Chapter 222: The Truth
After listening to Aoki's story, Liu Xing began to doubt whether Sawada Tomohiko had indeed sacrificed those mercenaries back in the day to gain power and that enormous sword. Finally, he had received confirmation.
What was even more crucial was the revelation that Kanna Ryoko had willingly killed Sawada Tomohiko all those years ago, although she had been under the influence of Swollen Woman.
"Miss Sawada Yinyin, was it really Kanna Ryoko who wanted to kill Sawada Tomohiko back then?" Otonashi Takuya asked incredulously.
Sawada Yinyin nodded solemnly and replied, "Yes, that's right. Ryoko-senpai herself told me this. At that time, Sawada Tomohiko was nearly controlled by that giant sword. I believe you must have noticed something was amiss back then too, Takuya."
Otonashi Takuya pondered for a moment and nodded. "You're right. I did sense something was off about Sawada Tomohiko back then. But I was just an ordinary guard at the time, and it wasn't my place to interfere. Besides, with my abilities back then, there wasn't much I could have done."
Liu Xing, on the other hand, suddenly had another question in mind. He asked, "Miss Sawada Yinyin, I have one more question. Does Kanna Ryoko really have feelings for Sawada Tomohiko?"
Liu Xing asked this question with the intention of using Sawada Tomohiko's name to persuade Kanna Ryoko.
"Well, I've asked Ryoko-senpai a few times, but she never gave me a direct answer," Sawada Yinyin replied thoughtfully. "However, I can still sense that she does love Sawada Tomohiko. After all, the Sawada Tomohiko from before he fell into the dark path was a charming gentleman, the beloved of Ziwu City. But sadly, Ryoko-senpai had to follow her duty as the eldest daughter of the Kanna Family and inherit the Godless Shrine."
Hearing this, Liu Xing realized that he and his group had seemingly overlooked an important NPC: Godless Priest.
As Sawada Tomohiko's wife and Kanna Ryoko's sister, Godless Priest was undoubtedly a crucial NPC. However, from the various NPC descriptions, it seemed that Godless Priest had been deliberately ignored or brushed aside. But based on the scant information available, Liu Xing could infer that Godless Priest was likely the first to notice Sawada Tomohiko's unusual behavior and had attempted to soothe his emotions.
However, the question remained: Why did Kanna Ryoko turn against her own family, leading Godless Priest into a fatal situation? Was Kanna Ryoko manipulated by Swollen Woman?
Liu Xing decided to ask Sawada Yinyin, "Miss Sawada Yinyin, I have another question. If Kanna Ryoko planned to eliminate Sawada Tomohiko for the greater good, why did she take Godless Priest with them, ultimately leading to her death?"
Sawada Yinyin sighed and explained, "Initially, Ryoko-senpai's plan didn't involve Godless Priest. However, Godless Priest was concerned about Sawada Tomohiko's mental state and wanted to accompany him outside the city for some fresh air. Unfortunately, two separate events coincided, leading to Godless Priest's tragic fate. However, Ryoko-senpai managed to rescue Godless Priest's soul from that dire Shrine, and she has since moved on to another life."
As Sawada Yinyin finished her explanation, Gu Jun was astonished and asked, "Miss Sawada Yinyin, are you suggesting that Kanna Ryoko initially imprisoned Sawada Tomohiko's soul?"
Sawada Yinyin nodded and continued, "Yes, that's correct. With the assistance of an unknown deity, Ryoko-senpai set up a spell within the dilapidated Shrine. This spell could imprison the souls of those killed within it. Given Sawada Tomohiko's descent into darkness, his soul could have posed a threat to the world if left unchecked. Thus, she intentionally imprisoned his soul. And indeed, a while ago, Sawada Tomohiko's soul broke free from its captivity and transformed into the Killer Demon we know today."
"Furthermore, you should be aware of the undeveloped area incident. My father was afraid that the revelation of Killer Demon's true identity as Sawada Tomohiko would tarnish our Sawada Family's reputation in Ziwu City. So, he constructed numerous buildings in the undeveloped area specifically to conceal Sawada Tomohiko's existence. Sawada Tomohiko's soul can only manifest at night, and when daylight comes, it reverts to black mist, turning into a black statue."
"However, what's peculiar is that the enormous sword only appears when Sawada Tomohiko's soul is corporeal. When his soul becomes black mist, the sword vanishes suddenly. We even attempted to monitor Sawada Tomohiko's soul with surveillance equipment, but it never showed up on the monitors."
Frowning, Liu Xing realized that the current Killer Demon was likely nothing more than the malevolent thoughts of Sawada Tomohiko. Yet, there was still a burning question: Why did Killer Demon save Mian Gu Lu? Nevertheless, Liu Xing was certain that the sword in Killer Demon's possession held great significance, as it was connected to the solution of Eldritch God Taketori, which was currently inhabiting Mian Gu Lu. First, Otonashi Takuya had mentioned that Swollen Woman intended to give the sword to him to save the world and deal with Eldritch God Taketori. Secondly, obtaining the sword seemed to require a formidable battle, as Killer Demon boasted over twenty points of damage in Cthulhu RPG Gamea formidable foe.
However, Liu Xing couldn't help but ponder another daring idea: to convince Kanna Ryoko, Aoki, and the others to venture into the undeveloped area and join forces to confront Killer Demon, potentially obtaining valuable equipment.
Of course, this was just a thought in Liu Xing's mind.
At this point, Otonashi Takuya spoke up, "Miss Sawada Yinyin, did Kanna Ryoko ever explain why she suddenly ordered me and Aoki to protect Sawada Tomohiko and later pinned all the blame on them, turning them into Ghouls?"
As Otonashi Takuya posed this crucial question, all eyes turned to Sawada Yinyin, awaiting her response. Otonashi Takuya's query was indeed pivotal, as Aoki and his companions had been unfairly blamed and turned into Ghouls. They needed an explanation from Kanna Ryoko, and her response would determine whether reconciliation was possible.
Sawada Yinyin contemplated for a moment and, with a hint of helplessness, explained, "Well, to be honest, you may find this hard to believe. Kanna Ryoko told me that her own abilities were insufficient to set up the enchantment. So, she allowed an unnamed deity to possess her body during that time. Thus, all the actions attributed to her during that period were actually orchestrated by that unnamed deity. When Godless Priest left with Sawada Tomohiko, Kanna Ryoko refrained from stopping her."
Regarding why the unnamed deity sent Otonashi Takuya and the others to protect Sawada Tomohiko, or more accurately, sent them to their possible demise, Sawada Yinyin continued, "Kanna Ryoko did ask the unnamed deity about this, but it simply evaded her question, claiming that divine secrets cannot be revealed. After transforming Aoki and the others into Ghouls, the unnamed deity granted Kanna Ryoko immortality to ensure she could guard the Godless Shrine and prevent Sawada Tomohiko's resurrection."
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, finding the reality simpler than he had imagined. In essence, Swollen Woman had manipulated Kanna Ryoko's body, caused the deaths of Sawada Tomohiko and Godless Priest, and transformed Aoki and the others into Ghouls.
However, this could work to their advantage. Liu Xing believed that Chen Wenbin should be able to convince Kanna Ryoko to lift the curse on Aoki and his companions, as it was evident that Kanna Ryoko did not intend to harm them. The misunderstanding had arisen because Kanna Ryoko was unable to leave the mountain freely, and Swollen Woman likely had set some restrictions that prevented Aoki's group from approaching Kanna Ryoko for an explanation.
Now, the players' roles came into play. Thankfully, Yin En had unlocked the Kanna Ryoko storyline, and Liu Xing had established a connection with the Ghouls. This gave hope for reconciliation between Kanna Ryoko and the Ghouls. However, Liu Xing expected that, in line with the typical style of the Cthulhu RPG Game, several persuasion checks would be necessary. He hoped that Chen Wenbin would have good luck.
"Hehe, I knew you wouldn't easily believe what I said. After all, these are the words of Ryoko-senpai, and I am her half-descendant. Naturally, I choose to believe her. You have no personal connection to her, so it's natural not to trust what I say," Sawada Yinyin sighed with a hint of resignation.
At this point, Yin En, as Sawada Yinyin's fianc, decisively stepped forward and smiled, saying, "Silly girl, how could we not believe you? We not only completely trust what you've said, but we also know the identity of that unnamed deity."
Yin En proceeded to share information about Swollen Woman with Sawada Yinyin.
As for Liu Xing and the others, they could only quietly watch the lovebirds.
Upon learning about Swollen Woman, Sawada Yinyin contemplated for a moment and then said with a bitter smile, "So, it turns out that my ancestor, Sawada Tomohiko, and even Ryoko-senpai, were all manipulated by this Swollen Woman, thoroughly deceived. Perhaps even now, we are still ensnared in Swollen Woman's schemes. She might be watching us somewhere, enjoying the spectacle."
Sawada Yinyin saw through the situation.
As the saying goes, "like father, like son." Swollen Woman, as the embodiment of Nyarlathotep, could be considered Nyarlathotep's "daughter." Inherited from her "mother," Nyarlathotep, Swollen Woman shared the trait of stirring up trouble and reveling in the ensuing chaos. Therefore, Swollen Woman had carefully orchestrated this plot. Now, she was likely observing their actions through some means.
Sawada Yinyin continued, "By the way, Miss Sawada Yinyin, has Kanna Ryoko left the mountain already? I thought I saw her at the Unseen Pond Pavilion the other day," Chen Wenbin inquired.
Sawada Yinyin nodded and replied seriously, "A few days ago, Ryoko-senpai suddenly contacted me and informed me that the seal on Sawada Tomohiko was becoming increasingly unstable. So, she decided to leave the mountain and instructed me to monitor the undeveloped area carefully."
Liu Xing exchanged a meaningful glance with Yin En, who then addressed Sawada Yinyin, "Miyin, time is of the essence. Let's go see your father immediately."
Sawada Yinyin looked puzzled at Yin En and asked, "Why do we need to see my father now? Even if we go and plead with him, my father won't release Mian Gu Lu. He sees the Sawada Family as the guardians of Ziwu City, and he will do whatever he deems necessary, even if it means killing or causing chaos."
Yin En shook his head and shared information about Dark Willow Gang's collaboration with Honda Koichi and the possibility of Dark Willow Gang creating a batch of dangerous Monsters to launch a sneak attack on the Sawada Family through the underground passage. This revelation left Sawada Yinyin with furrowed brows, and she quickly agreed, "In that case, we should hurry and find my father. If Dark Willow Gang manages to succeed in their surprise attack, the Sawada Family will suffer heavy casualties." Sawada Yinyin then grabbed Yin En and left the hall in a hurry to find her father, Sawada Tsuo.
"Youth is indeed a wonderful thing," Otonashi Takuya commented with a smile.
Liu Xing nodded and earnestly said to Otonashi Takuya, "Mr. Otonashi, it's all up to you now. You are the only one who can convince Aoki, Fujiwara Gen'in, and the others to reconcile with Kanna Ryoko. This is our chance to deal with Dark Willow Gang and help Mian Gu Lu remove the threat of Eldritch God Taketori."
Otonashi Takuya nodded and affirmed, "The reason I've survived all these years is to have the opportunity to save the world. Now that the chance to do so is right in front of me, how could I possibly flee in the face of adversity? As soon as we can leave this place, I'll go straight to Rose Graveyard to find Aoki!"
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