dawn of the golden witch; chapter twelve ( logic-error )

[endlesswitch]

The entrance to the mansion was locked, but Erika had a master key, so she opened it without any trouble.

She had gotten Krauss and the others to take the master keys from the servants, and at that time, she had used a little sleight of hand to pilfer one of them...
"Well THEN. Where shall we go FIRST?"
"Why ask? ......Let's go and hear Battler-san's answer."
Grinning, Erika cut across the entrance hall and passed in front of the dining hall......deeper...deeper.

......She headed for the guest room Battler had lain dead in.
Battler could put off deciding whether the seals would remain whole or not until the moment right before Erika witnessed them.
However, once she did witness them, ......the Game Master would have to show what had happened to them.

In the witch's game they were in now, ...the simple act of going to check the seals around the guest room was an attack.
".........Are you READY, Lord BATTLER?"
"Yeah. ......Or as you would say it, .........come, step forward."
"! Then show us your response. Well now, ......are the seals broken or are they not? Has the closed room been preserved, ......or hasn't it...?!"
The piece Erika held high in the air......was the white queen, which represented herself.
Her target......was Battler's position. She cut in...
Erika dashed down the hallway with a sickening smile and clung to the guest room door like a spider.

Then, she closely examined the seals she had placed retroactively.
"............Heh......heheheheheheheheeheheheheheehheh! ......Are you sure...? .........Are you sure, ...Battler-saaaaaaan...?!"
"I, ......is this alright, Battler-san...?"
"......Yeah, I can't back down here. ......After all, even if I'm sealed in here, ......there are ways of placing the letter."
"But now, Erika will probably enter the guest room. And then, she will observe your corpse. ......What are you going to do?! If the corpse is there, then there's no problem. ......The letter's prediction missed, but it's not as though there's a penalty for that. ......But still......you intend to fight head on...!"
"There are times......when a man is challenged head on...that he has to respond, no matter who the opponent. ......I must not...pull back here. ......I'll take that challenge. I can search for a way out all I want to later...! I managed to do that with Kinzo's study last time...! ......Don't worry...I can do it...! I can do it!! Come on, Erikaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"We have confirmed that the seals to the guest room are UNDAMAGED. Since the time Lady Erika confirmed Battler's existence, this closed room has been PRESERVED."
"!! I'm breaking the seals!! Rip, tear!! Heh, hehihihihihihihihihihihi!!!"
Erika destroyed the duct tape seal on the door in ecstasy...

It looked as though the intellectual rapist had finally laid her true nature bare.
"......Okay, ......I'm opening it...... Please watch... ...Here's Battler-san's......naked scenario...!! Hehihihahahaahaaaaaaaaahhh!!!"
Like a ruffian pushing down a weak girl, ......Erika mercilessly and greedily threw the door open.
Then, finally, ......the inside of Battler's guest room was observed by Erika.

Battler had to show it.

.........Was there a corpse, or wasn't there?
", Battleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhh, here's my respooooooonse!!"
Battler grabbed a black piece from the board and raised it high.
......Aah, ......that piece......

Beato had no memories of the time she had been an expert at this game.
And yet, ......for some reason, she realized that this was a move that could not be taken back.
Once this piece was moved, they couldn't move it back...!!

Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!
......The guest room was covered by a silent darkness.

It was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.
......However, there was a light switch just off to the side of the entrance.

If she flicked that, the room would be lit up, and she would see whether or not there was a corpse on the bed.
".........Turning them ON."
"No, ......wait a second please. ......Battler-san, I have a proposal."
"Let me hear it."
"I think you already know, ......but this time around, I am not after a classic sort of victory. ......My enemy is not the lowly culprit killing the pieces, ......but my opponent, you yourself."
".........I know. ......So, ......you're after a logic error."
"Heheh......"
"......I'm seriously regretting it now. ......You were acting so miserable that I fell for it completely, ......and I gave you a ridiculous privilege."
".........It was your PRIDE. ......It will cost you DEARLY."
".........Damn......it......"
"......So, ...what is your proposal?"
With a firm voice, Beato urged her to continue.
Until just a second ago, she had remained behind Battler's back, a bit flustered.

......However, she was steady now.
......She saw that Battler had let his emotions take control and had been lured into making a bad move......and realized that it was time for her to stay cool and support him.
Erika's proposal couldn't be anything good.
And on top of that, Erika was sly.

She probably wouldn't make a proposal that would be easily rejected...
"I will now turn on the light. The top of the bed will be lit up, and it will be decided whether or not Battler has disappeared as the letter predicted. ......If he's there, great. There's nothing strange at all. The letter's prediction would just be wrong. ......Of course, the argument would probably switch over to 'then who put the letter there?', but for the time being, the location of the fight would move outside this closed room."
"............And...if he's missing...?"
Beato already knew.
She knew the move that Battler had made a second ago.

......Battler had......already disappeared from this room......

Therefore, they would need to prepare a disappearing trick other than 'he was actually alive and left through the door'.
The situation is simple.

First, this room is a closed room.
Also, Battler's life or death status has not been confirmed.

In other words, there is no problem if he is alive.
They had to make Erika think that Battler had vanished from this situation.

He just had to escape from the room, ......or if that wasn't possible, he just had to hide somehow and wait for her to leave, making her think that he had disappeared.
"Inside this tiny room, ......I will now begin our endgame.........the chase after the king. It should end in just a few moves. You'll be unable to construct the logic needed to let Battler escape from this room, .........and the tale will be destroyed--game over."
".........Fighting to keep that from happening is our job. ......What is this proposal of yours?"
"An endgame fought over a logic error should be a bit more precise. ......Once again, we will fight with the red and blue truths, but we need a referee on the same level as the Game Master to observe and see that he doesn't create any logic errors with the red truth."
"......Th, that seems reasonable."
"There's nothing special about this. ......Back when the old you was the Game Master, you were under the observation of your guardian, Lady Lambdadelta. In that way, it was judged that all red truths were effective."
"......So, you're telling us to show Lambdadelta our cards?"
"I've been watching since the beginning. ......It's okay, don't worry. I am impartial in my judgments."
"C, can you say that in red...?"
"Yep. I swear that I am impartial in my judgments. .........I was very impartial in the last game, wasn't I?"
"......Especially for interesting judgments where she doesn't care which way it falls. .........Accept it, Battler. Erika is going to corner you. Understand? .........She will duel with you and kill you in this room. ......If you're a man, accept the duel......!"
"S, ......sure, fine. .........We won't get anywhere if you suspect every single impossible murder I show of being a logic error. ......It's true that we need an observer to guarantee that the game is legitimate."
"Then I'll come around to your side. ......Let me take a look at your hand. ............Hmmmmm......?"
Lambdadelta understood what Battler had up his sleeve.

......And she confirmed that Erika's first move had indeed gone straight through his heart.
Just as Erika had guessed, Battler was alive, had slipped out of the room after Erika had examined his 'corpse', ......placed the letter by the guesthouse, and hid himself somewhere.

When the duct tape seals had been retroactively placed on the guest room, ......he would have had to show that they had been torn.
However, if he had done that, it would be the same as admitting that he had been seen through and that he had lost.

Unwilling to admit that, Battler had claimed that the seals had been maintained, with false courage, and was now rushing to revise his logic.
True, he could still escape for a few more moves.

......However, Erika was planning to corner and kill him here...
"......Battler. ......You're fighting with some pretty incredible cards here."
"Cards...? ......Does this game of chess look like a card game to you?"
"......To me, it looks as though you all are playing a game of poker. So, by moving to this side and looking at the cards you hold, I understand everything. .........That's an awful move. It's a complete waste... And Erika has already seen right through you."
"............Heheh... What would you do?"
"I'm the referee. I can't give you advice. ......But let me tell you my impressions."
"No, that's okay."
"......It's chilling. ......You're trying to use this useless move.........this baseless bluff......to make Erika back down... ...She's not going to back down, that girl. ......After all, ......you're the one who should be throwing his chips in and folding now..."
"......Thanks for the advice. .........Battler-san. I agree with her. ......Let's back down from the fight in this room. We don't have any winning cards..."
"Are you hoping for a card change to turn this into something more useful...? ......I thought you were playing chess... In the world of chess, ......if you rely on luck......you die......"
By 'hoping for a card change', ......she meant relying on luck and hoping that, though he couldn't think of a trick now, he might think of a good plan for making a closed room trick later on.
If you enter into the fight......without any trick in mind......you get killed...!

Now was the time to back down.
When Erika flipped the switch, ......he just had to be sleeping there on that bed.

......That's all......he needs!
"......Lambda. I don't know what you're talking about, but you're chatting too much. A referee needs to be impartial."
"True...... ......Then, good luck, Battler. ......I'm hoping for a precise, chess-like battle. ......You aren't playing poker, ......are you......?"
"Are you ready, Battler-san?"
"Yeah, I am...... ......Turn the lights on whenever you want."
"For the rest of the fight in this room, the progression of time will be stopped. This way, all the moves for both players will be made at the same time, and the first move made will be treated no differently than the last move. ......That might be hard to understand, but that's a rule to protect you and your logic."
"......From here on out, you can use all the twisted logic you want to rebuild the trick in this room. ......In other words, it's possible that you might think of a good idea partway through the fight. ......Normally, it's unfair to revise your plot partway through. In order for that to be acceptable, ......you need a world stopped in time, where everything happens at once, ......and where logic that you think of afterwards can counter your opponent's earlier moves."
"Of course, Erika can take advantage of this rule as well. ......If you revise your trick to be a new one, she can deal with that in a different way."
".........This is pretty complicated..."
"It's simple. ......It's like a corrupt politician's war of twisted logic. ......You lie shamelessly. When evidence is shown revealing that lie, you retract those previous lies and say that you just remembered it wrong, then change to a new lie that doesn't have any contradictions. ......The fight goes between a lie, then evidence exposing it, then another lie, ......like a fight between two snakes spinning around trying to eat each other's tails."
"! ......Just think of it as a world in which you're allowed to use twisted logic based off of your opponents moves as often as you want. ......I used that myself when sealing this room. So, I thought it was only fair to let you do the same."
"......You have no shame, do you...?"
"OK!! Then let's have both sides begin! Will Erika take the first move? Will she start by checking the bed...by checking to see what he's bet?!"

"Yeah, let's start by checking to see if Battler's on the bed. ......Erika, begin."
"Leave it to me, my master! ...!"
With a *click*, ......the sound of the light switch rang out......and the bulb turned on, lighting up the room.

......On Battler's......bed......was......
".........Dlanor. Confirm it with the red."
"YES. ......Ushiromiya Battler-"
"No, it's my move. ......I'll say it. ............Ushiromiya Battler is not on the bed."
". .........I'm glad you didn't run away from the fight. I'm impressed."
"......It's a high-stakes battle, so it'll cost you a lot if you're the one who loses. Are you prepared...?"
"*giggle* No one would raise the stakes unless they felt confident in their advantage."
"......Dlanor. Keep a record."
"As you WISH."
At Dlanor's nod, Cornelia, who was hanging back, started taking a record.

She wrote down that Battler's corpse, which should have been on the bed, was not, ......and also that Battler hadn't backed down from this closed room game...
"As previously announced, Battler's first move is to have the corpse vanish. ......Now it's Erika's turn. Go ahead."
"......I present the possibility that Ushiromiya Battler is alive and hiding somewhere in this room. I proclaim this with the blue truth."
"Ineffective. If you want to use the blue truth, give me a specific location."
"......Pfft. ......In the last game, Beato did that in Kinzo's study, and Dlanor made Swiss cheese of her, right...? I guess this is revenge...*giggle*..."
"Before I start searching, I have one blue truth I can use without a search. There is a possibility of a hidden door X that is impossible to discover. He's hidden behind that, so it is impossible for me to find him."
"Knox's 3rd. It is forbidden for hidden passages to exist. ......That right?"
"......No hidden places that are impossible for Erika-san to find exist inside the guest room."
"Knox's 3rd......EFFECTIVE."
". ......Then let's get started with the search."
......Erika slowly began to walk around the room......

Until the endgame had started, Erika had been energetic, jumping about impatiently like a hungry dog.
However, ......now that it had actually begun...

......This was a stifling battle of wits......where each breath made her tense...

Even the quiet sound of the rain......was distracting......
"Now that I've searched the room, what is its layout?"
"......The guest room is divided into two rooms, the bedroom and the BATHROOM. Lady Erika has currently searched the entire bedroom SECTION. There is only one EXCEPTION."
".........I'll leave that one place be for the time being. So, were there any irregularities discovered in the bedroom?"
"There were NONE. Except for one location, there is no one to be seen in the BEDROOM."
"......What's this 'except for one location' business? Say it without being annoying."
"There's a reason a face-down card remains face down. ......I'll turn it over if it's needed, so look forward to it. ......*giggle*."
After thoroughly checking the bedroom, ......Erika headed for the bathroom door.
Since he wasn't in the bedroom, it was natural to think that he was in the bathroom.

And, since the guest room was made up of two rooms, if Battler wasn't in the bathroom either......it would mean that he had managed to vanish from the closed room.

......Except for that single location which Erika had intentionally left unchecked......
"I'm checking the bathroom."
"......Lady Erika. ......The sound of water can be heard from INSIDE. Also, there is a faint HEAT."
"Ooh......? ......Don't tell me he's taking a shower... Is it locked or anything...?"
"No, it isn't locked. Go ahead and open it."
"......Then, if you'll allow me."
Slowly......Erika put her hand on the doorknob on the bathroom door......
......She tried to push it open, but felt a strange resistance.

Of course, it wasn't the resistance of the lock.

......It felt......as though it had an unnatural load on it......
Out from the slightly open crack poured the hot air from the shower.

However, it was unlocked, so there probably wasn't anyone taking a shower.

After letting a dumbfounded expression rise to her face, Erika slammed into the door with her whole body, knocking it open...
"Hyaa?! Wh, ...what?!?!"
As soon as she opened the door, a hot blast poured out on her.

Erika froze, unable to understand what had happened.

After falling backwards on her butt, she realized that boiling hot shower water was spewing out at her, and hard.
"Wh, ......what is this......? ......What a crazy......prank......"

Cursing, Erika wrapped the blanket from the bed around herself, and tried to enter the bathroom once more.
This time, she was able to figure out what was going on.
It was......an elaborate prank.

A wire fixed the shower nozzle in place so that it pointed at the entrance.

The pressure and heat were turned up to the max, so that anyone who went through the door would be met with a wave of hot water.
The pressure was very strong, which probably accounted for the weight she had felt when trying to push the door open.
She tried to make the nozzle point in another direction, but not only was it fixed in place by the wire, it was also fixed in a place high enough that Erika couldn't reach it with her height.
She tried to turn off the pressure, but that was also held in place by wires.

She couldn't manage anything with her bare hands. She would have to get a tool that could cut the wires.
However, when she looked into the bathtub, which was filled with very hot water, she saw a bundle of wires and some nippers that had been used to cut them lying at the bottom.

If she used that, she could turn off the pressure...
"......Ah, owowowowowowow!! ......Damn you...!!"
The blanket she had used to protect herself from the shower was getting more and more drenched with boiling hot water.
At this rate, she'd get burns even through the blanket.

She needed to turn the water off quickly...!
Right next to the bathtub, she saw a hanging long-handled body brush.

......Perfect...!
Erika used that to skillfully scrape the nippers up off the bottom of the tub.

Fortunately, it was a shallow western-style bathtub.
If it had been a deep Japanese one, it would probably have burned her badly.
Making sure not to touch the hot metal parts, she carefully took the nippers......and cut the wires around the faucet...

......Take that, ...and that...!
"*pant*, ...*pant*! *pant*......*pant*!!"
She finally closed the faucet and the heat from the hot water storm died down.
......For a while, Erika was forced to cool her almost burnt arms under running water...
"......What a CALAMITY."
"Would you like a bath? I can wash your face with this brush."
"Allow me to PASS."
"Oh. ......That's a SHAME."
Erika had finally regained enough of her composure to be abusive......

She closed the faucet completely, ......and silence returned to the bathroom.
After that, all that remained was Erika's heavy breathing.
She turned on the fan to get rid of the hot steam.

She had to leave the bathroom until that was finished.

......It was pleasant, like stepping into an air-conditioned room on a hot summer's day.
"......Now that was a ridiculous trap. ...However, that wasn't here at the time I examined Battler's 'corpse'. Therefore, the appearance of this trap proves that Ushiromiya Battler was alive. ......Well, I never thought he was dead anyways."
"......So he decided to openly show a card that had already been EXPOSED."
"Let's check the inside of the bathroom. Was Battler seen?"
"NO. No one was seen in the BATHROOM."
". Now we've confirmed that, except for one location, Battler does not exist in any place inside the guest room."
"......Give that a rest. Just where is this one exception?"
"A coffin. .........Ushiromiya Battler's coffin, that is."
"......Ashes to ashes, the dead to their COFFINS."
".........You'll try to trap me in this room, right? ......Okay. Let's have it."
The silence that was complete except for the rain......was suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Though it was extremely quiet, ......the room was filled with tension......as though you'd be sliced in half if you relaxed for an instant.
A cloud of gold butterflies gathered on the room's round table......and turned into a witch's chess board.

It was finally......time for the siege.
"Blue truth. You did not vanish from this room. You just hid yourself to make it seem as though you'd disappeared from a closed room. The place you are hiding......is the 'one exception' that I haven't investigated yet."
As Erika lightly raised her right hand, ......a single gold butterfly appeared from the darkness behind her, ......flitted between the index finger and middle finger of Erika's raised hand, and became a white piece.

Then, .........she lifted it high into the air......
"This is the one exception. ......The walk-in closet next to the entrance!!"
*bang*!!

......Like a falling white lightning bolt, ......the white piece hit the board......landing by a weak spot in Battler's formation......
"Yes, it is HERE...!!!"
With a crash, the door of the closet, which was just off to the side of the guest room's entrance, was impaled by a spear that represented the blue truth. Dlanor had spun around and thrown it.

The door was completely pierced, ......and the spear stuck in so deeply that if a human had been hiding in it, it would have pierced their chest as well. ......Its still quivering handle was a testament to the force with which it had been thrown.
".................."
"There are no places in which to hide other than THIS. You are now hiding in HERE."
".........What do you say, Battler-san...? Have you been struck through the chest for a literal Smothered Mate...?"
".................."
"......Battler-san. ......It's our move now."
"Yeah. ......I thought it would be like that, Erika. You intentionally left one spot open so you could stuff me into that coffin. ......It's the same move that trapped Kinzo in Natsuhi's room. ......I saw this move coming."
"Oh, ......did you? ......Then let's see your response. ......But let me make a prediction."
"Let's hear it."
"......I'll checkmate you in just two moves from now. That's my prediction."
"Then I'll make the same prediction. ......I'll checkmate you in just two moves."
".........Sounds interesting."
"......These predictions contradict each other. .........Who will be the liar, I wonder......?"
The air burst and sparked.

......The silence would hurt one's skin.
"Then GO. ......It is your TURN."
"......It's useless. Your lowly coffin won't be able to trap Battler-san."
"Here's my response."

Slowly, ......Battler held his hand over the chess board.
A gold butterfly that had appeared from the darkness rested on Battler's finger and became a black piece.

......That black piece was the king, ......which represented Battler.
"............This is my response...to your 'Battler is hiding in the closet'... ......Take this."
"Ushiromiya Battler does not exist within the guest room. ......There are no exceptions, including the closet."
Like a black bolt of lightning this time, ......Battler slammed his piece down on the white piece of Erika's that had cut deep behind his lines......crushing her piece.

It scattered like a golden spray and melted beautifully into the darkness as a faint cloud of gold sparks drifted about......
"......I see, so he hid in the closet at first, ......and then slipped out of the room while Erika was occupied by the shower!"
"It's the same technique he used to let Kinzo escape from the study in the last game. Distract the observation of the observer, and disappear into the darkness."
"....... Yeah, I'm sure you aren't. ......I'd already foreseen that move."
Next was Erika's turn.

......A gold butterfly popped into existence in front of Erika.........and she grabbed it right out of the air.

She then lifted that hand into the air......and raised the white piece high.
"Let me announce a retroactive move. This occurs back in the very beginning, right after I broke the seals and entered this room. ......At that time, I immediately closed the door, reset the chain, and sealed this room."
"Objection. Gohda severed the chain back when the crime was first discovered. Since the chain lock is not functioning, it is impossible to use it to create a seal."
"Objection overruled. Erika repaired the chain lock. ......See?"
"......Impossible. ......How could she have repaired a brass chain?"
"It is possible to repair. ......Have you forgotten Beato? The duct tape seals. ......Erika used that duct tape to join the two cut ends of the chain together, 'sealing' them. In other words, the chain was repaired by the duct tape, and this room once again became a closed room locked from the inside."
"O, objection. Erika-san has already used up her duct tape seals, hasn't she...?! She shouldn't be able to use them anymore...!"
"Objection overruled. The use of the duct tape wasn't limited by the number of strips, right? It was by the number of rooms. ......The only restriction was to limit it to only three rooms. ......Erika chose this guest room to be one of those rooms. So, Erika has the right to seal as many places as many times as she wants within this room."
"......Gah........."
"......That's right. ......I...gave her permission to do that."
"This is what you get for your PRIDE. ......Sympathy is the evil liquor that the proud are most fond of."
"So, with this retroactive move, I proclaim that the chain lock has been repaired by the duct tape seal and has regained its original functionality. And, thanks to that, I locked the room upon entering it and made this guest room a closed room from the inside once more."
The white piece Erika held aloft......represented the seal caused by the chain lock.
This move would draw out Battler's king and drag it to the guillotine.
"Die, Battler."

The piece for the chain lock was slammed down right at Battler's king's throat.
"Repeat it. 'The lock created by the chain is currently intact'."
"............!"

Battler's face contorted.
......Beato, who was watching from behind, grimaced even more.

This move......was very painful.
If his logic said that he had hidden in the closet until Erika left and used the uproar in the bathroom to escape, ......then the chain lock must have been unset.

In other words, he couldn't respond to this demand.
If he didn't respond, Erika would use the blue truth in her next move.

She would probably say 'you hid in the closet, then used the disturbance in the bathroom to escape. Since you then couldn't set the chain lock from the outside, you left it undone'... And she would be right.
......This was...checkmate.

As Erika had predicted, she would strike the finishing blow on the second move.
......And on top of that, she would probably use the disappearing Battler to solve most of the crimes that were to follow.

......Losing the battle in this closed room would steal a major deciding piece from Battler...
But what if............he responded to her demand?
What if he could say 'the lock created by the chain is still intact'?

That......would be fatal to Erika.

It had already been shown with the red truth that this guest room could only be made into a closed room from the inside.

So, ......this hopeless closed room would instead become Erika's coffin.
For a riddle like this, Erika probably wouldn't solve the mystery of Battler's disappearance until the end.
Each unsolved riddle gives an advantage to the witch side.

Battler......wanted to respond to this demand if at all possible.
However, ......if he responded...
If he answered by saying that the chain was still set...

......He would have to abandon the logic saying that he had escaped while Erika wasn't looking.
Once he escaped, he wouldn't be able to set the chain lock again.

It would make a riddle to corner Erika, but he would have to construct a different escape method.
Even a move such as him leaving the closet during the scene in the bathroom and hiding in another place--say, under the bed--wouldn't work because he had proclaimed that 'Battler does not exist within the guest room'.
If he could construct logic that allowed him to escape from here while preserving the chain lock's position, .........then Erika would be the one facing a fatal blow.
However, ......if he didn't have that logic......if he failed......it would be a logic error.

The worst and lowest forbidden move that would instantly end the game in his defeat.
He would have no way to recover.
.........For Battler, ......deciding how to respond to this demand......was a very advanced and difficult decision......

Either way, ......Erika would probably corner Battler.
"......In that case, ......my choice is obvious."
"B, ......Battler-san. ......This guest room has already been restricted in many ways by the red truth due to its closed room nature. ......How do you plan on escaping from this...?!"
".........If only I could do something about the chain lock...... ......If only......"
If he could somehow trick the matter of the chain lock, ......he could make Erika have to deal with a terrible closed room!

It would probably end up as a finishing blow to her.
But in order to do that, he would need to make a trick for escaping 'the closed room that existed before Erika came back', which was now 'the closed room sealed by the chain that Erika set right after entering the room', and on top of that, he had to make sure that 'the chain that could only be set from the inside remained in place'...!

If he could do that...if he could find a way......then it would end here...!
But I still can't think of that trick...!

Right now, Erika is demanding to know whether the chain lock is still set or not.

I need to decide whether I'll take that challenge or back down...and I need to do it right now...!
If I can find a certain-win trick, then this is the end...!

But if I don't have that trick, ......I should just acknowledge that I slipped out of the closet, undid the chain, and escaped...and back out of the fight......

If I say the chain was set without a trick up my sleeve, ......then it's impossible for me to escape. In other words, it's a logic error......!!
"Even if we lose the fight in this room, there will still be chances left to us. We've still only started the second day, haven't we? We have plenty of time to reconstruct an impossible murder."
"......No, that's no good. If I acknowledge that I've escaped from this room now, it's the same as acknowledging that I'm the culprit! ......If I back down from the fight in this room, ......it's the same as accepting my defeat in this game."
Battler's point was a valid one.

Since all of the other humans were still locked in the guesthouse...then if Battler alone was alive and free to move...

Erika would probably base her explanation for all of the following impossible crimes on the blue truth that Battler was the perpetrator.
If they wanted to forcefully turn that around, they would have to rewrite their tricks and logic so that 'someone other than Battler' would be set up as the perpetrator.

To fix up one flaw, they would have to create new flaws, ......and the flaws might eventually pile up and kill Battler.

Even running away would mean tightening the noose around his own throat.
The first truth...that Battler is the culprit...has already been hit upon!

And yet, I have to struggle desperately to get out of this......! ...I need to...!!
I'm on the edge. I've definitely been cornered in a dangerous spot.
However, ......if I can just change my position, everything might turn around at once...

If I can just make this chain my weapon......I can kill Erika...!!
"Wait, ......are you actually going to respond to her demand...?! Is there any way to escape without undoing the chain lock?! .........There isn't! If you respond, ......you'll lose instantly from the logic error at the end! It's clear which choice we ought to make!"
"Yeah, it's clear. .........No matter what move we choose, it'll turn for the worst just as Erika wants. ......If it's horrible either way, ......I'd like to choose the move that has the biggest reward if we win......!"
".........You're going to call even though you have no logic for escaping and no trump cards? ......You think you can accept her demand and win...?!"
"My cards might be useless. ......However, ......with just one more card, they might become a straight, a flush, ......or even a royal flush. .........If hell waits for me after both options, ......I'll take the one that'll finish her off if I win...!"
"Th, ......that's an insane move. ......Sometimes, when madmen jump into the path of death, .........a miracle will occur......"
"It's impossible!! H, ......how could you escape this closed room without removing the chain?!!"
"......There's only one difference between heroes and madmen. ......It's whether they win or lose. .........I'll be looking forward......to your big victory......"
If I can finish things with this move, .........then as I predicted, ......I can kill Erika on my second move.

I still can't think of a trick for escaping this closed room.

However, ......there has to be something......there has to......
Once I think of that, ......I can make a magic illusion of me changing into a butterfly and slipping out of the crack in the door like smoke...

......If I have even a drop of that mad magician's blood in my veins, .........please let that honor......give me just a fragment of a miracle right now......!
"......So, Battler-san? Let's have that second move that you predicted you would checkmate me on."
"Please give an answer to Lady Erika's DEMAND. ......Will you RESPOND, ......or will you REFUSE...?!"
Slowly.........Battler's hand stretched out to his king piece on the board.

He lifted it up.........and slowly......held it aloft......tracing a large circle in the sky......
Would Battler respond......or wouldn't he?

Would the lock caused by the chain be preserved, or wouldn't it?
......Would Battler's king crush the piece of the chain lock that stood right in front of it...?

......Or would it slip away like a ghost......and escape......
"This is......my response. ......As predicted, ......on my second turn.........you're through. .........Here it comes. ......Furudo......Erika...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
Battler's king had become a black lightning bolt and crashed down onto the board...

Where had it gone?!

On top of the piece of the chain lock?
Or past that piece...?

".........I will repeat it. The lock caused by the chain is intact."

Battler's king.........had left the chain lock piece in its place...

......and had (slipped past it/・・・・・・・)......
"Heh, ......heheheheheheheh...... ......Yeah, it sure would be cool if you could say that the chain lock was still set, wouldn't it......? Don't you think that'd be cool......? ......But do you know what they call a fool who's full of himself and jumps into the path of death just because it's cool......?"
"......No clue......"
"Ushiromiya...Battler. .........That's what we call them aaaahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh, I file a motion for a logic error!!
"That red truth of yours just now has cut off your own logic!! Please have the impartial referee make her judgment immediately!! Great Lady Lambdadeltaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"Motion received. ......Lambdadelta. Does this make logical sense? Your inspection please."
"Motion received. .........Battler. .........Show me. Let me see......your cards........."
".........Battler......san........."
"......It is a royal flush...right......? If you've got nothing, ......you won't get out of this with just a 'sorry', okay......?"
"..................Yeah. I have no intention of apologizing."
"......If it's a logic error, the game board will be blown away. ......You have inherited this game board from Beato. .........It's the one thing you have left of that precious Beato. So, you must not accept a logic error."
A logic error only becomes established when the witch admits to it.

As long as they can keep thinking of new logic to escape with, ......they will not die, cannot die.

However, ......that would be like living in an endless living hell of the mind.
"......Even if you manage to crawl around forever after falling onto the darkness of thought, ......you'll just be eternally trapped in a hell where you constantly think of ways to escape the closed room while denying the logic error. ......Are you sure?! Are you sure?! This is nearly as bad as the depths of oblivion, got it?!?! It's like the difference between falling from the roof of a ten story building and falling from the roof of a hundred story building!!"
".........Lambda. Battler has already finished making his move. Players can't take back a move once it's made. ......Act as an impartial judge, carry out our motion, and see whether or not Battler's escape from the closed room is logical...and whether there has been a logic error or not."
"Be slow, accurate, and meticulous like an archeologist. ......And, be as fast as a guy at an ice cream shop when he forcefully and skillfully scoops out that sweet, fragrant vanilla/soy sauce ice cream!!!"
"Y, ...yes, I know that. .........Battler......let me see it."
"............Battler-san......"
"Beato, ...do you think I'll lose?"
"......I don't want to think that. ......After fighting with the old me many times, ......you finally reached the miracle that I so wanted you to find. ......So, ......I'd like to believe............that you'll win through a miracle once again...!"
".........This woman called Beatrice... ...The whole time......she fought on that same border between reason and madness. ......She fought with a mixture of sadness, anger, and several other emotions for me that can't be described with words. .........And in the very last game.........at the very last moment......she managed......to seize victory."
That might......have been the purpose of the card Beato had been gripping as she fell.

Beato passed away......without realizing that she had won.

In the final game......the true victor......was Beato......
"That Beato entrusted me with this game board. ......So, I'll win. ......So, I need you alone to believe in me. ......Beatrice..."
"If I believe, ......and a miracle occurs..."
"............Please."
"I do believe in you......!! Battler-san...!!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh, this is pissing me ooooooooooooff!!! Please just check it already, Lady Lambdadelta!! There is no valid logic! There doesn't exist any way to get out of this closed room!! You were overeager, Battler-san! If you could win with this, that'd be cool!"
"It'd be so cool if you vanished even though the chain is still set, wouldn't it? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahhahhaaaaaaaaahhh!! Like hell you caaaaaaaaaaaannn!! Like hell you can do iiiiiiiit!! If you could do that, you really would be a witch! If you could vanish your way out of this closed room like a puff of smoke, I'd have to acknowledge it! It'd be the work of a wiiiiiiiitch!!!"
"Quiet, Lady Erika! ......Lady Lambdadelta is conducting her INSPECTION."
"........................Pass through, one move. ...Go back, ......corner."
With sweat gathering on her forehead, ......Lambdadelta inspected the movements of the pieces from Battler's side.

She was as accurate and meticulous as an archeologist, ......just as Bernkastel had told her to be.
"............"

After gulping stiffly, ......Lambda looked between the formation of the pieces on the board......and Battler's face, which remained tense but steady.
"......Lambda.........?"
".........I have......finished my inspection......"
"There's no way the logic works......!"
".........Please......God......"
"............"
".........Erika."
"What...?"
"I'm very sorry."
"Wh, ......which way am I supposed to take that...?!!"
"It was fun. ......Now, this is the end."
"I told you, ......which way am I supposed to take thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!"
"Silence!! I have finished inspecting Battler's move. .........My decision-"
"......Effective."
"E...ffective.........?"
"......You're lying...!!"
"I judge it to be effective. ......He's presented logic that doesn't violate any of the red truths, and I've finished checking it. ......The move by the player on the witch side, along with that final red truth he repeated, is effective. .........Battler. For the first time, ......I have to say I think you're incredible..."
".........See? ......In your game, ......a miracle will always occur if you believe."
"B, ...Battler...san......!! I...I'm sorry...!! If only I had believed more strongly, ......you wouldn't have been cornered like this......!! Waaaaaaaahh!!"
Beato flew onto Battler's chest, sobbing...

Erika staggered backwards, ......shaking her head back and forth dizzily.
And Bernkastel...?

.........Her face was like an expressionless mask.

Then, ......slowly......it became a smile...

And for some reason, ......it seemed the sign of some horrible emotion......
"Well......DONE............To think......that you escaped the room......without removing the chain......simply SPLENDID......"
With her small hands, Dlanor slowly started to applaud quietly.

......She was followed by Gertrude, and then Cornelia.

......And then by Beato and Lambdadelta too.
.........Applause......filled the room......
"O......Onii-chan...... ......H, ......how did you......"
"......I see. ......Yes, a move that cannot be seen by one whose thoughts are trapped within the closed room..."
"Impossible.........Im......possible...... ......Eee...eeeeeeeeeeek.........!"
As Lambdadelta watched Erika, who was breathing hard, shocked and dizzy with a despair she couldn't accept, ...she had to take her hat off to the strength of Battler's heart and intelligence at this critical moment......and to the power of this miracle.
......Incredible, ......Ushiromiya Battler.

It's my complete loss for thinking that your power and Beato's would cancel each other out and bring an eternal draw.
And, ......Bern, who thought she could do as she pleased even though she had seen through to your true strength, ......has also suffered a complete loss.
Bern is the witch who waits for miracles.
You are the witch who summons miracles.

......You......are not Bern's piece.

......Just now, ......without a doubt......you have surpassed Bern......

......You really did......in this one moment......think up a trick by which to escape from this closed room......!
As Erika had predicted, ......Battler had been hiding in the closet.

Then, during the disturbance in the bathroom, he had snuck out of the door. ......Erika had guessed this much.
That's why they retroactively set the chain lock and sealed it to prevent Battler from doing this very thing.

The chain lock cannot be reset from the outside.
So, it should have been impossible to escape from the closed room.
However, ......Battler didn't let his thinking get trapped inside this closed room, ......and so, he broke through.

......It doesn't matter who, ......but let's explain it with his mother, Kyrie's piece.
Just like Battler, the life or death status of the rest of the first twilight victims has not been specified by the red truth.
In other words, ......just like Battler, ......the others...and specifically, Kyrie, can still move.

And their closed rooms were not sealed, so they can go out as they please.

......Kyrie......had come to save him.
Kyrie followed behind Erika, ......and had waited in the hallway while the latter had entered the guest room and sealed the door from the inside.
......Then, after Battler undid the chain lock and escaped, .........she entered the room in his place......
Then, ......Kyrie reset the chain lock from the inside, ......and hid in the closet, ......just like Battler had done......
Yes. ......Battler truly isn't inside this guest room right now.

However, that doesn't mean that no one else is inside it.
......Kyrie took Battler's place in the closet, ......the one exception that Erika had left, and is there still......

Kyrie......saved Battler.........
USHIROMIYA KYRIE CANNOT SAVE BATTLER.
......Huh......?
"Wh, ......what do you mean......?"
"......
Ushiromiya Kyrie......cannot save Battler."
"...Wh, ......why not? There's no red saying that Kyrie can't save Battler! Wait a second, ......how are you using the red truth?!"
"Effective. .........Dlanor's red truth is effective."
"Requesting permission to unsheathe red key."
".........Permission granted. Please do it, Dlanor."
"H, .........how......? ......How...can you give that permission?!?!"
"Effective. ......As part of an impartial judgment, I guarantee this red truth."
"......Without telling us your reason?!"
"We'll tell you that soon. ......Very soon."
"...B, ......Battler hasn't proclaimed Kyrie dead with the red truth yet...! It is allowed for Kyrie to be playing dead! And the duct tape has already been used on three rooms, making it impossible for you to seal Kyrie's room...! So how can you use the red truth to say that Kyrie can't save Battler?! That red truth has no basis!!"
"We'll tell you its basis soon. ......But more importantly, Lambda......? ......The logic with Kyrie has ceased to function. ......You should probably find another piece to switch places with Battler, don't you think...?"
"..................Nn, ......y, ...yes. ......There are still pieces that can save Battler."
Reconstruct the logic.

......All we need is someone who can switch places with Battler. It doesn't have to be Kyrie.
"Then let's switch it to Natsuhi. ......Ushiromiya Natsuhi switched places with Battler...!"
"Dlanor. ......Do it."
"As you WISH."
Dlanor's red longsword......smashed Natsuhi's piece into little bits...

How...?!
How......can Erika deny this logic......without the detective's authority?!
"Ushiromiya Natsuhi cannot save Battler."
"Th, then Eva! Ushiromiya Eva!!"
"Ushiromiya Eva cannot save Battler."
"Then Rosa! Maria!!"
"USELESS. Rosa and Maria can't save him EITHER. ......DEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATH
! !
!!"
"O, objection! Erika-san doesn't have the detective's authority! ......How can she use any red except for the duct tape seals...?!"
"Objection overruled. ......Not having the detective's authority does not imply that one cannot use any red at all. .........There's something she can use. ......Right?"
"Yes, ......there is. There are several exceptions that even humans without the detective's authority can use."
"......Insane... ......There's no way."
"YES, there is NONE. ......However, ......there is a certain action permissible only to humans without the detective's authority, ......and it can become a truth of such overwhelming credibility that witches can easily raise it to the level of red TRUTH."
"A certain action......permissible only to humans who aren't the detective......?"
"............Y, ......you don't mean... ...Erika......you..."
"......I...I've got it. ......Yes, ...if I'm right...this red truth is effective..."
"I...I don't understand! Was there some power that could only be used without the detective's authority...?!"
".........There is. ......There is just one."
"So, you've finally noticed. ......That's right. ......That's the only reason...I abandoned the detective's authority this time around. ......You told me I could make the detective proclamation whenever I wanted, right? ......Well, unfortunately, ...I am no longer capable of making that proclamation."
"Which......number rule was it......?""Knox's 7th. .........It is...forbidden for the detective to be the culprit."
"Y, you mean.........wh, ......whaaat?!"

......Finally, Beato realized everything.
Yes, ......the detective's authority bestows several powers that are useful for reasoning, but it eliminates one single privilege.

That is Knox's 7th.

......It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit...
"......In this game, ......it is impossible for humans without the detective's authority to examine corpses perfectly. ......So, ......there have been several tricks where the dead have all been faking and walking around where they please. ......You probably thought you could use that logic to create several impossible crimes after this. ......When I said that I wouldn't make the detective proclamation, somewhere on the inside, you must have said 'I've won'."
"......You're pretty sly yourself. You gave me the duct tape seals, seemingly out of mercy, but that was because you planned to have all of the first twilight victims survive, band together, and carry out the crimes. So, you gave me only three rooms' worth, which wouldn't cover all six people."
"No matter which rooms I sealed, at least one of your underlings could move freely. .........You must have been plotting to use that to corner me. ......But too bad. Your naivety really pisses me off. ......Stupid man!"
"............I admit it. ......I admit that I fell for your monkey show...and that in my pride, I tried to show you some mercy. .........That's right. ......Even without the detective's authority, ......there is a way. ......A way to make sure that a corpse examination cannot fail."
Is the human lying in front of you alive or dead?

You can answer that question by examining the corpse.
With just a quick glance, your chances of being right are 50-50 either way.

Various bits of knowledge and experience can be used to obtain a more precise result.
.........However, no matter how much you do that, while you can reach up to 99%, you can never reach 100% accuracy.

......That's what most people would think.

However, there is one way.
......One way to conduct a perfect examination.
"And that is.........to kill them."
".........Erikaa...aa......"
"Without the detective's authority, I can't tell whether the victims are dead or faking. So, I needed a way to be sure. ......And, if possible, it would be preferable if they were removed from the game board so that they couldn't make a mess of things later on."
"So, I dashed all over the mansion, visited all the crime scenes, and......I re-killed all of them."
"Wh......what on...earth........."
".........Of course, she couldn't just kill them however she liked. ......It had to be a perfect way of killing, good enough that their deaths could be determined with the red truth. ......Erika made sure of that."
"The manner in which they were each killed differed, ......but afterwards, she completely severed the heads of all those she killed. ......That method of killing is solid enough to be called a red truth, right...? Lambda......?"
"......E, .........effective. No human could survive.........after having their head sliced off...!"
"C, could you have severed all of those heads without getting any blood on you?!"
"For example, you could take a large trash bag from the kitchen and grab the knife through it. ......Then, if you covered the entire corpse with the trash bag as you did your work, you'd block nearly all of the blood spatter."
I used enough knives and bags for several people, then left them there at the crime scene.

Of course, I didn't humiliate myself by walking around with them, leaving blood in the hallways and dirtying my clothes.
There will probably be trash bags left at the crime scene with my fingerprints on them, but since this game ends before the police come, that can't be used as evidence, so there was no problem with leaving them there.
"......Are you insane? ......What kind of...mystery would...ever allow something like that......?"
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from a witch on the fantasy side. Oh, and don't worry. I didn't kill you. ......I didn't have time to sever the head of the last one found, so I just sealed your whole room with the duct tape you gave me."
"......Then again, that might've been because I knew this would happen and wanted to watch you struggle. .........*giggle*, ......*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*! Oh, that's right. ......Just like I can say that I killed them in red, I can say one more thing."
At that point, Erika stopped for a second, ......and still, ...aaah, can she really be wearing an even uglier expression than everything before now......?
With that...highest quality face, ......she spoke.
"All five people I killed......were very much alive until the moment I killed them. ......Everyone faithfully played dead as best they could until the moment just before I killed them, okay? .........Maria-san was quite the little trooper. .........After all, even though her mother had already been killed in the same room, ......she kept on playing dead without even noticing...... *giggle*, *giggle*giggle*-"
"Hahahahaha, ahhahahahahahahahahaha...hehahyahhahahahaahahaaahaaaah!!"

――They're demons.

Up until now, ......many witches and demons have appeared in this tale, ......but for the first time...here are true...demons......
"You bastards.........you bastards...... ...Uu......uugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"
This time, Beato understood the entire plot of this tale.

This tale......was just the story of a prank.
Surely, someone had thought of playing a slightly harsh trick on this inconsiderate guest, who loved to show off her intelligence and act the part of a great detective......and several people had agreed to go along with it.
Then, the ones who would play the victims would go into their assigned rooms, set the chain and the lock from the inside, ......and play dead......to create a fake closed room murder......
......If you think about it that way, the rooms chosen for the corpses seem to make more sense.
It was only natural for Natsuhi to 'die' in her own room.

......If you're going to play dead, it's only natural that you'd want to lie down on your own bed.
Eva's vanity is strong, so she must have asked to 'die' in the VIP room.
Kyrie was in Krauss's study.

......That was probably well air-conditioned and comfortable.
Rosa and Maria were in the parlor.

A soft sofa should have been a great place to play dead.

......Maria had done her best and had impressively acted the part of lying dead alongside the wall.
Battler was in a guest room.
The temperature here was also nice.
The bed must also have been fairly pleasant.

...Yes. The victims for this first twilight had all died in comfortable rooms.
In the past games, the corpses had often been found exposed in the courtyard or under the rose garden arbor.
In the cold gardening shed or in the boiler room......

This time, there were no victims in any such inhospitable environments.
This......is probably the truth.
This is the story of a prank, with no one dead since it started...

And then.........this......demon.........had turned it into a real murder case......!
"......You do have the right to speak ill of Lady Erika. ......However, ......now, you also have the obligation of showing a new logic that doesn't lead to any CONTRADICTIONS."
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Corpses to corpses...! Hey, Battler-san? Let's continue the game!! Please present a different human to switch places with you. If you don't, your trick......will become a logic error......"

There's now......no one who can come to the rescue.

Erika's killed all of them!!
"D, ......dammit......dammit, dammit, dammiiiiiiiiit!!"
"......Battler-san, please, calm yourself...! Now's the time to wipe our tears away and fight...! Even if you've lost five pieces who can save you, there's still the 11 people in the guesthouse!"
"Y, you're right... ......Krauss, Hideyoshi, Rudolf, ......George, Jessica, Shannon, Kanon! Genji, Gohda, Kumasawa, Nanjo!! It doesn't matter who, as long as someone comes here!! Somebody, somebody, heeeeeeeeelp!!"
"But it's no uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse!! Please, looook at thiiiiiiiiiis! Gertruude, Corneliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
""Let it be known that we are here and ready.""
"Bwaattleeer-shwaaaaaann!! Pweease, look at thiiiiiiiiiisss!! Whhhaaaaat arrrre theeeesse?!"

Erika, who was now so excited that her pronunciation was tumbling all over the place, pointed at two doors.
It was the hallway on the second floor of the guesthouse...
......They were in front of the cousins' room and the next room over.
"Look, here, here! There's something attached to the door?! What is it?! What is it?! Hey, what is it, Gertruuuuuuuuuuuude?!"
"......Know that it is the duct tape seal of the cousins' room."
"

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<oh,>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<lj-cut>The entrance to the mansion was locked, but Erika had a master key, so she opened it without any trouble.

She had gotten Krauss and the others to take the master keys from the servants, and at that time, she had used a little sleight of hand to pilfer one of them...
"Well THEN. Where shall we go FIRST?"
"Why ask? ......Let's go and hear Battler-san's answer."
Grinning, Erika cut across the entrance hall and passed in front of the dining hall......deeper...deeper.

......She headed for the guest room Battler had lain dead in.
Battler could put off deciding whether the seals would remain whole or not until the moment right before Erika witnessed them.
However, once she did witness them, ......the Game Master would have to show what had happened to them.

In the witch's game they were in now, ...the simple act of going to check the seals around the guest room was an attack.
".........Are you READY, Lord BATTLER?"
"Yeah. ......Or as you would say it, .........come, step forward."
"<good>! Then show us your response. Well now, ......are the seals broken or are they not? Has the closed room been preserved, ......or hasn't it...?!"
The piece Erika held high in the air......was the white queen, which represented herself.
Her target......was Battler's position. She cut in...
Erika dashed down the hallway with a sickening smile and clung to the guest room door like a spider.

Then, she closely examined the seals she had placed retroactively.
"............Heh......heheheheheheheheeheheheheheehheh! ......Are you sure...? .........Are you sure, ...Battler-saaaaaaan...?!"
"I, ......is this alright, Battler-san...?"
"......Yeah, I can't back down here. ......After all, even if I'm sealed in here, ......there are ways of placing the letter."
"But now, Erika will probably enter the guest room. And then, she will observe your corpse. ......What are you going to do?! If the corpse is there, then there's no problem. ......The letter's prediction missed, but it's not as though there's a penalty for that. ......But still......you intend to fight head on...!"
"There are times......when a man is challenged head on...that he has to respond, no matter who the opponent. ......I must not...pull back here. ......I'll take that challenge. I can search for a way out all I want to later...! I managed to do that with Kinzo's study last time...! ......Don't worry...I can do it...! I can do it!! Come on, Erikaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"We have confirmed that the seals to the guest room are UNDAMAGED. Since the time Lady Erika confirmed Battler's existence, this closed room has been PRESERVED."
"<good>!! I'm breaking the seals!! Rip, tear!! Heh, hehihihihihihihihihihihi!!!"
Erika destroyed the duct tape seal on the door in ecstasy...

It looked as though the intellectual rapist had finally laid her true nature bare.
"......Okay, ......I'm opening it...... Please watch... ...Here's Battler-san's......naked scenario...!! Hehihihahahaahaaaaaaaaahhh!!!"
Like a ruffian pushing down a weak girl, ......Erika mercilessly and greedily threw the door open.
Then, finally, ......the inside of Battler's guest room was observed by Erika.

Battler had to show it.

.........Was there a corpse, or wasn't there?
"<come ooooooooooooooon="ooooooooooooooon">, Battleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhh, here's my respooooooonse!!"
Battler grabbed a black piece from the board and raised it high.
......Aah, ......that piece......

Beato had no memories of the time she had been an expert at this game.
And yet, ......for some reason, she realized that this was a move that could not be taken back.
Once this piece was moved, they couldn't move it back...!!

Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!
......The guest room was covered by a silent darkness.

It was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.
......However, there was a light switch just off to the side of the entrance.

If she flicked that, the room would be lit up, and she would see whether or not there was a corpse on the bed.
".........Turning them ON."
"No, ......wait a second please. ......Battler-san, I have a proposal."
"Let me hear it."
"I think you already know, ......but this time around, I am not after a classic sort of victory. ......My enemy is not the lowly culprit killing the pieces, ......but my opponent, you yourself."
".........I know. ......So, ......you're after a logic error."
"Heheh......"
"......I'm seriously regretting it now. ......You were acting so miserable that I fell for it completely, ......and I gave you a ridiculous privilege."
".........It was your PRIDE. ......It will cost you DEARLY."
".........Damn......it......"
"......So, ...what is your proposal?"
With a firm voice, Beato urged her to continue.
Until just a second ago, she had remained behind Battler's back, a bit flustered.

......However, she was steady now.
......She saw that Battler had let his emotions take control and had been lured into making a bad move......and realized that it was time for her to stay cool and support him.
Erika's proposal couldn't be anything good.
And on top of that, Erika was sly.

She probably wouldn't make a proposal that would be easily rejected...
"I will now turn on the light. The top of the bed will be lit up, and it will be decided whether or not Battler has disappeared as the letter predicted. ......If he's there, great. There's nothing strange at all. The letter's prediction would just be wrong. ......Of course, the argument would probably switch over to 'then who put the letter there?', but for the time being, the location of the fight would move outside this closed room."
"............And...if he's missing...?"
Beato already knew.
She knew the move that Battler had made a second ago.

......Battler had......already disappeared from this room......

Therefore, they would need to prepare a disappearing trick other than 'he was actually alive and left through the door'.
The situation is simple.

First, this room is a closed room.
Also, Battler's life or death status has not been confirmed.

In other words, there is no problem if he is alive.
They had to make Erika think that Battler had vanished from this situation.

He just had to escape from the room, ......or if that wasn't possible, he just had to hide somehow and wait for her to leave, making her think that he had disappeared.
"Inside this tiny room, ......I will now begin our endgame.........the chase after the king. It should end in just a few moves. You'll be unable to construct the logic needed to let Battler escape from this room, .........and the tale will be destroyed--game over."
".........Fighting to keep that from happening is our job. ......What is this proposal of yours?"
"An endgame fought over a logic error should be a bit more precise. ......Once again, we will fight with the red and blue truths, but we need a referee on the same level as the Game Master to observe and see that he doesn't create any logic errors with the red truth."
"......Th, that seems reasonable."
"There's nothing special about this. ......Back when the old you was the Game Master, you were under the observation of your guardian, Lady Lambdadelta. In that way, it was judged that all red truths were effective."
"......So, you're telling us to show Lambdadelta our cards?"
"I've been watching since the beginning. ......It's okay, don't worry. I am impartial in my judgments."
"C, can you say that in red...?"
"Yep. I swear that I am impartial in my judgments. .........I was very impartial in the last game, wasn't I?"
"......Especially for interesting judgments where she doesn't care which way it falls. .........Accept it, Battler. Erika is going to corner you. Understand? .........She will duel with you and kill you in this room. ......If you're a man, accept the duel......!"
"S, ......sure, fine. .........We won't get anywhere if you suspect every single impossible murder I show of being a logic error. ......It's true that we need an observer to guarantee that the game is legitimate."
"Then I'll come around to your side. ......Let me take a look at your hand. ............Hmmmmm......?"
Lambdadelta understood what Battler had up his sleeve.

......And she confirmed that Erika's first move had indeed gone straight through his heart.
Just as Erika had guessed, Battler was alive, had slipped out of the room after Erika had examined his 'corpse', ......placed the letter by the guesthouse, and hid himself somewhere.

When the duct tape seals had been retroactively placed on the guest room, ......he would have had to show that they had been torn.
However, if he had done that, it would be the same as admitting that he had been seen through and that he had lost.

Unwilling to admit that, Battler had claimed that the seals had been maintained, with false courage, and was now rushing to revise his logic.
True, he could still escape for a few more moves.

......However, Erika was planning to corner and kill him here...
"......Battler. ......You're fighting with some pretty incredible cards here."
"Cards...? ......Does this game of chess look like a card game to you?"
"......To me, it looks as though you all are playing a game of poker. So, by moving to this side and looking at the cards you hold, I understand everything. .........That's an awful move. It's a complete waste... And Erika has already seen right through you."
"............Heheh... What would you do?"
"I'm the referee. I can't give you advice. ......But let me tell you my impressions."
"No, that's okay."
"......It's chilling. ......You're trying to use this useless move.........this baseless bluff......to make Erika back down... ...She's not going to back down, that girl. ......After all, ......you're the one who should be throwing his chips in and folding now..."
"......Thanks for the advice. .........Battler-san. I agree with her. ......Let's back down from the fight in this room. We don't have any winning cards..."
"Are you hoping for a card change to turn this into something more useful...? ......I thought you were playing chess... In the world of chess, ......if you rely on luck......you die......"
By 'hoping for a card change', ......she meant relying on luck and hoping that, though he couldn't think of a trick now, he might think of a good plan for making a closed room trick later on.
If you enter into the fight......without any trick in mind......you get killed...!

Now was the time to back down.
When Erika flipped the switch, ......he just had to be sleeping there on that bed.

......That's all......he needs!
"......Lambda. I don't know what you're talking about, but you're chatting too much. A referee needs to be impartial."
"True...... ......Then, good luck, Battler. ......I'm hoping for a precise, chess-like battle. ......You aren't playing poker, ......are you......?"
"Are you ready, Battler-san?"
"Yeah, I am...... ......Turn the lights on whenever you want."
"For the rest of the fight in this room, the progression of time will be stopped. This way, all the moves for both players will be made at the same time, and the first move made will be treated no differently than the last move. ......That might be hard to understand, but that's a rule to protect you and your logic."
"......From here on out, you can use all the twisted logic you want to rebuild the trick in this room. ......In other words, it's possible that you might think of a good idea partway through the fight. ......Normally, it's unfair to revise your plot partway through. In order for that to be acceptable, ......you need a world stopped in time, where everything happens at once, ......and where logic that you think of afterwards can counter your opponent's earlier moves."
"Of course, Erika can take advantage of this rule as well. ......If you revise your trick to be a new one, she can deal with that in a different way."
".........This is pretty complicated..."
"It's simple. ......It's like a corrupt politician's war of twisted logic. ......You lie shamelessly. When evidence is shown revealing that lie, you retract those previous lies and say that you just remembered it wrong, then change to a new lie that doesn't have any contradictions. ......The fight goes between a lie, then evidence exposing it, then another lie, ......like a fight between two snakes spinning around trying to eat each other's tails."
"<good>! ......Just think of it as a world in which you're allowed to use twisted logic based off of your opponents moves as often as you want. ......I used that myself when sealing this room. So, I thought it was only fair to let you do the same."
"......You have no shame, do you...?"
"OK!! Then let's have both sides begin! Will Erika take the first move? Will she start by checking the bed...by checking to see what he's bet?!"

"Yeah, let's start by checking to see if Battler's on the bed. ......Erika, begin."
"Leave it to me, my master! <light>...<on>!"
With a *click*, ......the sound of the light switch rang out......and the bulb turned on, lighting up the room.

......On Battler's......bed......was......
".........Dlanor. Confirm it with the red."
"YES. ......Ushiromiya Battler-"
"No, it's my move. ......I'll say it. ............Ushiromiya Battler is not on the bed."
"<good>. .........I'm glad you didn't run away from the fight. I'm impressed."
"......It's a high-stakes battle, so it'll cost you a lot if you're the one who loses. Are you prepared...?"
"*giggle* No one would raise the stakes unless they felt confident in their advantage."
"......Dlanor. Keep a record."
"As you WISH."
At Dlanor's nod, Cornelia, who was hanging back, started taking a record.

She wrote down that Battler's corpse, which should have been on the bed, was not, ......and also that Battler hadn't backed down from this closed room game...
"As previously announced, Battler's first move is to have the corpse vanish. ......Now it's Erika's turn. Go ahead."
"......I present the possibility that Ushiromiya Battler is alive and hiding somewhere in this room. I proclaim this with the blue truth."
"Ineffective. If you want to use the blue truth, give me a specific location."
"......Pfft. ......In the last game, Beato did that in Kinzo's study, and Dlanor made Swiss cheese of her, right...? I guess this is revenge...*giggle*..."
"Before I start searching, I have one blue truth I can use without a search. There is a possibility of a hidden door X that is impossible to discover. He's hidden behind that, so it is impossible for me to find him."
"Knox's 3rd. It is forbidden for hidden passages to exist. ......That right?"
"......No hidden places that are impossible for Erika-san to find exist inside the guest room."
"Knox's 3rd......EFFECTIVE."
"<good>. ......Then let's get started with the search."
......Erika slowly began to walk around the room......

Until the endgame had started, Erika had been energetic, jumping about impatiently like a hungry dog.
However, ......now that it had actually begun...

......This was a stifling battle of wits......where each breath made her tense...

Even the quiet sound of the rain......was distracting......
"Now that I've searched the room, what is its layout?"
"......The guest room is divided into two rooms, the bedroom and the BATHROOM. Lady Erika has currently searched the entire bedroom SECTION. There is only one EXCEPTION."
".........I'll leave that one place be for the time being. So, were there any irregularities discovered in the bedroom?"
"There were NONE. Except for one location, there is no one to be seen in the BEDROOM."
"......What's this 'except for one location' business? Say it without being annoying."
"There's a reason a face-down card remains face down. ......I'll turn it over if it's needed, so look forward to it. ......*giggle*."
After thoroughly checking the bedroom, ......Erika headed for the bathroom door.
Since he wasn't in the bedroom, it was natural to think that he was in the bathroom.

And, since the guest room was made up of two rooms, if Battler wasn't in the bathroom either......it would mean that he had managed to vanish from the closed room.

......Except for that single location which Erika had intentionally left unchecked......
"I'm checking the bathroom."
"......Lady Erika. ......The sound of water can be heard from INSIDE. Also, there is a faint HEAT."
"Ooh......? ......Don't tell me he's taking a shower... Is it locked or anything...?"
"No, it isn't locked. Go ahead and open it."
"......Then, if you'll allow me."
Slowly......Erika put her hand on the doorknob on the bathroom door......
......She tried to push it open, but felt a strange resistance.

Of course, it wasn't the resistance of the lock.

......It felt......as though it had an unnatural load on it......
Out from the slightly open crack poured the hot air from the shower.

However, it was unlocked, so there probably wasn't anyone taking a shower.

After letting a dumbfounded expression rise to her face, Erika slammed into the door with her whole body, knocking it open...
"Hyaa?! Wh, ...what?!?!"
As soon as she opened the door, a hot blast poured out on her.

Erika froze, unable to understand what had happened.

After falling backwards on her butt, she realized that boiling hot shower water was spewing out at her, and hard.
"Wh, ......what is this......? ......What a crazy......prank......"

Cursing, Erika wrapped the blanket from the bed around herself, and tried to enter the bathroom once more.
This time, she was able to figure out what was going on.
It was......an elaborate prank.

A wire fixed the shower nozzle in place so that it pointed at the entrance.

The pressure and heat were turned up to the max, so that anyone who went through the door would be met with a wave of hot water.
The pressure was very strong, which probably accounted for the weight she had felt when trying to push the door open.
She tried to make the nozzle point in another direction, but not only was it fixed in place by the wire, it was also fixed in a place high enough that Erika couldn't reach it with her height.
She tried to turn off the pressure, but that was also held in place by wires.

She couldn't manage anything with her bare hands. She would have to get a tool that could cut the wires.
However, when she looked into the bathtub, which was filled with very hot water, she saw a bundle of wires and some nippers that had been used to cut them lying at the bottom.

If she used that, she could turn off the pressure...
"......Ah, owowowowowowow!! ......Damn you...!!"
The blanket she had used to protect herself from the shower was getting more and more drenched with boiling hot water.
At this rate, she'd get burns even through the blanket.

She needed to turn the water off quickly...!
Right next to the bathtub, she saw a hanging long-handled body brush.

......Perfect...!
Erika used that to skillfully scrape the nippers up off the bottom of the tub.

Fortunately, it was a shallow western-style bathtub.
If it had been a deep Japanese one, it would probably have burned her badly.
Making sure not to touch the hot metal parts, she carefully took the nippers......and cut the wires around the faucet...

......Take that, ...and that...!
"*pant*, ...*pant*! *pant*......*pant*!!"
She finally closed the faucet and the heat from the hot water storm died down.
......For a while, Erika was forced to cool her almost burnt arms under running water...
"......What a CALAMITY."
"Would you like a bath? I can wash your face with this brush."
"Allow me to PASS."
"Oh. ......That's a SHAME."
Erika had finally regained enough of her composure to be abusive......

She closed the faucet completely, ......and silence returned to the bathroom.
After that, all that remained was Erika's heavy breathing.
She turned on the fan to get rid of the hot steam.

She had to leave the bathroom until that was finished.

......It was pleasant, like stepping into an air-conditioned room on a hot summer's day.
"......Now that was a ridiculous trap. ...However, that wasn't here at the time I examined Battler's 'corpse'. Therefore, the appearance of this trap proves that Ushiromiya Battler was alive. ......Well, I never thought he was dead anyways."
"......So he decided to openly show a card that had already been EXPOSED."
"Let's check the inside of the bathroom. Was Battler seen?"
"NO. No one was seen in the BATHROOM."
"<good>. Now we've confirmed that, except for one location, Battler does not exist in any place inside the guest room."
"......Give that a rest. Just where is this one exception?"
"A coffin. .........Ushiromiya Battler's coffin, that is."
"......Ashes to ashes, the dead to their COFFINS."
".........You'll try to trap me in this room, right? ......Okay. Let's have it."
The silence that was complete except for the rain......was suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Though it was extremely quiet, ......the room was filled with tension......as though you'd be sliced in half if you relaxed for an instant.
A cloud of gold butterflies gathered on the room's round table......and turned into a witch's chess board.

It was finally......time for the siege.
"Blue truth. You did not vanish from this room. You just hid yourself to make it seem as though you'd disappeared from a closed room. The place you are hiding......is the 'one exception' that I haven't investigated yet."
As Erika lightly raised her right hand, ......a single gold butterfly appeared from the darkness behind her, ......flitted between the index finger and middle finger of Erika's raised hand, and became a white piece.

Then, .........she lifted it high into the air......
"This is the one exception. ......The walk-in closet next to the entrance!!"
*bang*!!

......Like a falling white lightning bolt, ......the white piece hit the board......landing by a weak spot in Battler's formation......
"Yes, it is HERE...!!!"
With a crash, the door of the closet, which was just off to the side of the guest room's entrance, was impaled by a spear that represented the blue truth. Dlanor had spun around and thrown it.

The door was completely pierced, ......and the spear stuck in so deeply that if a human had been hiding in it, it would have pierced their chest as well. ......Its still quivering handle was a testament to the force with which it had been thrown.
".................."
"There are no places in which to hide other than THIS. You are now hiding in HERE."
".........What do you say, Battler-san...? Have you been struck through the chest for a literal Smothered Mate...?"
".................."
"......Battler-san. ......It's our move now."
"Yeah. ......I thought it would be like that, Erika. You intentionally left one spot open so you could stuff me into that coffin. ......It's the same move that trapped Kinzo in Natsuhi's room. ......I saw this move coming."
"Oh, ......did you? ......Then let's see your response. ......But let me make a prediction."
"Let's hear it."
"......I'll checkmate you in just two moves from now. That's my prediction."
"Then I'll make the same prediction. ......I'll checkmate you in just two moves."
".........Sounds interesting."
"......These predictions contradict each other. .........Who will be the liar, I wonder......?"
The air burst and sparked.

......The silence would hurt one's skin.
"Then GO. ......It is your TURN."
"......It's useless. Your lowly coffin won't be able to trap Battler-san."
"Here's my response."

Slowly, ......Battler held his hand over the chess board.
A gold butterfly that had appeared from the darkness rested on Battler's finger and became a black piece.

......That black piece was the king, ......which represented Battler.
"............This is my response...to your 'Battler is hiding in the closet'... ......Take this."
"Ushiromiya Battler does not exist within the guest room. ......There are no exceptions, including the closet."
Like a black bolt of lightning this time, ......Battler slammed his piece down on the white piece of Erika's that had cut deep behind his lines......crushing her piece.

It scattered like a golden spray and melted beautifully into the darkness as a faint cloud of gold sparks drifted about......
"......I see, so he hid in the closet at first, ......and then slipped out of the room while Erika was occupied by the shower!"
"It's the same technique he used to let Kinzo escape from the study in the last game. Distract the observation of the observer, and disappear into the darkness."
"......<good>. Yeah, I'm sure you aren't. ......I'd already foreseen that move."
Next was Erika's turn.

......A gold butterfly popped into existence in front of Erika.........and she grabbed it right out of the air.

She then lifted that hand into the air......and raised the white piece high.
"Let me announce a retroactive move. This occurs back in the very beginning, right after I broke the seals and entered this room. ......At that time, I immediately closed the door, reset the chain, and sealed this room."
"Objection. Gohda severed the chain back when the crime was first discovered. Since the chain lock is not functioning, it is impossible to use it to create a seal."
"Objection overruled. Erika repaired the chain lock. ......See?"
"......Impossible. ......How could she have repaired a brass chain?"
"It is possible to repair. ......Have you forgotten Beato? The duct tape seals. ......Erika used that duct tape to join the two cut ends of the chain together, 'sealing' them. In other words, the chain was repaired by the duct tape, and this room once again became a closed room locked from the inside."
"O, objection. Erika-san has already used up her duct tape seals, hasn't she...?! She shouldn't be able to use them anymore...!"
"Objection overruled. The use of the duct tape wasn't limited by the number of strips, right? It was by the number of rooms. ......The only restriction was to limit it to only three rooms. ......Erika chose this guest room to be one of those rooms. So, Erika has the right to seal as many places as many times as she wants within this room."
"......Gah........."
"......That's right. ......I...gave her permission to do that."
"This is what you get for your PRIDE. ......Sympathy is the evil liquor that the proud are most fond of."
"So, with this retroactive move, I proclaim that the chain lock has been repaired by the duct tape seal and has regained its original functionality. And, thanks to that, I locked the room upon entering it and made this guest room a closed room from the inside once more."
The white piece Erika held aloft......represented the seal caused by the chain lock.
This move would draw out Battler's king and drag it to the guillotine.
"Die, Battler."

The piece for the chain lock was slammed down right at Battler's king's throat.
"Repeat it. 'The lock created by the chain is currently intact'."
"............!"

Battler's face contorted.
......Beato, who was watching from behind, grimaced even more.

This move......was very painful.
If his logic said that he had hidden in the closet until Erika left and used the uproar in the bathroom to escape, ......then the chain lock must have been unset.

In other words, he couldn't respond to this demand.
If he didn't respond, Erika would use the blue truth in her next move.

She would probably say 'you hid in the closet, then used the disturbance in the bathroom to escape. Since you then couldn't set the chain lock from the outside, you left it undone'... And she would be right.
......This was...checkmate.

As Erika had predicted, she would strike the finishing blow on the second move.
......And on top of that, she would probably use the disappearing Battler to solve most of the crimes that were to follow.

......Losing the battle in this closed room would steal a major deciding piece from Battler...
But what if............he responded to her demand?
What if he could say 'the lock created by the chain is still intact'?

That......would be fatal to Erika.

It had already been shown with the red truth that this guest room could only be made into a closed room from the inside.

So, ......this hopeless closed room would instead become Erika's coffin.
For a riddle like this, Erika probably wouldn't solve the mystery of Battler's disappearance until the end.
Each unsolved riddle gives an advantage to the witch side.

Battler......wanted to respond to this demand if at all possible.
However, ......if he responded...
If he answered by saying that the chain was still set...

......He would have to abandon the logic saying that he had escaped while Erika wasn't looking.
Once he escaped, he wouldn't be able to set the chain lock again.

It would make a riddle to corner Erika, but he would have to construct a different escape method.
Even a move such as him leaving the closet during the scene in the bathroom and hiding in another place--say, under the bed--wouldn't work because he had proclaimed that 'Battler does not exist within the guest room'.
If he could construct logic that allowed him to escape from here while preserving the chain lock's position, .........then Erika would be the one facing a fatal blow.
However, ......if he didn't have that logic......if he failed......it would be a logic error.

The worst and lowest forbidden move that would instantly end the game in his defeat.
He would have no way to recover.
.........For Battler, ......deciding how to respond to this demand......was a very advanced and difficult decision......

Either way, ......Erika would probably corner Battler.
"......In that case, ......my choice is obvious."
"B, ......Battler-san. ......This guest room has already been restricted in many ways by the red truth due to its closed room nature. ......How do you plan on escaping from this...?!"
".........If only I could do something about the chain lock...... ......If only......"
If he could somehow trick the matter of the chain lock, ......he could make Erika have to deal with a terrible closed room!

It would probably end up as a finishing blow to her.
But in order to do that, he would need to make a trick for escaping 'the closed room that existed before Erika came back', which was now 'the closed room sealed by the chain that Erika set right after entering the room', and on top of that, he had to make sure that 'the chain that could only be set from the inside remained in place'...!

If he could do that...if he could find a way......then it would end here...!
But I still can't think of that trick...!

Right now, Erika is demanding to know whether the chain lock is still set or not.

I need to decide whether I'll take that challenge or back down...and I need to do it right now...!
If I can find a certain-win trick, then this is the end...!

But if I don't have that trick, ......I should just acknowledge that I slipped out of the closet, undid the chain, and escaped...and back out of the fight......

If I say the chain was set without a trick up my sleeve, ......then it's impossible for me to escape. In other words, it's a logic error......!!
"Even if we lose the fight in this room, there will still be chances left to us. We've still only started the second day, haven't we? We have plenty of time to reconstruct an impossible murder."
"......No, that's no good. If I acknowledge that I've escaped from this room now, it's the same as acknowledging that I'm the culprit! ......If I back down from the fight in this room, ......it's the same as accepting my defeat in this game."
Battler's point was a valid one.

Since all of the other humans were still locked in the guesthouse...then if Battler alone was alive and free to move...

Erika would probably base her explanation for all of the following impossible crimes on the blue truth that Battler was the perpetrator.
If they wanted to forcefully turn that around, they would have to rewrite their tricks and logic so that 'someone other than Battler' would be set up as the perpetrator.

To fix up one flaw, they would have to create new flaws, ......and the flaws might eventually pile up and kill Battler.

Even running away would mean tightening the noose around his own throat.
The first truth...that Battler is the culprit...has already been hit upon!

And yet, I have to struggle desperately to get out of this......! ...I need to...!!
I'm on the edge. I've definitely been cornered in a dangerous spot.
However, ......if I can just change my position, everything might turn around at once...

If I can just make this chain my weapon......I can kill Erika...!!
"Wait, ......are you actually going to respond to her demand...?! Is there any way to escape without undoing the chain lock?! .........There isn't! If you respond, ......you'll lose instantly from the logic error at the end! It's clear which choice we ought to make!"
"Yeah, it's clear. .........No matter what move we choose, it'll turn for the worst just as Erika wants. ......If it's horrible either way, ......I'd like to choose the move that has the biggest reward if we win......!"
".........You're going to call even though you have no logic for escaping and no trump cards? ......You think you can accept her demand and win...?!"
"My cards might be useless. ......However, ......with just one more card, they might become a straight, a flush, ......or even a royal flush. .........If hell waits for me after both options, ......I'll take the one that'll finish her off if I win...!"
"Th, ......that's an insane move. ......Sometimes, when madmen jump into the path of death, .........a miracle will occur......"
"It's impossible!! H, ......how could you escape this closed room without removing the chain?!!"
"......There's only one difference between heroes and madmen. ......It's whether they win or lose. .........I'll be looking forward......to your big victory......"
If I can finish things with this move, .........then as I predicted, ......I can kill Erika on my second move.

I still can't think of a trick for escaping this closed room.

However, ......there has to be something......there has to......
Once I think of that, ......I can make a magic illusion of me changing into a butterfly and slipping out of the crack in the door like smoke...

......If I have even a drop of that mad magician's blood in my veins, .........please let that honor......give me just a fragment of a miracle right now......!
"......So, Battler-san? Let's have that second move that you predicted you would checkmate me on."
"Please give an answer to Lady Erika's DEMAND. ......Will you RESPOND, ......or will you REFUSE...?!"
Slowly.........Battler's hand stretched out to his king piece on the board.

He lifted it up.........and slowly......held it aloft......tracing a large circle in the sky......
Would Battler respond......or wouldn't he?

Would the lock caused by the chain be preserved, or wouldn't it?
......Would Battler's king crush the piece of the chain lock that stood right in front of it...?

......Or would it slip away like a ghost......and escape......
"This is......my response. ......As predicted, ......on my second turn.........you're through. .........Here it comes. ......Furudo......Erika...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
Battler's king had become a black lightning bolt and crashed down onto the board...

Where had it gone?!

On top of the piece of the chain lock?
Or past that piece...?

".........I will repeat it. The lock caused by the chain is intact."

Battler's king.........had left the chain lock piece in its place...

......and had (slipped past it/・・・・・・・)......
"Heh, ......heheheheheheheh...... ......Yeah, it sure would be cool if you could say that the chain lock was still set, wouldn't it......? Don't you think that'd be cool......? ......But do you know what they call a fool who's full of himself and jumps into the path of death just because it's cool......?"
"......No clue......"
"Ushiromiya...Battler. .........That's what we call them aaaahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh, I file a motion for a logic error!!
"That red truth of yours just now has cut off your own logic!! Please have the impartial referee make her judgment immediately!! Great Lady Lambdadeltaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"Motion received. ......Lambdadelta. Does this make logical sense? Your inspection please."
"Motion received. .........Battler. .........Show me. Let me see......your cards........."
".........Battler......san........."
"......It is a royal flush...right......? If you've got nothing, ......you won't get out of this with just a 'sorry', okay......?"
"..................Yeah. I have no intention of apologizing."
"......If it's a logic error, the game board will be blown away. ......You have inherited this game board from Beato. .........It's the one thing you have left of that precious Beato. So, you must not accept a logic error."
A logic error only becomes established when the witch admits to it.

As long as they can keep thinking of new logic to escape with, ......they will not die, cannot die.

However, ......that would be like living in an endless living hell of the mind.
"......Even if you manage to crawl around forever after falling onto the darkness of thought, ......you'll just be eternally trapped in a hell where you constantly think of ways to escape the closed room while denying the logic error. ......Are you sure?! Are you sure?! This is nearly as bad as the depths of oblivion, got it?!?! It's like the difference between falling from the roof of a ten story building and falling from the roof of a hundred story building!!"
".........Lambda. Battler has already finished making his move. Players can't take back a move once it's made. ......Act as an impartial judge, carry out our motion, and see whether or not Battler's escape from the closed room is logical...and whether there has been a logic error or not."
"Be slow, accurate, and meticulous like an archeologist. ......And, be as fast as a guy at an ice cream shop when he forcefully and skillfully scoops out that sweet, fragrant vanilla/soy sauce ice cream!!!"
"Y, ...yes, I know that. .........Battler......let me see it."
"............Battler-san......"
"Beato, ...do you think I'll lose?"
"......I don't want to think that. ......After fighting with the old me many times, ......you finally reached the miracle that I so wanted you to find. ......So, ......I'd like to believe............that you'll win through a miracle once again...!"
".........This woman called Beatrice... ...The whole time......she fought on that same border between reason and madness. ......She fought with a mixture of sadness, anger, and several other emotions for me that can't be described with words. .........And in the very last game.........at the very last moment......she managed......to seize victory."
That might......have been the purpose of the card Beato had been gripping as she fell.

Beato passed away......without realizing that she had won.

In the final game......the true victor......was Beato......
"That Beato entrusted me with this game board. ......So, I'll win. ......So, I need you alone to believe in me. ......Beatrice..."
"If I believe, ......and a miracle occurs..."
"............Please."
"I do believe in you......!! Battler-san...!!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh, this is pissing me ooooooooooooff!!! Please just check it already, Lady Lambdadelta!! There is no valid logic! There doesn't exist any way to get out of this closed room!! You were overeager, Battler-san! If you could win with this, that'd be cool!"
"It'd be so cool if you vanished even though the chain is still set, wouldn't it? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahhahhaaaaaaaaahhh!! Like hell you caaaaaaaaaaaannn!! Like hell you can do iiiiiiiit!! If you could do that, you really would be a witch! If you could vanish your way out of this closed room like a puff of smoke, I'd have to acknowledge it! It'd be the work of a wiiiiiiiitch!!!"
"Quiet, Lady Erika! ......Lady Lambdadelta is conducting her INSPECTION."
"........................Pass through, one move. ...Go back, ......corner."
With sweat gathering on her forehead, ......Lambdadelta inspected the movements of the pieces from Battler's side.

She was as accurate and meticulous as an archeologist, ......just as Bernkastel had told her to be.
"............"

After gulping stiffly, ......Lambda looked between the formation of the pieces on the board......and Battler's face, which remained tense but steady.
"......Lambda.........?"
".........I have......finished my inspection......"
"There's no way the logic works......!"
".........Please......God......"
"............"
".........Erika."
"What...?"
"I'm very sorry."
"Wh, ......which way am I supposed to take that...?!!"
"It was fun. ......Now, this is the end."
"I told you, ......which way am I supposed to take thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!"
"Silence!! I have finished inspecting Battler's move. .........My decision-"
"......Effective."
"E...ffective.........?"
"......You're lying...!!"
"I judge it to be effective. ......He's presented logic that doesn't violate any of the red truths, and I've finished checking it. ......The move by the player on the witch side, along with that final red truth he repeated, is effective. .........Battler. For the first time, ......I have to say I think you're incredible..."
".........See? ......In your game, ......a miracle will always occur if you believe."
"B, ...Battler...san......!! I...I'm sorry...!! If only I had believed more strongly, ......you wouldn't have been cornered like this......!! Waaaaaaaahh!!"
Beato flew onto Battler's chest, sobbing...

Erika staggered backwards, ......shaking her head back and forth dizzily.
And Bernkastel...?

.........Her face was like an expressionless mask.

Then, ......slowly......it became a smile...

And for some reason, ......it seemed the sign of some horrible emotion......
"Well......DONE............To think......that you escaped the room......without removing the chain......simply SPLENDID......"
With her small hands, Dlanor slowly started to applaud quietly.

......She was followed by Gertrude, and then Cornelia.

......And then by Beato and Lambdadelta too.
.........Applause......filled the room......
"O......Onii-chan...... ......H, ......how did you......"
"......I see. ......Yes, a move that cannot be seen by one whose thoughts are trapped within the closed room..."
"Impossible.........Im......possible...... ......Eee...eeeeeeeeeeek.........!"
As Lambdadelta watched Erika, who was breathing hard, shocked and dizzy with a despair she couldn't accept, ...she had to take her hat off to the strength of Battler's heart and intelligence at this critical moment......and to the power of this miracle.
......Incredible, ......Ushiromiya Battler.

It's my complete loss for thinking that your power and Beato's would cancel each other out and bring an eternal draw.
And, ......Bern, who thought she could do as she pleased even though she had seen through to your true strength, ......has also suffered a complete loss.
Bern is the witch who waits for miracles.
You are the witch who summons miracles.

......You......are not Bern's piece.

......Just now, ......without a doubt......you have surpassed Bern......

......You really did......in this one moment......think up a trick by which to escape from this closed room......!
As Erika had predicted, ......Battler had been hiding in the closet.

Then, during the disturbance in the bathroom, he had snuck out of the door. ......Erika had guessed this much.
That's why they retroactively set the chain lock and sealed it to prevent Battler from doing this very thing.

The chain lock cannot be reset from the outside.
So, it should have been impossible to escape from the closed room.
However, ......Battler didn't let his thinking get trapped inside this closed room, ......and so, he broke through.

......It doesn't matter who, ......but let's explain it with his mother, Kyrie's piece.
Just like Battler, the life or death status of the rest of the first twilight victims has not been specified by the red truth.
In other words, ......just like Battler, ......the others...and specifically, Kyrie, can still move.

And their closed rooms were not sealed, so they can go out as they please.

......Kyrie......had come to save him.
Kyrie followed behind Erika, ......and had waited in the hallway while the latter had entered the guest room and sealed the door from the inside.
......Then, after Battler undid the chain lock and escaped, .........she entered the room in his place......
Then, ......Kyrie reset the chain lock from the inside, ......and hid in the closet, ......just like Battler had done......
Yes. ......Battler truly isn't inside this guest room right now.

However, that doesn't mean that no one else is inside it.
......Kyrie took Battler's place in the closet, ......the one exception that Erika had left, and is there still......

Kyrie......saved Battler.........
USHIROMIYA KYRIE CANNOT SAVE BATTLER.
......Huh......?
"Wh, ......what do you mean......?"
"......
Ushiromiya Kyrie......cannot save Battler."
"...Wh, ......why not? There's no red saying that Kyrie can't save Battler! Wait a second, ......how are you using the red truth?!"
"Effective. .........Dlanor's red truth is effective."
"Requesting permission to unsheathe red key."
".........Permission granted. Please do it, Dlanor."
"H, .........how......? ......How...can you give that permission?!?!"
"Effective. ......As part of an impartial judgment, I guarantee this red truth."
"......Without telling us your reason?!"
"We'll tell you that soon. ......Very soon."
"...B, ......Battler hasn't proclaimed Kyrie dead with the red truth yet...! It is allowed for Kyrie to be playing dead! And the duct tape has already been used on three rooms, making it impossible for you to seal Kyrie's room...! So how can you use the red truth to say that Kyrie can't save Battler?! That red truth has no basis!!"
"We'll tell you its basis soon. ......But more importantly, Lambda......? ......The logic with Kyrie has ceased to function. ......You should probably find another piece to switch places with Battler, don't you think...?"
"..................Nn, ......y, ...yes. ......There are still pieces that can save Battler."
Reconstruct the logic.

......All we need is someone who can switch places with Battler. It doesn't have to be Kyrie.
"Then let's switch it to Natsuhi. ......Ushiromiya Natsuhi switched places with Battler...!"
"Dlanor. ......Do it."
"As you WISH."
Dlanor's red longsword......smashed Natsuhi's piece into little bits...

How...?!
How......can Erika deny this logic......without the detective's authority?!
"Ushiromiya Natsuhi cannot save Battler."
"Th, then Eva! Ushiromiya Eva!!"
"Ushiromiya Eva cannot save Battler."
"Then Rosa! Maria!!"
"USELESS. Rosa and Maria can't save him EITHER. ......DEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATH
<die the="the" death="death">! <sentence to="to" death="death">!
<great equalizer="equalizer" is="is" the="the" death="death">!!"
"O, objection! Erika-san doesn't have the detective's authority! ......How can she use any red except for the duct tape seals...?!"
"Objection overruled. ......Not having the detective's authority does not imply that one cannot use any red at all. .........There's something she can use. ......Right?"
"Yes, ......there is. There are several exceptions that even humans without the detective's authority can use."
"......Insane... ......There's no way."
"YES, there is NONE. ......However, ......there is a certain action permissible only to humans without the detective's authority, ......and it can become a truth of such overwhelming credibility that witches can easily raise it to the level of red TRUTH."
"A certain action......permissible only to humans who aren't the detective......?"
"............Y, ......you don't mean... ...Erika......you..."
"......I...I've got it. ......Yes, ...if I'm right...this red truth is effective..."
"I...I don't understand! Was there some power that could only be used without the detective's authority...?!"
".........There is. ......There is just one."
"So, you've finally noticed. ......That's right. ......That's the only reason...I abandoned the detective's authority this time around. ......You told me I could make the detective proclamation whenever I wanted, right? ......Well, unfortunately, ...I am no longer capable of making that proclamation."
"Which......number rule was it......?""Knox's 7th. .........It is...forbidden for the detective to be the culprit."
"Y, you mean.........wh, ......whaaat?!"

......Finally, Beato realized everything.
Yes, ......the detective's authority bestows several powers that are useful for reasoning, but it eliminates one single privilege.

That is Knox's 7th.

......It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit...
"......In this game, ......it is impossible for humans without the detective's authority to examine corpses perfectly. ......So, ......there have been several tricks where the dead have all been faking and walking around where they please. ......You probably thought you could use that logic to create several impossible crimes after this. ......When I said that I wouldn't make the detective proclamation, somewhere on the inside, you must have said 'I've won'."
"......You're pretty sly yourself. You gave me the duct tape seals, seemingly out of mercy, but that was because you planned to have all of the first twilight victims survive, band together, and carry out the crimes. So, you gave me only three rooms' worth, which wouldn't cover all six people."
"No matter which rooms I sealed, at least one of your underlings could move freely. .........You must have been plotting to use that to corner me. ......But too bad. Your naivety really pisses me off. ......Stupid man!"
"............I admit it. ......I admit that I fell for your monkey show...and that in my pride, I tried to show you some mercy. .........That's right. ......Even without the detective's authority, ......there is a way. ......A way to make sure that a corpse examination cannot fail."
Is the human lying in front of you alive or dead?

You can answer that question by examining the corpse.
With just a quick glance, your chances of being right are 50-50 either way.

Various bits of knowledge and experience can be used to obtain a more precise result.
.........However, no matter how much you do that, while you can reach up to 99%, you can never reach 100% accuracy.

......That's what most people would think.

However, there is one way.
......One way to conduct a perfect examination.
"And that is.........to kill them."
".........Erikaa...aa......"
"Without the detective's authority, I can't tell whether the victims are dead or faking. So, I needed a way to be sure. ......And, if possible, it would be preferable if they were removed from the game board so that they couldn't make a mess of things later on."
"So, I dashed all over the mansion, visited all the crime scenes, and......I re-killed all of them."
"Wh......what on...earth........."
".........Of course, she couldn't just kill them however she liked. ......It had to be a perfect way of killing, good enough that their deaths could be determined with the red truth. ......Erika made sure of that."
"The manner in which they were each killed differed, ......but afterwards, she completely severed the heads of all those she killed. ......That method of killing is solid enough to be called a red truth, right...? Lambda......?"
"......E, .........effective. No human could survive.........after having their head sliced off...!"
"C, could you have severed all of those heads without getting any blood on you?!"
"For example, you could take a large trash bag from the kitchen and grab the knife through it. ......Then, if you covered the entire corpse with the trash bag as you did your work, you'd block nearly all of the blood spatter."
I used enough knives and bags for several people, then left them there at the crime scene.

Of course, I didn't humiliate myself by walking around with them, leaving blood in the hallways and dirtying my clothes.
There will probably be trash bags left at the crime scene with my fingerprints on them, but since this game ends before the police come, that can't be used as evidence, so there was no problem with leaving them there.
"......Are you insane? ......What kind of...mystery would...ever allow something like that......?"
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from a witch on the fantasy side. Oh, and don't worry. I didn't kill you. ......I didn't have time to sever the head of the last one found, so I just sealed your whole room with the duct tape you gave me."
"......Then again, that might've been because I knew this would happen and wanted to watch you struggle. .........*giggle*, ......*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*! Oh, that's right. ......Just like I can say that I killed them in red, I can say one more thing."
At that point, Erika stopped for a second, ......and still, ...aaah, can she really be wearing an even uglier expression than everything before now......?
With that...highest quality face, ......she spoke.
"All five people I killed......were very much alive until the moment I killed them. ......Everyone faithfully played dead as best they could until the moment just before I killed them, okay? .........Maria-san was quite the little trooper. .........After all, even though her mother had already been killed in the same room, ......she kept on playing dead without even noticing...... *giggle*, *giggle*giggle*-"
"Hahahahaha, ahhahahahahahahahahaha...hehahyahhahahahaahahaaahaaaah!!"

――They're demons.

Up until now, ......many witches and demons have appeared in this tale, ......but for the first time...here are true...demons......
"You bastards.........you bastards...... ...Uu......uugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"
This time, Beato understood the entire plot of this tale.

This tale......was just the story of a prank.
Surely, someone had thought of playing a slightly harsh trick on this inconsiderate guest, who loved to show off her intelligence and act the part of a great detective......and several people had agreed to go along with it.
Then, the ones who would play the victims would go into their assigned rooms, set the chain and the lock from the inside, ......and play dead......to create a fake closed room murder......
......If you think about it that way, the rooms chosen for the corpses seem to make more sense.
It was only natural for Natsuhi to 'die' in her own room.

......If you're going to play dead, it's only natural that you'd want to lie down on your own bed.
Eva's vanity is strong, so she must have asked to 'die' in the VIP room.
Kyrie was in Krauss's study.

......That was probably well air-conditioned and comfortable.
Rosa and Maria were in the parlor.

A soft sofa should have been a great place to play dead.

......Maria had done her best and had impressively acted the part of lying dead alongside the wall.
Battler was in a guest room.
The temperature here was also nice.
The bed must also have been fairly pleasant.

...Yes. The victims for this first twilight had all died in comfortable rooms.
In the past games, the corpses had often been found exposed in the courtyard or under the rose garden arbor.
In the cold gardening shed or in the boiler room......

This time, there were no victims in any such inhospitable environments.
This......is probably the truth.
This is the story of a prank, with no one dead since it started...

And then.........this......demon.........had turned it into a real murder case......!
"......You do have the right to speak ill of Lady Erika. ......However, ......now, you also have the obligation of showing a new logic that doesn't lead to any CONTRADICTIONS."
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Corpses to corpses...! Hey, Battler-san? Let's continue the game!! Please present a different human to switch places with you. If you don't, your trick......will become a logic error......"

There's now......no one who can come to the rescue.

Erika's killed all of them!!
"D, ......dammit......dammit, dammit, dammiiiiiiiiit!!"
"......Battler-san, please, calm yourself...! Now's the time to wipe our tears away and fight...! Even if you've lost five pieces who can save you, there's still the 11 people in the guesthouse!"
"Y, you're right... ......Krauss, Hideyoshi, Rudolf, ......George, Jessica, Shannon, Kanon! Genji, Gohda, Kumasawa, Nanjo!! It doesn't matter who, as long as someone comes here!! Somebody, somebody, heeeeeeeeelp!!"
"But it's no uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse!! Please, looook at thiiiiiiiiiis! Gertruude, Corneliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
""Let it be known that we are here and ready.""
"Bwaattleeer-shwaaaaaann!! Pweease, look at thiiiiiiiiiisss!! Whhhaaaaat arrrre theeeesse?!"

Erika, who was now so excited that her pronunciation was tumbling all over the place, pointed at two doors.
It was the hallway on the second floor of the guesthouse...
......They were in front of the cousins' room and the next room over.
"Look, here, here! There's something attached to the door?! What is it?! What is it?! Hey, what is it, Gertruuuuuuuuuuuude?!"
"......Know that it is the duct tape seal of the cousins' room."
"<oh, yeeeeeeeeaah="yeeeeeeeeaah">!! <very goooooooooooood="goooooooooooood">!! <one more="more">!! What about this dooooooooooooooor?!?!"
"Know that it is the duct tape seal of the next room over."
"Ｏｈ、ｖｅｒｙ　ＧＯＯＤ!! Okay, you two! Why don't you show everyone watching at home on their TVs?!! Please have a look at the duct tape seals on both doors!! So, what do you think of them...?! Are they broken, or aren't they...? Please, let us have the red truth!!"
""Please, allow me to speak. Know that neither is broken.""
"Know that an unbroken seal proves that there are still none who have entered or exited."
"It needs no second telling, but know that entry or exit without breaking the seal is impossible!!"
"Ｇｏｏｄ. ...Battler, it is as you SEE. ......There no longer exists anyone who can save YOU."

The victims of the first twilight have all been killed!
And the guesthouse is still sealed!!

No one can come to the rescue...!!
"Uu...ku...gghh.........!"
Erika had guessed this moment might happen so long ago, ......and that was why she had made the strategic move of suddenly sealing these two rooms.

This accounted for the doubts Cornelia had felt at the time.
Wondering why the human side player wouldn't want as many free humans as possible was a natural, simple reaction to that move.
However, if you sealed up all humans, ......there would be no room for magic to intervene.
Why is magic magic?
Because the people who saw it say that it was magic.

Then, is it possible for magic to exist in a place with no people?
......Is there no problem with that because there's no anti-magic toxin...?
Wrong! Magic in a place that isn't being witnessed is no different from a delusion, a daydream!
Magic that matches a result must be carried out by human hands.
If all humans are sealed off, then magic cannot be created.

This was Erika's strategy for this game......and her beautiful...checkmate!!
"Well now. ......Who's going to come save you? Please tell me who the 'real' person is who switched places with you, remained in the guest room in your place, and set the chain lock from the inside. If they even exist."
".........Okay, Battler...? Your logic has been interrupted. ......Who could have come to save you? You are now in the middle of a logic error."
"Uu...
......w, ......wait... I'm still......thinking......!"
"......Battler, you have two options and one obligation. ......The first option is to build a new thread of logic to reconstruct your closed room trick. The second is to come clean and admit to your logic error. And your obligation is to choose one of these options."
"It is merciful. There's no restriction on the amount of time you have to make that choice. .........*giggle*, that's right, your time is endless, eternal."
"I...I'm sure there's still some way......some twisted logic that can get you out of this... ...Anyways, ...I'm sure there's still some way......!"
"I'm thinking about it! What about you, Beato?! ......Let me know if you find anything... ......I'm sure the old Beato...could have managed something... She built up several closed rooms like this...!!"
Beato felt awful...

......Why was she Beato, and yet not?!

Surely, the old her would have thought up a trick under these restrictions.
If only she could do that, she could guide Battler to victory......but she couldn't do it as her current self!
"*giggle*. Yeah, I'm sure you'll think of a good trick. Eventually, surely, probably, maybe. ......Pretty sure it's impossible though. *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
"......So then, Battler. ......Let's go back to the guest room. From now on, that will be your world."
Once again, ......they returned to the slightly chilly guest room.

It was the same room as before, of course, ......but it felt as though an unsettling darkness had crept in...
"Here's the room you'll spend your days in from now on. .........You just need to escape from this room by any means you want."
"......However, there are conditions. ......As I believe you know, these were all things you forced on yourself.
......First, this room is a closed room created from the inside. The seals on the windows are intact, so there can be no escape from there. Of course, there is no way to escape by leaving through the bathroom. ......I'll make it simple. There is no exit to escape from except for this door. However, the chain lock on this door is set. You can unset and reset it all you want, but you can only do so from the inside. Furthermore, you are free to go out through the door, but you cannot leave or escape while the chain lock is unset. You have to show that you can escape from this room with the chain lock still connected......!!"
"......But......he couldn't possibly......""He couldn't possibly do it? He made this closed room himself...!!"
"We have set up...just one exit other than the door. ......That one's in the bathroom."
"My merciful master has arranged for a last way out if you fail to think of any trick to escape. ......Please listen up!!"
Bernkastel guided Battler to the bathroom.

It was just a normal bathroom.

The setup that had surprised Erika to buy time was no longer working.
However, the bundle of wire and the nippers that had been used to prepare that trap...still lay in the empty bathtub.
"Are you saying......that I can use these to escape......?"
"Yes, please feel free. It's a present. ......However, no matter what you use, you can't lock the room from the outside. And you can't fool the seals either, okay? These tools aren't here to help you pull some trick with the chain lock. ......They're here to let you escape from this room in a more direct way..."
"......H......how am I supposed to use these......?"
"..................Not bad, Bern. ......I see......that your mind's as grotesque as ever......"
"There is an exit that leads directly outside from this bathroom. ......Can you find it?"
"......Y...you don't mean......"
"D, did you figure it out, Beato...?! Please, tell me...!!""That's.........i, ......impossible........."
"Please, where is it?! Tell me!! We can't let the game end like this!!"
"There......"
"Huh? Where......? Under...the bathtub......?"
"Can't you see it? There's a round hole that leads straight out of this room."
"......It's a bit small though......"
"Y, ......you......you.........aahh......nngggyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh......"
"It's the drain right there at the bottom of the bathtub. You can get out of there without touching the chain lock. But your body is a bit too big to get through this exit. That's why I decided to lend you those tools there."
You can escape......through the drain...?
How...?

She couldn't mean using those nippers for a hundred years to widen that hole, right...?

Battler and Beato......had already realized.

...They had figured out this demonic way out that the demons were proposing......
"Just use those nippers......and cut your body into pieces that can fit."
"......*crunch*crunch*. ......Might as well sit back in the tub under a hot shower...as you start from your feet going up...chip then wash, chip then wash... Just keep doing that and, oh, what do you know, you've suddenly managed to escape from the closed room."
"'Oh, what do you know' is right, my master...! Looks like both siblings are gonna end up the same way...! Heheh......heheheheheheheheheeheheheh!!"
"But Bern...? At that rate, just the hand holding the nippers will be left."
"That's why we have the wire... ...Beforehand, Battler will have to wrap the wire around his wrist, then stretch the other end out into the corridor through the crack in the door. ......You should be able to fit just a wrist through the crack left by the chain lock."
"......If you're willing to do that, I'd be happy to pull that wire from the hallway and save you."
"My master, if you do that, I want it!! Battler's wrist...eheheheheheheheheeheheheheheheh!!"
"And what would you use that for...? But no, I've already decided to use it as a back scratcher. When the time comes, I'll scratch your back with it. What do you say?"
"Y, yeees, my master......Master's going to scratch my back...with Battler's handhahahaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"
"........Finding them annoying? Irritating? Obnoxious? ......Don't worry, it'll get quiet really soon. ......All noise to disturb your thoughts.........will now disappear for all eternity, until you can escape from this room."
"Th, ...that's a relief... I'll be glad of the quiet...!"
"............Here's......some advice from a survivor of hell. ......Enjoy this noise while you can. .........Even the annoying insults you hear now......will bring you fond memories to preserve your sanity while amidst the eternal silence."
.........Do you hate Bern and Erika?
Then that's their parting gift to you.

......As long as you have hatred, you will be able to avoid giving up.
Giving up has a completely different meaning here, okay...?

......Prepare yourself while you can...for the eternity of the hell you'll be in when you've given up...but still cannot escape.
"Did you just call yourself a survivor......? ......Then, ......you also......"
"......You know, ............every once in a while, ...that terror comes back to me. .........I wonder......whether I really have escaped from that hell. .........What if......I actually lost my mind a long time ago......and I'm still in there...just seeing a delusion of us all chatting happily like this...? ......That nightmare still terrifies me... ......And so, I need to constantly feel...truly feel that this isn't a dream... ......Hey, ...are you guys...really...real...? ...You aren't just an insane delusion I'm having inside that hell, ...right...? Right? ......Right......?"
There was something in Lambdadelta's pleading expression that sent shivers down the spine.

It was probably more terrifying than any threatening words she could have used with even the most vile expression on her face......
It's time for Battler to realize.

......A logic error isn't so sympathetic that you can just stick out your tongue, ask for forgiveness, and say you'll be more careful next time......
It is never worth risking one by leaving things up to chance, even if you feel that you can't back down at this point in the fight......

It's time for him to pay up and understand the true risk and terror implied by the words 'betting one's life on a fight', which must sound so exciting for a man......
"Battler-san, get ahold of yourself...! I'll think deeply upon it as well! I'll think of a trick to escape this room with all I've got...! I will come to save you...!!"
"B......Beato... ...Uuu...uuuwwaaaaaaaaaahhhh...... I'll definitely think of something...just waaaaaaaaaatch......"
"Well, regretfully, it's time for us to leave. We mustn't get in the way of his job any longer."
"See you later, Battler-san. ......Or, like you'd say it, <see you="you" again="again">, right? <have a="a" nice="nice" day="day">...*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!"
".........Later, ......Battler. ......Good luck."
"Battler-san, don't give up...! You will certainly think of a trick! I'll think as well, and I'll come to save you!!"
"B, ......Beato.........?!"

Before he could finish saying Beato's name, ......they had all disappeared.
......They hadn't disappeared in a golden spray, or turned into butterflies and flown away...
Just as though there had never been anyone in this room since the beginning, .........everyone but him had vanished in an instant.
Nothing remained......not their voices, their presence, their warmth, ......nor even the faint perfume Beato had worn.

The frigid air of the room was wrapped only in the lonely sound of the wind and rain......
With that overpowering feeling of isolation......I finally began to realize......how horrible a punishment this would be......
"D, ......damn those bastards... ......It can't be that hard to get out of a room like this...... I mean, rooms are made so that people can come in and out of them, right...? ......If they can't do that, you wouldn't call it a room."
How pointless... ......It's easy to undo the lock and chain from the inside.

......Dammit... For some reason, I've always been clumsy......and undoing chain locks always gives me trouble.
Oh, ......it's off.

Heheh, ......heh...how pointless.

Look, ......I can already open the door whenever I want...
......Hey......what's this cold feeling on my neck......?
What the hell is this.........?

......Why is there suddenly this iron collar around my neck......that's attached to a chain?
Dammit, who would do something like that...

......Wh, when I reset the chain lock, it disappears. And when I take it off, it appears.
The chain is pretty long, so I can make it pretty far out into the hallway.

But it won't let go of the door...
Then if I close the door, .........stand on the outside and stick my hand through the crack.........maybe I can figure out how to set the chain...............Uuu......geh......
Why......have I always been so clumsy... ......I'm not really clumsy......it's just that me and chain locks don't go well together... Dammit, .....I hate this chain lock...I hate this chain... Why......won't it work...? Why......can't I set the chain lock from the outside......? Dammit...dammit...dammit.........Nng...ggyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh...!!!
"......Battler-san, ......Battler-san!! Hang in there...hang in there...!!"
"..................Can't......get out.........ggh...kk......"
Beato called out to Battler repeatedly, shaking his shoulders hard, ......but by now, Battler's eyes were blank.

......The words didn't reach him......
Bernkastel and Erika had already left.

The game was officially suspended until Battler could think of a new trick, ......but it was doubtful that it would be resumed even after a thousand years...or more...
"......Okay, I'm heading off too. ......So long, you two."
"Th, there's no need to say 'so long'...! We'll...we'll think of a trick right away, and the game will resume! We won't take up your time...! So stay here a little longer...! Please...!!"
"......We've heard those same words from many witches in the past. ......And I've heard of hardly any who've actually managed to resume their games. ......As far as I know, the only two are me......and Bern."
"Why......why would a person who knows about that hell throw another person into it?! Just because you're bored? Is that all?!"
"............Yeah, that's all. ......It's to escape from boredom. ......Because when we get bored, ......we remember. We remember that hell. ......And, you know, ......by throwing someone else down into that hell, ......we realize that, oh, we're the ones on the throwing side, ......and that means we aren't in that hell ourselves. ......If we don't keep doing that, .........then the fear of that hell will overwhelm us..."
"......If you two managed to get out of it, then he certainly will! I will save him...!! I can say it with certainty......!!!"
"With 'certainty'......? ......You swear with certainty before me, Lambdadelta, the Witch of Certainty...?"
"Yes, with certainty...!!"
"..................Very well. I was the guardian for the former you anyways. ......Though the current you is different, ......I'll take care of you one last time. ......I'll give you a parting gift."
"And what......is that...?"
"Hope. .........As long as you hold on to your 'certainty', your wishes will definitely come true."
"............"
"Are you listening? The old you was the Endless Witch Beatrice. ......You used to love detective novels that depicted impossible crimes, and you used those to make the claim that a witch existed, to make many people believe in magic...as one stage on your path to becoming a witch."
"......Detective......novels..."
"Yep. The old you was an avid reader. ......You loved detective novels, loved closed room murders......and were a super expert on impossible crimes. You searched for and found several closed room tricks, ......found the single most basic element to all of the tricks, and used that to form the core of your magical compendium."
"......Didn't Battler tell you? ......He said that the old you would definitely have thought of a way out of this predicament. .........I agree with that. I guarantee it by the name of the Witch of Certainty, Lambdadelta. ......The old you would definitely have cleared up this closed room trick......"
"............!"
"......That's my parting gift to you. .........Goodbye. You've sworn to the Witch of Certainty that you will act with certainty. So I won't say farewell. ......'I'll see you again soon'."
"Y, ......yes. ......We'll see you again...soon......!"
Lambdadelta vanished into thin air......
Then, in the smoking room of the witch......the two who had held the title of Endless Witch...were left behind.
One had empty eyes.
The other supported the first by his side.

......Ironically, ......it was the exact opposite...of how their relationship had been in the previous game......