#i'd go with yashiki

[jommycham]

Spirit Hunter NG Radio Drama Bonus CD [Ultra Rough Translation]

[Spirit Doctor Yashiki Kazuo's Consultation Room]

An honest attempt at a translation of the bonus drama CD that came with the purchase of NG: Extreme Kaidanchi. Beware of some minor spoilers if you have not played through all the Spirit Hunter games.

Note: Only did this for fun, and I am not fluent in Japanese, so inaccuracies are expected.

Disclaimers:

This bonus CD is an edited version of Yashiki's Consultation Room that was originally broadcasted on the EXP channel. Some questions sent in by viewers have been altered. What occurs in the Consultation Room should be treated as a parallel universe to the main storyline— therefore all comments made in these sessions are NOT canon.

(btw, Yashiki's title here is "Kai Ika" (怪医家)— or literally "Strange Doctor," which is probably where the "Spirit Doctor" came from.)

✄--------------------------------------------

I did my best with my (admittedly) shoddy translation, and cleaned it up a bit to have it sound more coherent. Again, I do not speak or understand much Japanese, so despite my best attempts, portions can be wrong (though most of it should be reasonably correct). I will highlight those unsure sections accordingly. There are also very small parts I've omitted, either due to it being too difficult to understand (for me) or to smooth the flow of the translation. 🙇‍♀️Thank you very much for your understanding and putting up with my impulsive DM brain rot.

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This CD features Yashiki and Mashita answering the audience's concerns/worries. Yashiki receives these burning questions through occult magazines. This time, however, Yashiki specifically calls Mashita in due to a request from OOPArts, much to Mashita's chagrin.

☕︎ Late for School Reader: This question is basically taken from EXP 4th Season #3 Voice Drama (where it's Yashiki, Moe, and Mashita) regarding the viewer who couldn't get up early.

Yashiki: Moe has answered this before, and I suggest rather than buying a cat, to take supplements, don't accumulate stress, go to bed early, get plenty of sleep, and have yourself plenty of coffee and sugar as soon as you wake up.

Mashita: Well, I guess that's the sort of advice you'd give. At my previous job, I'd take a shower or wash my face with cold water.

Yashiki: Even if someone else wakes me up, I still have to put in majority of the effort through the rest of the process.

➥The answers to this question are a lot more fleshed out in the actual livestream VD, such as the cat thing, the supplements being part of Mashita's answer, and Saya mention for the "someone else."

☕︎ Bug Hater Reader: Also a question taken from the above mentioned Voice Drama about a reader asking about how to handle cleaning the house while bugs are roaming during the summer.

Mashita: You're the type of person who doesn't hesitate to pick things up and put it in your bag. You (the reader) can also try hiring someone or contacting a cleaning company.

[Yashiki is concerned that Mashita also doesn't really like touching gross things and asks if he's okay.]

[Mashita explains that both of them are basically in the same line of work, so it's not like he hesitates either to touch things.]

Yashiki: That's true.

☕︎ Summer vacation is almost over, but my eldest daughter hasn't finished her homework. What should I do, Mr. Yashiki? What did you do with your homework during summer vacation?

Yashiki: The Kujo Family already finished their homework early into summer vacation. How about you, Mashita?

Mashita: Well, it's kind of a hassle, so I tried to finish it early. But I always remember not being able to finish my literature essay/book review until the last moment. It was the only part I didn't fully understand.

*TERROR SOUND EFFECT*

Yashiki: I loved reading books and I don't remember having difficulties with them. Shou doesn't do his in the first place. Moe and Tsukasa seem to be the types who get it done first thing. Suzu seems like she'd get it done unexpectedly early. Eita probably does it early, too. Ai seems the type to get it done and put the rest of her energy into her hobbies.

Mashita: If your parents are willing to help you, it might not be a bad idea to plan your hobbies and leisure activities for the latter half of your summer vacation and finish the homework by then.

Yashiki: And if you don't finish your homework...

*dramatic sound effect*

Yashiki: ... you'll die at dawn. Well, if you can imagine a curse like that/wouldn't be surprising if there was a curse like that.

Mashita: Tch, I wouldn't want that.

➥ The term Mashita uses here is "Dokusho Kanshoubun," and I am not familiar with the specifics of what summer homework consists of, so the closest thing I went with was a book review of sorts.

➥ I got kind of lost on his descriptions, so I honestly wasn't sure who was being described, so the details may be mixed up.

☕︎ I'm waking up in the middle of the night with the need to go to the bathroom. But there are times where I get scared and don't want to go. What should I do in times like these? If you have any tips or advice, please let me know!

Yashiki: Actually, come to think of it...

Mashita: Wait. Just turn on the lights, that's the answer.

Yashiki: What's the hurry, Mashita? I was just trying to...

Mashita: I'm trying to keep you from making an ill-advised comment.

Yashiki: Was it going to be that terrible?

Mashita: No doubt. With this, we're done with the question.

Mashita: Tch, who was the one who chose this question? Maybe they were half-asleep at the time. Well, off to the next one.

➥ I could not tell if Yashiki was asking if his answer was going to be that awful or he was saying "that's terrible (coming from Mashita)." I went with the former to be safe.

☕︎ One afternoon, I was taking the bus to the hospital, and the bus stopped at a bus stop. It was on a main street with only cars and a few pedestrians passing by, making it look quite deserted. The bus driver opened the doors and stared outside. I watched from the back seat as the driver repeatedly, with an impatient tone, asked someone if they were getting on or not. The driver gave up on asking and started driving off. As the bus drove away, I kept looking outside, but didn't see anyone at the bus stop or on the sidewalk of the main street. I wondered who the driver was talking to, or if he had talked to anyone in the first place.

I suddenly remembered this recently— what exactly happened, and how would you interpret it, Mr. Yashiki?

There's a section where Mashita goes into a short explanation in regards to this particular question. I am not sure if he is talking about the reader's question or their reply— but basically either this question has been submitted before (didn't make it into the actual Consultation segment) or it has been replied to, but the reply was not published. Therefore, the editorial department has requested this question be submitted/replied to again.

Yashiki: I remember this question. My original reply was that since it was the driver's actions, it's technically not a paranormal phenomenon.

Mashita: Well, if we can't be sure, we still need to interpret it from that angle (?). What do you think about the situation?

Yashiki: I think it might be someone from the future who came to your rescue, and thanks to them delaying the bus' departure, a major accident was avoided.

Mashita: You're still naive as ever, but worse. No matter who that person was, in the end, you're the one who created that anxiety. You shouldn't willingly go with their plans.

Yashiki: By interpreting the situation in a way that doesn't make me anxious, it allows me to avoid getting swallowed up by fear.

➥ The specific phrase Mashita uses is "お花畑," or "ohanabatake," which means a field of flowers. It seems to be used to describe someone who is carefree or blind.

➥ The answer sort of starts leaning into the more philosophical side towards the end? At least on the basis where my interpretation of "that person" is the imagined time traveler of Yashiki's explanation. If not, I'm terribly sorry.

☕︎ At my previous workplace, there was a tree (?) that always made a ringing noise at night. It was close to a residential area, with an apartment building and a small community center in its parking lot. For some reason, it doesn't bother me on my way to work, and I only hear it on the way home. It also doesn't bother me during early shifts, so I assume the noise only occurs at night. The sound is different every time, ranging from the metallic sound like that of gold or a sandstorm. On bad days the ringing in my ears causes headaches and anemia. I had heard from a friend that the place was haunted/visited by spirits; so I started wondering if it was a paranormal experience.

Yashiki: I answered this question at the time it was originally submitted, but it remains the same. I can't deny the possibility [of it being a paranormal event]. I'm pretty sure the advice given to you was to sing a song. There's also the option of keeping an omamori and listening to your favorite music through earphones. I don't know how effective it is, but as I have said previously— try to avoid feeling anxious as much as possible.

☕︎ I'm an idol who loves the occult, and I love reading about them. I want to consult Mr. Yashiki, as there have been many instances of paranormal sightings in H City. There are also rumors of new sightings circulating on message boards as of late. I'm a bit nervous about investigating it by myself, so can you please help me out? I wonder if the rumors are true or not...

Yashiki: I don't recommend investigating it, because there's a chance you could die.

Mashita: But I guess they can't just leave it be.

Yashiki: This is a difficult question...

Mashita: In any case, I would like to have some more information so I can do some research on this.

Yashiki: I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you could send what you know to the editorial department. I recommend you never investigate matters like these alone.

Afterword

Yashiki: Alright.

Mashita: I think this is enough, about 10 minutes.

Yashiki: I’ll hand the audio recording to Moe later today.

Mashita: I'll leave it to you.

Yashiki: I hope this helps someone with their troubles.

Mashita: Perhaps.

Yashiki: Will you be willing to help out next time?

[Pause]

Mashita: ... Tch. Hm.

Yashiki: Please look after me./Thank you in advance.

➥ The phrase is "yoroshiku tanomu yo," which I've seen can be translated into "please look after —" or just used generally for requesting a favor. I was debating using "I'm counting on you" since it sort of made better sense in this context, but Yashiki ended it with "よ" which is much more casual/polite than "ぜ." I ended up opting for a more... gentler way of phrasing this? I genuinely didn’t know how to write it in a way that conveys how he spoke other than this ( ´_ゝ`).

Spirit Doctor Yashiki's Consultation Room: In addition to our regular consultations, we are also accepting everyday troubles. Please contact us here.

Thank you very much for sticking til the end here. ヾ(´ー`)ﾉ゛ I've been going through some pretty severe rot and this helped to alleviate it somewhat (despite how piss poor my efforts are). It's interesting to see different sides to characters even if it's not entirely canon.

As a lil bonus, I want to show those of you who haven't watched Nezuka Ryo's voice over for the entirety of DM1— Kawabata Yoshiaki's (Mashita's VA) introduction! The gap is... actually really cute in a way???

[praise-suns-and-chill]

On another post a few comments, mine included, had a little chat about what Mashita's thought proccess could have been, during the Confession in the second game.

So I decided to write a little One Shot about it!

This includes Spoilers for Case 7 in Death Mark 2, as well as the DLC of Death Mark 1.

THIS? 

"I'm not gonna be surprised by anything that comes out of his damn mouth." 

Well. 

Fuck. 

He was really eating those words now, huh. 

He could only stare with eyes ripped open as Yashiki explained, his words as trembling as his hands, his eyes avoiding everyone else. 

In fear of judgement? 

Probably. 

Shame? 

Definitely. 

This was wrong. 

This was wrong on every level. 

He was never one to stick to rules but this? 

MURDER??? 

Mashita couldn't even speak at first as Yashiki just continued explaining. No, there had to be something else, every second now he would mention that they did find that girl again alive, there had to be more, there had to be. 

This was wrong. 

But there wasn't. 

There wasn't and he looked as guilty as ever. Having just confessed. 

To murder. 

"You must be kidding me." 

Words uttered in pure disbelief. 

This wasn’t happening. 

There is no way. 

"To think you'd kill someone..." 

Actually, he didn't want to think about that. Not a single bit.  

Yes, everyone had the potential to murder, he knew that better than most, but this was Yashiki. Compassionate to a stupid, suicidal degree Yashiki. 

"Don't blame him for that! He was controlled by the Departed!" 

Oh great, the brat was talking. Mashita glared at her out of reflex alone. 

Why the fuck was she so defensive anyways? Nobody would react like that after their best friend just got killed, what kind of weirdo was this girl??

"Insanity or not, murder is still murder", he snapped back, before his eyes stared back at Yashiki. 

He felt more like he was the one going insane, his mind completely elsewhere as old training just kicked in. 

It was the only thing that made sense right now. 

"Article 199, a person who kills another person is punished by the death penalty or life imprisonment or for a definite term of no less than five years." 

He felt sick of even thinking of this as an option. He rattled down those words out of pure habit, as he had many times before, in the Academy back in the day and his job later. 

"I'd slap the cuffs on you myself if I had them with me." 

He should, but he wouldn't. Why was he saying that, he wouldn't, because Yashiki would never kill anyone. 

God fucking damnit. 

His heart was racing as fast as his mind, his entire body tense, ready to spring at the threat and yet violently rejecting the very notion that there was a threat to begin with. 

Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong, wrong, fuck! 

But Yashiki? 

Everyone else, maybe. 

He'd believe Shou, not planned but in affect, too impulsive. Ai too, stronger than she looked, against a stalking fan maybe. Daimon? Doctor, there was always a chance of malpractice. Yasuoka? That old hag definitely had a skeleton in her closet somewhere, if only because she dug it up once because the bones had some weird powers. 

The man who watched the only friends he had get attacked? 

The man who watched his friends get controlled to attack him? 

The man who watched half his friends get cursed into a coma and nearly die. 

The man who was nearly killed himself by the same goddamn spirit.  

The same man who after ALL THAT, still trembling in shock and trauma, barely aware of his own body, STILL refused to think about himself, just for fucking ONCE. 

The same man who looked at a dead spider, the remains of that goddamn spirit and still decided to show compassion to it before ANYTHING else-! 

...

Oh. 

Of course. 

And his body instantly relaxed, as did his mind.  

It didn't make any sense, possession or not. He would never do it. So he didn't. 

"...Let me just say one thing." 

It wasn't like him to get distracted. He had nearly forgotten what case they were even working on. 

"The law only applies if the victim is human." 

[hime-bee]

hehe, admit it bee, you love yashiki bc he's a soggy pathetic scraggly little man (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵) no judgment here, i adored yashiki and mashita a lot since they were such refreshing characters in the amnesiac protagonist and washed-out detective tropes <33

also since you want to get into the death mark franchise, really recommend manlybadasshero's playthroughs since he does all of the endings/choices and all three games cost 50 bucks on steam EACH,,

LISTEN-- MAYBE I DO MAYBE I DON'T 😭😭😭 I do, I'm so down bad for Mr. Pathetic Wet Cat, it's not even funny I wanna ride that man so bad, Mashita too-

The characters in the series really are refreshing, I love everyone's dynamic with each other! The dialogue and character designs too?? Pure peak 😩 Also, it's funny that you say that- I've been watching Manly's playthroughs on Death Mark since yesterday 👀 If I had the money, I'd buy the games myself, but I'll prolly just wait for them to go on sale 😌 For now though, watching is good enough, I just wanna see Yashiki doin' his thing 😳💞💗

[ghoooooooooooooooost]

i only shared it w a friend before but can i tell you all my death mark 2 au/rewrite... here (spoilers obvi, also body horror + insects warning)

(edited so theres more details smile)

most things r the same except for the departed (and no naked girl cgs OFCOURSE)

making it so that the departed pretends to be daimon instead of the two high school girls

normal daimon is around but he’ll gradually get sick n every now n then something weeeeird happens (as in yashiki accidentally talks to fake daimon. also maybe you see the weird bug ghost that hovers above everyone near endgame with him first)

crowbar scene happens w fake daimon while real daimon is actually passed out somewhere. mashita comforts yashiki n then they both realize its a fake

(that's what these doodles were referencing)

my dearest friend chip suggested the departed could also be konoe so n that would make sense n make him more present in the plot so byeah

we both agreed that they didn't push the bug + mold horror theme far enough so i tried my hand at it. mold can be really gross irl ewwww

my design for departed daimon is actually toned down from the og tho, just bc i thought the weird spider face was more goofy than scary. personally bugs are scary to me when they're crawling on you n burrowing into your skin n making holes n laying eggs in there - like the bees in death mark 1. there was some real-stories tv show abt that specific thing happening that aired when i was a kid n it freaked me out a lot

why was hime's mold just ourple swirls boooriiiiiiiiiiiing

/

edit july 15th 2024 adding this into the main og post since wonderful chippard linked it (basically a neater rewrite of everything i just said + what i said in the reblog addition. i rewrote it for a solo zine hence the proper capitalization lol)

Instead of Himeko and Michiho being The Departed, it’s Daimon and Konoe. Normal Daimon is still there but every now and then he’ll start acting strange or feeling sick due to The Departed’s possession. The “love” aspect would be shown through Daimon specifically too so Doctor Duo ship is canon in this. Konoe basically uses Daimon to try to get to his Dear Husband. In place of going into a coma like in the original, his behavior intensifies and condition worsens until he suddenly runs to the bathroom. When he comes back… dun dun dun… that’s The Departed – Yashiki doesn’t know…! Crowbar scene ensues. But!? After Yashiki tells Mashita, they see Daimon perfectly alive in the infirmary. Yasuoka found him collapsed in the hallway at some point.

The plot would play out basically the same with some changes (no fanservice girl cgs; more Konoe screen-time; Michiho + Himeko act differently; Saki or Abe partner? more school-related ghosts...).

Maybe the game could be longer to give the new characters more time to shine while not removing the returning ones. Not sure how that would work exactly… One possible solution would be to have day segments where we get to play as Yashiki while he's actively teaching (which would also address the "why'd they even pick a school setting" problem bc damn they barely did any school specific plot shit outside of Hanako & Kashima). Would be awesome and in-line with how the first game brought up war if they kept addressing problems with the education system. Also I think I wouldn’t have any unavoidable human casualties after Hanako’s chapter? All the unavoidable deaths made my friends confused about if they were doing something wrong or not and it honestly felt off to me too. It would be compelling if after failing to protect the first student(s), Yashiki actually successfully protects the rest of them in the good route. Making him feel like he’s become more steadfast after the first game and staying true to his word. Especially if Naomi survives in my opinion - ‘she almost dies but is spared if you make the right choices’ or something like that. She could even be in the room when Yashiki sings the school song.

Not sure how I'd make The Departed feel even more connected to the school... Maybe there's a romantic superstition popular among the students that's based off their "wedding ceremony" -- but it's innocent enough to not give away how they died.

[shouts-into-the-void]

Trying to decide on the POV for a fic I'm working and figured I'd get outside input since I'm bad at decisions. It's a Moe-centric fic, about the younger characters going off to college and Moe having to call in the others for help with her own spirit problems.

[chipchopclipclop]

hi! just a quick question abt the spirit hunter zine: is it going to be all/mostly about yashiki x mashita/yashiki & mashita? im curious on whether or not it will be worth it to purchase the zine for any of the other characters in spirit hunter :>

Hi there ! While yashiki himself probably features the most in peoples works, most of the other characters show up in various pieces in the zine, it is generally themed after all! I'd say only 1-2 pieces are explicitly shippy with the two of them involved but even then its alot more solo character pieces or group images, a bit of everything! 👻

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 6 - Bodhisattva

Arawashi no Uta /Bunker Army Song

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were some kind of high-functioning sociopath in the least." Mashita gave a teasing chuckle, his arm around Kisara's shoulder as they exit the cinema. "People who aren't deranged in the head don't laugh at grotesque, ritualistic murder scenes." he pointed out.

"Call me what you wish, I enjoyed myself!" she smiled like a precious princess. "You really didn't have to pay though, I feel bad." "That just means you'll have to make it up to me next time." he cheekily commented.

"Ah, I see, so we're going to end up owing each other a date and run around in a vicious circle. I like this courting game." suddenly, her phone starts ringing. "Oh, come on, don't bother me now..." she grumbled, irritated, flipping up the phone lid, only to see it was Yashiki. "Oh. The saving vest is calling - Let's hope I learn how to swim soon." 

He picked the phone from her hand. "Let me have a bit of fun." he cleared his throat and made a tragic impression of a girl's voice. "I've been waiting for you call the whole day, Yashiki, what took you so long!" Kisara could barely stifle her giggles, as they sat down on a bench. 

"Uh...? Wrong number...?" the poor man was so confused, hearing childish chuckles from the other side of the line. "Wait, hold up - Mashita?! What are you doing with Kisara's phone?" "On first name basis with my girlfriend? Now, now, that won't do, Yashiki." an uncomfortable silence took over.

"Uh... Sorry? I think? Wait - Since when are you --" the poor man stumbled over his words like a fish on land.

"You've teased the man enough." Kisara laughed, reaching to catch her phone back. "Sorry for that, Yashiki. Satoru's in a playful mood. We watched a murder detective movie." she explained, feeling a coat placed over her bare shoulders. "Did you find any new leads?" "It's alright. Uh... Yes, sort of. Quite a lead, actually, and it ties with what you said about your grandfather. I think this ghost is the one who cursed you. A new curse bearer came by, and he mentioned his grandfather having been a war physician involved with the Engineering Lab... Hiroo's grandfather was the same. We're going to investigate the lab today, from the other entrance." Yashiki explained - Suddenly, Kisara fell into a mute somberness.

"My grandpa wasn't working for the Engineering Lab... But when we went down the sewers... Yashiki, I never really felt anything quite like it. I felt a sense of familiarity, like... Like... Like when I go home, only that home is actually hell. There was such a malevolent energy down there... Not like Zukawa, not like Shimi-O... Something in between... But I also felt a strong sense of suffering and agony like never before. I think something incredibly disturbing happened down there." the girl leaned her head back to look at the cloudless sky, filled with stars.

"So it attracts you like a magnet, but it also makes you want to run away with fear?" Yashiki concluded.

"Yes. If my theories are correct, I think down there happened some great cases of human experimenting. I hope I'm wrong - God, I hope I am... But whenever secret things like this one are involved, that's usually what it is. The twisted imaginations of people who want to play God." she shuddered lightly.

"The man who came over is called Daimon, and he's a doctor too. He said there's mention of a strange scar in his grandfather's records as a military physician. The patients with the symptoms were kept in a secret army laboratory, and of course, after the war, all documents were burnt, with the exception of the clinical records he found. It might have something to do with, uh... Gods and Faith too. And something called... Kannon soldier." her back straightened in shock, as though a lightning struck her down.

"Kannon? Like - The Bodhisattva? Guanyin? The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy?" she asked immediately.

"Uh... I'm really not sure, I'm not very familiar with Buddhism, but don't you think this ties perfectly well with the whole Divine Wrath thing, and the stolen statues?" Yashiki pointed out.

"That's the thing, it ties TOO well. I don't believe in Gods and Religions, I don't think this Mark was given by the wrath of Buddha or whatever spiritual theories were shoved down our throats. Ghosts? Yes. Gods? No." she snapped sternly. "But don't take my beliefs too, heart, it would only influence your chain of thoughts. Listen - It's too late to go pay a visit to my grandparents at this hour, but I'm coming over to investigate with you, and tomorrow I'll see what they have to say. I'm sure I can give you some fine insight." she explained, already hopping up to her feet.

"Alright. I'll text you the location. We'll see you there." he hung up.

"Well... Thank you for the date - It was the best I've ever had, really. I'll... Hopefully see you soon, yes? I have to make it up to you." she gave a dry smile.

"Yes, yes, something like that." he offers an aloof smile. "Call me if you need anything. You got to see me afflicted by the ghost, might as well return the favour." the comment made Kisara's tension dissipate, and she chuckled.

"Thank you for your support, Satoru. I'll hold you onto that." with a nod, Kisara got in the car and drove back home - She needed to get a coat for herself, and a few sacred items, both Shinto and Buddhist. Why? She didn't know, but her intuition told her that, although she was a non-believer, it was better to be prepared, in case of anything. She already knew chants and mantras and sutras and prayer - What was a rosary or some ofuda talismans?

It didn't take long before she arrived at the South Alley, and she found Yashiki waiting with another brunet man - He looked sickly, poor man. They had already opened the manhole lid. With only a brief introduction between the two doctors, the trio went down the rusted ladder. Kisara was the second to step onto the concrete, but as soon as she did, she froze up and gasped. Yashiki turned his head in her direction, and searched her glazed over expression.

She was perfectly chanting the Imperial propaganda song from the army, as though she was one of the soldiers from the time. Her voice was soft, and so eerie with the echo resounding and bouncing off the concrete walls.

Daimon cringed hearing it, his whole body stiff and shivering. "Can you please stop? It's giving me the creeps." but she sketched no emotion on her deadpan face, nor did she look like she heard him. Daimon stepped in front of her, looking into her eyes and snapping his fingers - No pupilar reaction, no defensive reflex. "Hey, Yashiki, is she possessed?" Yashiki frowned, looking at her with concern, though he had to admit, her chanting the military march lyrics so ominously, like a broken record, made the faint propaganda song playing in the shelter even more terrifying. "Kisara, wake up." nothing. "Kisara, hey!" "Might I recommend a more... Direct approach?" Daimon rose his eyebrow at his partner. "Right." Yashiki placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "KISARA, WAKE UP!" The woman squeaked in surprise and drove back. "Don't scare me like that!" she clutched her heart. "I'm sensitive, you know?!" "Sorry. I think you were, uh... Possessed? In a trance? I'm not sure. You were chanting the military song and... You weren't moving or responding at all." the horror gleaming in her eyes turned to realisation. "I wasn't possessed, though at this rate, I might end up that way. If I do that again, wake up me. This place might just become the death of me. It's... Calling to me, as though I know where I'm supposed to go. I... Please keep an eye out on me, in case I try to stay off from the group. If I wander around randomly and wake up, I'm going to get lost and never find my way back. I'm directionally challenged to the core." Daimon let out a soft exhale of amusement. "I see, so you're spiritually sensitive. Very well. We'll take be on the look out." with a grateful thanks, she got in between the two and followed Yashiki's lead. 

Down the South path, they found the large iron doors, though they were locked as expected. Only one way to go, then. They ignored the dried up blood, or the clean rectangular spots on the walls, no doubt left by rather recently torn military posters, and reached a cross in their path. They went right first, down a corridor lit dimly by a few red bulbs, only to find themselves at another cross, and in the middle, a large blood splatter, as though a man imploded, only mush and porridge left behind of him. To the left, a dead end, though a draft was coming from said wall. Could it have been a fake wall? Or maybe it was cemented over? To the right, another perfect dead end. Ahead, once again, a dead end, but with another set of iron doors. On the wall, blood was splayed, revealing another spot where a poster once stood - the blackened stains were crumbling down. The doors were unlocked, and they were able to get inside. The air in this room was musty and stale. It looked like a medical facility.

Kisara fell to the ground, clutching her head, as though an impossible migraine was cursing her. She was staring with sheer torment at the operating table. The state of the room suggested the inhumane experiments that took place there - Hatred clogged the air like a poison mist. It was the most dangerous place they've been so far.

"A lot of people were dismembered and eviscerated on this table. The atmosphere is so heavy, it makes me want to cut my throat out of fear." Kisara heaved pitifully. In a corner, Daimon was examining the ancient skeleton on the ground. He came to the conclusion that it got decapitated with either a blunt object or some kind of non-surgical tool, as the cervical vertebra was messily severed. "Do you think this corpse was also an experiment?" the doctor asked. Kisara shook her head. "No. It's more like... Like a worker who got killed by one of the victims. There's a lot of hatred, dread and vengeance... A lot of vengeance..." she explained softly. Yashiki found a document about cryptograms - it looked like wabun code, similar to morse.

Kannon: Weapon's Code Name ...- ..-- Heavenly Buddha: Project's Code Name .-.-- .--. Soul: Human heads used as materials -. -..-

In another cabinet, a gun and a worn out notebook was found. Despite the faded ink, they were able to decipher some of the writing. '70th... next experiment Ashura statue conne... male body and female head... Then... ernatural phenomenon, spirit... frequent... hard... continue experiments... '

Kisara shuddered, gritting her teeth. Yashiki turned to her, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Kisara... I know it's a lot to ask, but... Could you try and touch the table and see if you can see anything? It helped a lot last time to understand Hanayome's case without much evidence at hand." She looked horrified, her gaze turning from the man and to the table, and back again. Her hands found their way in her beautiful crimson locks of hair... Crimson, like the blood spilled by all the victims in this place. "I-I... Can try..." she never heard her voice so broken and terrified before, it almost made her feel humiliated by her own fear. She was a samurai, a warrior - That's what her grandpa raised... She can't get brought down by some visions. "Give me your coat. I don't want to dirty my clothes." as Yashiki handed her the coat, she placed it like a blanket over the table. She hopped on the edge of the table and unconsciously took out the beaded buddhist rosary from her pocket. "I don't believe in God. I don't believe in Providence. I don't believe in Divine Wrath. This is just the work of ghosts and monsters disguised as people." she reminded herself briefly, her fist clenched tight around the beads. She laid on the operating table as though she was one of the subjects. "Uh... If I do catch something... Don't let me fall off the table, please. I have delicate skin, I bruise easily." she gave a shaky chuckle as she closed her eyes, her hands touching the cold metal of the table and feeling around for the caked blood left unwashed.

Daimon stared intrigued at the woman - A doctor and a spiritualist, how fascinating. Usually one would exclude the other, though not in her case. Still, from what Yashiki mentioned on the way there, Miss Hasashi had the double-edged sword gift of seeing the last moments of one's life, by touching remains or objects with strong spiritual meaning. He was curious to see how it would affect her - Still, he was there to aid if she had some kind of panic attack.

Kisara's eyes fluttered open softly - Her mind felt foggy, and she was in a complete daze, as though she was drugged at a bar. The strong light from the lightbulb dangling above her head made her squint uncomfortably. She got up --... Or tried to. Her body was trying to move, was it was being restrained. Tilting her head left and right, she noticed the leather belts. Anxiety started bubbling up in her heart, and panic was rapidly surging through her veins. "Bāng wǒ! Qǐng bāng wǒ! Yǒurén! Rènhé rén! Qǐng bāng wǒ!" the vibrato of her beautiful soft voice wailed pitifully through the ominously white room. She kept calling for help, over and over again - And then it dawned on her. Was she speaking in Chinese? Who was she? My name is Hasashi Kisara, I'm Japanese, I have no faith, I'm a Veterinarian Doctor in the H City hospital, I'm 25 years old and I'm dating detective Mashita Satoru. Yes, that sounded right. That sounded like her... So... Why was she speaking Chinese? Was the victim Chinese? She never mixed her own identity with the victim's, so why now? The door suddenly slammed open, and two pairs of rushed foot steps surrounded the table she was in. They were speaking a foreign language rapidly. No, wait - It was her language, damn it! It was Japanese - SHE was Japanese! She wasn't the victim, she was Hasashi Kisara! "Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om." she found herself horrified, chanting Buddhist mantras over and over again. She couldn't understand the young men dressed in scary, black military uniforms and one of them with a pristine clean white coat, nor could she read their stone cold faces. She kept chanting and chanting, painfully looking up at the white light above her head. No - She could understand them, damn it! Why can't her brain get out of this haziness? Why is she so confused?  She picked up on the two men speaking about Buddha and Bodhisattva, experimenting, some kind of scar... Hundreds of failed human experiments... The Great Ashura, the perfection human connection between a man and a woman... But one of the voices was so familiar... Why was it familiar? It wouldn't make sense to be familiar.

Suddenly, she feels a hand over her own, and something is roughly dragged down her finger. Something sparkles in the bright light - It looked like an engagement ring of sorts. No, she wasn't old enough to be engaged - A promise ring, maybe? She felt very territorial, looking at the ring being carelessly tossed into a transparent box... Overbrimming with such rings. Cold sweat fell down her forehead.

"Don't ruin her head, we need it. Do what you want with the rest." the one without the coat told the other. "This better work, Hasashi. Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Tojo will have both our heads if we can't create the Kannon Soldier. It's our Empire's last hope to win the war." ... Hasashi, he said? Hasashi? Isn't that HER surname? It can't be... No... No it can't be it... "Hakkō Ichiu. For the Glory of the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Emperor and Unit 731." Kisara's blood froze completely - Unit 731... A taboo blemish on their country's history... No, not a blemish, it was an outright plague, like most of the things Japan did during the war. The atrocities they committed were unforgiveable. From the sexual enslavement of Korean girls, all forgotten thanks to Prime Minister Tojo, to his involvement in the hellish sin that even Satan himself trembles at, the massacre and rape of the Chinese in Nanjing. Nanjing. Nanjing. She was from Nanjing. She, and all the people who had the misfortune of being kept alive during that inhumane torture from her homeland... They were brought back to Japan to become experiments for the maniacs who lost their license to madness, only to serve as the most revered surgeons playing around carelessly with their bodies and organs. She was barely 13 years old... Or did she turn 14 already? She had a crush on a boy and he gave her a promise ring, before going to war, and dying while at it. Her father was dead on duty... And with only her, her mother and grandma... They both were killed, while she... She was subjected to all kinds of torture from these wicked sinners. The great Buddha has a wealth of patience, but even he would never forget these heretics who use His sacred name in vain, creating chimeras and abominations in the name of their fake religion.

Kisara looked up, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes met an empty green void - The surgeon's green eyes were devoid of any life or feeling. He was merciless, unlike the Kannon Bodhisattva they were trying to re-create by dismembering people and putting odd parts together, as though they are dolls - The audacity of them! But those green eyes were so familiar... Yes... Those were her own eyes. Green eyes staring into green eyes... Though she suspected he could only see the victim's black ones. "Grandpa, why?! Why?! You have always been so kind, so good, so understanding - Everyone adores you! How... How could you?! This doesn't make sense! Please - Please get me out of here! It's me - It's your cute Kisa! Your little spider lily! Please, papa, save me! Please spare me! Papa, please, it's me, can't you see me?!" she kept crying and pleading, seeing the glint of the scalped shiny sadistically in the white light of the bulb. "No -- No, please, no, you can't -- You can't do this! Haven't you done enough?! Haven't you tortured me enough?! Come on, get me out of here, please, I'm terrified! Papa!" like a crying child, she pleaded and wailed, and then her cold, naked body felt agonising heat, and blood washed over her skin like a blanket.

She could feel his hands rummaging through her cavity as though he was searching something in a bag - She then felt a gentle touch on her cheek - His bloody hand caught one of her tears. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you stay awake the whole time. You will reach Nirvana only when I allow you to. The Buddha you were praying to won't save you - Only I can spare you of this pain."

She couldn't believe her ears - This psychopath - Was this deranged man her grandfather?! Moreover, she wanted to get back to the real world, to Yashiki and Daimon, and continue the investigation, to get rid of the curse mark, and return home to peace and quiet and no more talk of the war and the secret sins done in this shelter. But how can she go back? Every time she had visions, they were brief, sometimes flashes, but the soul didn't want her to see too much. This time, it was different - She was trapped in this tormenting hell for as long as the victim wanted her to be. No matter how she struggle, how she pleaded, how she cried, nothing worked. Searing agony surging through her whole body and out of ideas, she turned to praying. There was a single Shinto chant of protection that she could remember. "Spirits of the Sky and the Land, take the badnesses, disasters and sins and purify all. Miroku Oomikami -You bless us and proteject us. Meishu Sama - You bless us and protect us. For expansion of our soul - And the fullfilment of your will." she kept repeating the words again and again, but nothing happened. Why did nothing happen? Of course nothing would happen, religion is just a way to trick your mind into believing there is reason for selfless altruism. Something clicked then. The victim was Buddhist.

She kept repeating mantras. Kisara begged for this idea to work, otherwise, she might just have to endure this torment until she truly dies in this memory. She started reciting fragments of the Heart Sutra, the Sutra that stood as the core of all other Sutras. "OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." her words flowed continuously, despite choking on tears and pathetically stumbling over broken words and painful gasps and moans. She couldn't even remember what these words meant, but it didn't matter anymore. How many times was she supposed to speak the mantra? 108 times, was it? She couldn't keep count, it was hard enough saying words, let alone rationalise and actually discern what she was doing. She couldn't feel her limbs anymore - They were detached from her body, and cascades of her crimson blood that looked so much like her hair kept going down like a stream over the table.

"KISARA, WAKE UP ALREADY!" a foreign voice called out a name - Whose name was it? And why was she feeling hands over her body, gripping on her flesh.

"LET GO OF ME!" her pitched shriek rung deafeningly through the operating room. Yashiki and Daimon jumped backwards, petrified. Kisara was able to get into a sitting position, her arms clutching her knees to her chest, her face hidden in the gap. Her body was shaking with loud sobs. At least she was finally out of her trance. Yashiki was truly terrified - No matter what he did, she wouldn't awaken, though she kept screaming and yelling, alternating between Japanese and a different language that Daimon mentioned was definitely Chinese - She would chant mantras, or plead to her grandfather - Why him? Was he one of the surgeons implicated in this awful ordeal?

"Miss Kisara, I know you're having a terrible case of a panic attack, but I want you to try to pull yourself together. You're safe, back in the real world. Can you hear my voice?" Yashiki felt plastered with surprise, hearing the cold and pragmatic doctor speak to carefully. He, like Mashita, didn't seem the tender type - Maybe he was very wrong. Kisara nodded her head hesitantly. "Do you know who I am?" she waited a few seconds, before nodding again. "That's good. Do you know who you are?" shockingly, she shook her head. Daimon frowned - Usually, people were aware of who they were, but not other things around their environment. Could this memory have cause a delirious state of confusion? "You are a doctor, just like me. Remember that?" she nodded. "Your name is Hasashi Kisara. Do you agree?" the trembling stopped abruptly, but her hands were pulling painfully at her hair.

"I'm not." she choked out. "I can't be." she said. "I refuse to be associated with that monster who calls himself a God." she took a few deep breaths. She was regaining herself. Her legs relaxed on the table, and her hands fell to her face, wiping away her tears. "I think half of our ghost is a Chinese young girl, barely pubescent, and one of the unfortunate victims left alive and dragged here to be experimented on after the... The Massacre of Nanjing." she explained as Yashiki helped her get off the table and kept supporting her up. "The body of a man, the head of a woman... The Great Ashura... I saw my grandfather there. Surgeon General Hasashi of Unit 731. Imperialistic fuckass. He kept mementos for all his hundreds of victims. I'll raid his house tomorrow and see what I can find. He was working under that monster Tojo." she explained, her body exhausted. "I feel like they were trying to mock Buddhism by creating this monster... The girl was a Buddhist. She kept chanting all kinds of mantras and sutras... I think that will be a way to exorcise her." she spoke, tugging on the man's sleeve to get out of the room. "I'm not touching anything today anymore. I don't think I can take it." "We just got a bunch relevant information thanks to you." Daimon praised in a soft voice - With his illness, he really couldn't speak too sternly, could he?

"We tried waking you up, but..." Yashiki trailed on.

"Oh, you couldn't have succeeded. The girl is so full of hatred, she wanted me to experience absolutely everything she went through, from the time she woke up on the table, to the point her heart stopped." she bitterly snarled. She couldn't blame the spirit, but she wasn't happy with her experience either.

"Forgive me." the man whispered softly, unable to find any strength to speak.

"It's not your fault, Yashiki. If it helps us get rid of this Mark, everything is fair game." but she doubts even Satoru's presence would ease her mind after that mess.

Once they were out of the damned room, Kisara cringed, hearing the faint sound of the military marching song. Yashiki guided her to one of the iron doors. Goosebumps rise - A presence was approaching. There's an incessant beeping, like from a telegraph. They froze in place, unable to move from the electrifying fright. The beeping becomes gradually louder, as though it was trying to convey some kind of message. It was like a sequence... A familiar sequence, like that from the code book they found. "Soul." Yashiki found himself saying. An eerie whisper answered back. 'Point to your soul.' it said. Kisara pointed to his head. The beeping suddenly stops. Daimon cringed from the sheer pressure that the entity put on them and their souls. "Seriously?!" he weakly sighed in relief. "Amazing... A real supernatural event." he let out a sardonic chuckle, though he somehow seemed pleased. When they were sure the road was safe, they got inside the room, revealing another medical facility. Kisara freaked out slightly, saying she won't touch anything. She just awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, her hands in the air as though she was preparing for surgery.

The two men searched restlessly around the room. Daimon crouched next to another old corpse, ribbons of dry, leathery skin still scarcely hanging to the bones like bandages to a mummy. It had a similar cut to the neck like the other one. Somewhere in the cupboard, they found a Research Record and a military short sword. There were a few faded words that stood out in the Record. 'The experiment miraculously succee.... This... divin... protection... The... ura statue...onated from H Shrine... created by... line... statue makers...using...chisel...donated by...same family...severe head... tool...together...becomes the key...Finally our dearest wish...' it seemed as though they could have used sculpting chisels to sever heads.  In a cabinet, they found Suzu bells, which Kisara immediately snatched from Yashiki's grasp, and a Record book - 'Disposal Vat Mgmt. Record' 'Dispose... two hundred... super-dimension... suddenly, iron door... half-spiritualised... hypothesize... focused mystical forces...need.... sacred object to erase... Safety valve release code: Diamond'

Suddenly, Yashiki starts freaking out, and as in a trance, started oddly mumbling for a few good minutes. It took both Daimon and Kisara calling out his name to snap him out of whatever possession he was under. He says he's fine, but... He guided them flawlessly through the labyrinthine tunnels of the shelter, to a dead end - He flashed his light on the wall, revealing the outline of a hidden door flickering faintly. "Kisara, you're the expert. These bells... Are they used in any kind of religious ritual?" Kisara rang the bells she snatched previously. "I used Suzu bells in most of the Shinto rites I performed." she explained playfully. "Can you please touch the door - Erh - Wall with the bells?" his request was odd, but judging from the way he stuttered, and Daimon's inability of seeing the door, she figured it might be a way to reveal it properly. Ringing the bells rhythmically with every step she took, she touched the suzu wand to the door, placing her palm to it. "Kai!" she exclaimed, and the door appeared in a flash of white. "Cool." she mumbled to herself. "I'm not hallucinating, am I?" Daimon's face twisted in disbelief. "I suppose it's because of your lack of spiritual power that you couldn't see the faint flickering outline." the girl guessed. "Still, I've got a bad feeling about this place... Like everything else, really." Yashiki pushed open the doors, revealing a large and dark vault-like area. "Whoa... Amazing." Daimon found himself flabbergast. He noticed a rusty army sword, which he picked. Yashiki flashed his light around the room, gasping. "Are these... Heads of Buddha statues?" "Well, now we know where they were taken." Kisara blinked in disbelief. It looked rather macabre. "They're kind of just scattered around." Daimon spoke.

Suddenly, a sound echoes off something heavy moving, and suddenly, the room is lit with a pale light. "I have... A rather bad feeling." if even someone like Daimon could say that, things were really bad. They quickly turned around to dash out of the room, but the doors wouldn't open. A cold sensation freezes them from the bottom up, as water starts rapidly pouring into the room like a giant waterfall.  "What the hell?!" the girl stared is horror. It was paralyzingly ice cold, to the point their legs went numb. "We have to get out of here! We'll die of hypothermia!" the brunet shouted. "WE'LL DROWN BEFORE HYPOTHERMIA GETS US!" Kisara screamed, desperately tugging onto the door with Yashiki - Suddenly, his arm reaches somewhere else, and he struggles to touch the Diamond Arhat head. With a loud sound, water starts sweeping in one direction, and down the drain. "I-It's pulling us in!" one of the man yelled, as the trio got pulled into the whirlpool.

When Kisara opened her eyes, she felt no strength in her body, though her mind was alert. She felt too frozen to snap her head left and right, but she did see the old homeless man and his wide grin saying her friends were safe, but in a similar state. They were in that damn water for a whole hour, at that rate, Daimon's hypothermia theory might just come true. The first to get up was, not unexpectedly, Yashiki, who helped the other two get up, and they exit the shelter. Kisara takes her fellow doctor in car with her, finding a towel around the back of the car to wipe the water out of their clothes, while Yashiki was stuck with Banshee Itou.

Thankfully, they got to the mansion already, by the point they stopped violently shivering - Kisara was very proud of herself for driving so well, even frozen. Banshee gave Yashiki the key to the shelter. "Can we sleep on everything that happened for the night? I'm not capable of doing anything anymore. I'm freezing and exhausted." the two men vigorously agreed. Before she left home, Banshee Itou told them he had been living in the shelter for ten years, only for Zukawa to find her way there, around 6 months prior. He seemed freaked out mentioning the walking Buddha statue he encountered a month earlier, and how he got the Mark. He called it The Kannon Soldier. Apparently he found that name in some document - How did they succeed, was beyond them - But the man burnt the documents to get some warmth and roast a potato.  Still, he says he remembers what was written. The Heavenly Buddha Project was the reason the shelter was created, and thus, the 13th Army Engineering Lab collaborated with Unit 731 to get this done and get the upper hand in war. They did  tests on Buddha statues brought from some shrine - H Shrine, no doubt.

They tried to imbue the statues with spiritual power, and they even brought a Monk - Of course, nobody truly believed anything would come out of it, and it was an excuse to keep the general busy. That is, until the statue started moving and it went berserk through the lab, going crazy on a ton of people. The bloodstains and corpses are probably its victims. Those who survived the massacre got red bite-like marks. The thing moved and wrecked the place, until it stopped and never moved again. Nobody had a clue what triggered it to move in the first place.

They all were white as sheets, but unlike Hiroo, the rest believed Banshee's story. The old man then came with an interesting theory - The trio's grandpas got the Mark, and when the statue stopped moving, the Mark disappeared, but when it started up again, they got them, cause they're their descendant. Still, wouldn't that mean the parents would have gotten the Marks too? Weird.

"My grandpa is still alive. I'm going to test that theory on him tomorrow." Kisara said. "Good night, guys. And rest well. We deserve it." with a tired sigh, Kisara plopped down in the driver's seat. She didn't even realise she didn't turn on the music, nor that she was driving in the opposite direction of her home. Instead, she found herself in front of another apartment complex. She closed the door and leaned back on the car, staring up with red, tired eyes at the flat above. "Well, I'll be damned." with a sigh, she found herself in the familiar elevator and pressed her finger on the ringing button, not releasing it - She could hear the obnoxious ringing from the other side. Even the dead would wake up with such a hellish doorbell. "Who the he--... You've got the worst time." Kisara let out a shaky yet amused breath. The man in front of her was wearing an unbuttoned shirt and a loose pair of pants. His pretty black hair a perfect mess. "Can I have a cigarette? And some whiskey. And a hug. Yeah, definitely a hug too." he squinted his gorgeous light coloured eyes down at her, and he groaned, getting out of the door frame and nodding at her to come over. "How bad?" he asked, taking out the whiskey bottled and tossing her the cigarette pack. "I hate smoking and I only drink sweet drinks. That bad." he grumbled lowly, plopping down next to her on the couch. "I'll find you something to change in." he got up. "I'm assuming you're staying the night - Or morning, rather." she nodded quietly. He called her over and handed her an old black Tshirt and a pair of shorts in which she changed quickly, and returned to the couch. She shivered lightly, though she appreciated the comforting ambient warmth. Her fingers were tinted blue and were trembling as she lit up a cigarette, and taking a long drag, she relaxed slightly, letting a small puff cloud towards the ceiling.

She never really inhaled in the smoke, she just needed the anti-stress puffing - And mouth wash later. She took a quick gulp of whiskey to warm up her throat. She was feeling better now. Satoru did the same, though he didn't speak. "We got trapped in a vault and almost drowned in freezing mountain water. Yashiki found the drain button. We got pulled with it, and almost died of hypothermia, a whole hour soaked in that damn water." she was feeling groggy from exhaustion. "The underground shelter was built for human experimentation. We found one of the surgery rooms and I was stupidly selfless enough to get on the table and experience... Victim awakening!" she dramatically threw her hands up in the air. "And you know what happened? I got surgically tortured, dismembered and eviscerated by my own grandpa, the Surgeon General of - Wait for it - Unit 731! Can you believe that? That freaking Unit 731. I should have known. They wanted to make a living Ashura from the Buddha statue bodies, and the head of women victims. As if that was going to give our country victory in war. And one of these statues actually got up and slaughtered most of the personnel. Those who survived, got the Mark we have now. Daimon and Hiroo are both like me, grandchildren of people who worked there and survived the massacre. When the statue stopped moving, the Marks disappeared. The old homeless man said a month ago he found the Buddha statue moving around the shelter. No wonder we have Marks now." Mashita turned his head to stare at her, wide awake and cringing with disbelief. "If anyone else said that, I'd have called a psychiatrist." he grumbled. "Nothing you said makes sense."

"Can I hug you? I'm cold and sad, and I don't know which is worse." she asked all of a sudden. She found herself being brought into an embrace. "I want to confront my grandpa tomorrow. Can you please come with me? I don't think I can do it alone." "Yeah, sure. I can do that." he patted her messy hair. She looked outright disheveled and exhausted to the point of falling off the rails.

"Satoru." she called out. "I felt the whole torture of a teenage girl, taken as a sex slave from Nanjing, after that whole mess our soldiers did. Her boyfriend and father were killed in war. Her mother and grandma were killed back then. She was taken by our people and brought in this cursed city. They used her body, they drugged her, they abused her... And when she was finally broken, they tied her to a table and started cutting down in her." tears were falling down her face rapidly. "I can feel my own grandfather's hands digging through my body, ripping out organs and taunting me with them. I can see my own blood cascading down the table, pooling to the ground. I can hear him mocking me... From the moment my eyes opened on the table, to the point that all my limbs were cut off and organs were removed, and he finally allowed me to die." his grip on her body tightened. "I can feel my sanity breaking. I don't know how long I can keep this up. I already lost it down there a few times. I let the spirit put me in trances. I'm too weak." "Hey, now, don't say that. It just means this is the last ghost you'll have to deal with. You've done enough already. Dealing with others' mistakes and sins isn't your job." he stated firmly, caressing her hair.

"Satoru?" her voice sounded so small and vulnerable. "Can I cry?" "Go ahead and cry as much as you need. We'll solve everything tomorrow. Relax for now."

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[newgameplaybyplay]

Spirit Hunter: NG

Also wondering how Yuki (?) died with a grudge in order to become a spirit. The official story is she died in a random car crash, but...I think I saw blood on her shirt, so maybe she was murdered and running her over with a car was just a cover up.

Also I love how Seiji has the exact same snarl as Mashita when inconvenienced.

Seiji is Mashita and Yashiki's adopted son. Mashita got fired in the last game and the spirit detective business with Yashiki didn't pan out, so he decided to lead the mafia. Somebody's written that fic, right? Right?

Oh right, someone was murdered at Yamato Shrine. I suppose we'll find out about that soon enough.

Oh also, when you report Ami missing and go back to your room, the flute music is playing quietly in the background, which I thought was a nice touch.

Oh look, a mother and child ghost. Well, credit where credit is due, at least it's different from Death Mark, which I'd criticized for having "violence at the hands of men" and "insane lust" as the only possible reasons for women becoming ghosts. Yes, mother and child is still cliché, but it's more unique and less sexualized. I hope. I shouldn't say anything before I've heard the rumour, but I'm imagining it'll be similar to La Llorona.

I'd been thinking they were going to say her corpse was somehow pregnant, but thankfully I'm just weird and it was swarming with turtles. Judging from what I've seen, I'm hoping this game will lean into the violence more, and avoid the pointless and frankly dehumanizing sexualization. When Ami disappeared, I was thinking "I swear to god if we look up and her naked body is hanging from the ceiling..." because that scene with Moe is something I'm still pissed about.