prof | Let's Play Umineko, Episode 3 Scene 15: The Denial

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~~Ushiromiya Rosa~~

Died in the rose garden, her medulla oblongata pierced by the spear-shaped part of the fence. If Maria hadn't been killed by another person, you might suspect that Rosa died in an accident.

She was the sacrifice for the birth of the new witch.

~~Ushiromiya Maria~~

Her corpse was found in the rose garden. The cause of death was strangling, probably with bare hands. Judging by the situation, it is probably appropriate to think that she was killed after Rosa.

Then her blood became the red ink for the witch's oath.

October 5th, 1986, 11:00 AM
13 hours remain

Hideyoshi and Eva are still here. He still hasn't let go of her hand.

The others interrupt their rest, because two people are missing.

Natsuhi points out that the chain isn't set on Rosa and Maria's room. They may be out in the garden to see Maria's rose.

Eva alone knows what this means. She knows that there was a witch waiting for them in there.

Purgatorio

If we can trust Nanjo's examination, the cause of Rosa's death was a stab to the medulla oblongata with the pointed gate of the fence. It is thought that Maria's death was due to strangling with bare hands. However, due to the Devil's Proof, we cannot discount a misdiagnosis.

...I will say it in red. Rosa and Maria died. The cause of death was as Nanjo diagnosed. She wasn't eaten by a spider, or crushed by a mountain of cake.

...So you argue that even though you toyed with their death so much, it's all okay because the corpse is clean... I definitely won't forgive you. I won't forget all of that brutal treatment you gave Rosa, so I won't forgive you...

L-Like I said, that wasn't me... I think I gave them a much more peaceful death than the way she treated them...

Shut the hell up. I don't want to listen to you.

...Or could it be an accidental death? Like Maria was having a tantrum, and when Rosa tried to stop her crying, she misjudged how much power she was using and accidentally killed her. Then she was so upset that she slipped and fell, landed on the fence, and unluckily died. How's that? There's no need for a witch or magic.

...Well, that's not true. Actually, Rosa and Maria...

Shut up. Didn't I say that I didn't want to listen to you? You're an eyesore, so disappear, you monster.

...Is that so? Then I will hide myself. Ronove, continue for me.

Certainly. Will that be satisfactory, Battler?

If Battler says that he doesn't want to see Beato's face, that is alright.

Do what you like. If I can live without seeing that monstrous face, I don't care about anything else.

Hey, wait a second. You keep saying monster, monster, but isn't that a mean way to speak of me? Why do you instinctively hate me so much, Battler? Even though none of that was me, even though it was all the work of my disciple...

It's not like I'm only mad about what happened just now. It's from the very beginning.

Hey, Battleeer, don't misunderstand, all right? Aren't we just a pair of players confronting each other through a game? We look for moves to make things painful for each other, but...

Don't get the wrong idea. I don't hate you because you're my rival in this strange game about whether I accept you as a witch or not. No matter what happens, I won't forgive how senselessly cruel you are.

That's because a serial murder is part of the game, so it's probably impossible to avoid a little cruelty...

I'm not talking about what just happened. The last time, and the time before that, too. Tearing everyone's stomachs open and stuffing them with sweets, destroying their faces... what was the point of all that?

That's... well...

All this stuff about closed room murders and tricks and alibis, I'm willing to give you a pass on all that. You want to claim that this is a murder done by magic, so I'll grudgingly accept that those complicated crimes have to occur. But what exactly are all those grotesque murders supposed to mean?

...Well, um... nothing much...

That's right. They don't mean anything. You're just fooling around by mangling the corpses for fun. That has nothing to do with whether you're a witch, or whether it could or couldn't be done with magic. You're just exploring the depths of cruelty for fun. That's not because you're a witch, or anything like that. There's just some things I can't forgive as a human.

Wh-What do you mean, as a human?

And this time, there were six closed rooms tied together to make a closed room chain. That was sort of interesting. When we were going back and forth with each other that time, to be perfectly honest, I thought it was just a little fun. You were frantic to make me accept your existence, and I was frantic trying to deny it. We were both frantically doing all we could. This may sound kind of weird, but I've felt a faint sense of sportsmanship between the two of us. We exist in conflict, but I faintly thought that we might not be completely unable to understand each other. But just now, that feeling has been blown away without a trace.

Th-That's where you're misunderstanding! That wasn't me--

That's not what I'm talking about! You watched Rosa being killed horribly over and over, and you sneered at it like it was an interesting show. When I saw that, I was deeply disappointed. When I realized that your decision to kill them in a slightly better way this time was nothing more than a little whim, and that nothing had changed in your cruel character, I was disappointed.

You said that I'd probably think Rosa being brutally killed over and over was fun. That wasn't sarcasm. You enjoyed it from the bottom of your heart, and said that I'd probably think it was fun. In that instant, I realized the truth. The problem isn't whether you're a witch or not. I can't understand or forgive that cruelty of yours. Still, I'll continue this game of whether to accept or deny witches. I won't step down and accept defeat.

However, your pointless cruelty is absolutely not needed for that game. So, I've decided that I won't accept you as my opponent. Ronove is a hundred times better. He doesn't have the same cruel hobby you do. Even if he does, he doesn't have the awful taste to show it off in front of me. You're heartless and cruel, so you can't understand. I don't want to see your face again.

...In that case, do as you like. From now on, I will continue the game through Ronove. You have no complaints as long as I don't show myself, right?

For the time being. I definitely won't forgive all your cruel actions up until now, so I definitely won't accept you. That's all there is to it.

Beato. No matter how many more excuses you give, his impression will not waver. I have something to talk about later. Until then, stay back.

Hmm... I'll hide myself until you call, then...

That idiot watched Rosa be killed horribly with me, and turned around with a huge smile on her face. She really believed that she could laugh with me at that cruel show. Looking at that innocent smile, I just felt horrible. It would have been much better if she had said it with her normal bullying face... damn it...

Milady has never had the experience of having a friend. In addition, she has probably never had something told to her that strongly. Madam and I are her attendants. No matter what we say, it will not reach her ears. For Milady, this is also--

Don't screw with me. I don't remember ever becoming her friend.

That is true. My apologies.

...There is one thing I would like to thank you for. Thank you for not backing down from her game.

Now that I've even got witches and demons thanking me, I'm screwed. Let's resume the game. Of course, I don't intend to go easy on you.

I wouldn't have it any other way. Unlike Milady, I do not get agitated.

I will deny it in red. Rosa and Maria were killed by other people.

All right, why don't we start from there... damn, I'm just not getting fired up...

Rokkenjima

The siblings had Rosa and Maria's corpses moved to one of the guest rooms, and sealed until the police could arrive to inspect them. The optimism that maybe no crime was committed is now gone.

All four guns are in the possession of the siblings. Rosa's was left next to where she was killed. Hideyoshi tested it to make sure that it still works, without any difficulty.

Something was strange about it, though - the Winchester was loaded with five shots when Hideyoshi tested it. It can load a total of five shots at a maximum.

Rosa didn't fire a single shot.

Nanjo admits that misdiagnosis is possible, but not on the basis of whether someone is alive or dead. He would never make that mistake.

Besides, they don't know this, but Beato already proclaimed the deaths of every victim in red.

Rudolf theorizes that there are 19 people. Kyrie posits that it was someone Rosa knew - maybe a servant who wasn't scheduled for work today.

They don't know, of course, that Beato already denied that theory in red, too.

Eva suggests the possibility that the culprit simply got the drop on Rosa and killed her before she could shoot, but that raises a new question: Why would they leave the gun there?

Just to be sure, Kyrie asks everyone for their alibis.

Natsuhi and Krauss were in the guest house with Rudolf and Kyrie. Each of them can confirm the alibis of the other three.
Eva and Hideyoshi were together, and can confirm each other's alibis.
Battler, George and Jessica were together. Each can confirm the alibis of the other two.
Nanjo was on the second floor of the guest house. He was alone, so nobody can confirm that, but everyone saw him head upstairs with the children.

Doubting one another will get them nowhere. What is needed right now is trust and safety. The best course of action is to stay together and wait until morning.

Eva struggles with the witch living inside her. Eva just wants a peaceful night at this point, but EVA-Beatrice insists that the gold belongs to the head and the head alone, and will not permit a single bar to be given away recklessly.

In order to fuel her power, five more people must die.

When she was younger, Eva dreamed of becoming a witch. When she grew up, she threw that dream away.

EVA-Beatrice stayed young, and that's why she has power. Now that she's an Endless Witch, she'll do anything to keep increasing her power.

Eva's fever is getting worse. EVA-Beatrice's power is still unstable, so she's supplementing it with Eva's vitality.

Now, five more murders. EVA-Beatrice is at least gracious enough to spare Eva and her family.

Eva half-collapses. With George and Hideyoshi's help, she returns to her room to rest, after warning the cousins to go back to their room and stay there safely until morning.

Outside, a witch is waiting for them.

Purgatorio

In the average situation, as the ceremony progresses and the victims increase, they begin to tighten their guard, and in most cases, they hole up in one place and stop moving. That is extremely inconvenient for us.

Are you saying that we witches are inferior to a bunch of humans in a group?

Witches are not inferior to humans... however, you could say that times change, and humans have gotten their hands on poison. This wasn't a problem long ago, but just like that annoyance Battler, people in the modern era fundamentally deny magic. In other words, their existence itself is anti-magical.

In other words, the more humans there are, the stronger their magic-resisting toxin gets, and the greater the disadvantage is for us?

The combined amount of power in their heart that denies magic - in other words, their magic resistance power - becomes the denominator in the power of the magic. Understand? Is that too difficult?

I understand it easily. In other words, you're saying that the more people there are that don't believe in magic, and the stronger their will is, the greater the dramatic division in the effect of the magic is. I'll have to rethink my method of attack.

For all of magic's immense power, it is extremely weak to the toxin that is human scepticism. The rise of the belief that magic doesn't exist caused the power of witches to fade from the world. They could only persist in remote corners of the Earth.

Rokkenjima, with its large size and small population, is a fine example of one such place.

The only way a witch can fully manifest in this world is to find a place like Rokkenjima, with a small population, and instil in them the fear that a witch might exist.

So must the murders continue.

First: Creating a scene. Make a murder scene that you couldn't imagine was done by humans, and decorate it with occult ornaments to permeate people with fear and make them believe in witches. The anti-magic power is decreased as a result... I see, so this is why the creepy magic circles of the first twilight were created?

Th-That's right exactly! The gaudy scenes for the first twilight each game are all for that reason. It's definitely not as though I like cruel things, or like I'm doing it for fun...

In that case, Predecessor, this time was a failure. You killed them in a very plain way. It doesn't look like anything more than a simple mystery. I heard about last time and the time before that from Ronove - you should have damaged the corpses more grotesquely, like you did then, making it look like a fantasy and instilling fear in those people.

W... Well, about that... I thought it wouldn't be artful to do it every time, see...? Don't think too deeply on it, it's just a whim!

...For the methods of Rosa and Maria's deaths, too, you told me to be prudent, but that wasn't a course of action beneficial to us witches, either, was it? By now, none of them believe one bit that a witch actually exists. THey're sure that it isn't a fantasy, but completely in the mystery genre. This turn of events is a failure for us witches. For some reason, you keep doing things in a kinda lukewarm way, Predecessor.

Aah... l-like I say, things you learn when you're young will definitely help you out in the future! This is a test passed on from my predecessor to you. Challenge it with respect, wahahahaha...!

...At this stage, it's probably too late to reduce the anti-magic power by creating a scene. In that case, there's another move - having the humans split up.

Hmm, that is probably the most effective way. The smaller the number of humans, the more the denominator shrinks. As a result, magic power increases. It all begins from one point: How to destroy the barricade situation and have them split up into small groups. However, they are already very cautious. The barricade won't be destroyed easily, right? Both the barricade in Kinzo's study two games ago and the barricade in the parlor last time were very stubborn. Furthermore, most of the cunning adults have been left this time. If you wish, I could give you some special advice...

...No, I'm fine. After all, it is a test. I won't borrow your moves.

Really? Still, it will be pretty hard to defeat this barricade, right?

I've already made my move. I'm pretty sure it will work. If that person's smart, then it definitely will.

I-Is that so? You really are excellent. I am pleased that my disciple isn't hard to deal with.

My motto is to study things myself before asking other people. If you'll excuse me, I have to wait for my prey to get nonchalantly lured out.

Well, then, handle it with care.

...Every one of them, they don't bother with me. You witch's apprentice, acting so smart... I'll be she makes some painful mistake and starts crying. Then, without a dobut, she'll finally realize my greatness and follow my teachings! Until then, I shall watch from above!

My sincere apologies. I was forced to resign. By saying in red that 'both of them were killed by others', I made Battler revise his claim... but I could not repel his chain of moves placing Eva as the principal offender.

Wasn't Eva sleeping in her room the whole time as Hideyoshi cared for her?

He put forth the possibility that Hideyoshi was an accomplice, and that the two worked together to create an alibi.

He even suspects Hideyoshi?! Couldn't you have struck back by saying in red that he was in the guest room at the time of the murder?

I also thought of that, but several important pieces might have been taken several moves later. Because there is a possibility that this move was part of the preparations made by the new Beatrice, I acted out of respect to her. My apologies.

Preparations, you say. Her mind does seem to be sharp... we can let her do as she likes. It will be quite a show to see how far she can go.

Pukukukuku. I thought you would say that. Your disciple isn't cute, so I can understand your mood.

That's none of your business! I wonder how that one plans on destroying this barricade. I shall keep a close eye on her... oh, and... h-how was Battler's mood?

It appeared as though he has calmed himself down. He did say that he couldn't get fired up without you as his opponent.

R-Really? That's no surprise, no surprise at all! If I don't return for the fourth twilight and after, Battler will probably be lonely himself!

Pukukuku... and with that, if you would excuse me, I must bake some declious cookies. I must at least enliven the discussion between you and Battler, Milady.

Hmm! THat guy really was munching your cookies, wasn't he? It's no surprise that a boy can eat so much. Make a lot of them!

Certainly. I shall make enough cookies to bury the table.

That sounds good!

Rokkenjima

Back on Rokkenjima, Kyrie has something to ask of Rudolf.

"I..." "Yes?"

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