"As the game progresses, the difficulty increases."
This gradual increase in difficulty was a highly satisfying experience for the players.
At least, with the somber story background and dark visuals, the sense of satisfaction made them feel less overwhelming.
Entering the next room, facing a crying statue, Utaha chose to speak to it.
Nothing special triggered, so she walked directly to a small door nearby...
Two hours later, it was already just past 2 AM.
Utaha let out a soft breath.
"This should be the final one, right?"
Playing such a game late at night was a real test of mental fortitude.
Even Utaha had been startled by the "strange" things that suddenly moved during the game.
"Strange."
Why was there a dead black cat in front of the door?
She felt a bit puzzled, but didn't dwell on it.
She pushed open the door and entered the witch's room.
When she saw the environment inside, even though she had long grown accustomed to the dark and gloomy art style, Utaha couldn't help but frown.
Blood was scattered everywhere, sending a chill down her spine.
The bed sheets, which should have been white, were now stained crimson with blood, an alarming sight.
She paused for a few seconds, then started exploring the room with the character.
[There's a tipped-over cup on the floor.]
[The bed is covered in blood.]
The bookshelf.
[It holds several books about magic.]
[The mirror is foggy, and nothing can be seen.]
[The Witch's Diary]
[Read] [Don't read]
"This should be the final one, right?"
What kind of ending would it be?
With curiosity, Utaha chose to read.
[The sickness will soon take my life.]
'Is this "My" referring to the witch?'
Just like the black cat said earlier, if left unattended, she would die soon.
[So...]
[I need to take her body.]
At this moment, the game's background music turned dark and gloomy, filling her with an ominous sense of foreboding.
[187] Kasumigaoka Utaha's Fear!!
[I must take her body to survive.]
Though it was just a simple line of text, Kasumigaoka Utaha could feel the madness behind it, the kind of madness that would make someone do anythingsacrifice everythingto keep living.
[This shouldn't be a problem, right?]
[We're "friends," after all.]
[She would surely be willing to offer her body.]
"Offer her body?" Utaha's hands froze as she processed the words, her mind piecing together all the information she had gathered.
"I see now. Could it be the body-swapping magic they mentioned earlier?" she thought.
The witch hid her true identity, became friends with the protagonist, and on this crucial day, when she was about to die, lured the protagonist here to take their body?!
But no, that didn't make sense.
Utaha shook her head.
She clearly remembered that the note said magic involving two people was difficult to cast because it required the other person's wholehearted cooperation.
To make the magic work, you needed the other person's trust!
Even if the protagonist were a bit of an innocent fool, there's no way they'd let the witch use magic on them, right?
"This doesn't add up... something's off."
After thinking for a moment, Utaha shook her head again, deciding not to delve deeper. She clicked to continue the story.
[...Because we're "friends."]
[That's why you're still here to play with me today...]
[Right, Viola?]
As the last line of text slowly appeared, the screen flashed, and the once dimly lit scene was now engulfed in darkness.
"Bang."
A loud crashing sound rang in her ears.
Then, a purple-haired figure appeared, its upper body missing, eyes hollow, with no doubt leftit was the "Witch."
The "Witch" crawled slowly toward Viola, and subtitles appeared.
[Half-Body Girl: ...Mm... Eh... Oh...]
After this subtitle appeared, a save prompt popped up.
The story was clearly nearing its end, but Utaha didn't immediately save.
Confusion clouded her mind.
"Strange. This is really strange!"
Even if the "Witch" were dying, she shouldn't look like this!
The pitiful image she presented seemed more like a victim than a villain.
"Did I overlook something?"
Utaha sighed, realizing that no matter how much she thought about it, there wouldn't be a clear answer.
She saved the game and prepared for the final chase.
It wasn't much of a chase, reallymore like a one-sided pursuit where the outcome was inevitable.
After a few failed attempts, Utaha finally managed to escape the house.
'Is this really the end?' she wondered, guiding her character back to the starting point.
The location where the player first woke up now had an additional letter for some unknown reason.
'Is there is a new information?' she thought, her eyes lighting up, and she immediately chose to read it.
It was the first half of the letter.
[Viola: I shouldn't have yelled at you yesterday. I'm sorry.]
[A long, long time ago, there was a legend. It was said that a witch lived in that forest and would take away lost children.]
[Your friend, her house is near the woods, so I was really worried about you.]
[Is your friend's name Ellen? Let's go to her place.]
The letter ended abruptly there.
"So, the original version should have been something like, 'It's fine to visit her, just don't wander too far into the woods. Come home early. — Dad,' right?"
It sounded like an ordinary letter, nothing special.
Utaha sighed in disappointment.
"No new information."
She already knew everything written here, having reached the game's conclusion.
Without wasting time, she continued guiding the character down.
Next was the rose, which had been cursed, and using the items gathered from the house, she destroyed it before continuing onward.
After that, the final unskippable ending animation began.
The scene froze briefly, and a man appeared, holding a shotgun with a white towel draped over his shoulder.
After a simple animation, the subtitles appeared.
[Viola's Father: Viola?! Are you alright? Are you hurt?]
[Viola's Father: Ha, thank goodness.]
The background music brightened, almost as if celebrating the happy ending approaching.
The dim colors also shifted to bright hues.
[Viola's Father: It's so late, I came into the woods to look for you.]
"Such irony," Utaha muttered with a sigh.
The witch's parents had abandoned her, causing a series of tragic events.
Yet Viola's father, even knowing that a witch lived in the forest, cared more about his daughter's safety than his own.
Even though the dangers of the forest were unknown, Viola's safety became the priority, making everything else irrelevant.
Utaha clicked the mouse, and the story continued.
[Viola's Father: You're safe now. Let's go home and get out of the rain.]
With that, the man tried to lead his daughter out of the woods.
But just after a few steps, the cheerful music stopped, and the bright colors dimmed again.
They turned around.
The "Witch," dragging her broken body, leaving a trail of blood behind, slowly crawled toward them.
[Half-Body Girl: ...Yeah... Going...]
[Half-Body Girl: ...Ugh... Ugh... I... Ah...]
As the witch closed in, the father instinctively stepped in front of Viola.
[Viola's Father: Viola, stay back!]
Gunshots rang out.
The "Witch," already a broken doll of sorts, collapsed into a pool of blood.
In the rainy night, a breeze swept through as the "Witch" turned to ashes, scattering across the sky.
The man and girl walked out of the forest together.
The music played, and the credits rolled.
Utaha sat in thought, the subtitles continuing to scroll.
When [END?] flashed on the screen, the image flickered, returning to the title screen.
"This ending... Is it really the true ending?" Utaha sighed again.
[END?]
The game didn't just hint at the falseness of the endingit shoved it in her face.
So...
'What did I miss?' she thought.
And what about the vague words the witch had spoken?
Just pondering those wouldn't provide an answer.
But if she connected all the pieces of information...
Utaha frowned, using her incredible memory to replay the story in her mind.
"Wait, the story mentioned a demon."
It was the demon that turned "Ellen" into the "Witch."
But who was this demon? Did it appear in the story?
Utaha froze, a look of disbelief in her eyes.
She glanced at the paper she had been using to review the plot, her face slowly turning pale.
"Could this... be the true ending?"
[TL NOTE]
I'm back!!
Daily uploads will resume as usualexcept on Sundays!
Since the raws are already finished, I'll be continuing the story on my own. For bonus chapters, the goal will be 300 Power Stones per chapter!
Help unlock extra chapters by hitting those Power Stone milestones!
Also, if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL for 50+ advanced chapters! Your support means everything! Q-Q
[188] A Tragic Game from the Very Beginning!
In the entire storyline, Kasumigaoka Utaha being introduce to four characters.
The protagonist, the "Witch" Ellen, the black cat that serves as the save point, and the little frog.
The little frog requires no further explanation, and as well as the main character, the "Witch" Ellen is naturally significant background to the story.
However, the black cat stands out as particularly mysterious character.
If it were merely for saving progress, the game could have easily implemented a typical RPG-style crystal or something similar.
Yet, in this game, the ability to save comes from the black cat, and the fact that it uses voice lines adds an even deeper layer of mystery.
But the most intriguing part is
"Thinking back on the interactions with the black cat, the way it's speak was oddly familiar to Viola."
This detail was deeply thought-provoking.
According to the game's backstory, Viola and Ellen were friends, and Viola often visited this place.
But would a talking black cat casually speak in front of ordinary people?
Could such a close bond between a girl and a cat really exist?
The answer was obviousno.
"Would the developers dedicate so much effort to a character with no real significance?"
As a creator herself, even as a novice, Utaha knew better.
There had to be something more to this black cat.
Could it be that the black cat holds an identity far more crucial than the two protagonists?
Ellen, who lost her parents, undoubtedly caused the tragedy that unfolded.
But without encountering that demon, her life would have ended long ago.
The room filled with countless skeletons and the story's chilling hint that "all my friends who came here were devoured by the house" made it clear that the demon never left.
It simply kept feeding, with the "Witch" Ellen as its accomplice.
This might be a bold assumption, but gathering all the clues, everything points to one conclusion
The black cat is the demon!
If the black cat is indeed the demon, then the only person it would act familiar with would be
Ellen.
The moment Utaha realized this, a chilling sensation crawled up her spine, as if she had plunged into an icy abyss.
Even though it was already late May and the weather had warmed up, the late-night atmosphere at 2:00 AM felt unnervingly cold.
It was the fear that came with hindsight.
"Phew..."
Utaha let out a deep breath and glanced around her dimly lit room.
Hugging her arms, she rubbed her goosebump-covered skin, her expression filled with lingering dread.
"I knew I shouldn't have played this kind of game so late at night."
Utaha smiled bitterly.
Staring at the game's title screen, she felt a strange dizziness wash over her.
From beginning to end, the player controls the "Witch" that trying to escape the cursed house.
And that witch is already become Viola.
This feeling
"What kind of twisted mental state he was in when writing this script?!"
Even someone with a decent tolerance like Utaha couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with discomfort and fear.
A mix of sadness, disgust, and dread surged through her, wave after wave.
Yet, despite the negative emotions, there was one thing she had to admit:
"This game is truly incredible."
As a creator, she couldn't come up with such a plot.
Let alone design such a cleverly crafted game.
"Is there really anyone who can outdo this guy when it comes to creating despair-inducing stories?"
Shaking her head, Utaha glanced at the clock on the bottom right corner of the screen.
3:07 AM.
"It's already this late?"
Thinking about her meeting with Machida Sonoko tomorrow, Utaha reluctantly closed the game.
"I'll continue tomorrow night. I have to uncover the truth!"
She was confident in her theory.
But speculation alone wasn't enough.
No matter how certain she felt, she needed solid evidence.
And that evidence was definitely hidden somewhere within the game.
Despite the heavy, suffocating emotions that came with discovering the truth, especially the cruel irony of the game's ending, the game itself was simply too captivating to abandon.
"I can't wait to see the reactions of other players when the truth is revealed."
A faint smile appeared on Utaha's face.
In that moment, she finally understood why that guy was so obsessed with writing depressing stories.
"Should I try writing something like this too...?"
After some thought, Utaha dismissed the idea.
She couldn't imagine staying mentally stable after writing so many dark and despair-filled stories.
"Seriously, how does that guy manage to write this kind of stuff without losing his mind?"
After all, the last time she saw him before leaving Toyogasaki Academy, he was still happily chatting and joking with the girls around him.
That carefree scene didn't seem like someone with psychological trauma.
With these random thoughts in her head, Utaha slowly drifted off to sleep.
"AHHH!"
Hearing the sudden scream beside him, Akifumi Mugiho sighed helplessly.
"I told you guys not to play it, but you wouldn't listen."
Eriri shot him an annoyed glare. "It's the new game by you! How could I not play it?!"
Despite her words, her trembling hands gripping the mouse betrayed her fear.
"Right, Mahiru? Mashiro?"
"Y-Yeah..." Mahiru nodded tearfully, inching closer to Eriri as the eerie game screen sent chills down her spine.
