- Spirit: AHHHH...waaahhh...
- Spirit: PLEASE, mercy, MERCY, I...
- Meimona: Nino...? What are you doing?
- Meimona: Hurry, it's our only chance to kill it!
- Nino: Shush.
- Meimona: W-what...?
- Nino: Hey, you.
- Nino: I've decided to give you a second chance.
- Spirit: ...H...uh...?
- Spirit: What... what do you mean...?
- Nino: I'm saying I won't kill you...
- Nino: But only if you do what I ask you to.
- Spirit: T-then, I-I'll do anything!
- Spirit: Just, please, spare me...!
- Spirit: Spare this single miserable mercenary, please!
- Nino: Alright, alright.
- Nino: Stop crying first, and listen.
Nino: Use forceful means if necessary.
- Nino: Read my memories.
- Nino: Then, show me what you see.
- Spirit: U...uua...?
- Nino: You can do that very easily, can't you?
- Nino: So hurry up, or, I'll do something worse than just killing you.
- Nino: Who knows, maybe I'll cut off an arm or two first.
- Spirit: G...GGGWAH! N-no, please, don't!
The idea alone makes it immensely distressed.
Good. That means it's a reasonable threat after all.
Good. That means it's a reasonable threat after all.
- Nino: Then hurry up if you want to avoid a slow and painful death.
- Nino: I won't repeat myself a second time.
- Spirit: Uu, uuaa...
--/-->
The spirit stifles its cries. Then, it stares at you silently.
Its expression is... complex.
Its expression is... complex.
Does that mean it's seeing your memories right now?
- Spirit: G...gh...
- Nino: Well? What do you see?
- Nino: You can see my memories clearly, right!?
- Spirit: Uu...uuu...
- Nino: Pick something out and show me already!
- Nino: Hurry up, or else...
- Spirit: ...
Spirit: You can't see what isn't there. Tell him such.
- Spirit: I'm... I'm sorry, but...
- Spirit: There's nothing, nothing at all.
- Spirit: Nothing that you... want to see right now.
- Nino: What's that supposed to mean?
- Nino: Seeing and using memories is your whole deal,
- Nino: So that's a weak excuse.
- Spirit: No! I-I really can't see anything new!
- Spirit: Your memories are all, they are all...
- Spirit: The people you've just met, a collection of events,
- Spirit: From as little and as recent as two days' worth.
- Spirit: That's not what you're seeking, is it...
- Nino: ...So you can tell that much.
- Spirit: I-I truly don't see anything beyond these fresh memories!
- Spirit: When I try to peer into the past, I only...
- Spirit: Feel a lot of emotions.
- Spirit: You, you're full of, of...
- Spirit: Sadness, and hatred.
- Spirit: But I can't see what's at the heart of these feelings.
- Spirit: So, s-so, that's all I know, really!
An ambiguous answer. Damn it.
You wanted to see something new, something you didn't remember... but this useless thing only relies on what memories you retain at this very moment. It also doesn't seem like it's lying. That wouldn't be in its best interests, after all.
Urgh. You were hoping it could reach deeper parts of your mind in a way you couldn't on your own, but if this is the limit, then it's utterly useless.
Nino: In that case...
- Nino: Okay, then.
- Nino: Tell me who sent you after Mei.
- Nino: You and your accomplice targetted her specifically, didn't you?
- Nino: You're nothing more than someone else's dog. Now fess up.
- Spirit: N-no, not specifically, that's-
- Nino: You'll deny it?
- Nino: Then explain why you targetted a winged of all people,
- Nino: And why you toyed around with her using all sorts of tricks.
- Spirit: T-th... that's...
- Nino: Those things indicate a premeditated attack,
- Nino: Not something that just happened spontaneously.
- Spirit: It's, it's... not...
- Nino: Oh, and don't even try pulling the "self defense" angle here
- Nino: I know a cold, calculating predator when I see one.
- Spirit: ...
- Nino: Talk. Quick.
- Spirit: I... I... I-I-I...
- Spirit: I-I can't, I can't betray her, no...!
- Nino: Sounds like you prefer death, then.
Nino: Stab.
- Spirit: Ghhah... gh....
- Spirit: W-why, why... w-why?
- Spirit: Uah, it hurts... it hurts!
Spirit: Cry.
- Spirit: U-uwaaa... uwaaaaaaaaaaah!
- Spirit: Waaaaaah, aaaah! It- it hurts!
- Spirit: It hurts so much, mom!
- Spirit: Uwaaaaaaaaaaah, .-- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .... !
Ugh, what's with this screeching?
Why won't it stop!?
Why won't it stop!?
And why, why is it crying like it's the victim here!?
--/-->
- Nino: I... I warned you, you know!?
- Nino: I told you exactly what would happen if you didn't listen!
- Spirit: ..- .-- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .... !
- Spirit: It hurts, so, so much!
- Spirit: Help, help me, mom...
- Spirit: I don't want to die .- .-.. --- -. .!
- Spirit: Uwaaaa.- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .... .... .... .... ....!
Ugh, w-why... why won't it stop saying such things!?
It's making your stomach turn.
It's making your stomach turn.
If this keeps going any longer, you'll just have to end it yourself.
Mei: Intervene.
- Meimona: STOP IT!
- Nino: H...huh? Mei?
- Meimona: That's enough!
- Meimona: Don't... don't do something this violent.
- Nino: What? Mei, this thing is evil!
- Nino: Get out of the way!
- Meimona: No! He... he can't even fight back now.
- Meimona: So don't hurt him anymore!
- Nino: What the... have you lost your mind?
- Nino: Are you seriously defending a spirit right now?
- Meimona: And what if I am?
- Nino: Why?
Nino: Stop. You may not be a hero, but you aren't this.
- Meimona: Because... because what you're doing is bad!
- Meimona: He already honestly said that he can't help with your memories...
- Meimona: But you, in return... you...
- Meimona: Ugh, I'm just not gonna let you do something you'll regret later, okay!
- Nino: Regret...? No, I wouldn't ever...
- Nino: ...
Taking a life isn't easy.
"...I wouldn't ever regret killing someone evil", is what you were going to say.
But suddenly, all of your intentions feel tangled up.
But suddenly, all of your intentions feel tangled up.
Dammit, why are you hesitating now?
Is it just because it's Mei, who rarely puts on a tone this serious? Or is because that this spirit's pleas... were starting to sound uncomfortably familiar?
Or, perhaps, it's because...
Even if all that's left is the faintest hint of it...
Suddenly, what lied before you no longer looked like malice personified, like an evildoer from a fairytale, fated to be struck down by a noble hero.
Rather, it was the grotesque picture of a dying human.
And worst of all, you realized you were the one who painted it.
For some reason, that thought suddenly chilled you to the marrow.
But why? It's not even alive, is it? Come on... Snap out of it.
But why? It's not even alive, is it? Come on... Snap out of it.
This is no human. That's right, it is not even alive.
Even if it pleads an awful lot like the living do, that was all... just...
Just another one of its tricks. It has to be.
So... that's why... you...
That hurdle is what you have yet to overcome.
...No. You can't do it. You're not brave enough.
Agh, what a mess this has turned into.
Agh, what a mess this has turned into.
Maybe Mei has already lost a big part of her trust in you. After all, she let go of your hand back there... Disregarding her now certainly wouldn't do you any favors.
- Nino: ...Fine.
- Nino: You have a point about him not being a threat anymore.
- Nino: I'll just... let him go with some pain as punishment.
- Meimona: Oh... really?
- Nino: What, is that not what you wanted?
- Meimona: No, I mean, I just...
- Meimona: I didn't think you'd agree that fast.
- Meimona: Also... I don't know about letting him go.
- Meimona: Cuz, at this point, I think...
- Meimona: Putting him out of his misery is what we should be doing.
- Meimona: I mean... doesn't it look way too painful...?
- Meimona: All I wanted was for you to not prolong this,
- Meimona: Or make it more painful than it needed to be.
- Meimona: 'Cause that's bad... doing unnecessary things like that never ends well.
- Nino: ...
- Meimona: But... I... I don't think I can do this myself.
- Meimona: Even though it's not using his voice anymore...
- Meimona: I still... don't think I could kill it.
- Nino: ...Was he disguised as someone you know?
- Meimona: Um... My brother...
- Nino: Ah...
- Meimona: I'll avert my eyes and cover my ears.
- Meimona: So please, Nino, can you... make it quick?
- Nino: ...
Nino: ...Or maybe not all is lost yet.
- Nino: You know, Mei...
- Nino: He... no, it tormented you, didn't it?
- Nino: That was the most hurt and shaken up I've ever seen you be.
- Nino: So to me, it deserved to suffer harshly for it.
- Meimona: ...W-well...
- Meimona: I just think that I'll really regret it if I don't stop you.
- Meimona: Please don't make him die in pain.
- Meimona: Just end it as quickly as possible... please.
- Nino: ....Right. If you, the victim in question,
- Nino: Are willing to let it off the hook with just this much,
- Nino: Then what can I do about that, huh?
- Nino: But I do want answers out of this thing, at least.
- Nino: We'd be idiots to just let it go too easily.
- Nino: So even though I can't see it your way,
- Nino: You were right to stop me, at least for that chance.
Between leaving it to a slow death, and giving it a quick, merciful one...
Mei says that there's only one right option here.
Mei says that there's only one right option here.
Yet still... are those truly your only choices here? You still don't really understand why, but for some reason, you really don't want to accept that.
So, if you can't bring yourself to follow either of them...
Then you'll just come up with your own path.
- Nino: I'm gonna do something less unpleasant.
- Nino: ...If this works, I mean...
- Nino: 'Cause I've never tried it on anything similar to a spirit before.
- Nino: But if everything goes well, then you won't have to look away.
> Nino: Perhaps the ghost will leave you both alone now, heal it.
I'm so glad Oceanfalls is back, and with such a tense scene too!
Happy to see a familiar face in the comments despite the hiatus!
new ocean baking
scrumptious
Your name really speaks to my soul.
Nino: Heal the Spirit enough so that he won't die. He clearly isn't in any condition to hurt you or Mei in the future, nor does he seem to want to. Even if he only possesses a faint echo of a life, he don't deserve to lose it.
Nino: Drain
> Nino: Invite this spirit to your adventure. Perhaps it could have a use in the future?
Satisfaction 100%
:D
Ура, я обсолютно потерял нить сюжета. Я вообще не помню, что происходило раньше. Повод перечитать все сначала
Удачи! (Hope I typed that right)
Nino: heal the spirit completely and silently go away with meimona
Nino's heroics strike again!
> Meimona: Look away.
> Nino: Use REMEDY on the spirit.
Nino: Think this through, what if this desperate spirit attempts to take the lives of future people who cross this path? It likely won't cross YOU or Meimona again due to your trouncing of it, but it's unlikely for you to be able to make the spirit obey any commands to harm future victims.