prof | Let's Play Umineko Chiru, Episode 8 Scene 16: The Witch of Truth

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BGM: The Executioner

She was expecting more. Even so, Erika doesn't have the time to take each of these mindless goats on one by one.

Someone else can clean up the small fry.

A witch's laugh rings through the courtyard.

EVA-Beatrice's web of red gathers up all the goats at once.

The goats not even worthy of moving past the Eva Culprit Theory are crushed into paste.

With nothing left of the goats, the witch descends into the quiet garden.

Ange is understandably reluctant to accept that EVA is here as her ally. They both know that perfectly well.

So, she leaves. Ange suddenly regrets not at least saying thanks.

Oh, wait, there's someone else here to thank, isn't there?

Erika introduces herself as a detective and as the Witch of Truth.

After all, aren't they both witches in search of the one single truth?

Erika came to save Ange as a fellow Witch of Truth.

If Erika just told her the truth now, it wouldn't be any different than Battler's Halloween party. If Ange wants the real story, she has to find it herself.

Battler doesn't have any answers. He's just trying to confuse her.

Why won't he tell her the truth?

Why won't anyone talk about what really happened on that day?

If they can't tell her the truth, can't they at least tell her where to find it?

Ange is back in the sky over the city, in the world of 1998.

As if reading her mind, Bernkastel says she never actually confirmed that her show was the truth.

Bern was testing Ange's resolve. Does she have the strength to accept the truth of Rokkenjima, no matter how dreadful it may be?

Seeking the truth means being ready to witness and accept the tragic final moments of her family.

Seeking the truth means abandoning the hope for a miracle where they're still alive.

She has to choose.

Even after becoming Game Master, Battler is still hiding the truth. Only Bernkastel can show her the way forwards.

The Beatrice of 1998 is the only one who can defeat the Beatrice of 1986.

Does she understand yet why she hasn't been able to reach the truth before now?

Her contradicting wishes had stopped her from reaching for the truth. She can't find the truth until she abandons hope.

Bernkastel's game in the theater was to open her eyes.

What happened on Rokkenjima that day?

Yes, Lady Bernkastel's game was another splendid one!

We're going to reveal her game board to all of you, so have a go at it. It's pretty awesome!

But you solved it in the end, all the same.

A game that no one can solve isn't a game. The main point is whether it was fun or not.

It was fun! I guarantee it.

Same here. At first, I thought there was no way anyone could solve it, but the way you can use one confirmed purple statement after another to narrow down the suspects made for a nice puzzle.

Come, everyone! Gather, gather!

Just what sort of game is Lady Bernkastel's mystery?!

That's for you to find out for yourselves!

Hohoh, it's like a logic puzzle.

Quite an orthodox one, don't you think?

So this is what a witch's game is like.

Hmm... Looking at it like this, it's just a game. But for the pieces, it's a massive series of crimes.

Pukuku, indeed it is.

It would not do to waste such a rare gift from Lady BERNKASTEL. Let us take this opportunity to enjoy OURSELVES.

Still, this is a tough one... It almost makes you wonder if it was even made to be solvable, doesn't it?

You can't get anywhere unless you start by believing it was made to be solvable. A battle of wits doesn't begin until you trust the questioner and believe that it can be solved.

And we'll guarantee that it is. Come on, have a go at it!

Would you like some tea?

Any kind of calming black tea for me. With milk, if you don't mind.

As you wish. Is there anything you need, Lady Bernkastel?

Please add some dried plums to some black tea. That's the trick to making terrible tea drinkable.

Come now, don't sulk! We're honestly complimenting your game for being such a fun one.

I'm not sulking. My face just looks this way.

When I managed to spot Bern's own kind of warmth in that expression, I felt like I'd climbed to the pitch-black top of a snowy mountain to find a beautiful star.

Well, sorry for having an eternally frosty face.

How difficult it is to compliment Lady Bernkastel. No matter what you say, she always takes it in a bad way.

That's okay. She's the kind who'll think about it for hours later on.

Hohoh, the type who lies in bed thinking about it and hugging her pillow.

Yep, that's Bern for you.

Even though you could've made it unsolvable, you really did make it to be solved. That's not something you can do unless you plan on enjoying a fair game.

I like games where I win no matter what. Games that I might lose are just a pain.

Later, I'd like to switch sides and try another one. I'll make a puzzle, and we'll see if you can solve it. A game for you to win against me. Of course, I'll use all the know-how I've picked up in my fights with Beato to make it super hard. I'm not giving up my winning streak that easily!

Both you and Beato have such an interesting way of thinking.

How's that?

A game is just a means to decide who wins and who loses, right? When you create one, your own victory should be your highest priority. So, why would you go to all the trouble of making a game you might lose.

What fun is there in a game that you always win? That's not even a game. It's fun because you're taking part in a fair competition, balanced between victory and defeat. A game isn't a fight, it's communication. It's the means you have to enjoy. If you manage to win, well, that's just an added bonus.

Finallly, I clearly understand the difference between how all of you think and how I think.

What difference?

For you, this is communication. It isn't for me.

The world you live in must be pretty strange.

And what about you? Wasn't it the same for you, until you understood Beato's game? An eternal game is eternal torture. Have you already completely forgotten about that pain you suffered?

There were days I did think that. But now, it's all been resolved. I won't complain about stuff that's in the past. I'm impartial, you might say.

That's the critical difference between you and me, I think. Your eternal torture was something you could laugh off and forget. Mine wasn't nearly so trivial. That's all there is to it.

I don't know your history... It sounds like you had it rough.

Hmph. To think I'm getting sympathy from a mere former piece. I must be losing my touch.

Are you being tortured by someone right now?

Are you kidding? I'm as free as can be. I'm not bound by anyone's shackles.

Then that's a good thing, isn't it? At least things are better for you now.

True. It's much better than it once was, even though I'm on this long, endless journey to escape from boredom.

Then, at the very least, meeting up here should have been a good thing for you.

Indeed. Even the taste of defeat has driven boredom away from me for a time.

No, no, we're friends who've enjoyed fighting in a fair game.

So?

If your days are filled with nothing except running away from boredom, feel free to drop by our place every now and then. We'd love to welcome a friend, and we'll be able to set up everything needed to help a friend escape from boredom.

You think you can prepare a welcome interesting enough to help me, the great Bernkastel, escape boredom for even a single night?

I do. That's what it means to be a friend. We won tonight's game, so the next time you come, we'll switch sides. This time, we'll entertain you with one of our games. Of course, we don't intend to let you win easily. We'll challenge you to a devilishly twisted logic game! It won't be something you can solve in a night. It'll be good enough to make you stay for months, wracking your brains over it.

You would entertain me, the great Bernkastel, as a friend...?

Yeah, we would.

I heard from Beato. Sounds like this dried plum tea stuff is one of your favorites. Next time, we'll toss some high-class dried plums covered in gold leaf into your tea, so make sure you come again.

If you really plan to do that, try finding some better tea to start with. I'll never feel like coming again if you keep serving tea like this.

Ah, come on. Guess you drink high-grade black tea all the time. In fact, next time, why don't you invite us somewhere we can drink some of this tea?

Me... invite you? Ahahahahaha.

It's only fair, right? We've treated you. Now it's your turn.

Yes, it would be only fair.

So, let's have the game be fair, too. Let's switch sides and start a new game. I'm looking forward to it. We won this time, but who knows about the next?

That's some confidence you have there. And yet, I'm afraid you're mistaken on one point.

What's that?

The tea here's far too sweet. It was a mistake to have any. Thank you, Genji. Take this away, please.

As you wish...

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