#like. the implication here would be that solving the epitaph would stop the killings

[pochapal]

a good question to consider is if "solve the epitaph or die" was ever explicitly a challenge issued by anybody here.

[kyuu-rereads-umineko]

Ep5, ???? (Part 2)

And so our detective declares that all the clues have been presented.

Okay, not quite, but still.

Battler reflects on having reached the “peak of Mount Purgatory,” then immediately thinks about how Beato’s “an idiot.” It was in Ep6 that Battler describes the two of them as “two idiots who failed to reach each other,” wasn’t it?

He wakes up in the cathedral, still impaled, and finds Beato snuggled up against him, only for her to dissolve when he tries to hold her.

I’ve always been inclined to read Beato’s death in the Meta-World here as a parallel to what happened on Rokkenjima Prime - Even though Prime!Battler got an opportunity to talk to Yasu face-to-face, and even though he reached her heart (as Tohya, years later), he was too late to actually save her. No matter what he says or does, in the Meta-World or in the aftermath of the disaster, nothing can change the fact that she died.

To be clear, I’m not laying all the blame for that on Battler. It’s not as if Yasu killed herself simply because he vanished for six years. In terms of the Rokkenjima Prime tragedy, I feel like - in many ways - he was essentially in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

In terms of Beato’s - Yasu’s - Meta-World death, though, I’m more inclined to label him as culpable. Again, though, it’s not as if the blame is entirely his - I feel that his biggest sin is just not thinking. In Tea Party 4, for instance, he’s not trying to solve Beato’s game so much as he’s just throwing out random ideas to see what sticks. He laughs off his infamous small bombs theory just as readily as Beato does.

Also, it’s only really in ????5 - as seen in the previous post - that he starts to think about why the fantasy scenes exist beyond “to convince me a witch exists,” or about what the implications of someone witnessing magic are. While Yasu might be at fault for making her riddles too hard - and I do understand where he’s coming from in saying that - Battler’s at fault for not thinking about what she might be trying to tell him.

At any rate. Battler cries and laments the fact that he was too late. “You believed so strongly, didn’t you...? That I’d... definitely reach the truth...?”

To be honest, though, the way he flips back and forth between “BEATO YOU IDIOT” and “IT’S ALL MY FAULT” feels very genuine to me. It’s an interesting contrast to his “YOU’RE THE MURDERER STOP BLAMING MEEEEEEEEEEEEE” spiel in Ep4.

Battler clutches the last piece of Beato he can reach - a golden butterfly wing - and swears to himself to “never again lose the truth.”

Meanwhile, in... the exact same place? META GONNA META

Anyways, Erika’s laughing at Battler’s corpse (charming), when the red longsword impaling him suddenly turns gold and he starts sputtering back to life. Bern thinks it’s a joke on Lambda’s part, but she’s just as awestruck as Bern.

Lambda accepts Battler’s request for a retrial, and acknowledges him as “the new Endless Sorcerer.” In terms of the Meta-World, Battler’s now the one holding the key to the catbox.

Battler is officially recognized as the new “territory lord” of the kakera, and by extension, as the new Game Master. Erika screeches, obviously not happy about having her title taken away from her so soon after earning it.

“...I can construct a theory with someone other than Natsuhi oba-san as the culprit. It may be that your truth is impossible to disprove... If so, that means your truth won’t be able to deny my new truth either!”

Dlanor steps forward. “...Battler, I’ve been WAITING.” i may not be able to stand erika but dlanor is soooo goood

“Lady Erika’s reasoning has solved the 5th GAME. No new facts exist which can overturn the truth created by this reasoning...!!” Battler counters with the catbox.

He then proceeds to lay out his theory wherein he’s the culprit, citing Rudolf’s weird behaviour in Ep1 and 5, and his inability to declare Asumu his mother in Ep4 as proof. Y’know, while the whole “Battler’s mother” plot point never really intrigued me that much compared to the rest of the story, I feel like the payoff for it was kinda underwhelming, at least in how it was delivered? Even from early on, it’s easy to see how Battler takes after Kyrie - if it weren’t for the narrative explicitly saying otherwise, I’d have thought she was his mother from the very beginning.

Having said that, to be honest, I really appreciate how the payoff isn’t something ridiculously convoluted, like Battler being Beato’s direct sibling or something (yes I know Yasu is his blood relative, but still). Rudolf’s babyswap is a lot more feasible than some of the other options.

At any rate, Erika steps forward and starts laying out the immediate problem with the Battler culprit theory - the time of the first twilight’s murders. “It’s only possible for the crime to have taken place between 24:00 and 1:00!! During that one hour, you were in the dining hall of the mansion!! [...] From 1:00 until the discovery of the crime, it was impossible for the crime to occur in the cousins’ room!!”

Battler counters with the proposition that they were still alive at the time. Episode 5 really is one of the rudest episodes to the reader, as such - not only is there the constant “detective’s viewpoint” trick, but there are things like Erika checking the cousins’ room without verifying the bodies. Coupled with how Lambda’s going crazy with the narrative, it’s incredibly easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

“How often do I have to say it?! The deaths of the four people in the cousins’ room have been proclaimed with the red truth!! Furthermore, those corpses were witnessed by a large number of people!! It’s already been proclaimed in red that no examination of these corpses would lead to a mistaken result...!! Take that, dead people!!!” EVERY TIME I READ THIS LINE I START LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY

Ronove appears and points out that the deaths were only announced at the opening of the trial - in other words, at the very end of the game, which leaves the “corpses” unverified for almost 24 hours.

“It may be true that all corpses would not lead to a mistaken examination, no matter who it was that checked to see whether they were alive... but it has never been said that there was a rule against something other than a corpse being called a corpse.”

Erika asks why Battler screamed if no one was dead, and Gaap appears with “Kinzo’s already dead,” undermining Erika’s theory on how the bodies disappeared.

One by one, the Stakes appear, declaring that none of the victims of the first twilight were moved after their deaths. Dlanor steps forward, declaring Knox’s 2nd in red, stating that Battler needs proof of Kinzo’s death to invalidate Erika’s theory.

“Presentation of evidence. I’ll present a corpse which could possibly be identified as Ushiromiya Kinzo’s...!!” Dlanor counters that he has to prove it’s Kinzo’s corpse for it to work, and Bern cackles at how he’s cornered - red truth’s been forbidden as proof, leaving him without anywhere to run to.

“How are you gonna prove that the corpse was Kinzo’s if the red truth is sealed? It’s impossible. It can’t be done...!!” “...With red or blue... right...?”

“I guarantee, without a doubt, that this is Ushiromiya Kinzo’s corpse!!” Dlanor concedes, while the witches (and Erika) are left speechless.

“...Gold truth, effective. The gold truth... can only be used by the territory lord of this world... no, only by the Game Master himself...!!”

Dlanor “elaborates” that the gold truth is woven “differently’ from the red, and that its strength is situational. I’m inclined - in no small part due to GRS, because I believe this is how they interpreted the gold truth as well - to view gold truth as... How to put it.

For one thing, gold can only be used on a topic if the person talking about it fully understands everything. Battler’s use of gold here is proof that he understands the entirety of Beato’s - Yasu’s - game and heart. In Ep6, when Elder Beato uses gold to declare that Chick Beato used magic to make the flower petal appear in the tea cup, it’s proof that she understands the true form of magic - how it manifests, who can use it, what its limitations are, etc.

As for what the difference is between it and red... While with red, you can’t say anything that’s patently false (e.g. Battler choking on “I was born from Asumu” in Ep4), the gold is less strict. To use Ep6 as an example again - in the context of the “real world,” i.e. no fantasy layer, Chick Beato would use sleight of hand to make the flower petal appear, so “she used magic” is a false statement. However, in the context of magic itself, she did use magic, so the statement is valid. 

Hopefully that makes sense. Anyways, Erika balks, pointing out that she’s still got points to argue on, “like Hideyoshi’s closed room, the seal on Natsuhi’s personal room, and the button in the closet.” The seal on Natsuhi’s room...? Am I forgetting something here?

“Because of this, Grandfather’s absence has been verified, and the dishonourable relationship between Natsuhi oba-san and Grandfather has been removed from consideration!! Natsuhi oba-san is pure and faithful! I won’t permit this vulgar tale you’re all so fond of!!” Aww, Battler... He then points out that everyone else’s alibis are null and void since the times of death are in question.

Dlanor knows she’s lost, but still confronts Battler on his theory, saying, “However, in the cousins’ room, you witnessed corpses which were impossible to MISIDENTIFY! Are you trying to say that was a FALSEHOOD?! Knox’s 7th, it is forbidden for the detective to be the CULPRIT! The detective is obligated to have an objective point of VIEW. Your theory violates this OBLIGATION!”

Battler responds that seeing Kinzo in the rain after solving the epitaph proves his viewpoint was subjective all along. As I think I mentioned earlier, the thing about Ep5 that I think trips people up when it comes to viewpoints and whatnot is that when Battler “sees” Kinzo, while it’s true he’s with Erika, she doesn’t see Kinzo herself, and she wouldn’t be likely to - it’s dark, it’s raining, and she’s focused on the chapel’s mechanism.

On the other hand, when it comes to the number of people in the parlour, there’s no such room for doubt - the chances of hiding in a room packed with so many people are slim to none... except for Yasu, of course. Anyways.

“So, once you claimed to have seen Kinzo, it was no longer misrecognition... but INTENTIONAL. In other words... this proves that the observer wasn’t objective... is what you are SAYING?”

Battler asks Dlanor to forgive him for his “crazy argument.” She replies, “If a man like you is in this WORLD... You will surely protect the fragile truth from any kind of ARROGANCE. You will surely protect the real truth from the tyranny of any plausible truth... that might claim to exist as the sole truth and try to exterminate all fragile TRUTHS!”

Like earlier, Battler doesn’t strike down Dlanor. “I’ve paid my debt. ...Let honour be to your father. The Decalogue was neither arrogant nor judgmental...!” 

And of course Erika screeches about how Dlanor has BROUGHT SHAME upon Knox and whatnot, and Battler basically tells her to stfu. this feels really good to read

Erika still argues back, though she hasn’t addressed the issue of the corpses disappearing. Bern snaps at her, and she hurriedly comes up with an “explanation,” apparently. i... kinda want to know what it is

Bern laughs at Erika’s “pathetic” reasoning, but Dlanor and Battler step in to defend her. battler’s a better person than i am because i don’t think i could do that tbh

“Because there has been no decision, the Illusion of the Witch still exists. The only one who will be permitted to expose that is neither Erika, nor the rest of you... It’s me alone! I won’t let anyone expose Beatrice’s illusion except me!!!” still possessive, battler ur kinzo is showing

Lambda declares Battler the new Game Master, and he challenges Erika one last time. Bern gives her one last chance to redeem herself.

“Just watch, Beato. ...I’ll take charge of your game!! And in this next game, I’ll prove that I completely understand all of your riddles...!!”

And that’s the end of Ep5. Closing thoughts...

Episode 5 is definitely one of the “rudest” episodes to the reader, with how it plays around with viewpoints and concepts like detective’s authority. I’m also inclined to place it as one of the more difficult episodes, if only because of how Lambda and Bern’s influences manifest themselves - The man from 19 years ago instead of Lion, Beato being portrayed as separate from the culprit, Erika’s presence, etc.

On that note, Erika. As much as I hate her, she’s a great character. She’s a personified reminder that searching for a solution isn’t going to get you anywhere. Don’t look for just what’s possible - look for what’s probable and work backwards from there. I don’t think I need to explain Dlanor as a character, because Ep5 is pretty blatant about her purpose.

In a way, while the first line of this post - about our detective announcing “all clues have been shown” - was meant in jest, it’s pretty accurate. Through the first half of the series, Shannon and Kanon are linked very strongly to each other and Beatrice, the nature of their existences and deaths are explored through Maria and Ange, “love” is suggested as a motive for murder on multiple occasions... Being “furniture” is made very distinct and far deeper than being a servant...

On top of that, we’ve not only had the man from 19 years ago formally introduced, but we’ve also:

Had him implied to be hiding among the 18 characters we’ve already met;

Had another motive for the murders provided (Natsuhi commenting that he must have “lived a very hate-filled life”);

And, while this might just be me, I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that falling from the cliff as a baby left him with a very grievous injury. Coupled with Beato talking about Kanon - a man - “crying himself to sleep” over not having a human body, and the way she attacks Kanon on an emotional basis compared to attacking Shannon - a woman - on a physical basis, I don’t think assuming that “furniture” refers to a physical condition of some sort is much of a stretch.

Really, almost all of it is there. While I can understand why Battler’s deduction and realization seems ridiculous to some people, I don’t feel that way myself.

Anything else... I suppose there’s the question of what actually happens on Ep5′s game board. Frankly, though, this post is getting long enough as-is, so I’ll write a separate post for that. After that, Episode 6! Time to see how good of a writer Battler is.