Epilogue

[Epilogue: Strong]

[Monika looked at Sayori with a strange smile. The two of them remained silent for a few seconds as the air around them grew heavier.]

Monika: So... you refuse to be with me?

Sayori: You already know my answer.

Monika: Hm... I guess so. But still, you don't exactly have a choice, now do you?

Sayori: I've always had a choice.

[Monika let out a hysterical laugh]

Monika: Oh really? But there's nowhere else for you to go! Don't you know what I'm capable of? If you try to resist, then I'll just erase you like the rest of them.

[A half crazy smile formed on Sayori's face]

Sayori: Then erase me.

[Monika narrowed her eyes]

Monika: You would really go so far just to avoid me... it really does hurt, you know?

[Sayori clenched her fists]

Sayori: And it also hurt when you killed all my friends! Do you even understand that you made them suffer?]

[An empty expression formed on her face]

Monika: Eh? But you don't have any friends. They don't exist.

...What the hell man?

[Sayori became furious, reaching out to grab Monika by the shoulders]

Sayori: You-

[Yet, before she could, Sayori froze in place, completely immobile. Monika let out a soft sigh.]

Monika: I hoped things wouldn't come to this, but here you are, being so unreasonable...

Yuri: U-Um, is everything alright out there?

Monika: Yes, it's fine! We are just having a little talk.

[Sayori tried to speak, but her body wouldn't listen to her]

What the... why does this Monika girl have special superpowers?

[A small smile formed on Monika's face]

Monika: I suppose... being the only one that remembers you is romantic in its own way.

[After saying that, she slowly lifted up her hand. Sayori made ever so faint choking sounds as her body occasionally twitched. Monika then slowly closed her hand, and Sayori became deformed.]

W-What the... h-how did this happen?

[Somehow or another, as Sayori's body was continually being contorted, more of her continued to disappear. Until eventually, not a trace of her was left. Monika placed a palm on her chest and let out a small sigh.]

Monika: Now, only I will remember you.

Eh? But I'm here too.

[Yuri slowly walked up to the door]

Yuri: E-Eh? Where did you go? S-S...

[Monika was completely unfazed by the ghost, and smiled politely]

Monika: Hello there, are you looking for someone?

Yuri: Ah, yes, yes. It was... it was...

Monika: Oh my, do you not remember their name?

Yuri: Eh? Oh no, I'm so forgetful I even forgot her name! ...Or was it his name?

Monika: Well, if you don't remember all that well, it might be a dream?

Yuri: A-A dream? But I definitely remember... I remember...

[Monika let out a small chuckle]

Monika: See? If it wasn't actually a dream, then you would've surely been able to remember, yet you are completely clueless!

Yuri: It was all... a dream?

Monika: That is the only explanation.

Yuri: ...Ah. But why do I feel... so sad?

Monika: Sometimes emotions will stay after a dream, just try to ignore them.

Yuri: O-Ok... I guess it was all a dream.

Monika: Yes, all a dream.

...I believe this is what people call "gaslighting".

[Yuri slowly closed the door with a complicated expression on her face. As for Monika, she slowly walked away from the village, like she was never there. She continued down the path slowly and smiled to herself.]

Monika: But it was a beautiful dream nonetheless. It's a shame though... the shower of cherry blossoms are so enamoring, but once it's over, all that's left are bare trees.

...This girl is messed up man!

[Epilogue End]

What the- that was a terrible ending! How come the evil person got away with everything!

[Is that not what happens most of the time?]

W-Well maybe, but why replicate it in a story as well!

[Not all stories are made to be pure fantasies]

But... but...

[Regardless, let me announce what you have gained]

Ah, right. The clear ticket, no?

[Acquired: Clear Ticket x 1, The Courageous Maiden Statue]

Eh? Wait, what is that thing?

[I was getting to it, just have a little bit of patience]

...

[Upon completion of a side story, the first time will guarantee a clear ticket regardless of the result. After completion, you are allowed to reenter the story after completing one run of either the main or side story. Other than clear tickets, there can be additional rewards depending on how the story was cleared. In this case, you were given a statue that will give the specific trait to a specific character within the main story.]

Huh... so you mean that the maiden in the main story won't just run away all the time now?

[Not necessarily. It just means you will be given different choices depending on what happens and will have new options.]

Oh. Wait, so that means we can't clear the main story unless we get enough of these trait things?

[Not necessarily]

...

[However, there are also bad ends to the story. If it is your first clear, then getting a bad end will still end up giving you a clear ticket. However, if you replay the story and get a bad end, you will instead get nothing.]

What! Not even a consolation prize?

[Not even a consolation prize]

Tsk... stingy.

[Replaying the story will not cost powerstones. I cannot simply provide rewards if you choose to continually repeat the story. Also, getting the same ending will not give anything as well]

...Fine.

[I will now display your inventory]

[Inventory

|Consumables|

Clear Ticket - x 1

Powerstones - x 21

|Augments|

The Courageous Maiden Statue]

Oh, there are a decent amount of powerstones as well! And the statue is an augment? That seems a little strange...

[I will display the item description]

[The Courageous Maiden Statue

It is a statue of a maiden with short hair and in the clothes of a commoner. It is one that does not appear to be chisel gracefully, as the surface appears rather rough. However, that lends to the defiant look on this statue's face, one that refuses to back down regardless of the consequences.

It has the conviction to continue standing. Though that may not be the right decision, from the expression carved it is clear that this maiden never cared about what was the right decision. She understood the one she had made, and would see it through, even if that would make her a fool.]

Huh... it sounded good at first, but what is this fool stuff at the end?

[The statue provides a trait, giving different options, but that doesn't necessarily mean that choice is correct.]

...Then what the heck is the point of this thing?

[It will give you more options. Whether or not you use them properly is up to you]

...Well, fair enough.

So uh, now do we do the main story?

[If the reader decides to]

Huh? Ah, well I guess that makes sense.

But we might as well go back to it since we have the clear ticket, right?

[That is up to the reader]

...I get it, alright.

So are you gonna load up the choices?

[First, there will be a new story that the reader can choose to start. A short preview will be provided.]

Ah, alright.

[The Reflection in the Water - Preview]

[A man wielding two swords stands at a river that runs slowly. He stares into his reflection with a forlorn expression, lamenting over something. He wears a white robe, with blue patterns of waves, along with long white hair draping down past his waist.]

[A tiny dragon, the size of a dog slowly walked up to the man and asked if he wished to get back to what he once was, a Transcendent. The man let out a soft sigh before giving an uncertain response. The conflicting emotions seemed to get the best of him, making him go against his own desires. The dragon said that he may as well become a Transcendent once more, then decide once he reaches there. After many long hours of deliberation, he agreed.]

[He sets off from the river and sets off to advance his level in cultivation. However, his old enemies that he had spared came to stop his advancement, bitter for the loss that they had once suffered. Once, the man was able to easily dispatch all of his foes, but now, he is in the realm of a normal man, unable to defeat them due to the sheer difference in power.]

[The man was forced to flee, bruised and injured. He found himself in a village, where his name is known in legends. He then attempts to find a companion in order to support him in his ascension once more, starting from the beginning once more.]

[Preview End]

Huh? So it's like one of those cultivation novels?

[Essentially, yes]

I see.

[Loading Choices...]

[Current Balance - 22 Powerstones, 1 Clear Ticket]

[1 - (Main Story) Hero's Journey (Cost - 1 Clear Ticket)

2 - Very Happy Game (Cost - 10 Powerstones)

3 - The Reflection in the Water (Cost - 20 Powerstones)]

...Well, the choice doesn't really matter, I guess. You just pick something, reader. It seems like the road ahead is going to be long anyway.