LP Beach

• I'm sorry, I did attempt to LP the two sub-scenarios, but, well, I bounced off. I just didn't find them fun or interesting to LP. Instead, I've done a summary of both sub-scenarios.
  
  To get the Canaan's sub-scenario, you need the black bookmark – you get this simply by seeing the true ending in the main story.

Canaan, having received information that the “Serpent” - Alphard - is targeting Shibuya and Maria an hour ago, is on her way to Japan.







A man approaches Canaan from behind, and, thinking himself undetected, slips her plane ticket into her pocket, before addressing Canaan. Canaan casually reveals that she's aware the man has already passed on the flight ticket to her.




The two speak, the man confirms that Maria has been kidnapped, and that the CIA may be involved.






During the flight, Canaan reflects that Alphard wouldn't be so careless as to give her location away to Canaan; Alphard is expecting Canaan to show up in Japan. Canaan is determined to end things in Japan, fearful of losing yet another close friend. Canaan's only consolation is that she found out about Alphard's plans - from crushing a fringe group in Singapore – slightly earlier than Alphard anticipated, having attacked the fringe group an hour before schedule.








Canaan recalls when she first met Maria. Canaan was irritable, having run out of her favourite snack, and the men, giving off an annoying colour and noisy scent, decided to get rid of the men hassling Maria. Canaan tried to ignore the grateful Maria's overtures of friendship, thinking the gap between them was too great – Maria having been raised in a peaceful country – but seeing the warm colour from Maria, and seeing Maria's smile, softened, opening the way for their friendship.







Canaan recalls the summer of four years ago – a mission on a train travelling from Al-Haditha to Amman.








Canaan is in a bad mood, three hours on the train, with nothing to show for it. Accompanying Canaan on her mission, is Siam, her former master, now her partner.

Canaan and Siam chat a bit; Canaan is jaded and only trusts Siam. Siam warns Canaan that their alignment with the “good guys” or the “bad guys” depends on their current job.









A little more background on Canaan, she lost her family and village due to war, and she took up arms. Born with an unusual ability, and having met someone who had taught her to foster that ability, Canaan was able to make herself useful to the “powers that surrounded” her, knowing that she'd be dumped if she fails to meet their expectations.

Eventually Siam took her into his care, a mercenary with no attachment to any ideologies. Siam was previously kicked out of the army, preferring solo missions. Under his training, Canaan herself moved from being a soldier to a covert operative, a position fare more suited to her talents.

Typically, Canaan and Siam work separately on their missions, one entering enemy territory, one working in logistics or liaison – the urgency of the request from their employer lead to them working together on this job.






Their objective – a weapon - is small enough to be carried by one person ; their first task is to identify whether the weapon is being carried on the train, and if it is, recover the weapon if possible, otherwise, destroy it. With the means of transport being a train that crosses the border, secrecy is essential, and no logistical support provided.

After three hours of nothing happening, Canaan is more than willing to believe that the weapon is not on the train.












At the Jordanian border, there is an extended delay while the wheels on the train are replaced, due to the rails changing from the standard gauge to the broad gauge.

Canaan realises that's not just the wheels that are being changed; a new freight car, surrounded by two passenger cars, are also added to the train. The passengers in the two new passenger cars are armed soldiers.

Siam is concerned about the number of soldiers they will have to get through to recover the weapon – there's no possibility for calling for backup or resupplying, and the mission needs to be completed before the train arrives in Amman.




Canaan voices her opinion that they should just destroy the weapon, given the odds. Siam assures Canaan that someone else will be joining them shortly, much to Canaan's shock, as far as she's aware, Siam only teams up with her.





A woman shows up, asking to share their seat. Canaan notes Siam's colour change to a pale blue, but the woman is a mixture of shifting colours, and immediately realises that this is their sole backup.




Siam tells the woman to sit with them; the woman kicks Canaan out of her spot, saying that children need to sit next to their guardian. Both Canaan and the woman are mistrustful and somewhat hostile to each other. The woman spots that Canaan's left arm is injured, unnerving Canaan, who had taken measures to hide her injury. The woman turns her attention to Siam, asking when Siam took Canaan in. Siam replies two years ago, making the woman realise that Canaan went through the Iraq War.




Having heard a little of Canaan's background, the woman becomes less hostile. Canaan is still not happy to have the woman with her, but decides to accept the situation, believing Siam's judgement to be absolute.







Another flashback, showing the murder of Canaan's family. Her house was raided, Canaan survived only by being sent into the basement. As Canaan heard the soldiers search for the remains of her family, she noted how many soldiers there were, their names, and their voices.




It took days before Canaan was rescued from the basement, trapped under rubble. Those who found Canaan had no time to help with her emotional wounds. Seeking compensation for what she had lost, Canaan chose to take up arms. Canaan reflects that she feels no malice, she can see that her family were flawed, they wanted to eschew violence, but ultimately violence still won over them.







Canaan was taught a fondness for firearms by Siam, and she proved to be his best student. Despite this, her inexperience still landed her in danger many times on the battlefield. Siam protected her at these times, not out of fondness, but because she could be counted on to finish the mission. Protecting Canaan lead Siam to acquire even more scars, about the only place where Siam had never been shot was the head.



Believing Siam and herself to be the same breed of person, Canaan had her left arm tattooed as a symbol of their connection.




Siam asks the woman what name she's currently going by; she jokingly replies Canaan, which upsets Canaan. The woman then calls herself Sadaqah.




Sadaqah explains that they'll wait until the train is an hour away from the border before they take any action, with the hope that the mission will be done an hour before arriving in Amman, before outlining the location of the weapon,, and the number of soldiers guarding it.





Canaan questions why Sadaqah is assisting, Siam explains that Sadaqah is a codebreaking specialist. Sadaqah adds that she was already nearby dealing with another matter, and decided that she couldn't ignore this mission. Canaan snipes that she wishes Sadaqah had ignored it.





Canaan and Sadaqah move into their starting positions. As Siam's physique makes him unsuitable for infiltration, he's acting as the rearguard, and if required, to secure an escape route.






Canaan and Sadaqah remove their cloaks and head for the outside of the train. Siam considers trying to distract the guards, but ultimately decides, given the number of guards, to just remain at the ready.




Siam flashback – he recalls how he used to be full of ideals and faith, but during the thirty plus years he'd spent as a soldier, he'd come to realise that the fighting in his homeland would not end during his generation, and over time, he'd lost his faith, seeking battle, but without commitment to any conflict or cause.







Siam came across Canaan during the Iraq War. Considering aiding civilians post fighting to be part of his duties, Siam saved her, fully expecting her not to survive.






When Canaan recovered, Siam, aware that she had no living relatives, trained her to be a soldier. Canaan's special ability is finally named; it's synesthesia.






Canaan, unused to working with others, and initially afraid of guns, proved to be a poor soldier, but did make a good assassin. Siam, wanting to train Canaan mentally as well as physically, warned Canaan against letting hatred consume her.








Canaan and Sadaqah go under the train to reach their goal. Canaan is unhappy about it, much to Sadaqah's amusement. Canaan admits to herself that even though she dislikes Sadaqah, the two do share a quirky sense of humour.






Sadaqah opens the door to the freight carriage, and is disgusted to find there's no security. The actual weapon is behind a sealed door; Sadaqah starts working on the console to open the door.




Canaan and Sadaqah chat a little about social hacking while Sadaqah works.





An option to disable the emergency alarm pops up, with the default option set to “Yes”; Sadaqah, changes it to “No”.







Sadaqah's hacking is disrupted when she finds out that one of the passcodes she needs to unlock the door has been changed out of schedule. Canaan is able to use her synesthesia to send the unlock sequence directly to the lock.







There's some discussion about Canaan's synesthesia – her ability to sense things strengthened two years ago. Sadaqah is initially impressed, then thinks that the benefits of synesthesia were lost due to progress, rather than regression, and calls Canaan a primitive, before musing that Canaan's simple nature has cause Siam to lose some of his edge.





Siam calls over the radio for an update; the guards have started harassing the passengers. Sadaqah assures Siam that things are going to plan, then tells Canaan to carry the weapon, held within a briefcase, cautioning Canaan that opening the briefcase will kill everyone within miles. Canaan radios Siam to ask about the exact nature of the weapon. Siam confirms it's a prototype of the Ua virus.





Some history on the Ua virus; it first struck South Africa in the year 2000, a result of deforestation. Sterilisation processes were successful, but three years later, agents from another nation collected samples of the virus, and researched it for military uses. Once the virus had been weaponised, they chose Canaan's village as a test site, trusting the ongoing conflict would hide their tests.






Canaan calmly removes the case, triggering a warning that the emergency alarm will go off in sixty seconds. Canaan radios Siam, with a fight now inevitable, Siam and Canaan decide to take the first strike. Siam decides to deal with the soldiers in the rear car, then give Canaan and Sadaqah the signal to fall back.







Canaan disagrees, and after analysing the situation, decides to take on at least some of the soldiers herself. Sadaqah asks for the briefcase, claiming she'll get it to Siam. Canaan hesitates, but not seeing a lie in Sadaqah's words, gives in.





Back with Siam, the guards are still interrogating the passengers, using their guns for intimidation. Siam casually gets up, and shoots the guard who immediately demands Siam return to his seat.









Siam makes his way to the front of the train, where six other guards await. Disregarding his own rule of always shoot from cover, Siam relies on his bulletproof coat, and kills another two guards in the dining car.




Canaan goes over her strategy to take out seven soldiers alone. She runs across the roof, deliberately making a noise as she does.





When the soldiers fail to shoot her through the roof, one opens a gangway door. Canaan leaps down from the roof and through the door, firing off two shots. The shots were intended to kill three of the soldiers, but one manages to evade her attack.




With still five soldiers to deal with, Canaan is forced to take cover. There's a brief stalemate, then, the soldiers use hand signals, which Canaan can hear. Her senses meld together, giving her a full map of the carriage.








Canaan kills another soldier who had left their cover, and grabbing his gun, and using melded senses to avoid the enemy fire, jumps through the train door, and manages to kill the remaining four soldiers through a window.





Canaan decides to stop the train so she and Siam can leave and hide their whereabouts, but before she can move, something catches her attention.








Sadaqah has reached Siam, she chides him for letting himself get shot. Sadaqah points out that a tactical retreat would have worked, and carried less risk. Siam mentally concedes, but realises that his strategy allowed the civilian passengers a chance at safety, though he claims otherwise to Sadaqah.







Sadaqah stabs Siam, then tells Siam that she'll be leaving with the case, and will kill all witnesses; Siam hears the screams of the passengers being murdered at the back of the train.






Sadaqah reveals that she's the one who prompted the U.S. military to sell off the Ua virus, and now she wants to ignite rumours about who stole a biological weapon that the U.S. military was trying to dispose of, mid-transport, in Jordanian territory. Siam points out that there's no need to fan the flames of confrontation. Sadaqah agrees; she had other reasons for getting involved; namely getting control of UA, and killing Siam, who Sadaqah has decided knows too much about UA, and about Sadaqah herself.




Sadaqah continues, once Siam is dead, she intends to kill Canaan, though, as Canaan is the only known survivor of the Ua virus, Sadaqah had hoped to apprehend Canaan alive. Sadaqah's radio goes off, she's arranged to escape via helicopter, as the train will soon be derailed.



Sadaqah returns to the subject of Canaan, she claims that Canaan's hatred of the Ua virus has compromised Canaan's abilities. Siam disagrees, claiming that people who know fear don't act out of hatred, then points out that Canaan is different to him and Sadaqah.

Sadaqah takes offence to this, and aims her gun at Siam's forehead, as she tells him that they aren't alike. Siam tells Sadaqah something, she listens, then takes aim again. Siam asks why she didn't just shoot him in the first place, Sadaqah replies that's due to the number of times he's been shot, yet somehow never taken a bullet to the head.





Before Sadaqah can fire, Canaan rushes in, and manages to shoot the gun out of Sadaqah's hands. Sadaqah realises this isn't a battle she can win, and retreats, taking the Ua virus with her.





Back to Canaan. After killing the guards, a stream of bullets fly past her face; she realises there are more enemies on the train. She follows the man, who shot at her to the drivers cab, where she kills him, before she finds the bodies of the train engineers, and a smashed control panel.




Canaan realises there's a third party involved, and rushes back to Siam and Sadaqah, where she finds Sadaqah pointing her gun at Siam.





Canaan ignores Sadaqah's retreat, instead dropping down by Siam.





Siam tells Canaan to accept the fact the stab wound Sadaqah inflicted is fatal, before telling Canaan about Sadaqah's plans. Canaan wails that her only concern is getting Siam medical attention.




Siam tells Canaan that soldiers like himself and Sadaqah throw away their humanity and get shot – there's no meaning in that. Canaan insists that Siam is not a monster, unlike Sadaqah. Siam can't respond, unsure of whether he is a monster, and manipulates Canaan, by pointing out that the Ua virus needs to be eradicated. Siam decides that he'll stop the train, while Canaan goes after Sadaqah. Canaan is unhappy with the plan, since she knows Siam has no hope of survival if she leaves him, and as the only passengers left alive, can't see the point in stopping the train. Siam tells Canaan to use her synesthesia to determine if any passengers are still alive. Canaan obeys, and realises that there are still three living passengers.





Inwardly, Canaan thinks that the passengers likely won't survive, but realises that isn't how Siam sees the situation, or how Siam wants Canaan to see the situation, and corrects herself to say that there are three people who can be saved.




Siam smiles, and lets his gun fall from his hand. He tells Canaan that although her origins are similar to those of Sadaqah, they've chosen to walk the path in different ways, before reminding Canaan to never let hatred consume her. Siam smiles again, and Canaan realises that she's accepted Siam's demise. Siam makes a final request; stop Sadaqah, and save what lives she can. Without grief, Canaan leaves the carriage.





Sadaqah awaits Canaan on the roof of the train, with the briefcase handcuffed to her wrist. There's a mention of Sadaqah's nature never allowing her to be content, and only by striking out at the world allows her to keep her sanity.





Sadaqah watches Canaan's approach – Canaan can't risk shooting Sadaqah until the case is safe, but Sadaqah has no such restrictions. Canaan pauses three carriages away – too far for Sadaqah to be certain of hitting Canaan.





Siam inches towards the door leading to the coupling that will allow him to stop the rear section of the train.




As he struggles, he recalls that Sadaqah's nihilism brought him hope, then he found another hope in Canaan's determination to cling to life. Sadaqah's hope is compared to opium, a drug that allowed Siam to think his actions were for the best. Canaan's hope had brought all his pain into focus.





Siam's eyesight starts to fail, he forces himself onwards, driven by the thought of saving the three surviving passengers – a change from killing. As he manages to uncouple the cars, he passes, vaguely fulfilled at the way Canaan turned out.





Back to Canaan and Sadaqah. With Canaan still out of reach of her gun, and the helicopter arriving, Sadaqah tries to taunt Canaan into moving into range. Canaan reflects that no matter how fast she can run, she can't outrun Sadaqah's shots.







Sadaqah continues to taunt Canaan, telling her that the Ua virus is more for negotiation, it's so powerful, it makes a flawed weapon. A ladder descends from the helicopter, Sadaqah ignores it in favour of continuing to taunt Canaan – it'll be two years before Ua has any real value, but Sadaqah will insure that, when the time comes, Ua will be used to it's full potential.







Canaan shifts into position, but rather than moving to attack, asks Sadaqh what her real name is. Sadaqah tells Canaan that her real name is Alphard. Canaan rushes forward.





Alphard shoots at her, and misses, much to Alphard's shock. Alphard tries repeatedly to shoot Canaan, only for all her shots to miss. Alphard starts to panic as Canaan closes in, wondering if Canaan can see the bullets.




Canaan reaches Alphard, and guessing what Alphard was thinking, tells Alphard that she can't see the bullets, but she can see Alphard's hatred. Alphard realises that as long as she has emotions, Canaan will be able to predict her movements.



Alphard tries the unpredictable route, and throws the case from the train. Canaan leaps to catch it, and realising that was a distraction, shoots at Alphard while holding the case. Alphard fires back, even suppressing her hatred, her intentions are still readable by Canaan, who continues to evade all Alphards shots. Canaan, in the air, and holding the case is unable to shoot with perfect accuracy.




Realising that Alphard had had no consideration for those who would had suffered had anything happened to the case, Canaan feels a chill, watching Alphard on the roof of the train.




Canaan lands without serious injury, and immediately checks the case, to her relief, it's still intact. Ahead, the train comes to a halt; Canaan feels a sense of contentment and pride that Siam managed to stop the train in his condition.




Alphard, in the helicopter, is dissatified at losing the Ua virus and failing to destroy the train. Alphard reflects that at least the Ua was an old prototype, and work is already being carried out on a superior form. Alphard reflects on Siam; she killed him only because he was in her way, and recalls him telling her, that, as strong as she is, if she could only find something that truly mattered to her, she could be far stronger. Alphard, having lost her family, and discarded her past can't imagine anything but hatred for all humans, conflict being her only motivator.

Alphard gives the helicopter the order to withdraw, sharing a silent stare with Canaan as it does, before revealing that Alphard has a wound on her arm.


On the ground, Canaan vows that she will stop Alphard.






Back in the present, the flight has started to descend. Upon landing, Canaan tries to call Maria, though Canaan believes Maria will be unable to answer the phone. Maria does answer, sobbing at hearing Canaan's voice. Canaan herself experiences a rush of joy at knowing Maria is safe.

Maria then passes the phone over to Stanley, who summarises the days' events for Canaan. Canaan is concerned when she hears that Gordon took Alphard into custody; she knows that he's working with Alphard. Canaan realises that Gordon will need to use the airport; Canaan estimates she has thirty minutes to act.





Canaan meets an agent at the helicopter that was prepared for her before the bioterrorism threat was averted. Canaan is inclined to trust the agent, who is clearly new to his job, but less so the helicopter pilot, and therefore pretends ignorance of the days' events.






Canaan suddenly realises that Maria gives off the same warm colour as Canaan's elder sister did, and her desire to protect Maria is stronger than hatred. Knowing that she's lived up to Siam's training, Canaan cheerfully tells the agent that she'll just be a normal tourist as everything has already been worked out, then heads into the airport to confront Alphard.

• To access Suzune's (Achi's sister) sub-scenario, you need to get the white bookmark – you get this by getting the normal ending to the main story, and fifty bad ends. We ended up with forty three bad ends; exact breakdown of number of bad ends seen and total number of bad ends per character for anyone interested:
  
  Kano - 13 / 21
  
  Achi - 8 / 20
  
  Tama / Maria - 6 / 11
  
  Minorikawa - 10 / 19
  
  Osawa - 3 / 8
  
  Jack - 2 / 3
  
  Tateno - 1 / 3

A teenage boy waits by the window in his hospital room, waiting for a glimpse at Suzune in the courtyard; as he is feeling relatively well today, he plans to go down to the courtyard himself upon seeing her, and finally introduce himself.

The boy then internally debates on how to introduce himself, and we get his name; Takaya. Takaya considers asking Suzune about her condition as a way to open conversation, but immediately dismisses it, as Suzune has been in the hospital as long as he has, whatever is wrong, it's not a trivial matter.




Takaya finally catches sight of Suzune, and leaves his room, noting that his muscles aren't too stiff.




A nurse calls to Takaya on his way out, he ignores her, and makes it into the courtyard.




Takaya is suffering a little after the walk, this does not unnoticed by Suzune, who has moved to a bench. Suzune offers to call a doctor, Takaya declines, but is relieved that he managed to answer Suzune, he hasn't been able to speak that well recently.






Takaya and Suzune talk, they introduce themselves, and discuss the meaning of their respective names. Suzune mentions that she has a heart problem, but Takaya doesn't mention his condition. Takaya is dismayed when he finds out Suzune is seventeen; he's only fourteen, and thought there was less of an age gap.




A young boy runs up to Suzune, and drags her back into the hospital.







Takaya makes his own way back into the hospital, where he is scolded by the head nurse for speaking with Suzune and risking infection, before escorting Takaya back to his room. Exhausted, Takaya doesn't resist.





Takaya starts keeping a vigil for Suzune in the courtyard, sneaking out to speak to her whenever he sees her. Suzune is popular with other patients, much to Takaya's frustration.






It's revealed that Takaya is suffering from Wilson's Disease; his only chance of survival is a transplant. Suzune mentions that they're in the same boat; she needs a heart transplant to survive. Suzune claims that she can't bear the thought of receiving an organ from someone who is brain dead, knowing their family will be grieving.





Takaya argues that organ donors want to save lives. Suzune agrees, and tells Takaya not to hesitate when a donor is found for him, but believes that there's no hope of a donor for her due to her rare blood type.




Suzune talks about making friends with the other patients, and her studying. Takaya reflects that he never bothered to study, thinking that he would never a full and normal life.



Alone, Suzune admits to herself that her condition scares her, and that all her smiles are to hide her fear. Suzune enjoys bringing happiness to people, but just wants someone she can confide her own fears to, and shed her tears.








A nurse calls to Suzune from the doorway, telling her it's okay to admit to being in pain. Suzune tries to paint a bright smile, but the nurse, who Suzune has never seen before, isn't fooled. The nurse continues to give Suzune assurance, mentioning Suzune's father, which makes Suzune realise that the nurse knows everything about her.

Suzune lets her mask drop, and starts to cry, admitting that even though she wants to be strong, she isn't; she's scared of everything, especially going to sleep, thinking she might not wake up again.

The nurse assures Suzune that she is strong, then hugs Suzune, telling Suzune that she'll always be there for her.




When Suzune wakes up the next morning, the nurse is gone, but Suzune isn't phased, knowing that the nurse will always be there for her.







Suzune goes to the courtyard in hopes of speaking with Takaya; she's realised he has a crush on her, and though she doesn't have any romantic feelings for him, she has come to regard Takaya as a younger brother.

After several days without Takaya appearing in the courtyard, Suzune tries to visit his room. She finds the room easily enough, but is turned away by a nurse, who point blank refuses to let Suzune visit Takaya, citing infection risk.









Suzune starts to visit Takaya's room every time she goes for a walk, but is constantly turned away. Suzune starts to become paranoid that there's an ulterior motive from keeping her away from Takaya.

Suzune finally decides to try sneaking into Takaya's room on the heels of the meal trolley, but before she can actually get into Takaya's room, an unconscious Takaya is wheeled away by frantic doctors and nurses.

Suzune steps into Takaya's room where she notices books on organ transplantation.





Takaya awakes in ICU, and manages to ask what day it is; 5th of April, more than three weeks until Takaya's fifteenth birthday.

Takaya pleads with Dr. Saeki to do anything possible that will allow Takaya to live for another three weeks. Dr. Saeki agrees to try an experimental procedure that could potentially allow Takaya to live until a donor is found.








Suzune tries to visit Takaya in the ICU everyday, only to be told that Takaya is still unconscious.

Three weeks later, Suzune overhears a couple of nurses discussing Takaya; he's woken up, but his condition hasn't improved; one of the nurses mention that time is running out of time for a transplant, and worse, Takaya has a rare blood type. Suzune immediately realises that Takaya also has Bombay blood, and works out that was the reason the hospital staff were trying to keep Suzune and Takaya apart.

Suzune rushes to ICU, where she finds Dr. Saeki, and demands that he do a living liver transplant between her and Takaya. Dr. Saeki sadly refuses, Suzune would never survive the surgery, and even if she could, the law doesn't allow for a living liver transplant between two strangers. Suzune refuses to be deterred, and ends up collapsing.



Suzune has a dream of her father, and her mother, trying to save her. The dream then moves to Takaya, who smiling, thanks her.




Suzune wakes up in her own hospital room, Achi watching over her. Realising she's awake, Achi runs off to find Dr. Saeki. Suzune realises her heart is being monitored, but is surprised when she sees how steady and strong her pulse is, and instinctively realises that she has Takaya's heart.








Achi returns with Dr. Saeki, who checks the monitoring devices, and is pleased by what he sees. Though Suzune will still need to be monitored, the her new heart appears to be a good match. Suzune demands confirmation that the heart was Takaya's, realising that if it is, there's no way Takaya can still be alive.

Dr. Saeki refuses to confirm or deny the identity of the donor, but is willing to talk about Takaya's passing, given that Takaya and Suzune were friends. Suzune starts to cry, knowing that Takaya is dead.

Dr. Saeki recounts Takaya's pleas to stay alive, for just a little longer. The experimental treatment went ahead, and though it did relieve Takaya's symptoms for a while, the damage already done was too great, and Takaya was declared brain-dead two days after his fifteenth birthday.

Dr. Saeki continues; the minimum age for organ donation is fifteen. On Takaya's birthday, he called in his family, and told them of his wish to register as an organ donor. As a result, Takaya's heart was given to a comatose patient, who were themselves in a dire state.




Dr. Saeki gives Suzune a letter Takaya wrote to her before leaving the room. Not feeling up to reading the letter herself, but not wanting to wait, Suzune asks Achi to read the letter to her.

The letter has Takaya thank Suzune - prior to meeting her, Takaya hated the world, and thought his existence pointless, but after meeting and falling in love with Suzune, Takaya could finally see the meaning in living. Unable to bear living in the world with her, Takaya was resolved to sacrifice himself so Suzune could live. Takaya admits that he'll be happy if Suzune is sad he's gone, but wants her to be happy that his heart is inside her. Takaya regrets that they couldn't talk more, or go anywhere together, but at least this way they'll be together in a sense forever.

Achi is struggling to hold back his tears by the end of the letter. Suzune, though sad by what happened to Takaya, and glad that she now has a future, is more stunned at the lengths Takaya went to to save her. She reflects that even though a young crush couldn't be called real love, it doesn't make that crush any less real. Suzune thanks Takaya, looking forward to their future together.

• There is one more sub-scenario, though this one is more difficult to find than Canaan or Suzune's stories. Going back to the main story where Achi and Hitomi were caught in the minivan explosion...

• The third sub-scenario is split into five sections (including the one shown last update); you have to find the new tips in the main story to access each section.

4:00pm

Tension.



“What the heck?! What’s going on?!” cried Big Joe, gazing up at the rising plume of black smoke.

A crowd of emergency workers and curious onlookers milled about the scene of the explosion, but none noticed the empty can standing by the roadside.

“Hey, Flaps!” Big Joe turned to the dumbstruck juice box sitting beside him. “What do you think?!”



“I dunno. I mean, how am I supposed to know?” Flaps gave a shrug. “Though there is one thing I do know for sure.” His expression turned grim. “We’ve lost a lot of our friends.”



It wasn’t just humans who had been caught up in the explosion. A bag of recyclables near the minivan had also been caught in the blast, and all the trash inside it had been burned to cinders. Like Flaps and Big Joe, the other trash had been waiting to be brought to the recycling plant to start a new life.

“Dammit. And right when we were all on the cusp of being reborn!” Big Joe bit his lip in frustration. “Cardburt, Alumi-Mom, Ol’ Scraps...I won’t forget you guys!” Tears of coffee streamed from Big Joe’s eyes.



“Big Joe,” Flaps mumbled, “take a look at this.”

There was a small green mass stuck to the surface of the road.

“What do you think it is?”

The thing was sticky, and it gave off a foul stench; it pulsed rhythmically as if it were alive.

“I’ll tell you what it is,” Big Joe said, his mouth twisting up. “It’s gross.”

The green mass wriggled and writhed for a while, but eventually went stiff, as if it had stopped breathing-and then it vanished with a schlorp.

No music.



“Dammit...why me? Why?!” A rustling came from the shrub near where Big Joe and Flaps were standing. “That Achi punk didn’t even see me in here!”

Main Theme.



A plastic bottle hopped into view, huffing and cursing.

“Hey, it’s...Mean Clean!” The coffee can and juice box cried out as one.

“What the heck is he doing here?”

“It’s like seeing a ghost, Big Joe!”

“Dude,” Big Joe said to the newcomer, “they say-”

“-that I retired ages ago?” Mean Clean finished with a grimace. “Yeah, that was the plan.” Water burbled from a sizeable hole in his midsection.



“Dude, uh, look!” Big Joe pointed to Mean Clean’s belly.

“Yeah? So I went from big gulp to double gulp. Big deal.” But the sweat was beading on Mean Clean’s forehead.



“Ah, good grief. Just look at me, all messed up! Whatever moron’s responsible for this, I’m gonna find ‘im and kick his ass!” Mean Clean grumbled. He stomped around with his bowlegged gait, glaring about him as he went.

“Whoa. He seems really pissed off.”

“He did always have a short temper,” Flaps said. “Even back when he was the hero of Shibuya.”

Once, Mean Clean had indeed been the hero of Shibuya.

Pride.



It had all started about ten years before. A strange religious group had appeared on the streets, preaching while brandishing vegetables in their hands. They seemed harmless enough at first, until their adherents started going on rampages, violently scattering vegetables all over town. The discarded vegetables quickly rotted, suffusing the whole area with the stench of garbage. “The Great Compost Incident,” they called it.

The police ramped up their supervision of Shibuya; but because unlawful dumping of garbage was only punishable with a modest fine under Japanese law, there was no way to rein in the believers’ environmental terrorism. Day by day, Shibuya descended into filth.

That was when a young Mean Clean stepped up. As a potential article of trash himself, he could not stand to see his city sullied so, and he was determined to do whatever was needed to protect the town. Sending up a wild battle cry, he went about accosting the vegetable-tossers one by one, picking up their strewn garbage and disposing of it properly. This glorious struggle went on for eight years.



By the time it was done, Mean Clean was tattered and worn, a shadow of his former self. His friends, Big Joe and Flaps included, gathered around him as he prepared to meet his end.

“Hang in there, Mean Clean!” cried Flaps. “You can make it!”

“Yeah! You can’t die, dude!”

Their earnest pleas brought a faint smile to Mean Clean’s face, and with a weak voice, he whispered his last request. “Throw me away in the bin for reusable waste. I want...to be recycled when I go.”

Big Joe and his other friends did as he had asked. But the fact was that 90% of plastic bottles were burned without being recycled. Even when they did get recycled, many were made into other products, such as clothing, clear plastic filing folders, or vinyl rope. The odds of Mean Clean coming back as another plastic bottle were immeasurably low.



After collection, Mean Clean was pulverized, processed, and born anew as a t-shirt. He was then passed on from person to person until he met Achi at a second-hand clothing shop.



When Achi hit the streets of Shibuya, Mean Clean was saddened and dismayed. He had shown the vegetable cult the light, but still Shibuya was not beautiful. If anything, it was marred by even more trash than in the old days.



It turned out that the religious sect was not his only enemy. Many of the people of Shibuya were themselves responsible for dirtying their once-fair city. Shibuya was overwhelmed with trash. The city was rotting. But on his own, Mean Clean could do nothing. Each time he gazed out from Achi’s t-shirt, he was awash with frustration at his own impotence.

No music.



Flaps slapped an adhesive bandage across Mean Clean’s abdomen. “So...how’d you get your old form back?” the juice box asked.

Mean Clean rubbed at his midsection. “It happened during the explosion...”

Unrest.

The detonation had propelled a fragment of the minivan’s windshield right toward Achi’s chest.



Making a split-second decision, Mean Clean slipped free of the t-shirt and took the glass shrapnel in Achi’s place. Achi escaped injury without knowing what saved him, and left the scene-and Mean Clean-behind.



“However you look at it, this wasn’t just an accident. Someone must’ve planted a bomb or something.” Mean Clean’s face showed a mix of pain and anger. Half of his mineral water had spilled out. The water was effectively Mean Clean’s blood. Having lost so much in one fell swoop, he was practically dead already. It was only sheer force of will that kept him on his feet.



“But the person who planted the bomb isn’t the issue,” Mean Clean continued. “The one I’m after is whoever plotted to kill me and Achi.”



Flaps and Big Joe exchanged glances.

“Dude...someone’s trying to kill you?”

“What do you mean?” asked Flaps.

Mean Clean’s face grew grimmer. “There was a second explosion. Someone was after us, no question about it.”

Neither Big Joe nor Flaps had any idea what Mean Clean was talking about. Had the shock of the explosion messed up their friend’s head?

But Mean Clean went on, his expression entirely serious. “That shard of glass wasn’t going for me and Achi-not at first. It was going one way, then its trajectory changed mid-flight and it came right at us! That couldn’t have been caused by the initial explosion. “Something else exploded, just an instant later, somewhere off to the side.”

Big Joe listened intently, his expression vacant; he couldn’t make any sense of it all.

“But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone was gunning for you,” Flaps said. “I mean, couldn’t it have just been a coincidence?”

“No way,” said Mean Clean, “not a chance.”

“Who did it, then?” asked Big Joe. “And why?”

“That, I do not know.”

“Hmph.” Flaps threw up his hands in defeat.

“Still,” said Big Joe, “Now that you mention it, I did feel something back then, I’m sure of it. No. Someone. With murder on his mind.” He peered around uneasily.

Tama.



“Hic...wheeee!” Just then, someone came lurching by. It was an empty sake jar-well, empty of sake, anyhow. He’d since been planted with a bonsai. The others recognized him at once; the old fellow’s name was Hooch. He was a slovenly drunkard-but also a walking encyclopedia of Shibuya, widely trusted by the trash of the city.



“Been drinking since noon again, old man?” Big Joe rolled his eyes.

“Nah, lately I’ve been sticking to sweet potato shochu,” Hooch informed him, his excuse completely failing to serve its intended purpose. “It’s done wonders for my bowels! Hweh, hweh, hweh.” His toothless guffaws reeked of booze.



“Look, this is no laughing matter! Someone’s trying to kill Mean Clean and-ugh, dude, you stink.” Big Joe wrinkled his nose at a brand new stench. “You just let one rip, didn’t you, old man?”

“Ah, my apologies. Like I said-wonders! Hweh, hweh, hweh.” As he chortled, Hooch let out another long and noisy olfactory assault.



“It’s been a long time, old man,” Mean Clean said.

The smile disappeared from Hooch’s face as his eyes slowly focused on the water bottle. “Mean Clean...I thought you went into retirement.”

“Yeah. I’d seen too much trouble.”

“Why you back, then?”

“To look for more.”

“Hmm...”

Hooch’s expression stiffened. “There’s something you gotta hear, Mean Clean. Listen well.” But Hooch didn’t get a chance to finish.

Dread.



With a steamy hissing sound, a long, slender something came reaching down from above. It was a green tentacle.

“What in the what?”

The tendril wrapped itself around Hooch’s body.



“Old man!” Before Mean Clean could move in for the rescue, Hooch was lofted into the air.

“That looks just like that green thing we saw earlier!” Flaps shouted and pointed.

Hooch was receeding into the distance. There was nothing Mean Clean and the others could do.

“You will all die...you will become trash...you who circle back around, who bear the seal...” The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, and it vanished just as quickly. Only the scent of the gas Hooch had passed lingered behind.

“What the heck? What was that?” It had all happened so fast. Hooch had been snatched away before Mean Clean and the others could even react.

You will all die... You will become trash... That’s what the mysterious voice had said. Given the murderous vibes Big Joe had felt at the scene of the explosion, and the threatening voice, there was only one logical conclusion.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Mean Clean said. “Someone out there is trying to kill me. No-trying to kill us.” He stared fixedly up into the sky.



Afraid that they’d be attacked by the green thing again, Mean Clean and his companions decided to relocate. They needed a place with good visibility, so they couldn’t be taken unawares.



Some place open, with a view in all directions-someplace like the roof of a building.

• These episodes usually have a hint near the end as to where to find the next episode.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Hooch was carried off by the green thing. The trio had relocated to a rooftop, where they continued to discuss their predicament.

Conflict.



“Detective Tateno, What is the meaning of this?”



“Bring me Hitomi Osawa, and I’ll let this girl go.”



“Why?! What do you need Hitomi for? This isn’t like you! It’s so...weird! The Detective Tateno who I know-”



“Man,” said Big Joe. “This place sure is noisy.” Not far away, two men wearing suits were having a big argument.

“I’m sorry.” Flaps dipped his head in apology. “I couldn’t find anyplace else that was safe.”

“Well, never mind,” Big Joe said. “Let’s get back to the discussion.”

“Right,” Flaps replied. “So what I don’t understand is what that voice said. Don’t you think it’s strange that it told us we would ‘become trash’?”

Big Joe nodded. “That is strange. I mean, we’re already trash. Telling us we’re going to be trash doesn’t make sense.”

“Exactly.”

“I know why someone’s after you though, dude,” Big Joe told Mean Clean. “Think about it: you’re the hero of Shibuya. Bad guys always go after folks who are on the side of justice.”

But Mean Clean remained silent, lost in thought.

Doubt.

You who circle back around, who bear the seal...

You who circle back around. Who bear the seal.

What did that mean? Those phrases had to refer to them, somehow.



Big Joe.



Flaps.



Hooch.



Mean Clean.

What did the four of them have in common?

Conflict.



“Please, stop this!”



“Hurry up! Bring Hitomi to me!”



“Can’t you at least tell me what’s going on?!”



“Go now or so help me I’ll shoot!”



The back-and-forth between the two humans seemed to be approaching some sort of climax.

“Dammit. Those guys are so loud. And I was just on the verge of a flash of insight.” Mean Clean gritted his teeth as he glared at the men.

Dread.



“Hey-is that it?!” Big Joe cried out, pointing at an elliptical object in the sky. “Is that the thing that attacked Hooch?”

Mean Clean and Flaps looked where he was pointing. But right away they shook their heads and slumped their shoulders in disappointment.

Best.



“Nah,” Flaps said. “That’s just a blimp.”

“A blimp?”

“A big flying advertisement, basically,” Flaps explained proudly. “They float through the skies above the city, promoting things.”

Big Joe went red in the face. “Hmph. I knew that. Don’t act all superior just ‘cause you know stuff.”

“I wasn’t acting superior.”

“Shut up, you wimp.”

“Wimp?” Flaps exclaimed. “You know, there are some things it’s just not nice to say!”

“What’s with you? Acting all high and mighty. You’re just paper!”

“Pulp! I’m made of pulp, technically speaking!”

As the two argued, Mean Clean’s mind wandered. You who bear the seal. You who bear the seal... What in the world did it mean? He felt like he was overlooking something important. A mark...a seal. What did it mean?

“Bah,” huffed Big Joe. “Don’t try and act like you’re anything more than a dumb kid.”

“Hey! You know, Big Joe, it might do you some good to learn a little more about the world, if you want to get by.”

The two were still at it, harder than ever now.

“All right then, smarty-pants!” Big Joe pouted.

“How is that there blimp able to fly?”

“Heh heh,” Flaps chuckled, a grin spreading across his face.



“Allow me to explain! That blimp is filled with a large volume of gas. Specifically, a non-flammable gas called helium. It’s less dense than air, thus causing the blimp to float.”

“Huh? I don’t got a clue what you’re saying.”

General Tip – Helium wrote:A buoyant gas that makes up 0.0005% of the Earth’s atmosphere, used to provide lift in balloons, blimps and dirigibles. Hydrogen gas is more buoyant, but helium is far safer because it is not flammable. Some have attributed the 1937 Hindenburg disaster to the fact that American-sourced helium was rejected in favor of the hydrogen gas used in the doomed craft.

“Basically, it’s filled with a gas that’s lighter than air.”

“What’s all this ‘gas’ stuff you’re going on about?”

“Are you telling me you don’t know what gas is?” Flaps blinked in disbelief. “Helium, ethylene, propane...those are all gases that exist here on earth. They can be lighter than air, or flammable, and they’re used for all kinds of things.”

Big Joe appeared to be understanding less and less; his face twisted into a grimace.

General Tip – Ethylene wrote:A gaseous hydrocarbon composed of two carbon atoms joined by a double bond. Used as a raw material for plastic, polyethylene, and the like. Lightweight and colorless, it gives off a sweet smell, and is flammable.

General Tip – Propane wrote:A colorless, flammable gas, heavier than air. One of the components in natural gas, it is also one product of the petroleum refining process. It is often mixed with propylene and butane and sold as “LP (liquid petroleum) gas.”

“Okay,” Flaps said with mock patience. “I’ll make it easy for you. You know what farts are, right? Well, they’re gas, too. Methane gas, and-”

“Well why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

General Tip – Methane wrote:A colorless, odorless gas used as fuel for consumer and municipal applications. In addition to being found in natural gas deposits underground, it is also a byproduct of metabolic fermentation by methane-producing microorganisms, livestock, and other sources.

Widely recognized as a “greenhouse gas” contributing to global climate change, methane’s increased presence in the Earth’s atmosphere has been deemed a major problem by researchers.

“Methane is a colorless, transparent gas that’s contained within farts, and it happens to be very flammable. So if you were to flick on a lighter close to one of Hooch’s farts-” Flaps stopped abruptly with a sudden gasp of realization.



“Ah ha! Yeah, that’s it.”



“What’s it? What’s what?” asked the coffee can.



“Mean Clean! Big Joe! I figured it out!”



“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?” Mean Clean asked, rather taken aback; he hadn’t been listening to the conversation at all.

“Let’s go back to the scene of the crime. I think I’ve solved the mystery of the second explosion.”

No music.



The mystery of the second explosion had been solved. At Flaps’ suggestion, the three friends had returned to the site of the minivan blast.

Relaxation.



“Right, right. Of course!” Flaps scratched his chin and nodded as he eyed the scene.



“Look, just explain what’s going on here,” Mean Clean demanded.



“And no big words,” added Big Joe.

Flaps was too obviously enjoying his little detective act. “Take a look right here, if you would.” Flaps pointed to the drainage ditch at the edge of the street.

Big Joe peered into it.



“Hm? Ugh, that reeks!”

It smelled of rotten tobacco.

“What you’re smelling is hydrogen sulfide. It’s produced and released alongside methane by food waste.”

“What about it?”

General Tip – Hydrogen sulfide wrote:A gaseous compound formed of sulfur and hydrogen. It produces an unpleasant smell that irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose. It is harmful to humans (breathing in too much can kill you), and has been designated a specified offensive odor substance under Japanese law. Prolonged inhalation can damage the olfactory senses, with a risk of permanent loss of smell.

“This place doesn’t usually smell anywhere near this bad,” Flaps explained, “but for some reason, today it’s really foul. Which means-you’re still following me, right?”

The others just stood there, staring at him blankly.

“Right. Anyway...along with a large volume of hydrogen sulfide, there’s also a large volume of methane gas rising up from this ditch. So what happened, you see, is that flammable methane from here was ignited by flames from the minivan explosion, triggering a second explosion.”

The others just stood there, staring at him even more blankly.



“Now, you’re probably wondering how it is that I realized all of this...”

“Hold on a minute,” Mean Clean grumbled. “If what you say is true, then it was just a coincidence that piece of windshield glass came flying at me and Achi.”



“Yes,” Flaps said meekly. “That’s right.”

“But I tell you I could sense it-someone was trying to kill me. If this was just a coincidence, how do you explain that?”



“Yeah!” Big Joe chimed in. “See, that was bugging me about all this, too.”

“You can’t just go around saying stuff like that, Flaps.”

“No, uh, but I mean...” Flaps’ voice faltered. He didn’t have a good answer for Mean Clean’s question.

For a while, the three of them stood in thought; then Mean Clean broke the silence.



“So-this may sound ridiculous, but here’s what I think,” he began.

“We’ve got Flaps’ deduction and those murderous vibes I felt. We need to think of a way to make those two things fit together. Somehow. If the methane gas were capable of thought...” If the methane gas were capable of thought- it was an idea straight out of left field. Flaps and Big Joe were dumbstruck.

Unrest.



“So you figured it out.”

It was the voice they’d heard before. This time, it sounded very close by indeed. And yet they could see nobody else.

“I was the one who controlled the blast to send that glass shard hurtling toward you. But here you are, still alive...”

“Where are you?” Mean Clean shouted.

“You who circle back around, who bear the seal. You will become trash...” The voice repeated its eerie mantra.



“Mean Clean, over here!” Flaps shouted, pointing at the drainage ditch.

Dread.



Crescent-shaped eyes peered out from beneath the sewer grating. A small green mass was lurking there, wreathed in its own foul stench. From the way it wriggled slimily about, there was no doubt about it: this was the thing that had snatched up Hooch in its tendril.

“Where’s Hooch?!” Mean Clean demanded.

“That doddering old fool? He made a fine meal for my prime mass.” A moment later, something launched toward them from the drainage ditch.



It rolled to a stop on the pavement; only then did they realize that it was Hooch-or what was left of him.

“Old man, what happened to you...?”

Most of his jar was gone; the roots of the plant that had been potted within him now barely managed to cling to his face, holding it together. He was on death’s door.



Mean Clean stared daggers at the green thing. “Why are you after me? No, after us?!”

“Do you ask yourself why you eat before each and every meal?” the thing demanded, its tone dismissive. “Eating what one wishes to eat is only natural. Those who circle back around, those who bear the seal-they are little more than a nuisance, as far as our plan is concerned.”

“Plan...?”

“To cover this world in garbage. To consume more and more, producing ever more waste. We will forge a world where the words ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ are heard no more. Even you so-called ‘reusables’ will be discarded; you will become trash in the truest sense. You will become one with us. Be thankful.” The green thing snickered and flashed a set of jagged teeth. “Resist all you like; you are doomed to fail. As long as rotten food waste exists, we will proliferate and grow.”



The green thing slowly began to emerge from the sewer drain. “My prime mass is steadily expanding, devouring the trash strewn about the city. Eventually, we shall engulf all of Shibuya, enveloping it in death and decay!”

Big Joe and Flaps drew in closer to Mean Clean. He spread his arms wide to shield them. Colorless blood dribbled from his hastily bandaged injury.

“Mwahahaha,” the rotten thing laughed. “You think you can fight me in your condition? You can barely stand!”

The thing was right. Once he had lost all of his water, Mean Clean would die. If he tried to fight this monstrosity now, he would never survive.

“You three will make a tasty snack. Time to die!” And with that, the green thing rushed toward Mean Clean and his friends.



“Mwuhuhuphuphuphup!”



“Eeeeeeeeeeek!” Flaps shrieked.



Suddenly, with a sound like a watermelon splitting, the green mass disintegrated into tiny bits. In the blink of an eye, the bits had all dispersed into the air.



“Whoa!” Big Joe blurted. “What the heck just happened?!” His voice was trembling. He looked around in bewilderment.

“Juice...Juice, is that you?” Mean Clean called out.

Cigarette Smoke.



On the rooftop of the building across the way, something glimmered in the afternoon light. They saw a bottle body, clad in a trench coat. Thick eyebrows jutted above a pair of sunglasses.

Mean Clean knew the figure well. Long ago, he had aided in the fight against the vegetable cult.

“Juice Malone...the legendary sniper...”



Juice’s sunglasses flashed in the light once more, then he whirled around, and vanished from sight.

Hope.



“Old man!”

Mean Clean and the others rushed over to Hooch’s fallen form on the pavement.

“Hey, hang in there!”

“Mean Clean...is that you?” Hooch’s voice was dry and raspy. “I’m done for...”

“Don’t say that!”

“It’s all right. I know my body better than anyone,”

They gazed at him solemnly. It was remarkable that he had lived this long, given his grievous injuries.

“Mean Clean...there is...something I need to tell you...” Hooch struggled to get the words out.

Mean Clean nodded. “I’d been wondering what you were going to say earlier.”

Hooch nodded weakly. “Mmm. Now, listen well. Mean Clean, you...”

Mean Clean held his breath.

“There’s a hole in your stomach.”

“Yeah.”

“Which means...there’s a hole in your stomach.”

“I know that. And?”

“No, I just mean...what I’m trying to say is...you have a hole in your stomach...”

No music.

A long silence fell. Hooch quietly breathed his last.

Minoru Minorikawa.



In the aftermath of Hooch’s passing, Mean Clean and the others decided that they had to take action. If the “prime mass” of the green monstrosity was growing by eating trash around the city, they’d just have to gather up as much trash as possible. That should halt the thing’s growth, reducing the threat it posed to everyone. They would need a safe place to dispose of the trash once they’d collected it, but they didn’t have time to think that far ahead right now. At the moment, they just needed to pick up as much trash as they could.



Yoyogi



Harajuku.



Ebisu.



Daikanyama.



Shoto.



Then, in the midst of their trash-collecting expedition, Big Joe suddenly halted in his tracks. “Dude! This place is a café, right?” he cried out in excitement, staring at a nearby building. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to do at a café!”

“What are you on about now?” Flaps let out a weary sigh. “I don’t think this is really the time.”

“Oh, shut up, you. I was talking to my dude here.” Big Joe turned to Mean Clean, his eyes pleading. “C’mon, dude! Please? Just five-no, just three minutes, that’s all I need!”

Mean Clean shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”



Once inside the café, Big Joe took a deep breath; he couldn’t quite hide his nerves. He looked over at a waitress busily bustling about. “Excuse me! One coffee, please!” Big Joe grinned at the others. “Man, I’ve always wanted to try coffee that wasn’t from a can.”



The three waited patiently, but nobody brought Joe’s coffee.

“They sure are taking their sweet time,” Mean Clean grumbled.

“Yes, this has been taking far too long,” Flaps said. “Maybe she didn’t hear your order?” He peered at the waitress dubiously.

“Guess you don’t have much choice,” said Mean Clean. “You’ll have to make do with that, Big Joe.”

“Huh?”



Mean Clean pointed to a pair of coffee cups that had been set out on a nearby table.

A middle-aged man in glasses sat there. He was scowling, probably in a nasty mood. The other seat was empty. It looked like whoever had been sitting there had stepped away for now.

The man was engrossed with his laptop, so Big Joe seized the opportunity, hopping up on the table and bringing one of the cups to his lips. A bitter, dry taste filled his mouth. The flavor was nothing at all like that of canned coffee. He drained the cup in a single gulp and scampered back down from the table.



“How was it?” Mean Clean asked.

Big Joe had a distant look in his eyes. “So that’s what real coffee tastes like,” he said.



Just then, a woman returned to the empty seat, staring in consternation at her cup. “Dad! Did you drink my coffee?!”

“Huh? Of course not.”

“Well then why is my cup empty?”

“What?!” The middle-aged man looked stunned.

“Honestly! First you use my cell phone without asking. Now you’re drinking my coffee. What are you trying to pull, Dad?”

“Hey, hold on. Yes, I used your phone, but I did not drink your coffee.”

As the two launched into an argument, Mean Clean and his friends hurried out of the café.

Achi Endo.



The trio split up in order to gather litter from all across Shibuya. Garbage was lying all over the place; there wasn’t much need to search. Half-eaten slices of bread, half-drunk bottles of juice, banana peels, apple cores, cup noodles, hamburgers, ice cream, gum, candy wrappers, fried chicken, fish bones... Everywhere they looked, there was enough to fill a trash bag in the blink of an eye. There seemed to be no end to it.

Increasingly disheartened, Mean Clean, Big Joe, and Flaps continued their desperate mission. Mean Clean was steadily losing water, but he couldn’t let himself worry about that now. They had to stop the evil green thing. They had to do whatever it took to keep its “prime mass” from growing. Deep in the very core of his being, Mean Clean knew this to be true. Hooch was dead. Mean Clean was close to death himself. But something deeper than sadness or anger
drove him forward. Back when he’d battled the vegetable cult, Mean Clean had what you could have called a sense of justice. But once the fighting was finished, the state of Shibuya had left him feeling empty. After that, there had been nothing but a dark hole in Mean Clean’s heart. Now, he finally felt like he might be able to fill that hole. No-he had to fill it. He didn’t want to ever feel that emptiness again.



Center Gai.



Spanish Hill.



Fire Street.



The Moyai statue.



Hachiko.



Meiji-Dori.

Plenty of cigarette butts and spat-out wads of gum lined the shoulder of the road. “Yurgh. This is just plain filthy.”

Mean Clean and the others continued their trash collection.

Achi Endo.



They had to gather up trash before the malevolent “prime mass” could get to it.

Mean Clean made his way down the section of Meiji-Dori that ran along the Shibuya River, picking up garbage as he went. Plenty of cigarette butts and spat-out wads of gum lined the shoulder of the road.

“First things first, I’m gonna punch him right in the face. Then we can have ourselves a chat,” Mean Clean knew that voice well.



It was Achi. The girl called Hitomi was by his side. They were with some tall foreigner in sunglasses.

“Don’t let your emotions get out of control. Your father might be one of the key players in this case.” The man with the sunglasses spoke with cool authority.

Achi gave him a steely-eyed glare. The situation looked pretty tense.



Mean Clean called out to Achi as he headed on his way. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but hang in there, buddy-you and me both.”

Lost in Thought.



By now a half hour had passed since the friends had started picking up trash. Somehow, they’d managed to gather up all the trash around the city. Together, they’d amassed a veritable mountain of garbage bags.

“That’s it. No more trash,” Mean Clean said. He didn’t look happy, though. Neither did Big Joe and Flaps.

“But that...that can’t be,” Flaps murmured.

“This is odd. Too odd.” Big Joe clenched his hand into a fist. He was right. It was odd. They’d gathered a tremendous amount of trash-but still it was clearly not enough. There was simply no way that this could be all the trash in Shibuya.

Mean Clean knew that painfully well from what he’d seen of the city with Achi every day. Were people becoming more mannerly and littering less than they used to? Had Achi’s daily cleanup efforts actually borne fruit? An all-too-optimistic fantasy-but it was a nice thought. There was only one possible conclusion: they were too late. Everything they’d done had been in vain. Flaps was unable to hide his fear of the threat that this implied; all Big Joe could do was sigh.

Shibuya Scramble.



“We’re just going to have to do it,” Mean Clean said.



“Do it? Do what?” Big Joe sounded almost too worried to ask.

“Isn’t it obvious? We go and we find that ‘prime mass’ thing, and we take it out.”

“But that thing we met earlier said that it would just keep coming back. It doesn’t even matter what we try and do-there’s no point to it.”



Mean Clean smacked Big Joe upside the head. “You dolt! You’re going to give up before you’ve even tried?!”

“But-”

“No buts! Besides, I don’t see you coming up with any better plan.”



Big Joe sulked and turned away.



“Plan or no plan, how are we supposed to fight an opponent that won’t even show itself?” Flaps asked.

The juice box had a point; Mean Clean wasn’t sure what to say to that. The enemy was in hiding. And they couldn’t fight what they couldn’t see. Mean Clean was getting more and more riled up, with no target for his fury. “Gah! This is such a waste of anger-energy!” he railed. “There’s no point to it now when there’s nothing I can do with it!” He stamped on the ground in a huff.

And then, the ground began to shake.



The heap of trash bags began to collapse before their eyes. Several dozen green feelers thrust up from underground.

“Mwuhuhuphuphuphup!”

The ground split open, and the bags of trash vanished into the earth.

Silence.

The place where the trash had been lay empty, as if nothing had ever been there in the first place.

The trio had no words.

Then a booming thunderclap split the blue sky above them. A massive black shadow loomed overhead.

Alphard.

“Whoa, is that thing for real?!” Big Joe stared up at the sky in horror.






The monstrosity drifted between the buildings. It was huge. Too huge. As they watched, it slurped up the green mass from underground, continuing to grow; there seemed to be no limit to its size.

“I’ll handle this, dude,” Big Joe told Mean Clean. He adopted a fighting stance. “Flaps! Take him and get out of here!”

“No! I can’t let you do this!”

“Heh. That thing may be big, but it’s all soft and squishy! Don’t worry-I’m made of metal!”



Big Joe leaped high into the air, launching himself at the monstrosity. The instant he impacted the mass, he was sucked right in. There was a metallic squirk as his body was crushed.

“Big Joe!”



Mean Clean and Flaps soared up into the air, weaving to avoid the monstrosity’s extended tendrils. Now that they were on eye level with the thing, it seemed even bigger than before. This was not an opponent that they could fight by recklessly rushing in headlong.

“Ngh...” Mean Clean’s sides screamed in agony. There was almost no water left inside him. He had barely any strength in his arms, and his mind was foggy. At this rate, there was nothing he could do to stop himself from being devoured like Big Joe and Hooch.



“All right, let’s light this thing up!” Flaps cried. In his hands was a cigarette lighter, the flame already lit. “I picked this up while we were gathering trash!” he said. “If this monster’s made out of food scraps and methane gas, and we get a flame near it, it should explode!” Flaps was already charging toward the beast, the lighter held out in front of him. “Die, you son of a bitch!”

“Flaps, don’t do it!” Mean Clean hurried to stop him. “Don’t get any closer to that thing!”

Flaps hesitated in midair, looking back at Mean Clean with a frown. “But this is the only way! This thing already took down Hooch and Big Joe. And look at the condition you’re in! What else can we possibly do?!”

“But this is exactly what it wants!”

Flaps’ eyes went wide. “Huh?”

“I finally understand what it meant. ‘Eventually, we shall engulf the entire city, enveloping it in death and decay.’ Remember that?” Mean Clean looked down at the city below, at the houses and office buildings, at the passersby and vehicles coming and going.



“It wants to slurp up tons of trash, inflate itself to giant size, and then cause a massive explosion. Once that happens, the city will be a disaster. That’s what it meant by ‘enveloping everything in death and decay.’”

“No...”

“Trust me! Put out that light. We can’t risk blowing up the city.”

Flaps paused in thought for a few moments, then took his finger off the button on the lighter.



With a sudden whoosh, one of the creature’s long tendrils darted out and snatched him up.



“M-Mean Clean...” The juice box struggled to croak the words out; a moment later, he was absorbed into the slimy green tentacle.



“Rgh!” Mean Clean clenched his teeth and rushed toward the monster. Rage filled him; his body moved of its own accord. He unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, but the creature easily batted them aside. He felt certain that if he tried to grab hold of a tendril, he’d immediately be engulfed within its squishy mass. The thing seemed to be toying with him as a cat toys with a mouse.



“Huff...puff...” Mean Clean retreated a short distance and squared off with the monstrosity once more. It was a hopeless fight. No matter how many times he attacked the thing, his strikes had no effect. The thing was going to kill him; it was only a matter of time. Wasn’t there something- anything he could do? As he teetered on the brink of consciousness, Mean Clean’s mind raced.



The creature slowly stretched its tendrils toward him, heralding his end.

A sudden gunshot split the air. The monstrosity froze in its tracks.

Cigarette Smoke.



“Juice!”

On the roof of the building below, Mean Clean spotted Juice Malone-down on one knee, sniper rifle at the ready.

Juice fired off three shots in rapid succession. All three struck the monstrosity right between the eyes, mere millimeters apart.

Mean Clean felt a brief ray of hope-but it turned quickly to despair.

The creature calmly brought a tendril up to its face and scratched itself between its oozing eyebrows. The bullets had been no more than mosquito bites to the thing.



The monstrosity fixed its gaze on Juice and its huge maw bent into an unnerving grin.



It extended one of its finger-tendrils and gave the end a sharp flick, sending the bulbous tip flying toward him.



Then it quickly launched three more blobs-gleefully mimicking Juice’s attack.



Juice readied his weapon again and fired at the incoming projectiles. But the bullets vanished into the slime to no effect.




“Juuuuuuuuuice!”

One of the green globules struck Juice dead-on, and the faint sound of shattering glass tinkled through the air.

Conflict.



“Bwuh, bwuh, bwuh...” The monstrosity chortled malevolently, then lashed out with its tendrils.



“Ugh!”

A direct hit. Mean Clean was sent hurtling into a gap between two buildings.

General Tip – Gap wrote:A break or space between two things. We are born amidst gaps; we live our lives in them, and our lives fluctuate because of them. Gaps between ideals and reality. Gaps between good and evil. Gaps between hope and despair. Gaps between logic and instinct. Gaps between love and hate. Gaps between truth and lies. Gaps between the past and the future. Gaps between light and darkness. Gaps between order and chaos. Gaps between oneself and others. Gaps between dreams and reality. Gaps between life and death. Gaps between coincidence and the inevitable.

“Dammit!”

Mustering the last of his strength, he launched himself back up into the air. Another tentacle-strike was already coming his way; the creature had anticipated his return. Oh, crap, Mean Clean thought, but it was too late to avoid the blow. “Arrrrrgh!” The monster’s mighty swat slammed him into the ground. The bandage on his belly came loose, and the remaining water inside him began to dribble out. Soon, he would lose the last of it...

Pride.

Fighting breeds hatred, and hatred only breeds more fighting. I am not someone who is used to incurring the enmity of others.

What are you doing, Sachio? Go!

What’s the matter? Come at me!

Come on, hurry up and die already!

As his mind grew ever more hazy, Mean Clean heard a series of strange voices. Where am I...? What is this place...? A wave of chill mist wafted over him.

428 Tip – Voices wrote:Lines of dialogue from Au Revoir, a performance by the theater troupe the Wandering Angels. Right now, the protagonist Ryu is facing off against multiple assassins in the initial sword fighting scene.

428 Tip – This place wrote:Theatre Ace, located in Sakuragaoka. ‘Assassin with an Edo Accent No. 1,’ played by Yukio Tozuka, was supposed to be cut down by one stroke of Ryu’s blade, but since said assassin continued to writhe about on the ground after he was struck, Ryu had no choice but to continue slashing away at him. The line “Come on, hurry up and die already” was spoken by the actor who plays Ryu, complaining once he was backstage.

428 Tip – Wave of chill mist wrote:Carbon dioxide from the dry ice machine set up backstage. The machine is broken, and continues to produce and spit out more and more dry ice.

What was he doing here? He couldn’t die in a place like this.

Go!

Spurred on by the voices, Mean Clean got to his feet. “Not yet. I’m not dying like this. I am not dying like this!”



Mean Clean wobbled his way back up into the air. He was battered from head to toe. The odds were overwhelmingly against him. Yet a hint of a smile came to his face. “I will do this. Just you wait and see...” The wave of cold from earlier had caused clumps of whitish ice to solidify inside of him. “Face me!” he called out to the green monstrosity. “I’m gonna kick your ass!”



The creature let out a roar and moved to attack. Foul tentacles lashed at Mean Clean from every side; he chose one of them and launched himself bodily toward it.



“Rrraaaagh!” The violent impact knocked him senseless, and sent him sailing in the direction of Shibuya Station.

Alphard.



“Mwuhuhuphuphuphup!” The monstrosity hovered above the city, basking in the light of victory. Now no one was left to stop it from turning Shibuya into a wasteland.

It spotted some power lines, and reached out a feeler toward them. It was ready to blow itself up. Shorting out the lines would send up a shower of sparks. It would only take one of those sparks for the creature to turn Shibuya into a blasted ruin. Slowly, slowly, the monstrosity extended its tendril. Its fingertips had mere centimeters further to go.

Main Theme.




Then the dirty waters of the Shibuya River were split in two and something came rocketing up from out from within.

“This ain’t over yet!” It was Mean Clean. River water filled him to the brim, and he surged with vitality. He pointed sharply at the monstrosity. “You didn’t realize what I was doing, did you? I wanted you to knock me into the river!”

The creature glared at him balefully. It pulled back the tendril that was reaching for the power lines and swung it like a whip at Mean Clean.



“Juuuuuuice!” Mean Clean shouted as he nimbly dodged the attack. “Juuuuice! If you’re still alive, answer me!”



Almost at once, a gunshot rang out. Juice was down there on the rooftop below. Green ooze had consumed part of him, but he’d somehow managed to cling to life.

“Shoot!” Mean Clean shouted. “Shoot me!”

Juice raised an uncomprehending eyebrow.

“Do it! Shoot me! It’s the only way!”



Juice hesitated for a moment, then lined up Mean Clean in his crosshairs.



“Graaah!” The bullet punctured Mean Clean’s body. “More...shoot me more!” He strained and stiffened in order to keep the bullet locked in place inside him. “Shoot! Shoot me, Juuuuuuice!” He winced with pain as several more bullets struck him in the belly and back; it took all of his might to keep them from blasting right through him.



“All right... preparations complete!” Mean Clean lunged for the monstrosity.



“Bwaaaaaahhhhhh!” The monstrosity bellowed, its toothy maw yawning wide.

“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” Mean Clean sailed right into the thing’s open mouth and was swallowed whole.



A moment later, the monstrosity ruptured open with a stupendous sound. Its scattered remains dissolved into mist and vanished into the air. There hadn’t been an explosion. Its insides had simply swollen and expanded until they couldn’t be contained.




Big Joe and Flaps tumbled to the ground.

“Owowow...huh?”

“Hm? Are we...?”

“Are we still alive?”

The two looked around in bewilderment, trying to process what had happened. Then Mean Clean clattered down beside them.



“Ah! Mean Clean!”

Big Joe and Flaps rushed to his side. Half of his body was gone. Cracks zigzagged across what was left of him. Flaps gently set a hand against Mean Clean’s body. “He’s...he’s so cold...”

“He’s dying!” Big Joe’s mouth hung open, aghast.

Coming back alive.

“Hey now. Don’t go holding a funeral for me just yet.” Mean Clean’s voice was little more than a whisper. He couldn’t even muster his usual triumphant grin. He had to struggle just to keep breathing. “I...kicked that thing’s ass...” Mean Clean looked up into the sky; Big Joe and Flaps followed his gaze.



There was nothing there but the bright blue sky. The blue sky of a lovely spring day.

“That was amazing,” Big Joe said between sobs. “I knew you could do it, Mean Clean.”

“But...how?” Flaps asked, wiping at the tears in his eyes.

“Dry ice.”

“Dry ice?”

“Yeah. I saw something on the news once. About an accident caused by a plastic bottle bursting after it was filled with dry ice and water. Decided to put that to practical use.”

“Wow! I get it!” Flaps said. “Now that you mention it..when dry ice sublimates, it expands to a volume over seven hundred times its solid size! Mean Clean, you could hold enough dry ice to expand to a volume of over three hundred and fifty liters.” Flaps nodded in understanding, still crying. “And then, when you had Juice shoot you-you kept the compressed gas inside your body, then let the bullets blast out from inside you all at once.”

“That’s amazing, dude. But like, also way too reckless,” said Big Joe.

“Yeah, I guess. Desperate measures for a desperate situation. Don’t try this at home, kids.” There was a distant look in Mean Clean’s eyes.

“Big Joe, Flaps...Please...toss me in the bin.”

Big Joe and Flaps exchanged glances. “Reusable waste,” said Flaps solemnly. “You got it.”

“Thanks,”

Big Joe picked up Mean Clean and walked over to the trash bin. “So long, dude. I’ll send you on your way.”

“Wait.” Mean Clean weakly held up a hand. “You still haven’t taken my cap off. Always take the cap off of a plastic bottle before throwing it away. Everyone knows that.”

“But..but..dude...” Both Big Joe and Flaps had already realized: if the cap were removed, the fine cracks running through Mean Clean’s bottle body would break it apart completely. That cap was the only thing keeping their friend together.

“Don’t be ridiculous. No matter how many times I die, I’ll keep coming back. I’m not your run-of-the-mill plastic bottle.” Mean Clean fixed Big Joe and Flaps with an earnest stare. “As long as this city isn’t clean, monsters like that one we fought will keep turning up. Until I return, you guys are going to have to make do somehow. Got it?”

“We’ve got it, dude,” Big Joe said. Then, gently, he unscrewed Mean Clean’s cap.



A moment passed, then Mean Clean’s body burst into pieces. Shards of plastic glittered in the air like diamond dust. They were caught up by a gentle breeze, and Mean Clean was gone.



“Goodbye, dude. You...you were the cleanest.” Orange-colored tears stained Flaps’ cheeks.

“No.” Big Joe’s face hardened. “This isn’t goodbye. It’s ‘until we meet again.’” He clutched the bottle cap tightly in his hand. He squeezed it again, and again, in the hope that his wishes might be heard.

Title.

• After you finish Mean Clean's story, a different set of credits showing some behind the scenes footage plays – if you're interested, you can watch the credits here.
  
  On another note, in 2019 there was a 10th anniversary event in 2019, during which the 428 script writer mentioned that a short episode which would have taken place post the main game was omitted at the last moment – apparently it would have centred around Achi and Hitomi, who despite their best intentions, were unable to meet again... until Kano eventually invited them both to his wedding party a few years after the events of 428. Achi and Hitomi were both able to attend, and finally were able to meet again at the scramble.
  
  There was also a photo of some of the cast and crew:
  
  
  
  And with that, this LP is finished. Thanks to everyone who read, and especially to those whom participated in the LP