Occultic;Nine > 07.THE DREAM'S DREAM

Narrator:
One-hundred and fifty-five of the two-hundred and fifty-six victims found in Inokashira Park have been positively identified. And today, we've received forty-five additional names from local police. This brings the number of known casualties to two-hundred.

Kisaki:
Moritsuka...

Shinoyama:
We're sorry to make you wait like this.
So, you are...?

Kisaki:
Yes. I've been re-assigned to take Detective Moritsuka's place in Kichijoji investigation. Agent Kisaki.

---<OP>---

Yuta:
...What is this? Could I...really be dead? No. No way. That's impossible. There must be somebody else who has the same name as I do.
...Who was I thinking?! I've got legs and I'm not see through. Ha ha...Man, feels like I haven't been outside in a while. I can touch stuff, too! Uh-huh! If I were actually dead, then how in the hell could I even be standing here right now?
...
Eh? ...Um...I-I think...um...D-did, somebody...H-hi! I-is this...? ...Kitaya...Saeko Kitaya!

Kitaya:
Yes?

Yuta:
...Erm, loose this?

Kitaya:
Huh? Sorry! I can be so clumsy sometimes! Thanks so much! It's really nice--

Yuta:
Uh, ha...Oh, it's no problem.

---

Yuta:
Izumi, check this out!

Ryoka:
Gamo-tan! You late!

Sarai:
Finally...

Yuta:
Hey! What are you guys doing here? Um...?

Touko:
Hm...

Yuta:
Oh, hi...?

Touko:
Really sorry for barging in like this, here, maybe this will explain.

Yuta:
Er, sure...? Touko Sumikaze...Mu-mu Editorial Staff Mem--What?! You really work for Mu-mu?!

Touko:
I'll bet you can guess why I'm here.

Yuta:
Yes...My first interview...!
Um. Well, if you want me to be in your magazine, I'll need to see a proposal first. Just wanna make sure everything's in order before we get started.

Ryoka:
Oh~! Gamo-tan's gooning! Gooning, gooning, gooning~!

Touko:
Oh, sorry about that. I didn't come here to get an interview with you.

Yuta:
Eh...

Sarai:
Sumikaze wants to talk to us about what happened at that lake.

Yuta:
Huh? Oh, man, that sucks...

Sarai:
(Harrumph)

Yuta:
Oh, well, I've got something. And it was freaking crazy, too. One of the victims who drawn up there has the same name as I do. I mean, is that creepy or what?

Touko:
Um...

Sarai:
...The same name, is it?

Yuta:
It's even spelled like mine. And, I know there must be a million Yutas, but it still freaked me out for seconds. Ha ha ha...ha?

Touko:
It's not just you.

Yuta:
Huh?

Touko:
My name and Sarai's have been broadcasted on the news, too.

Yuta:
Er...

Sarai:
Unfortunately, my name isn't as common. Speaking to my mother, I knew something was wrong. She wouldn't react to me at all.

Yuta:
But, couldn't that just be a coincidence? The last time I saw her, she did look pretty exhausted.

Sarai:
But this was something different. Then, while watching the news, I assume there were some kind of mistake when they included my name with the others.

Yuta:
Of course there was! They messed up, so we should never know--

Sarai:
I've already called them to inquire about the errors that have been made during the broadcast.

Yuta:
And...were there?

Sarai:
No. Not one. I was assured that there was no mistakes. And, since your name was on the list as well Gamon.

Yuta:
Oh, right! Now, wait a second! You just said you called them up and had a conversation?! But ghost couldn't grab a phone and start taking! Walking down here, I found a train-pass case and gave it back to the total babe! We spoke with no problem! See there? Not dead!

Sarai:
What if she wasn't alive either?

Yuta:
S-she had legs, though. She wasn't translucent booting around!

Touko:
I've done some experimenting myself.

Yuta:
Huh?

Touko:
It sounds like each of us has similar experiences. But what brought me here was hearing your name on the news, Gamon.

Yuta:
I...brought you here?

Touko:
Remember when Miyu called about the kotoribako? I heard about what happened out there. And, right away, I wanted to find out everything I could. So I started randomly approaching people out on the street, and I found quite a few who were able to here me just fine.

Sarai:
But there were those who couldn't? Weren't there?

Touko:
Yeah.

Yuta:
Ug...That must have been a fluke! After all, the people of Kichijoji can't be pretty rude these days...

Sarai:
Their behavior isn't the issue here.

Yuta:
Umm...

Sarai:
It still doesn't explain that report.

Yuta:
Th-this sounds like a story for Mu-mu, then?

Touko:
Well, so far, I have no reason to believe I'm dead.

Yuta:
That's right! We're having a conversation now! Proof of life if you ask me!

Sarai:
It's possible...the list father left behind is connected to this in some way.

Yuta:
What? You don't believe that--

Touko:
Excuse me. But, what's this list?

Yuta:
Oh, it's a--

Sarai:
Spell in the details, we're referring to a group of encrypted names, created by my father. And, so far, the Inokashira Lake victims have matched them exactly. Including our own. Doubt it's a coincidence?

Yuta:
No! But there--

Touko:
Wait a minute!

Yuta:
Gack.

Touko:
Maybe this means that all of us have been brought into some kind of massive conspiracy?

Sarai:
...How did you arrive at that?

Touko:
All of those people drawing themselves in the mass suicide just doesn't make any sense. So, it's not a giant leap to think someone could be behind this?

Sarai:
Hmm...Father found out the truth and left the list. Regarded as liability, he was killed. Is that it?

Touko:
Professor Hashigami had a theory that the human soul is actually stored inside the brain. And that's ejected the exact moment the heart stops beating. He told me that the body was a kind of spiritual container. But, when the body dies, and can't house the soul anymore, it's thrown out, completely unprotected. Maybe, that's the situation we're in right now. And, somebody's trying to take advantage of it by using--

Yuta:
No! Wait! Conspiracy or not, it doesn't explain why we were being treated like ghosts?

Touko:
Depending on how you define one, we might meet the criteria.

Yuta:
Huh?

Touko:
The professor believed that human souls are memories preserved by a kind of magnetic force. So, electricity is what protect them, and then the body shielded them even more. Almost like a matryoshka do. When these memories are forced to leave the body and end up outside, they can be charged by micro-particles that in the air. Once energized, they can record your personality and life experiences, then project them. That might be what happen to all of us?

Yuta:
Man...I'm so confused. Anyway, if we're just a bunch of air particles, how could we be talking? Ha! Is this something the ghost can do?

Touko:
I'm no exactly sure. I'm just saying that our being in conspiracy could be something for us to seriously consider.

Yuta:
Maybe, but still--

Sarai:
There's no evidence that we've died. At the same time, there's no evidence we haven't, either.

Yuta:
Okay. You know we're breathing, right? We're also sitting in chairs and talking. Not ghost, you guys?

Sarai:
Maybe it's something similar to a some dream-like state.

Yuta:
What? Give me a break, huh? Ow, ow! Why don't awake--

Sarai:
Perhaps we can also feel pain. I doubt the rules of this plain of existence are so easily defined by our preconceived notions.

Yuta:
...Now, listen, if you keep going on like that, then we'll never be able to get to the bottom of this thing. Okay! I'm gonna go with Sumikaze's conspiracy theory!

Sarai:
Ugh...Jumping to the most convenient conclusion is the same as ceasing to think at all!

Yuta:
Are you saying you believe you're dead, Sarai?!

Sarai:
Of course I don't!

Yuta:
Then what--

Ryoka:
Hey, hey! Gamo-tan!

Yuta:
Y-yeah...?

Ryoka:
I think we're one step closer to my favorite dessert!

Yuta:
Huh?

Ryoka:
With that blog of yours, you can tell the most mysterious things. Then the frozen yogurt that taste so yummy!

Yuta:
...I see. A new article about this conspiracy theory on Kiri-kiri-basara, I'll bring the tons of traffic! Then I can start to live in the dream! Thanks, Ryo-tas! You're the perfect Basara-girl!

Ryoka:
Eh~hehehe~! Thank you for the compliment! Brigade-member Ryo-tas nailed it!

Yuta:
The title of the article should be..."I'm a ghost now! Gotta any questions?" or maybe it should be more direct and straight forward like..."The Inokashira L
Lake Conspiracy"...

Sarai:
(Sigh)

Yuta:
No, I gotta be careful. Then what it sounds like every other article out there--

Sarai:
Isn't he even at least bit concerned...?

Touko:
I guess he doesn't wanna think about it. And if I'm being completely honest with you, I feel basically the same way.

Sarai:
Which is why we must asses the situation correctly and investigate...

Touko:
Um...yeah, I suppose you have a point there. I might as well get to work then. Because after all, as a journalist, I can't just sit back and missed out on this juicy story.

Sarai:
Sure, that's the reason.

Touko:
Oh, for the most part. But either way, with my life on the line, I've gotta try and do something about it, you know?

---

Kisaki:
Um...

Kosaki:
...Some kind of ESP?

Shinoyama:
Yeah. It's called psychometry.

Kisaki:
Show me now...

---

Cat:
Meow...!

Moritsuka:
Um, Humph! The dojinshi that this card was found inside of will be extremely important piece of evidence for investigating Professor Hashigami's murder at Seimei. It also shows the events following his murder and clear detail. Oh, the manga was published during last year's comiket. So it wasn't written after the professor's death, but before.

Kisaki:
What...?

Moritsuka:
This is only a hunch, but I think there's a lot of stuff hidden in its pages. If you ask me, I'd say it's more like a book of predictions. Well, I think that you do nicely, but in case something happens, I'll leave a clue behind. Hm, then again, let's hope I won't have to worry about that.

Kisaki:
...

Moritsuka:
Anyway, there are two things I'm definitely looking into. The very first one is the author, Ririka Nishizono. And the second one, is FM-KCG. A small radio station in Kichijoji. I think I'll head over there and check it out right now. Oh, yeah, the Eight Gods of Fortune society is some fishy, too. Well, if I find out anything else, I'll try to make a mental note of it. Okay, see you later.

---

Kisaki:
Um...

Shinozaki:
U-uh, yeah?

Kisaki:
Could you tell me what kind of book this card was found inside of?

Shinozaki:
Oh, well, Moritsuka said it's called a BL dojin manga. In that, he thought the detail of the professor's murder were pretty similar to the plot.

Kisaki:
A what...? ...Um. Are you sure this is...?

Shinozaki:
Maybe he was just into that kind of stuff.

Kisaki:
That's not exactly what I was offering to...um...Anyway, Shinoyama, think you guys could check out the radio station in Kichijoji called FM-KCG?

Shinozaki:
What's out there?

Kisaki:
Moritsuka was investigating it before he passed away. And I believe there're some connections.

Shinozaki:
Hang on a minute. Now, are you sure you're right about this?

Kosaki:
You really picked that up just by touching some book?

Kisaki:
...Um...

Shinozaki:
...Um, hey...?

Kosaki:
Eh...?

Kisaki:
Kosaki.

Kosaki:
Yeah?

Kisaki:
You have a fractured bone from that time you hurt your hand.

Kosaki:
Ah?

Kisaki:
Have a doctor look at it, okay? And, Shinoyama. You need to patch things up with your wife.

Shinoyama:
Ugh...

Kisaki:
You might wanna quit smoking, too. There's a lot of lung damage.

Shinoyama:
H-how do you know that...?

Kisaki:
Please keep this to you yourselves. Now, if you try the radio station, then I can follow up with Ririka Nishizono.

Shinoyama:
Um...roger that.

Kosaki:
...Roger that.

Kisaki:
...I don't understand what was behind Moritsuka's death. If you were the only one who passed away, it would mean he'd got too close to the truth. But there were so many people who drawn in that lake. I don't get it...Broadcasting has ceased to our host recent passing...?

---

Moritsuka:
Yeah, guess I really blew it, didn't I? I still can't believe my name was on the list with all those other people. Wish I could've gone out in the more bad ass way if I had to die. Like cornering a felon and--

Man:
What are you doing now?

Moritsuka:
Hmm...I suppose I might as well keep I'm investigating.

Man:
I see.

Moritsuka:
Well, it's safe to assume that this phone call reaches them as well. Which means, this should be a last one. El Psy Konroo then.

Man:
...Good luck.

Moritsuka:
Oh, one last thing. Who took the case?

Man:
She did. You know the one I mean. She's already headed out to the site.

Moritsuka:
Now you remember why I tried to have Asuna taking off for the year ago, don't you? (Click) ...Man. Things don't go the way you want them to sometimes. I got careless and died. You got careless and started acting like the devil.

Kiryu:
...

---

Moritsuka:
Not even an introduction, Kiryu Kusakabe?

Kiryu:
Humph. After all, you are sneaking around, what'll be the point, bastard?

Moritsuka:
They're the last for you to worry about. Because now, I can't flout with Aria, no, sorry, make that Rie Minase anymore. Of course, she is--

Kiryu:
Alright. How much do you know?

Moritsuka:
Actually, not as much as you think. The truth is, I don't even know where the professor's hair ended up. Do you? ...Of course, I have learned a few things, though. Like the fact that a fuel cell factory exploded around three years ago, and gave you the unique ability to astroproject on will. Which reminds me, you know a thing or two about scandium, right? When they're developing a new alpha isotope in that little factory of yours? That could be--Er? ...I guess he had to go.

---

Announcer:
We've just received an update. Thirteen additional victims of the two-hundred and fifty-six people founded in Inokashira Park have been properly identified.

Aria:
...? I always imagined that you'd have wings that were black as night...my devil.

Kiryu:
...So, you can see me.

Aria:
Earlier, I said I was able to hear your voice much better. And now, I understand the reason why. By that point, I'd already passed away. Why didn't you say anything about it to me?

Kiryu:
...Because it meant we wouldn't be in business anymore.

Aria:
(Chuckle) Then I suppose we can leave it at that.

Kiryu:
You wanted to die, right?

Aria:
Huh?

Kiryu:
How is it having passed away?

Aria:
Hmm...I don't know. It hasn't sunken in yet. But now, that I'm not among the living as I once was, I'll be able to see big brother again...

Kiryu:
...

---

Announcer:
One of those no longer with us was a young lady we had on this show. Her name was Miyu Aikawa, a high school student who gain [???] for her psychic abilities. May she rest and peace.

---

Touko:
There's gotta be something I can find out here...

Man A:
There's even the TV crew!

Man B:
It means legit! Got a picture?

Man A:
Hell yeah! That's gotta be it. Right up there!

Man B:
Oh.

---

Sarai:
Haa...Those idiots have been mocking your research. And suggesting you are involved in some kind of conspiracy...They were prattling on about how you and I were somehow roped into it. Can you believe that, father? But that code seemed completely pointless. If I hadn't been, there no one could have decipher it. Haa...As if you'd ever died for something so ridiculous. Attempting to understand you is completely impossible...You're so enigmatic. The very definition of supernatural. Haa...
I'm just like Gamon and the others...
...Ah...?! This is...!

---

Yuta:
The Inokashira Conspiracy. There. Doesn't exactly jump out, you does it? Let's see...Wait! Death Lake!

Ryoka:
Ohh~!

Yuta:
Oh, man! My just coming up with mind blowing title like that is all part of being an awesome site owner!

Ryoka:
Hee hee...

Yuta:
That said...Touko was the first one who said it was a conspiracy...

Ryoka:
Oh...

Yuta:
And, explaining that soul stuff is too complicated...

Ryoka:
So...what about that frozen yogurt?

Yuta:
Um, just hung in there, okay?! 'Cause when this article is finished, my cash flow is gonna skyrocket! Think I'd better talk to Touko later on...

Ryoka:
Gomo-no-suke! You eggplant head! Eggplant eggplant!

Yuta:
Ugghh...! Gah! Haa...

Ryoka
Humph!

Yuta:
Hold on, Ryo-tas! Where are you going?!

Izumi:
Oh? Heading home, Pumpkin?

Yuta:
Er...?

Izumi:
Surprise!

Yuta:
Um...What is that thing?

Izumi:
My new creation. You've been working your little [???], haven't you? Just consider this one on the house!

Yuta:
Oh, jeez, thanks.

Izumi:
Ah! Look at that. It's the only thing on TV these days...

Yuta:
...Hmm? Th-they found the morgue?! C'mon! Sneaking around in the place like that is really going too far. I mean, seriously...

Radio:
Bzzaap. To ya? Maybe then, you can write an article then makes money.

Yuta:
Hey, what's up, Zonko? What a minute! What's your problem, anyway?! I'm sick on you disappearing on me!

Radio:
That doesn't matter. What does matter is one question: you're going or not.

Yuta:
To...ugh, the morgue?

Radio:
Just go. Then you can find out.

Yuta:
Find out what?

Radio:
Whether or not you actually dead.

Yuta:
No! Th-that's impossible! [???] completely defies all logic! Holy thing, I worried about is Kiri-kiri-basara content!

Radio:
What's the hold up? Go!

---

Kisaki:
Um...Cause of death?

Shinoyama:
The coroner confirmed that it was drowning.

Kisaki:
They are fewer than I thought.

Shinoyama:
It's not just Moritsuka. Tell they were all found.

Kisaki:
...Show me now...

---

Moritsuka:
...

Kisaki:
...? What's...going on...Ah?! I can't...hear his voice...?!

---

Kisaki:
Ah!

Shinoyama:
What's the matter?

Kisaki:
The...the others! I need to check the other bodies here!

Shinoyama:
...All right. You got it.

Kisaki:
Moritsuka's voice...I couldn't hear anything he was thinking before he passed away...!

---

Yuta:
"Kiri-kiri-basara's owner rushes in to search for the truth"! Something like that might set as a part. Heh heh...Hey, if I'm gonna do this writing, better record stuff, too...Uh! Agh...

Pedestrian A:
What are you go--?

Pedestrian B:
What are you doing?

Pedestrian A:
I...just...bumped into something.

Pedestrian B:
But nothing's there.

Pedestrian A:
That was really weird...

Yuta:
...S-say you're sorry.

Masked Man:
...

---

Kisaki:
...Each one...they're all the same...I can't hear anything, just like Moritsuka...Why...?!

Shinoyama:
What's wrong?

Kisaki:
Well...It's strange...The bodies in this room all have the same memories. It's almost like the same data was copied, then used to overwrite them...

Shinoyama:
What is it mean?

Kisaki:
It means that they may have been brainwashed and had their consciousness completely taken over by somebody else...

Shinoyama:
You mean you can tell that much just by touching them?

Kisaki:
Before they die, I can usually see someth--Uh!

Shinoyama:
Are you all right?!

Kisaki:
(Pant, pant...) D-don't worry. I'm fine. Happens all this time...

Shinoyama:
Maybe, it's best if you call it a night.

Kisaki:
(Pant, pant...) Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry...(Bzaapp...)...?

Shinoyama:
Hey, take it easy!

Kisaki:
Just one more...Show me now...

---

...

---

Kisaki:
...?! I don't see anything...Why...?!

Yuta:
Who is that?

Kisaki:
Huh?! Er, uh...?

Yuta:
Is...it me...?

---<ED>---