The interrogation at the police station isn't over before 1 pm. It upsets you that your free time has been wasted on responding over and over to the same questions asked by the police officer.

The police's arguments had no leg to stand on. You were linked to her disappearance only because you're the only person she interacted with in the last seven days. Sure, she did tell you she was leaving for a trip, but you couldn't reasonably suspect her of planning her escape. Even her request for more medicines was nothing but ordinary, considering her heart condition.

In the end, the officer who interrogated you acknowledged that an amnesiac boy with heart problems couldn't have possibly been capable of consciously aiding the girl in her escape, never mind kidnapping her.

You're in the car with Mutou, driving back to the school. He doesn't particularly like having to do this on his free day either, but at least this gives you the chance to talk with him.

"I was thinking, prof. Mutou. I want to join the Demon Hunters".

"Ah. Well this is great news and all, but I wouldn't have minded waiting for Monday to learn about this"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have minded telling you on Monday either. But no one could have predicted this situation. By the way, would you be interested in a trade?"

"Depends. What do you offer, and what do you want?"

"I am offering a broken Hand of St Eurosia. In exchange, I want some paperwork to send to the Church. I'd like to cover for Miura, since I am the reason her mission failed"

"Alright. That I can arrange. Bring the Hand to my atelier tomorrow, maybe I can turn it into something useful"

"Thanks", you say, sighing in relief. At least this was easy.

"Did Katayama look strange to you last time you've seen her?", Mutou suddenly asks.

"I've been asked this question several times today and my answer's not gonna change. She looked quite sick. She was covering her neck and her eyes, she said she had a cold. Nothing unusual there"

"If she had a cold, sure, there was nothing unusual about that. But what if it weren't a cold?"

"I don't know. What if?"

Mutou takes a deep breath. "I suppose I should explain how vampirism works to you"

"No need, Miura already did it. Still, it may take several years to turn into a vampire. It's not something you do overnight".

"If there's something I've learned, Nakai, is that there's no rule without an exception. You're the living proof of that".

You shrug. The possibility that Rika is a vampire exists, but it's a remote one. More importantly, on the topic of the Dead Apostle Ancestor you're hunting, and on Demon Hunting in general, you should ask Mutou about:

>[Write-in]

>>525534

So Rika went Satsuki way?
That'd be sad.

Ask Mutou about:
>How strong Dead Apostles are
>What supernatural abilities they might have
>Do sunlight, garlic and other traditional things harm them?
>How do you usually hunt a vampire anyway?
>Do the local Demon Hunters have something on this vampire already?
Is the vampire a cute girl?
>Who's the other Church operative in the school, the one the demon warned us about, and whether she is dangerous to us
>Can we somehow persuade the Church that we are a good guy so that they leave us alone?

>>525534
>what will my duties/obligations as a member of the demon hunters be

>who else is an active agent in the school? Do we need to worry about them?

>this D.A., do we know anything about its identity or abilities or has it been too circumspect for us to know anything more than it is actively feeding in the area?

Why are we covering for Miura? I'm fine with not killing her and stuff but honestly it seems like it would be in our best interest if the Church decided to pull her out of the school due to her botching things up.

>>525678
In this context, covering for Miura means sending a letter to the Church saying that you'll take care of the Apostle. It's exactly like you said, it's to keep the church out of this.

>>525534
>What are your plans for training me?
>What is expected of me as a demon hunter?
>Why would there be a dead apostle here at this school, and how can i find it?
>Why did you send me away to give a note to the nurse? What did you make me avoid?

"Professor Mutou, could I realistically defeat a Dead Apostle Ancestor?", you ask.

"I wonder. I guess you have your powers on side, while the Dead Apostle likely possesses centuries of experience. I suppose it's 50-50, not knowing what his Reality Marble is".

"Reality Marble, huh? Miura told me the enemy has one, but what does it entail?"

"A Reality Marble is the innermost Magecraft, bordering on a miracle. It is the power of projecting your inner world onto reality, partially overwriting it. Needless to say, with your eyes you could kill a Reality Marble too. It's all a matter of training".

"What about popular legends, are they true? Would garlic or the sunlight harm them?"

"The garlic wouldn't have any effect, but the sunlight does make vampires of all types weaker. Sunlight is your ally, that's for certain. Talking about allies, we could definitely use some help from the Church, too bad that's impossible now"

"Because I defeated Miura?"

"Because they know you're a monster yourself. I agreed to writing that letter in the hope the Church leaves us alone. I had a talk with Miki, she told me they're looking for the Dead Apostle Ancestor known as Diabolon, the Divider. The Church didn't disclose much information about him, all we know is that he has an unconventional morality, even for a vampire"

"You talked with her?"

"Yes, after she confronted the demon feeding off Suzuki. It's a testament to your power that you could overpower it while Miura couldn't, but don't get carried away. Her speciality is vampire hunting, not demon hunting, so she was clearly at a disadvantage there".

"Even so, we have some information on the Vampire, don't we? We know its name"

"More like his alias. His human name doesn't matter anymore, and God knows what he looks like nowadays, since Dead Apostle Ancestors can change their appearance".

"So what is expected of me, as a demon hunter? What should I do?"

"Localize the Dead Apostle and kill it, just like you'd kill any monster. We don't know where he is, but finding one of his minions should help you. I suspect your former roommate to be one of the Apostle's first victims. I will give you a picture of him, together with a written permission to leave campus, but don't abuse it".

"I won't. But it's scary to think that the Dead Apostle might even hide in our school"

"It would be much scarier to be unaware and unprepared. Nakai, you're in dire need of training. You must learn how to localize parts of things and kill them without killing the entire object. Master that, and at one point you could even be a miracle worker, killing incurable diseases and even permanent disabilities"

You nod. Of course, the power of killing isn't evil in itself. Just like for every tool, you can make a good use or a bad use of it.

"One last thing, Nakai. In the future, try not to come between Hakamichi and Satou. Else, you'll quickly become the arbitrator of a dispute you never cared about to begin with".

"I understand. Thank you for helping me back then"

"Don't mention it, I was just doing my duty".

Mutou's car stops in front of Yamaku, dropping you off. It's half past one, and you have the rest of the day ahead of you. What do you plan to do?

>Write-in

/////////////

Rather than going with definite options and by majority votes, I think the next part of the quest can basically be played as a 'collective RPG'. The focus is on finding clues and exploring, so leaving you more freedom seems the best thing to do.

I had stuff to do and left this quest for later, and

>>"Professor Mutou, could I realistically defeat a Dead Apostle Ancestor?", you ask

WHAT

>>526312
Is it so strange to make a reality check?

Do we have Shiki's background/training, or are we just some guy who happened to get MEoDP?
Then again, even if we did its not like we could really put it to use.

>>526324
Do you mean Shiki Tohno, Shiki Nanaya, Shiki Ryougi, SHIKI Tohno who succumbed to his inversion impulse, or Roa having taken over SHIKI?

>>526328
Shiki Tohno cause he's a chick magnet!

Actually I'm sure anon meant Nanaya.

>>526240
Go around the dorm, meet our neighbors and ask them about our roommate, justifying this with our amnesia.

>>526335
Nanaya automatically ticks off whenever he sees something paranormal, that's because he's blood of the demon hunters. You happen to have MEoDP, and they do tick off when you see something paranormal, but not to the point that you'd massacre a stranger.

In a sense you're more like Ryougi, still trying to figure out your power. The demon you defeated was on par with Nero's familiars, while Miki was surely not at the same level as Ciel is, and you defeated her because you could see the lines she was trying to attack.

The power gap between these two and a Dead Apostle Ancestor can be very large. Even Ciel jobs to Roa after all.

>>526340
By the way, I find the fact that Miki did try to help Suzu really heartwarming.

>>526338
I'll support this
>Ask around for information on former roommate

>>525533
Stop making new threads. Your first thread is still on page 6 and has a week left in it.

Investigating the habits and the life of your former roommate could be a good start in determining who he really was, giving you an edge in your search for him.

However, since you skipped breakfast, you decide you'll have lunch first. The cafeteria is half-empty today, but you recognize two familiar faces: Shizune and Misha.

"HICCHAN!", Misha screams at you, waving her hand. "Are you having lunch? Come sit with us".

"Sure, I'll be joining you in a moment".
Those girls are the student council: if there's someone who knows about your roommate, it's them.

You grab your food and bring the tray to their table. Shizune greets you with a polite smile, while Misha looks at you grinning and with her arms crossed.

"So, Hicchan, how are you?", she asks.

"Oh, I am fine. I just have a question to ask", you respond.
Misha's translation is almost instantaneous. She's talking with you and with Shizune at the same time, translating back and forth for all three of you.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Ah, sorry, I was distracted", you apologize. "I was observing your movements. You seem quite proficient, Misha"

"Thank you, Hiccha! But now ask us, come on, it's not polite to keep a lady waiting"

"Oh, right. Yeah, I meant to ask about my former roommate, hmmm... what was his name again..."

Shizune starts gesturing with her hands, and Misha quickly translates back to you.

"Kenji Setou, he's been expelled for drinking alcohol on campus. What about him?"

"Well, I was just wondering what kind of person he was"

Another round of hand-gestures, and the response comes to you.

"We don't know, Hicchan. Truth be told, he was very secretive. You should ask his girlfriend, Yuuko Shirakawa. She works here at the library"

"I see. Thank you very much"

"Say, Hicchan, is this about your amnesia?"

You reluctantly nod. You don't wish to lie, but it's for the best. After a bit of chitchat, you finish your meal and take your leave, saying goodbye to the girls.

Your destination is the library, where you hope to find Yuuko. When you get there, however, no one's around.
The only thing you hear is the noise of pages turning, coming from somewhere deep in the library.

>[write-in]

>>526739
>Try to find the origin of the sound

>Inb4 another monster.

>>526739
>Go to the sound
>Meet new girl
>Waifu her
>See her die/be vampirized/turn out to be the BBEG

>>526739
>go looking for the noise

You venture further into the library. Someone's in there for sure, and maybe they'll know about Miss Shirakawa.
Finally, you see her. The girl with burn scars sitting in the back of your classroom, one that barely speaks with people, if at all.

The most shut-in of all shut-ins is your only hope of finding out about the librarian today. You feel an impulse coming from your eyes, as if they detected something paranormal. But the impulse dies as quickly as it begun.

You clear your throat to catch the girl's attention. She's sitting on a green pillow, reading a book intently. Hearing you, she curls up, moving her head even closer to the book.

"Hello, I think we're in class together. My name's Hisao Nakai".

No response.

"Please to meet you."

The girl doesn't move. She keeps reading, glancing occasionally in your direction.

"I am sorry, I don't mean to disturb you, but do you know where the librarian is?"

No response. The girl moves her face even closer to the book, shaking all over.

"If you don't know, it's fine. I will just come by another day"

She keeps shaking. Her face is close to the book, she can't even turn the pages. She's not reading it, she's just using it to cover herself.

"By the way, what was your name again?"

The girl stands up suddenly. She's taller than she looked like, and tears are staining her face.

"I have...I have... I havegottadosomething!", she screams, before bolting out of the door.

'Geez, was asking a few questions enough to make her cry? I must go easier on her next time', you think.

That, however, leaves you without a trail to follow. It's still relatively early, so you could go around the campus a bit more, but tomorrow you have another test. At one point or another, you'll have to go back to your room and study.

>[Write-in]

>>527196
Wander the school complex. Gotta be some evidence or somebody who might know around

>>527210
>>527196
Maybe search some rooms

>>527196
>look around the campus for a bit, if nothing interesting happens go study

>>527210
>>527245
Supporting

>>527210
basically this

There's one more place you could explore, and that is your former roommate's chamber.
You snuck in there on Monday, so you don't know if by now it has been vacated or locked up. In either case, it's worth a shot.

You find the door still unlocked, but the room in itself has been all but emptied. You look around, opening the wardrobe and the drawers of the nightstand, but there's nothing to be found. The only exception is a worn-out magazine about the paranormal and occult rites.

Somewhat dissatisfied with your results, you go back to your room. A long afternoon of studies awaits you.

You woke on Monday with a faint sense of optimism. You feel confident about the test, the librarian will probably be back, and from this today onwards you'll be able to visit the town and look for clues.

You arrive to class early, you're basically the sole person there except for the burned girl. She glances at you, then goes back to hiding behind her book.

Then, something surprising happens. You hear her standing up and coming towards you.
She stops in front of your desk, fidgeting with her hands.

"Oh, good morning", you greet her.

"I'm...s-sorry", she whispers

"Sorry for what? Oh, yesterday? No, don't worry, I shouldn't have been so pushy"

"S-sorry... f-for n-not r-r-responding"

"That's ok. I will see the librarian today".

You're trying to end the conversation not for your own sake, but for the girl's, since it looks like talking is struggling for her.
A tapping noise echoes in the corridor, and then the door opens.

The blonde girl you only caught glimpses of finally appears, and you feel an headache coming up. It's not the usual kind of headache you get when witnessing something paranormal. Your eyes don't activate, but you can feel your brain pulsating.

"Hanako? Where are you, Hanako?", the blonde girl asks.

You stand up in an attempt to leave.

"Oh, there you are, Hanako. Could you please come with me?"

'Like hell I would', you think, dragging yourself to the exit.

Turning around, you see the burned girl shaking. You suppose her name to be Hanako.
Step by step, you come closer to the door and to the girl.

She smiles at you, not knowing who you really are, and you notice with horror that her arm is outstretched towards you. Does she want you to grab it?

A few more steps and you'll be face to face. You don't know what will happen if she touches you.

"IT"S NOT ME!", Hanako screams from the top of her lungs. "It's n-not m-me, Lilly. Th-that's N-Nakai"

Lilly's surprised, but then regains her composure and smiles in your general direction.
"I am sorry for the misunderstanding. Please forgive any inconveniences I might have caused you", she says, stepping aside to let you out.

"No problem", you faintly respond.
Once you're out of the room, you head for the bathroom.

You breathe heavily, then start coughing blood. You don't know what's going on, but you realize you shouldn't come close to her anymore. Cleaning yourself up by the sink, you look at your reflection in the mirror. Your eyes are the hazel color they usually are.

So what was the ominous aura around her? You're not too eager to find out right now.
>[Write-in]

>>528245
Go ask Mutou what the hell is it with Lilly and how are we supposed to attend the same class as her.

>>528245
Go ask Mutou about Lilly we need to know more about the people around us

>>528250
>and how are we supposed to attend the same class as her.
Its been a while since I played, but I don't recall sharing classes with Lily, she only comes to our class to see Hanako. She and other visually impaired students had their own class.

>>528291
This. See who else is not 'normal' around here before we find out the hard way.

>>528245
That monster must have had some credence. Ask mutou about Lilly

>>528245
Go find the librarian, when Mutou has some freetime ask him about Lilly

>>528438
>She and other visually impaired students had their own class.

Correct. Know who else is visually impaired?

In any case, I will be giving you the update soon.

Mutou's class is now. You'll skip it and talk with him later. For now, you have to turn to science.
You walk to the nurse's office to report your condition to him, just to be on the safe side.

After a few tests, he's ready to deliver his diagnosis.
"Nakai, you've been taking your medicines in irregular intervals, have you not?"

You nod. You skipped taking your medications yesterday, you took them late at night on Saturday, and you didn't take them at all on Monday.

"Then it's simple, it's just a side effect of the medicines. Nothing to be worried about in the short term. In the long term, however..."

"Say no more. I understand perfectly. Thank you, and sorry"

"Don't be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes, but don't fool around with your health"

"I won't".

You say goodbye to the nurse, then take your leave. You have approximately 45 more minutes before Mutou's class finishes, as well as a good excuse for being absent. You wonder if reporting the situation to Mutou makes sense at all.

In any case, it's a good chance to visit the library, and that's where you're going. The place is a bit more lively today, with a young girl moving boxes left and right.

She suddenly stops when she notices you. Her face turns pale, as if she's just seen a ghost.
"Y-You..."

"Good morning. I am looking for Yuuko Shirakawa, she works here as a librarian. Is that you?"

The girl nods, her eyes open wide in surprise.

"It's me, Hisao... do you remember me?"

"I am afraid not. I have amnesia. Were we friends before I fell off the roof?"

"No, well, yes, I mean, kind of, I mean..."

"We were acquaintances. In that case, would it be indiscreet to ask you about your boyfriend, Kenji Setou?"

"Kenji? How do you know about him?"

"He was my former roommate. He was expelled a week ago".

"A WEEK AGO?", she asks, even more surprised. "DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME HE'S BEEN IN THIS SCHOOL ALL ALONG?"

"I don't think I understand what you mean by 'all along' ".

"Agh, forget it. Well, to be precise, he's my ex-boyfriend. We broke up more than a year ago. Well, it's not like we broke up, he just... disappeared"

"Disappeared?"

"Yes, I couldn't find him anywhere anymore"

"Well, that explains his reclusion. He turned his room into a bunker".

Yuuko shakes her head. "It's all so strange. He changed after we met. He became more and more circumspect, and one day he just vanished".

You sigh. The Kenji Yuuko knew was probably much different man.
"Thank you anyway. I'll make sure to come by if I need a book".

"W-wait! If Kenji was still in school, he must have been attending classes with Lilly"

"Lilly? The blind girl?"

"Yes, Lilly Satou. They must have been both in the class for the visually impaired. She must know something about him. We're good friends, and she is a very polite girl. She will answer your questions for sure. I... I want to know what happened to him, so please, let me know"

"I will keep you posted. Thank you very much, and sorry. Maybe I have been too direct".

"Don't worry, I am not good at chit-chat anyway". She smiles at you. "You really are changed. You have some drive in you. When I met you two weeks ago, you were just a brooding kid.If you need anything pertaining the books, let me know", Yuuko says, before going back to taking care of the boxes.

You scratch your chin pensively. Approaching Lilly while you're still unsure of her nature sounds risky, on the other hand, you have no concrete evidence of her monstrous nature. Another issue is how to find her. The only common acquaintance you have is Hanako, but she'd be way too shy to help you. What to do?

>[Write-in]

>>528525
Talk to Mutou about lily, and inform him that you plan to talk to her and ask where she is

File: librarian.png (124 KB, 240x368)

124 KB PNG

>>528525
This is what Yuuko looks like, for the friends who didn't play KS

>>528525
Eh, just talk with Lilly if she does turn out to be bad news we'll be able to get some answers from Mutou about why he neglected to warn us despite knowing 'something' about her

>>528547
Supporting

>>528547
This

Staying safe takes priority. You will talk with Mutou after his class is over, and you'll discuss the details of the plan.
You hang around the school until the first period ends, then walk towards your classroom to meet your professor.

"Ah, Nakai. What is it?", he asks.

"I need to know all you can tell me about Lilly Satou"

"Lilly? there's nothing strange about her, why do you ask?"

"I saw her today and I started coughing up blood. It's not a good sign."

"It isn't. Have you talked with the nurse? Did your eyes trigger?"

"Yes, and no. Nurse says it's just a side-effect of not taking my medicines consistently"

"Then I am inclined to believe she's not our target".

"Right. Do you have any idea where she is? If she's not a monster or a demon, I need to talk with her. She probably knows something about Kenji"

"Of course, they were classmates. Good call, Nakai. I think she's in class right now, it's marked on the map as class 3-2. But maybe it's better to chat with her once lessons are over, or possibly during lunch. Anything else?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I need to bring you the relic"

"Ah yes, please do. I will be in my office today until 9 pm. Make sure to come by. And take the rest of the day off, I will work the details with the nurse"

"I will. Thanks for the help, professor"

"Anytime", he responds, leaving.

You have no plans for the morning now, and leaving campus will likely not be possible today. Finding Lilly and talking with her remains your priority. As you ponder on what to do, you see Hanako coming your way, looking at the floor intently.
It's not just her shyness, it's almost like she's stepping according to the rules of a game unknown to anybody but herself.

If there's anyone who knows about Lilly, it's her. Sure, she was shy enough to run away in tears last time, but she also mustered up the courage to talk with you this morning. She could probably introduce her to you, or in any case, make your meeting a bit less awkward. The alternative is looking for Lilly's classroom, then wait for lunchtime to approach her directly.

>Write-in

>>528759
Wait till she reaches a place with only one avenue of retreat. Cut said avenue. Say "HI!" friendly.

>>528759
Let Yuuko talk to Lilly, They're good friends.

>>528759
talk to Hanako

>Hi Hanako, sorry about running off so rudely yesterday without saying anything, my heart was acting up.
>Do you think you could mention to Lilly that I'd like to ask her some questions about my old roommate Kenji? I could treat you two to lunch or something as thanks.

>>528759
Try to ask her about lilly in general, also can't hisao kill his heart disease?

>>528858
>yesterday

earlier*

>>528859
for the same reasons a grade school biology class dissects frogs instead of performing triple bypass heart surgery on each other.

>>528864
Doesn't it kill concepts though?

>>528868
Sure, but we've barely even practiced with it.

The strain from using our eyes to kill a concept could fuck us up badly, or worse if we somehow fuck it up in the process we could just end up erasing Hisao, or maybe just his heart.

>>528859
Do you remember when Shiki tried to kill Roa who was inside him?

Do you remember he needed the support of Arcueid to do that?

Mutou did say that you could one day kill it, but your powers aren't trained enough yet.

You decide to strike up a conversation as soon as she comes close enough.
Stepping on all the tiles of the same color, Hanako draws nearer and nearer, until you finally decide to chat her up.

"Hey Hanako!, you greet her.

She looks up, startled. You took her by surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to run off earlier. My heart was acting funny"

"I-it's fine...", she stutters, looking down again.

"Uhm... Could I ask a favor of you?"

She keeps looking down, not answering your question. Not sure of what to do, you wait for her to say something.

"O-ok", she finally responds.

"Could you tell Lilly I would like to talk to her? I would like to ask her about my former roommate, who also happened to be Lilly's classmate. I can treat you two to lunch as thanks, if that's fine for you".

Hanako smiles faintly, then nods.
"Yes. L-let's h-have l-l-lunch together, H-Hisao. I-in t-the u-usual p-p-place, all t-together"

"The usual place? Where's that?"

Hanako blushes, bringing her hand to her mouth.
"S-sorry Hisao, I f-forgot. I'm s-so stupid", she whispers, tearing up.

"Hey hey, calm down. It's fine. I will be waiting for you outside our classroom, and then we'll go together. Is that fine?"

Hanako nods again, this time her smile is wider.
"S-see you later", she says, entering the classroom.

You have four more hours before lunch. Is there something in particular you'd like to do before that?

>Write-in

>>529110
research demon hunters in the library/on the internet

>>529145
Sounds good.

>>529110
fuck around with your eyes

>>529110
Start practicing your powers a bit more. Maybe go to your room, and on the way pick some flowers to test your powers on. See what can be Targeted on the living thing, possibly try to kill color or something on it.

>>529110
Yeah lets find a quiet spot and practice on some inanimate objects, if we start getting tired/ a headache we should stop right away though.

>>529110
Eye practice!

I apologize for the prolonged delay.

Right now I need to focus on a very pressing matter, I will return as soon as possible.

>>530752
It's cool. Take care of what you need to do.

if everything goes according to plan, we'll resume tomorrow.

I suggest you guys switch the [Sort By:] option to [Last Reply] when browsing the catalogue, so you'll be able to see when this quest is updated even if it's in autosage.

You head back to your room. There's something you want to try.
Used up notebooks, empty boxes, and a shirt that looks really ugly to you. You'll practice killing parts of them, without destroying the entirety of the object.

The notebooks come first. You try to focus on killing the ink inside them, but after stabbing them with your switchblade, they all come apart. Next up is the empty pizza boxes. They are not richly decorated, but there's the caricatural drawing of an Italian man cooking pizza on them. Once again, you focus and try to spot the death line corresponding to the caricature, but when you hit it, both boxes simply break down.

Lastly, it's the ugly shirt's turn. You want to kill its purple color, which looks too flashy for you. You stare at the corresponding death line for a few minutes, then finally stab it with all your might. The shirt comes undone, and a stronger headache assails you.

The light hurts your eyes, and you can barely stand. You lie down on your bed, hoping that this feeling will go away.
'I shouldn't have pushed myself', you bitterly think.

After what feels like five hours of excruciating pain, your headache finally wanes. You get up and see that your pillow is drenched in blood. It appears that you copiously bled from your nose, and some of it coagulated on your upper lip.

You check the time: only half an hour passed. You'll go to the bathroom, wash yourself and get ready for lunch. No need to push yourself more than that.

Loyal to her word, Hanako was waiting for you just outside the classroom.
You greet her, then follow her to the meeting point. The place she leads you to is a small room that most likely goes unnoticed by the rest of the students. The room is furnished with its own boiler and teapot, as well as a table and a few chairs.

Inside, Lilly is sitting by herself and drinking tea. She lifts her head, turning it in your direction.
"Hanako, I didn't know we had a guest today".

"I-it's, H-hisao, Lilly", Hanako explains stuttering.

Lilly carefully puts down her teacup, looking somewhat upset.

"My, my, Hanako. You must be quite familiar with this boy to call him by first name..."

"STOP IT!", Hanako interjects, almost screaming. "Stop it. What if he lost his memories? He's still our friend, isn't he?"

You have no clue what's going on, but Lilly looks positively dejected. You also didn't expect Hanako to have this sudden surge of courage.

"You're right. Hisao, I am dreadfully sorry. I... The accident just shocked me. When I heard your lost memories, I feared I had lost a friend. When you didn't recognize me earlier, I knew it for sure".

Lilly extends her hand in front of her, possibly looking for reassurance. Without hesitation, you grab it.

"I can imagine how you felt. In any case, after the accident I didn't push anyone away. If anything, I gave everyone a chance. If we were friends in the past, then let's continue from where we left off. Is that ok?"

Lilly nods, with tears in her eyes. "Welcome back, Hisao. We missed you"

The rest of the lunch goes on talking about trivial matters. Lilly looked quite shaken by the situation, so you decided to posticipate asking about Kenji until the very last moment.

The bell that signals the end of the lunch break chimes. It's your time to ask.

"Oh, Lilly, one last thing. Can you tell me about the guy who was with me a week ago? Kenji Setou, I think. Do you know anything about him?"

Lilly frowns. "He was... quite a peculiar person, but we were never close. He had the unfortunate tendency of presuming that the fair sex was his enemy. The Student Council should have a personal folder on his case, but I very much doubt they'll let you access it".

"I understand. In any case, thank you for telling me".

"Oh, don't mention it Hisao. There's no need to be this formal". This sentence sounds particularly strange coming from Lilly, considering how formal she is with you.

"H-Hisao... a-are y-y-you c-coming ba-back to c-class?", Hanako asks.

"I don't think so. I am having headaches coughing fits today, it's not wise for me to attend class"

"I see...", she answers, looking somewhat disappointed.

"In any case, me and Hanako will take our leaves now. If you wish to use this room, be our guest. Fare thee well, Hisao", Lilly says, standing up and leaning on Hanako for guidance.

"B-bye", Hanako mumbles, and once both girls exit, you're left alone, thinking of what to do next.

>[Write-in]

>>534879
Let's find the student council room and look for his folder while they're in class. If we don't have a clue, consult our map and or the nurse. We look until the bell rings to let out class and if we don't find it by then we wait outside of the room until the student council comes by, which we ask if they can find it for us, because we want to try to "jog our memory".

>>535160
supporting

>>535160
Seconding

>>535160
agreed

Talking with the girls of the Student Council takes priority, but there's not much you can do while they're still in class. You'll bide your time for now, and catch up with studying until the school day is over.

By the end of the lessons, you're standing next to your class, waiting for the Student Council duo to come out.
Finally you see them: the serious-looking Shizune and the cheerful Misha.

"Hey, girls!", you casually greet them.

"Haaai, Hicchan! How are you? You weren't in class today", Misha responds, signaling every word to Shizune.

"Oh, I was just a bit sick, and Mutou advised me to take it easy. How are you girls doing? Tired, I suppose".

Misha grins. "Of course we're tired. But we'll have to do Student Council work, there's no escaping that! Oh, if just we weren't all alone, doing this ungrateful job..."

"I know what you're getting at, but I don't think I am in any position to help you girls. Actually, I wanted to ask something of you"

Shizune's expression changes. She looks interested, and something mischievous shines in her eyes. Misha just keeps looking at you with her wide grin.

"Let's hear it, Hicchan."

"I asked Yuuko about Kenji, but she told me that she hadn't seen him in a year. Then I asked Lilly..."

A could passes over Shizune's face at the mention of Lilly, but she quickly returns to normal.

"...and she told me she doesn't know anything about him either. But she also mentioned a private folder that the Student Council has access to".

Misha turns her back on you, silently speaking with Shizune. After what looks like an animated conclusion, they reach a consensus.

"I am sorry, Hicchan. We can't let you see that folder, only Student Council members can"

"I know, I know, but I was hoping you could make an exception. You know, it could help me recover my memory", you plead.

"No exceptions, Hicchan. Dura lex, sed lex!", Misha responds, trying to look more serious than usual.

This is bad. They won't let you see the folder, and it looks like there's no way to persuade them. You could sneak there during the night, killing the lock as you've always done, but you have to locate the room first, and that's almost impossible by simple trial and error. You need to come up with something next.

>[Write-in]

>>537900
Offer limited assistance on projects and us getting no recognition in return for limited access. I imagine that a good of' fashioned break in would make it obvious it's us after this discussion.

>>537900
suggest they read it and tell us what they can without violating rules.

>>537900
Offer that we'll become a provisional member of stuco for at least three weeks in exchange for access.

>>537900

Try >>537983
Then >>538721

You sigh, making sure that Misha can hear you.
"How about we find a compromise? Just share with me the things you can tell without violating the rules."

"Sorry Hicchan, telling you anything at all would already be a violation of the rules"

"You drive an hard bargain, I see. Fair enough, what is it that you want in exchange? Help with some Student Council work?"

Misha takes her time to signal it to Shizune, who once again smiles mischievously.

"Here's our proposal, Hiccan. Help us today with some of the Student Council duties, and then we'll sit and talk and find an agreement. Do you accept?"

You ponder over it for a while. You'd be giving them assistance first, which exposes you to the risk of not being rewarded later.
However, this seems like a prerequisite to start the negotiations.

"Alright, I accept", you respond.

Both girls smile, and Misha tells you to follow them to the Student Council Room.

The Student Council Room is a regular classroom only Student Council members have access to. Unlike most classrooms, it is furnished with an iron closet, which you presume to be the archive, as well as with a huge pile of games.

Unfortunately, games are not the only thing there's a pile of. Modules, forms and reports are stacked upon the teacher's desk. Misha points them out to you. "This will be our job for today".

You don't remember anything of your past life, but you do know for sure now that you don't want a job that has to do with bureaucracy in your future. You put the pen down. After 3 hours of uninterrupted work, you're finally done.

"Very well. I did my part, now it's your turn. What else do you want to let me access that folder?"

Shizune and Misha share a conspiratorial smile. The Shizune picks a game off the pile: Risk.

"Shicchan says that you can look at the folder if you beat us at this game. We can teach you how to play if you don't know the rules. Do you accept our offer? It's not negotiable".

"What do you mean non-negotiable? You told me we'd find an agreement".

"And we did. Shicchan says, that by 'we' she meant me and her, not the two of us".

You clench your fists in rage. Sounds like you've been duped. Checking the time on the clock nailed to the classroom walls, you see that it's 8 pm. Mutou will be in his office for one more hour. What do you want to do?

>[write-in]

>>539176
>Guilt-trip those bitches

"Ah. I thought we were friends before I lost my memory, but it seems you were just using me. I probably should have known, but you seemed like such nice and deserving of being trusted people. Oh, how was I mistaken!"

If this doesn't work, mention that you'd rather be friends with Lilly than some duplicitous lass.

>>539176
Play the game

>>539179
>>539176
Let's do it. Don't know about that Lilly comment though, wouldn't help much.

>>539176
Shit we need to get Mutou his relic, we don't have time for Risk.

Tell them that we'll have to play some other time since you need to get something to a teacher.

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>>539179
This works. Everybody hates "Shiccan" anyway.

You put on your most convincing sad face. You'll play the victim for a bit.

"I thought we were friends before I had my accident, but now I see that you were just tricking me all along. Oh woe is me!"

Misha promptly translates to Shizune, who gives you a sarcastic look. Her hands start moving, and Misha quickly relays you her message.

"Stop being a whiner, it's not going to help you in any way. Play the game and give it your best shot. This is your best opportunity".

Begrudgingly, you take a seat. You listen to Misha's incoherent explanation of the rules, then give up midway and just reach for the instruction manual.

You have now a general understanding of the game and of its objectives. Considering Misha's happy-go-lucky's attitude and Shizune's competitive drive, you assume that the real opponent will be the deaf-mute girl.

During the game you focus your forces in a continued offensive against Shizune, pushing her back considerably. However, this strategy leaves your territories unguarded or undermanned, ripe for the taking by Misha. As your armies pull back trying to repeal the now enormous forces of the pink-haired girl, Shizune launches a counter-attack.

Fighting on two fronts, you're quickly cornered and defeated.

"I can't believe this. I wasted hours of my time on a stupid game", you grumble

"Don't be a sore loser, Hicchan! You just underestimated your opponent. You were too greedy to defeat the one you identified as the biggest menace, and left your re-ar-gu-ard exposed. Is rearguard even a word?"

Paying attention to Misha's hesitations and doubts is a good way to tell if it's her or Shizune speaking. In any case, at least you earned a life lesson.

You stand up, ready to leave, noticing the time and regretting not having visited Mutou's office.

"Hey Hicchan!", Misha shouts at you.

You turn around, and she throws a paper ball at you.

"That's Kenji's contact information, in case you want to contact him. His parents came to pick him up on Monday, so you could try calling home. Otherwise, the second number is his phone number. Good night, come play with us again!"

You put the ball in your bag, smiling and wishing them a good night.

'They did dupe me. Not in the way I suspected, but they duped me'.

You lay down on your bed, and the first thing you think about is that you'll have to apologize with Mutou. You take off your uniform and go to sleep, exhausted.

In the middle of the night, you're awaken by the loud noise of someone knocking on your door. Startled, you stand up. Just for safety, you reach for the knife on your table. Who could that be at this hour?

>Write-in

>>539762
Feels a bit railroady to me. 75% voted for emotional blackmail, yet Hisao doesn't make more than a token effort at it.

>Hide the knife in the PJ's left sleeve
>Ask "Who is it?" loudly

>>539762
grab the knife, answer the door in a way that whoever it is can't see it.

>>539787
>>539762
This

>>539787
Eh you're right. One of the 4 votes was actually against the blackmail though, and saying something so blackmaily might have had serious repercussions.

I should just warn you next time, after all you're adults, not toddlers.

>>539905
We've certainly been duped like a toddler though.

>>539974
By the girls, you mean?

They secretly just care a lot for you.

>>540059
Well, possibly. But actually this situation reminded me of how emotional abuse often goes. Making the victim do something they don't want to do using social mores and emotional connection, insisting that the victim is the one in the wrong for not liking it, maintaining the illusion of amiability afterwards, it's all there.

Holding your knife tight, you move closer to the door.
"Who is it?", you ask, almost whispering.

"Suzuki Suzu". The response comes in a normal tone of voice, but since there's nothing but silence around you, it sounds much louder than it actually is.

You carefully open the door, and see Mutou's doll standing right in front of you. Upon seeing you, she bows deeply.
"Please forgive me for disturbing you so late at night, Nakai. I must recover the relic for Master Mutou".

Realizing that there is no danger, you put the knife back on the desk.
"Of course, I will get it for you. Come on in", you invite her.

After taking a few steps and entering in your room, the doll bows again.
"Sorry for intruding"

"There's no need to be that formal, Suzu...ki", you quickly correct yourself. Since she's keeping her distance, she might not appreciate you calling her by her first name

You look for the relic in your bag, basically turning it inside out, until finally you find it. You hand it over to her, and she delicately grabs it, paying attention not to damage it any further.

"As I was saying, Suzuki, there's no need to be so formal. After all, we're friends, right?"

She stares back at you blankly. "We are... friends?"

"That's right. We are".

"What is a friend, Nakai?"

"Ahem... good question. A friend is a person you can trust, a person who will help you as much as possible. A friend is a person who you can be yourself with, a person you can have fun with. In fact, life is a lot better with friends", you awkwardly explain.

Your intent was communicating a difficult concept in simple terms, given that the doll's intelligence might be lower than a human's. The end result, however, left much to be desired.

"Nakai, you certainly don't have a way with words", Suzuki comments.

You take your lumps in silence, bowing slightly and wishing the doll goodnight.
She does the same, and once she leaves, you close the door and lock it.

The alarm wakes you up at the usual time. Despite your late night meeting, you don't feel particularly tired, so you get up and starting thinking of what to do with your day. Shall you take another day off? Mutou will no doubt cover for you, but you should probably tell him about the information you collected so far.

>write-in

>>540256
Lets do the school thing, having something to do will help us stay emotionally stable.

>>540392
>>540256
Yeah, going would be beneficial

>>540256
Let's train on the track tonight. We could use some more speed.

>>540256
We have no information collected so far. And the "secret folder" turned out to be two phone numbers, what the hell girls!

Let's call Nakai's parents and continue the investigation.

>>541740
Damn. Not Nakai's parents, Kenji's parents obviously.

Are you kill, OP?

>>542175
I am submitting today the final version of the thesis for my bachelor. If all goes well I should be back later this evening.

>>542414
Wow. Best of luck dude.

The best way to accomplish your goals for now is to continue your daily school life. You take a shower and wear your uniform, and once you're ready to leave, you open the door.

As soon as you do, you're greeted by an unusual sight. Suzu-doll is right in front of you, and bows deeply upon seeing you.

"Good morning, Nakai. I hope you slept well. Shall we get going?"

"Get going... where, exactly?"

Suzu tilts her head quizzically. "To class, of course. Yesterday you said we were friends. You said friends do things together, didn't you?"

"Y-yeah, you have a point, but we are assigned to different classes"

"Indeed. However, we can still walk together for a while, can we not?"

You nod. There's really no reason to deny her what she asked, even if strolling by Suzu's clone makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. Her figure hanging from the slipknot surfaces from your memory, and you fight your hardest to bring your attention somewhere else.

It doesn't help that Suzuki is following you without uttering a word, carefully staying a few steps behind you, almost like a maid.

"I need to go this way now. Please take care and work your hardest, Nakai", she says at one point, taking her leave.

"I will. See you, Suzuki"

You walk into class a few minutes before the beginning of lessons. Hanako comes in accompanied by Lilly. You wave at both of them, before remembering that Lilly can't see you.

"Good morning, Lilly", you tell her, trying to make up for your mistake.

"Why, good morning to you, Hisao. I am pleased to know that you are an early riser. Being punctual is another way of being polite", she praises you.

'Lilly is a much more enjoyable person to be around when I don't forget my medications', you think.

Unfortunately, the blonde girl leaves before you can come up with a proper reply, chuckling as she passes you by.

The loud noise of fingers snapping brings you back to reality. The Student Council is back with a vengeance, looking down at you with outright hostility. They probably snuck up on you while you were staring at Lilly's figure leaving.

"HIC-CHAN!", Misha says, dividing your nickname in syllables to add emphasis. "That's the enemy you're flirting with. How does it feel, huh? To be a filthy traitor?...hey, Shicchan, isn't this a bit too mean? I think Lilly is a nice person", Misha interjects in her own soliloquy.

Shizune's hands move at lightning speed, a clear signal of how upset she is with her own friend. Misha timidly tries to defend herself, signaling back to her, but it looks like it's no use.

The silent fight is broken by the arrival of Mutou, who comes in the room sipping on a large cup of coffee.

"Good morning everYAAAAAWN. Please take your sit and divide into groups", he says, pulling a huge pile of paper out of his bag.

You don't know much at this point, but if you want to inform Mutou of your progress, and to apologize for ditching him yesterday, you should find a way to communicate that to him when he passes by. He is, so far, the only access you have to a telephone.

Otherwise, you can simply postpone your meeting for when you have more details to give him.

>Write-in

>>542827
Let's talk with him when we actually have something interesting to talk about, for now focus on school and information gathering.

>>542956
seconded, lets try to find any information about vampires/demon hunters on the internet or occult books

>>542956
This

>>542827
>>542956
>>543269
>>543439

>He is, so far, the only access we have to a telephone
>All we got is two telephone numbers

We need to contact him if only to get to a phone.

>>543901
Slip a note to him, apologizing and asking when we can weet with him..

You'll pass for now. Gathering more information takes priority, even if you're not exactly sure how to do that. It feels like you've gathered all the information you could about Kenji . More than that, you have his telephone number, so you even have the chance of directly contacting him.

In any case, you'll play it safe. You'll spend this day as an ordinary high schooler, looking for more information about vampires, demons, and the occult.

Mutou's exercises aren't particularly difficult today. You solve them together with Misha and Shizune, then offer to bring the solutions to the professor's desk. You conceal an hand-written note between the sheets, telling the professor what your plan is for the day, what your main findings are, and offering to meet him the following day.

As the lesson finishes, Mutou stands up and nods in your direction. He apparently understood and agreed with your plan, and that is relieving. Not much happens for the rest of the morning.

The lunch bell chimes, and you prepare to leave for the cafeteria.

"Hey Hicchan, are you gonna have lunch with us?", Misha proposes.

"I am afraid that's impossible, Mikado, Hakamichi", a mechanical voice responds in your place.

It's the Suzuki doll, standing on the doorstep and speaking in her usual polite mannerism. She bows in your direction, then lifts a box she is holding with her left hand. "In order to avoid monetary constraints, I prepared our lunch myself. We must be parsimonious with our finances", she explains.

Misha and Shizune look at you dumbfounded, as you apologize with a nod and leave.

Suzuki is silent all through lunch, as you expected. The food she cooked, however, was delicious.

"Thanks for the meal, Suzuki. It was really good. But, you see..."

"Is there a problem with my cooking, Nakai? Was the meal not balanced enough?"

"No, no. That's not it at all. I am just saying, you don't have to do these things for me, or hang around with me. It feels like you're forcing yourself".

Suzuki gives you a quizzical expression. "I do not understand, Nakai. Are you trying to cease our friendly relations?"

"Quite the opposite, I'd like to continue being friends. But only if you want that too"

Suzuki nods understandingly. "I am most pleased to hear that. Please look forward to our next encounter", she announces, before taking back the empty box and standing up.

Almost at the same time as this happens, the bell rings. You stand up and get ready to leave, when something catches your attention.
The plant by the window in the cafeteria has dried out and turned yellow. You move towards it to get a closer look. This plant was green and healthy just yesterday, so what happened?

Just outside the window, you notice a ball of feathers. A gust of wind blows, and half of the ball flies away. Now that it's open, you can see a tiny skeleton on the inside.

Somebody or something literally drained the life out of the plant and of a tiny bird. Could this be how vampires operate?
You ponder if you need to change your plans. You had planned to attend evening classes too, but maybe looking for information online or in the library takes precedence.

>Write-in

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>>544312
The doll is probably slated to die in an "accident".

>>544313
I doubt the library or Internet would contain info on Dead Apostles. Let's meet Mutou instead and ask him things.

>>544327
I don't know, after the way OP killed off the real Suzuki surely this one comes no strings attached.

>>544327
seconded

Clearly you can't afford to play around. You need to talk with Mutou now. You turn around and walk towards the Suzu doll.

"Suzuki, change of plans. Could you contact Mutou for me? I need to talk with him urgently".

The girl nods, then gestures for you to stay where you are. You wait there a few minutes, then see the middle aged man and the doll walking towards you.

"What is it, Nakai? I don't have much time", Mutou says, skipping the formalities. You decide you'll do the same.

"A plant in the cafeteria turned yellow overnight. I've also found a bird drained to death nearby. This is by no means a good sign, but could it be a vampire?"

Mutou rubs his chin. "It could, but it would be a very unconventional one. Stay on Setou like I told you to do, for now"

"Oh, yes, about that. I have his phone number. It's not much, but I guess it's something".

The professor nods. "It definitely is. After class, pass by my office. It's high time you got your own cellphone, so I have one ready for you. And this time, please, actually come".

Without waiting for a reply, he turns around and leaves.

"Nakai, it's bad to be late", Suzuki scolds you.

"I know, I know. It won't happen again. I shouldn't be keeping you, you probably have class. Sorry".

Suzuki bows once again. "I appreciate your concern. I will depart at once. Have a good afternoon"

You wave your hand at her, then walk towards your own class.
You follow the rest of the lessons for the day, not without some worries about the life-drainer freely hanging around.

You look at the vacant desk that used to belong to Miura. She's been absent from class for a while, and strange rumors are starting to spread.

'The Student Council should take care of this already', you think as you leave the room.

Mutou asked you to go see him right after class, but if there's any urgent business you need to take care of, you better do that first.

>Write-in

>>547220
Oh shit it's the route lock!

>Don't think we have any other plans at the moment.

>>547220
>Just twiddle your thumbs before class

>>547220
>I ain't got nothing to do

>>547220
Are you the Fate: Broken Destinies QM?

>>547220
>Go see Mutou for your meeting

Without hesitation, you head to Mutou's office/atelier. You knock a few times on the door, then Mutou opens it and lets you in.

"I need to leave early today, so I am going to give you your phone and then I'll kick you out of here. Your mobile isn't the latest model on the market, but it works and it has money on it, so it'll be good enough"

"Sure, that will do", you nod in agreement.

Mutou rummages through the drawers of his desk, until finally he produces a tiny phone and its charger. He hands them over to you, then with a gesture of his hands he asks you to leave.

You're a bit hurt by Mutou's manners, but you blame it on whatever is keeping him busy as well as on your conduct, which hasn't been always excellent.

As soon as you get to your room, you open your phone. It is completely charged, and the signal reception seems to be good too. You input the telephone number of Kenji's house carefully, then press the green 'call' button.

The phone rings a few times, but no one picks up. You decide to try calling Kenji's mobile instead, and after a few rings, you hear a voice that sounds familiar on the other side.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Ahem, am I talking with Kenji Setou?", you hesitantly ask.

"Yeah, who is it?"

"Kenji, it's me. It's Hisao"

"Oh h-hey dude, l-long time no talk! How are you doing?", he says, sounding a bit nervous.

"Well, I recently had this accident and my memory's been wiped out. Other than that I am good"

"Oh yeah, the rooftop accident. Man, I am sorry. We should have gone easy on the alcohol. I really really am sorry", he apologizes, sounding really contrite.

"It's ok, let's look at the bright side of things: we're both still alive"

"Yeah, that's true! That's very true! We're alive right now, fighting together side by side against the feminist conspiracy! By the way, do you have money to lend me?"

"No, not really. Why do you ask?"

"Because I could use some. But you know what, never mind. Just come see me this evening, ok? We need to talk. Oh, and please come alone, I think the feminists set spies on me following my every move"

"This evening? Where are we supposed to meet?"

"Just come to the town. You won't need to find me, I will find you".

"But..." You have no time to reply. Kenji has hung up on you, leaving you with no chance to object.
You sigh. Something tells you that if he wants you to come alone, he's probably dangerous.

Getting up from your chair quickly gives you a faint headache, but you bear with it. You need to rush and reach Mutou's office and alert him before he leaves.

And yet you're too late. You keep banging on Mutou's door, but no one comes to answer it. You'll have to make your mind up on your own.

>Write-in

>>547451
No I am not

In other news, the first thread of the Garden of Cripples has been archived.

The link is here:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=The%20Garden%20of%20Cripples

>>548106
We wouldn't be a VN protagonist if we didn't come alone to what may well be a vampire ambush, would we?

Did we give Mutou the hand, by the way?

>>548125
We gave it to Suzu, who presumably gave it to Mutou.

>>548106
Let's go.
What's the worst that could happen?

>>548125
>>548302
seconded

>>548106
lets go, we can't let Kenji face the feminist threat by himself

>>548106
Drop by the nurse and ask for his and mutou's number, saying it would be nice good idea to have there contacts for emergencies. Then, text Mutou where we are headed.

Not all hope is lost: the nurse is a good friend of Mutou, and he probably has his phone number.
You reach the infirmary to see if he's there, but the one who answers the door is not him.

It's a middle-aged woman you've never met before, who explains that the medical staff works in shifts, since full coverage is necessary 24/7. Disappointed, you leave.

You have your phone and your knife with you. Curfew will come soon, so your one chance to leave the campus is now. Cursing yourself for your own rashness, you leave through the main gate, which is surprisingly unattended.

You run away as fast as you can, then stop 10 minutes later. You breathing is labored and your heart hurts. 'I really should start training', you observe as the pain subsides.

You walk the rest of the way at a normal pace, holding fast to your concealed knife and looking left and right.
The town is only dimly lit, but it's better than the road you had to take to get there, which was completely dark.

You hear a few footsteps here and there, but every time you turn around, you see nobody. This makes your heart beat faster, a rhythm it can't keep up for long.

Wandering aimlessly, you find yourself stuck in a dead-end street. Turning around to leave, you see him.
The same guy that was in the picture, with messy hair, thick glasses and a colorful scarf.

"Sup", he says, coming a bit closer. His body odor is disgusting, and you have to fight back the urge to puke.

"Hey Kenji, glad to see you again. How have you been?"

"Oh I have been good. I hope you've been good too. Now, shall we continue from where we left off?"

"I am sorry, I really don't remember anything about our past conversations. You'd have to start from the beginning"

Kenji makes an annoyed face. "I guess it can't be helped. Hisao, women are dangerous. Women are evil! They suck our vital energy through intercourse"

"Intercourse?"

"Yes. I was able to charm a girl thanks to my natural charisma and my good looks, and let me tell you, sex is a trap devised by women to make us powerless. And yet, our natural instincts make us crave it. But now, Hisao, things have changed. Now we fight back"

"I am afraid I am not following you. Have you never had a biology class? It's not that you get drained, you just experience post-coital tristesse"

"Oh yes, that's the lie they tell nowadays", he responds, coming one step closer. "But you and I, Hisao, we know the truth. We can give women a taste with their own medicine".

Kenji takes off his glasses and opens his mouth. His teeth are long and sharp, and his red eyes shine with a sinister light.

"It may be a bit painful at first, Hisao, but with this, I will turn you into the definitive feminist-slaying machine. Just bear with it, ok?"

Kenji comes even closer. Lines start appearing over every object in your field of vision. In particular, you see two lines over Kenji. One represents the concept of 'vampire', the other represents the concept of 'Kenji'.

Which one should you aim for?

>Vampire
>Kenji
>[Write-in]

>>549047
>>Vampire
>> Also keep an eye out for either the concept of conspiracy theory, feminist agenda, fear of women or something along those lines

>>549047
>Vampire
Worst case Kenji gets a knife inside him. Win-win, I say.

>post-coital tristesse
And you said Hisao doesn't know obscure words.

>>549240
>>549047
This

>>549369
I admit I threw that in for comedic effect, he could have in all likelihood know about hematopoietic medicines too given his condition.

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You wait for the moment to strike. Three more steps, you pull your knife out and put it behind your back.
Two more steps, the blade slides out of the handle.
One more step, you change your grasp on the knife to end this in one move.

He leans in to bite you, and at the same time, you swing your knife in an horizontal arc. His reflexes are much better than yours, however, and he dodges the attack by jumping backwards.

"What... what was that just now, Hisao? That strike would have been fatal... even for a great vampire like me!"

"It wouldn't have been. It would have cured you. Bear with me through this process, Kenji. I can still save you", you say, changing the grasp once again into something more comfortable for a prolonged fight.

"Nonsense! Hisao, this is our weapon! Our weapon to destroy the sisterhood? Why do you want to throw it away?"

"It's not a weapon, it's an abomination. There's no sisterhood, Kenji. The real enemy is monsters like you"

Kenji lauhgs sarcastically. "This way too funny, Hisao. A first-class monster like you, calling me a monster. Oh yes, I saw what you became when I got closer to you. Well luckily for me, you came here alone".

Behind Kenji, a number of people appear. Two of them are middle-aged, then there's a group of three young girls.
"Hisao, meet my entourage. We'd like to have a talk with you about the benefits of vampirism and the evils of feminism. Would you care to listen?", he sarcastically asks, as the mob draws closer and closer.

You can barely see them under the moonlight, but you have no doubt. These people are no longer alive, turned by Kenji into 'the Dead'.
Their throat has been pierced, and nothing but a growling sound comes from there. It's a scene that makes your bowels twist.

It's so disgusting that even your resolve to fight weakens. The grasp on your knife grows more and more feeble, as the sheer horror of what you're observing overcomes you.

'Kill him, Hisao. Just stab him to death. He's beyond salvation anyway', a voice inside you whispers.

'No, I shouldn't kill him. I can still save him, there's still a shred of humanity inside him!', you protest.

'Don't kid yourself. Mutou said it, all you can do is killing. Just kill him, Hisao. Tear him to pieces, cut him down. That's all you're good for. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him'

"I DON'T WANT TO KILL HIM!", you cry in exasperation. The mob of undead is now just a few steps from you.

Suddenly, something falls from the sky. A white figure decapitates the two undead closer to you, then with a powerful kick, she knocks Kenji further away. The Dead hit the floor and turn to ashes.

Recovering from the shock and from your delirious thoughts, you tighten your grip and cut the lines on two of the Dead still standing.
Falling on their knees, they turn into ash as well, and with one final cleave, you kill the last of them.

You shift your attention to the white figure and Kenji. The person who came to your rescue is the Suzu doll, now standing between you and Kenji.

"You damn skank! I will smash the sisterhood!", Kenji shouts as he charges forward against Suzu.
The doll elegantly dodges the attack, and with a blunt movement chops off Kenji's right arm.

"AAAAARGH! YOU BITCH!", Kenji screams, piercing through the doll's body with his left arm.

You understand that it's your moment to strike. Without further hesitation, you cut his "vampire" line, and Kenji falls prone to the ground.

"That really hurts, Hisao", he whispers. "I thought we were friends".

"Stay calm, Kenji. Once this is over, you'll turn back into a human. You won't have to suck anyone's blood ever again", you try to reassure him.

"You... moron...", Kenji responds, before turning into dust.

You drop your knife on the ground. You didn't try to kill him, you tried to cure him. So why? What happened? Why couldn't you save him?

'You know very well why. Because you're a killer, Hisao. You killed him because that's all you can do'

"No, shut up, shut up! It was an accident! It was an accident!", you try to argue back.

But it's futile. The ground is stained by blood, the boy you tried to save is dead. You feel like throwing up. Why is that everything you touch dies? Why must you be cursed so?

"Nak..ai..."

Suzu's doll calls for you feebly. You had almost forgotten about her, and that makes you feel very disappointed in yourself. Who forgets about his own savior?

You lift her up in your arms. She's surprisingly light. The hand that decapitated two zombies and cut Kenji's arm shines of a silver light under the moon. 'I see... he made you into a weapon', you finally realize.

"Calm down, Suzu. It's going to be ok, Mutou will fix you"

"Nak..ai... I am sorry, I broke down... but I am glad I could help you...", Suzuki says with ragged breath.

"You shouldn't have come!", you respond, angry.

Smiling, she lifts her hand to caress your face, the one that hasn't been turned into a weapon.

"But Nakai... you said 'a friends will help you as much as possible'...and you called me by name... Nakai, you're my friend...aren't you?...We are friends".

"Yes, Suzu. We are friends".

"I am... most pleased".

Uttering these words, the doll of Suzu Suzuki closes her eyes. She will never open them again.

This concludes Thread 3. It wasn't as fast as I hoped, but it's over now.
The thread fell so low down the catalog it might not even be there tomorrow. I will start a new one tomorrow morning. Until then, we can use this thread to discuss the quest.

What did you like? What did you dislike?
Was the free-roaming system a mistake?

>>551251
What the hell happened to doll!Suzu? One moment she decapitates zombies and the next she's dying?

>>551260
>Was the free-roaming system a mistake?
it certainly made us grasp for straws, I would rather you throw in write-ins occasionally

>>551282
A Dead is much, much, much weaker than a Vampire.

Also don't forget how important the element of surprise is. She jumped off a roof right into them.

>>551285
Roger that. I mean after all I do give you indication of where you could *possibly* go, so I just need to formalize that+giving a write-in.

>>551315
Argh dammit, I just missed the part where Keiji stabbed her. After reading through the post four times, no less.
This is a sign. I have to go sleep.

Thanks for running. Do you have a Twitter to follow?

>>551336
I don't. In any I case if anything happens I will be sure to notify you guys here on /qst/ through these threads.

Basically if you see no 'GoC4' tomorrow as you wake up, I might very well be dead.

>>551390
Turns out I am still alive>>555354