FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[Soon after the final clue it found, the large set of double doors at the end of the hall finally open.

And beyond is what Nyaf-ya calls the Room of Reckoning. And this room is...]





[...rather impressive. Large, for certain. Maybe a bit too large for the space it would have to occupy beneath the mall, or to have light streaming from the windows, all things considered. But given everything else that the surviving strangers have encountered, this might not be the strangest thing with this situation overall.

There is a wooden throne at the top of the staircase, and at the bottom of the staircase are four large, comfortable-looking sitting pillows - one green, one orchid, one gold, and one pink. The red pillars surrounding the staircase are also decorated with markings that definitely don't look like they fit the aesthetic of the room.

There are also two low hot pot induction cooker tables in the great hall area before the staircase. One table has six spots, all with sitting pillows, each with a name written onto a paper placed carefully on a plate. When everyone sits at their place, they will find that the stove in the center is already heated and ready to go, and every imaginable ingredient for a proper barbecue and hot pot meal is available to them for cooking. A pitcher of their favorite drink is also next to each respective cup.

And, once everyone finds their place, their phone pings with a message.]

Once you've figured everything out, the Boss....wants to talk to you. She doesn't want to fight. Not this time. Please, take your time, but please be careful, ok? The rules of the Game are still in effect.

We're rooting for you. I know you'll find a way!

[So it's time, then. The objectives are simple in this trial.

It's time to finally answer the questions the Titled have about why they are here - and face the Masterminds behind the Game.

Good luck, Titled.]

Comments

[cyclicalconcept]

...

There's a type of Noise that is abnormal, and can't be controlled even by Angels. It's forbidden to use, but...someone did use it, taught someone else how to summon them, and an unexpected side effect occurred.

The person who was taught survived being crushed, and found a way to cross universes.

[theirmagic]

So... what we read was true, then.

[ She looks... solemn. And concerned. ]

Tell me. Honestly. What are our chances of fighting this person? Aren't they the cause of all the problems?

[cyclicalconcept]

The truth is, I don't know. I only know what was told to me and what I've learned since coming here.

What I do know is that the type of Noise this person - and anyone who learns of it from him - can summon are much stronger than normal Noise. Fighting the person themselves would be even more difficult, because they themselves became this type of Noise.

I doubt it's impossible to stop him if he were found, but...I do know that the only person who seriously injured him during the Incident was the Composer of Shibuya. And he's likely gotten stronger since then.

[theirmagic]

... What if we found that Composer, then? Could we get his help?

vague p5 spoilers?

[beguiledcard]

[ He's 1000% on board here. ]

Belief and the support of friends helped my friends and I save our world once...

[ The hint of a stubborn smirk. ]

I'm not about to just go along with this game, but I'm also not letting anything else happen to Earth. If we can find that composer, I'd be more than happy to help convince them to help us.

[scienceofmagic]

...Belief is the strongest power there is. I saw two girls do the impossible: they defeated a creature of pure hatred and negativity. An entire country's worth and then-some, manifested as a monstrous missile out to destroy the world. But they didn't stop believing. And because they refused to stop, they not only did stop it, they returned magic from only a tiny bit left in the world. I think... We could manage it. Maybe we'd need more help, but...

[ ...She believes. ]

[comesaround]

Ah... so this is what you were referencing in that memory of yours I saw. Is that supposed Composer one of the two people I saw there, then?

[ Its a serious question, and he's been wondering about this ever since he saw that memory and he wants some answers on this matter.

So he isn't gonna drop it until she confirms or denies what he asked. ]

[cyclicalconcept]

Ah-!

[fheuighewuifew YEAH.]

Y-yes. Yes, one of them was the Composer of Shibuya.





The other was the angel who taught the one responsible for what's happening.

[comesaround]

[ At that moment, something clicks into place and his eyes widened. Hold on. ]

So the younger sounding one... I believe was the composer of Shibuya, and the older one who called you pigtails... he has to be the Angel responsible for this...

[ So... He's right, isn't he? It's just what he's surmised from what he remembers and had written down from the memory. ]

[cyclicalconcept]

That's right. Kiryu-san and Hanekoma-san.

[comesaround]

[ Well. That's good to know actually. Seriously. He really is pleased that his hunch on things were right. Now he also has names to call them. ]

...Where are they now, then?

[cyclicalconcept]

They're still in their Shibuya, though...Hanekoma-san is still in a lot of trouble. He wouldn't be able to help us outside of Shibuya, because he's...well, under house arrest? They could punish him further, but with everything, they won't unless he tried to leave his Shibuya.

I guess that's the best way to explain his status.

[comesaround]

I see.

[ A sigh. He's not down and out yet so he's going to just keep going as he'd originally been intending. ]

I was somewhat hoping that they'd possibly be able to help track down the one responsible for all this chaos. 'Cause I figure if we find him, then there's no need for the game and becoming composers once we find a way to take him down.

[ Don't fight him on this. He is incredibly determined to not do that since he has a home to get back to and when he goes back, he has a certain person he needs to see. Which means he has to be alive and not some composer or whatever. ]