Her golden eyes showed no emotion.
She turned her head, and a mocking smile appeared on her otherwise blank face.
Below the close-up, the scene shifted to the witch, her purple hair flowing around her.
Her lower body was already a mangled mess, covered in black mist.
Her missing eyes stared blankly at Viola's back as her left hand weakly lifted, as if desperately trying to grab something.
As Utaha watched the scene unfold, she could almost hear the witch's faint whimpers in the air.
Under this perfect portrayal, the dark emotions she had previously felt began to surface again.
The witch, who should have been detestable, now appeared pitiful and tragic, stirring a deep sense of sympathy in her.
The close-up paused for a few seconds before the dialogue resumed.
[Viola: Hmm? You want it back? No way. Your body seems perfectly fine to me.]
Another close-up appeared, showing Viola tugging at her skirt as she gracefully twirled in place, her face lit up with joy.
As the close-up faded, Viola turned and walked back towards the witch.
The wind rustled through the grass as a close-up of the scene appeared.
Viola crouched down.
Her delicate face now bore a smile full of pure malice.
[Viola: And besides, you willingly gave me this body, didn't you? Why... should I give it back to you?]
Viola: Right...? Viola?!
The close-up showed Viola smiling faintly as she mockingly tilted the witch's head, her eyes filled with amusement.
But quickly, she grew bored with the scene, or perhaps disgusted with the body in front of her. With a look of impatience, she pulled her hand away.
The witch's head, lacking any strength to hold itself up, collapsed into the grass
As expected!
Even though she had guessed this outcome long ago, everything she was doing now was simply to confirm her suspicions.
But seeing the truth unfold before her in such a powerful way still left Utaha stunned.
The dialogue, filled with malicious intent, paired with the dark, somber tones of the scene and the expressive close-ups, caused all the emotions to burst forth.
The contrast between the pure sorrow and despair of the girl and the witch's utter evil was stark and intense.
And when Utaha realized that she was playing the witch in this storypushing the innocent girl step by step toward the abyss and sealing her fatethe overwhelming black emotions exploded within her heart!
'Ugh' The intense discomfort made her want to throw up.
After covering her mouth and taking several minutes to calm down, Utaha finally managed to regain her composure.
'So this is it.'
Seeing the scenes unfold in person was a completely different experience from what she had imagined.
When she had first thought of this outcome, all she felt was a cold shiver and a sense of dread at the exaggerated finale.
But now, witnessing it firsthand, the intensity of the emotions was far more overwhelming.
Trying to calm herself down, she felt ready to continue.
In the scene, Viola dusted off the dirt from the hem of her white skirt and stood back up.
She took a few steps forward.
[Viola: You must've felt sorry for me back then, huh? Couldn't even get out of bed.]
[Viola: So I used magic to swap bodies with you.]
[Viola: Just for one day, though... Heh, I think I said that before.]
Viola turned and looked at the witch, Ellen, who lay on the ground, a defeated figure.
[Viola: You almost trapped me earlier, I really didn't expect that.]
[Viola: But what's the use? That house belongs to me, after all. How could it possibly kill me? The house has been helping me. It wants me to escape.]
Viola crouched down again, staring at the familiar yet strange body lying a few meters away.
Ellen's body twitched, as if trying to reach out.
In a close-up, Viola furrowed her brows.
Viola: ...You're not dead yet? You really are stubborn. Ah, could it be you're worried about your dad, so you don't want to die?
Viola: Viola, I know all about you and your dad. You two, relying on each other. Those memories are still in your body. He's a good man, a hunter, right? He even wrote you that letter. How nice of him. Unlike my parents at all.
Viola: I bet you're worried about what will happen to your dad if you die, huh? Don't worry, though. After all... his daughter, Viola, will still be there, doing her best to give her love...
Viola: Of course. I'll enjoy some part of your love too, so don't you worry...
Before the dialogue could continue, a mysterious voice interrupted.
[???: Viola?]
The figure of a hunter appeared in the scene.
After a tear-jerking father-daughter reunion, the witch, now only half a body, found the strength to move toward them.
With her damaged vocal cords, she managed to let out a faint, desperate sound: P-p...
[Viola's Father: Don't come near! Monster!!]
The echo of a shotgun blast rang through the forest.
The light completely left the witch's eyes, and she collapsed into a pool of her own blood.
With her father's comforting presence and his large hand holding hers, Viola left the forest.
The scene ended with the same familiar mischievous smile, one full of satisfaction.
Was it a sense of triumph for the successful conspiracy? Or was it mocking the foolishness of the world?
Utaha couldn't say. She didn't have the energy to think any further.
The girl covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom in her room.
"Ugh... Uug.."
A minute later.
After emptying her stomach, Utaha, pale and leaning against the sink, stood up.
She wiped the corners of her lips, gazing at her pale face in the mirror, her eyes full of doubt. She pursed her lips.
'That cocky junior! To think he create something like this!'
Even as a creator, she clenched her fists in fury!
She didn't want to think about the logic behind it or the artistic techniques used.
At that moment, the girl just wanted to punch the person who created this game in the face!
This plot wasn't just cruelit was downright evil!
There wasn't a shred of beauty in it. It only evoked sadness, pain, and utter despair!
Before she saw this ending, the bond between Viola and her father hadn't been so vividly portrayed.
Back then, she had merely seen their contradictions and contrasts as filled with ironic artistry.
But now, when their emotions were expressed through another's words, especially when Viola had said she'd take over her love for her, that unspeakable sadness hit her.
And imagining someone most important to her being replaced... the fear was overwhelming.
Everything, all those emotions, exploded with the hunter's gunshot.
At that moment, she truly understood what it meant to feel pain beyond words.
[191] The Clueless Loving Girl
While Kasumigaoka Utaha was dealing with the emotional trauma from reaching the true ending of the game, Akifumi group at his's house was finally managed to reach the end of their playthrough.
"Haah..."
With a satisfied sigh, the credits began to roll in front of everyone's eyes.
Eriri chuckled and said, "The ending was actually pretty good, yet he had to trick me!"
"Mugiho-kun shouldn't be lying to us about things like this, right?" Mahiru spoke softly, sharing her thoughts.
"Well, who knows about those things?" Eriri shrugged.
Just then, there was a "click" sound from the inner room.
Akifumi walked out of the room.
"Mugi, we finished the game." Mashiro called out to him as Akifumi was about to pour himself a cup of water.
"Oh?" Akifumi approached, and as he did, he saw the final screen of the game with the word [END?]
He smiled and ruffled Mashiro's hair. "That's not really the true ending."
"Besides in this game, there's the true ending, the one-life clear true ending, and the last hidden ending."
"..."
Eriri, who had been about to boast, immediately lowered her face in disappointment.
She tried to act nonchalant as she said, "Well, that's how it is."
"Mashiro, for a game, unlocking all the endings is what truly counts as completing it!"
"Oh." Mashiro nodded, her eyes filled with confusion as if silently asking, Didn't Eriri look pretty happy just now?
Eriri chose to completely ignore Mashiro's gaze and shifted the topic.
"Speaking of which, this ending was pretty ordinary, right? It wasn't anything like you said!"
"You actually tried to trick us!"
"..."
As expected of Eriri!
She had just finished it, and yet she didn't notice anything out of place!
Even though it was a fake ending, there were many subtle clues that hinted at something being off, but this girl managed to miss all of them!
'Was it because my foreshadowing was too deep hidden, or is she just too oblivious?'
Akifumi nodded expressionlessly. "Right, right."
He then turned and headed toward the kitchen to pour himself a drink.
"Hmph, hmph, hmph." Eriri proudly lifted her small face, raising a tiny fist to encourage herself. "Alright, tonight we're putting in the effort to reach the true ending together!"
"Oh." Mashiro raised her tiny fist and followed Eriri's lead.
Mahiru, however, wore a reluctant expression. "Eriri, maybe we should stop here for now?"
It seemed like Mahiru had noticed something that Eriri hadn't.
"Eh? Why?"
Mahiru thought for a moment and said, "It's already so late, and we spent so much time on just the ordinary ending..."
Eriri immediately understood Mahiru's concern and interrupted. "Once we get the hang of it, it'll be much faster! Trust me, we won't take long to find the true ending!"
Mahiru couldn't help but smile wryly.
'That's not what I meant!' Mahiru just wanted to find an excuse to get Eriri to stop, but it had turned into this situation instead!?
The girl couldn't help but look at Akifumi for rescue.
Seeing this, Akifumi spoke up, "It is actually very easy to unlock the true ending."
"Just..."
??
'That's not what I meant!'
'Please, stop talking!'
Akifumi, of course, didn't hear Mahiru's silent cries.
"...In the final chase scene, you just need to find a certain item in a particular room."
'It's over.' Mahiru seemed to deflate, her entire body turning pale.
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Eriri blinked, then grinned widely.
Despite receiving a spoiler, the girl wasn't the least bit upset.
Though self-discovery is crucial in a puzzle game, there are cases where a guide becomes essential!
After all, in a situation like this, where everything is the same as before, but the absence of a key item leads to the lack of the true ending, having a guide is incredibly helpful!
This just means replaying the game would be a pointless waste of time. Having a guide means they can find the solution quickly.
Moreover, Akifumi only provided the ideahe didn't even tell them exactly where the item was, so finding it still relied on their own efforts!
Seeing Eriri so happy, Akifumi returned her smile and strolled back to the inner room with his water bottle.
'Let's see if she's still smiling after this.'
"Let's go! Let's work together and find the true ending!"
"Oh!" Eriri and Mashiro, full of determination, turned their focus back to the screen.
"By the way... I need to talk to Mugiho-kun for a moment. You guys go ahead, I'll be right back."
As Mahiru suddenly dashed off, Eriri scratched her head in confusion.
"Did she suddenly remember something? Why is she in such a hurry?"
"Forget her, let's find that key item!" Eriri declared confidently.
"Mhm." Mashiro nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Mahiru entered the room, and Akifumi wore a playful smile.
"Mahiru is getting bolder, huh? Eriri and Mashiro are still outside."
"What's the difference between them being outside and me coming in..."
At this point, Mahiru paused, realizing what Akifumi meant. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Jeez!"
Akifumi didn't continue teasing her, and instead asked, "Why did you suddenly come in?"
"Because of that game you made."
"So Mahiru has figured it out?" Akifumi didn't get an answer to his question.
Instead, Mahiru sat next to him, resting her head on his chest, her eyes full of affection.
She took a deep breath, savoring his scent. "It's the real Mugiho-kun. Now I can relax."
Akifumi was taken aback. "This world doesn't have demons, nor any strange magic."
"Is that so?" That sentence said it all.
Mahiru sighed and then curiously asked, "Before, you told Eriri not to play, but now you're telling her how to get the true ending?"
"You saw what happened when I told her not to play."
That's right, she spent the whole day playing and even dragged Mahiru and Mashiro into it.
Akifumi shrugged. "She won't listen to advice anyway, so why not just let her do it?"
"Even if she gets hurt, I've done my part. She can't blame me."
Mahiru couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Eriri outside.
Inside the room, the two shared a quiet moment while outside, the other two were still focused on the screen.
Ten minutes later...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Suddenly, Eriri's scream echoed from outside.
The sound of footsteps followed.
The door flew open, and Eriri immediately rushed into Akifumi's arms, crying hysterically.
"So... so scary, so... so terrifying..."
Looking at Eriri, crying uncontrollably in his arms, Akifumi's face remained expressionless.
In his mind, a phrase slowly appeared: The Clueless Loving Girl.
It seemed to describe someone like Eriri perfectly...
[192] Secret Ending?
9 PM sharp.
At this moment, countless fans of "Steins;Gate" were celebrating wildly.
There's a saying: "Seeing is believing."
Although Akifumi claimed on social media yesterday that this would be a happy ending, many fans remained skeptical, thinking he was merely hyping his work.
However, upon witnessing the latest plot twist, fans couldn't contain their excitement as they passionately discussed and promoted the series across various forums.
Meanwhile, some fans, after basking in the joy, remembered the game they hadn't finished yet "The Witch's House"!
In this joyful mood, they launched the game, hoping to experience double the happiness.
[TL Note No.. don't do that]
Though there was some overlap between fanbases, among the over 100,000 paying players, there were also pure puzzle and horror enthusiasts.
Thanks to Steam's recommendation, these players discovered the game "The Witch's House," paid for it, and spent the entire day immersed in it.
Unlike casual players like Kasumigaoka Utaha, these players specialized in this genre and swiftly cleared the game.
