intense blow...
But no matter how vigorous the water is, it should be impossible to cut off a part of the human body...
It's absolutely... unthinkable...
However, "that" is happening right before my eyes...
There's no time for hesitation... I have to admit it...
This anomalous phenomenon... this is reality, caused by a spiritual disturbance...
[Glop]
The sewage and hoses surge with great force...
Are they planning to release yet another powerful strike!?
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Izumi! What are you doing!? Avoid it!"
Toshihiko Izumi:
"!?"
[Woosh]
In response to my cry, Izumi turns his body to dodge.
The sewage's attack misses him by the skin of his teeth.
The half-crazed Izumi runs past us and out of the music room.
As if following him, the hoses also disappear into the darkness.
Seizou Konoe:
"Wh...wha..."
"What was that... just now..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"I-I don't know..."
"But we should worry about that later. Right now, Izumi is..."
[Two drops are heard]
"...Hm? What's that? The sound of water droplets?"
[One drop is heard]
"This is the music room, why would water be..."
[One, then five drops are heard, and...]
[AUUUGH!]
Numerous hoses are wrapped around the principal's neck, trying to hoist him up...
Seizou Konoe:
"...Ugh, Unghhh..."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"I-impossible..."
Hoses extended from the darkness of the ceiling, seizing the principal by the neck...
They hang around his neck like snakes filled with murderous intent...
Seizou Konoe:
"...Gah... H-help... Cough!"
If it goes on like this, the principal's life will be at risk.
I need to do something about the hoses immediately...
[Here's this game's 'Live or Die'. I'll explain how it works as we see the mechanics themselves]
Maybe one of the tools in my bag will be able to do something.
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Now, something has to be done quickly..."
"But if I'm going to do something, either I'll have to act, or..."
[Each 'Act' is divided into three choices: between the 'Actor', the Tool that will be used, and what they'll do with the Tool. Unlike in previous games, no specific companion is necessary for these segments, but they can make a difference depending on the situation, more on that later]
"What do we do about the hoses entangled around the principal's neck?"
>Yashiki
>Konoe
[Yashiki's not being hung, so he's probably the better choice]
>Yashiki
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Alright, what do I do next..."
"Something that might work, all I can think of is..."
>Self-defense Knuckles
>Konoehara's Knife
[Simple enough]
>Konoehara's Knife
[Here's where things get a bit more complicated. Each action has an 'Execution Rate', which is the probability of it working, and a cost. The cost takes away from the character(s)'s Spirit. The Execution Rate adds RNG to your actions, making it so that you have to roll the dice even when you choose correctly. However, it's actually pretty simple to get Spirit back, we can go back to the infirmary at the press of a button. Not only that, but the game introduces other mechanics that can make these segments more forgiving, like how losing a roll increases the Rate by 20% for next time. I'm not particularly sure what my opinion on having RNG in this situation is, but I'm mostly okay with it]
Kazuo Yashiki:
"In that case, what should I do with the tool I chose..."
"I should think of the most appropriate course of action
to get us out of this situation."
>Screw in-between hoses - Execution Rate: 078% - Cost: 02
>Cut the hoses - Execution Rate: 084% - Cost: 03
>Cut the hoses
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Okay, let's try it..."
"But considering the situation, there's nobody who would be able to act calmly."
"I might make a mistake while trying to do
what I decided on due to impatience and nervousness..."
[Also, I won't show any failures or wrong choices, although some can be pretty funny]
I put the knife up to the hose that was suspending the principal and attempt to cut it...
Using a sawing motion, cut the hose with the knife little by little...
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Alright, I think I can get you out."
The hose gradually rips open...
[Sound of wet rubber being cut]
Finally, it snaps with a sound!
I continue, cutting each hose in order...
[The same sound is heard, then a silver crack]
Just as I cut the last one, the knife snapped in half...
"Lost "Konoehara's Knife"." [Oopsie]
[Thud]
Seizou Konoe:
"...Haa...hoo, haa..."
"S-somehow, I was saved..."
The principal was released from the binding of the hoses.
It seems this choice was correct.
Seizou Konoe:
"Haa... Really, I was about to have my head in a noose,
and I wasn't even in a financial slump."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Oy, that's not a good omen."
"But I'm glad that you weren't hurt."
Seizou Konoe:
"Haha, I've always been a lucky guy."
Kazuo Yashiki:
"Okay, now let's go after Izumi."
[No breaks, eh? But unlike them, I'll stop here. We're near another big happening, so I'll save it for next time, I don't want to bloat this already important post. And, one more thing about the Suspensive Acts: I haven't shown everything about them, so please wait before concluding your opinion on them.]
Anyway, see you next time!
Thanks for the descriptions! Also, I didn't expect someone's hand to be chopped off. That's wild.
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