"Inyaku", as written here, is an unreleased scenario for Moonlight Syndrome with a story centred around Ryo. The specific background and events are different, but we have decided to publish it here in the form of a short story as a clue to help you figure out the mysteries hidden within the ten scenarios contained within the game. I particularly want to make Ryo's surroundings and his contract with Mithra as clear as possible, since he is hidden in the shadows during the main game. I intended to write it up as a short story without damaging the main game's background as story as much as possible, but be forewarned that some parts have been cut or added.
The background of the contract god "Mithra" and the game's worldview that is deeply connected with it that still remains unsolved within the story of Inyaku will be revealed in the form of a question and answer with the developer. It will be accompanied by additional explanations for difficult terminology and the editors' unique interpretations, and I hope you use it to help you understand the game more deeply.
Gods and gods, gods and people, people and people, people and cattle... Or perhaps countries and the earth, the earth and crops, harvest and thriving. War and victory, commerce and prosperity, education and growth, love and fulfilment are not exceptions, either. Whether large or small, wherever any possible two things came face to face, the god was there.
To form a deep connection, because it was right... with his "ten thousand eyes" shining, day and night, past and future, good or bad, even stood in the rift between the light of the heavens and the jet black darkness...
The god's name was Mithra. Mithra himself was a contract.
Sumio Tohba wandered through the darkness. Until just a little earlier, he had been riding along the mountain pass road inside Hinashiro Forest on his bike with Kyoko. Now, he was alone.
Why?
Because Kyoko was gone...
Why?
Because Kyoko had danced in the light...
And?
Kyoko tossed aside her helmet, smiling easily.
What?
"This is revenge..." she murmured.
And then?
At the moment of Kyoko's death she had been joyful, wearing a look of ecstasy.
So?
...
Why? Why?
...
How many questions had he asked before Sumio suddenly noticed the bright light of the full moon? The light illuminated Sumio's way. At the light's end emerged Sumio's voiceless wish.
He had no intention of fighting it. Even before Sumio's decision had transformed into a distinct intent, the light burst, knowing.
Whoosh!
Low flames danced. The sound of them brought Sumio back down to earth. He was surrounded by noise. Firefighters and policemen were hurrying about. People from the press and irritating rubberneckers were squirming around, too. Kyoko!?
He caught sight of a crushed bike in the corner of his eye. It was definitely hers. A large truck, cradling its wrecked corpse, smouldered and smoked. They were the embers of the flames that had cremated Kyoko Kazan, Sumio's beautiful girlfriend.
Sumio realised that, standing near those flames, he was face to face with a boy who looked to be only about six. Strangely, no one tried to question them.
The boy laughed innocently. No - though he looked like a child, his hair was as white as an old man's, and his eyes glinted coldly, filled with the light of the full moon that looked down on them from high above in the heavens. There, Sumio saw the light of hope that he had clung onto.
"Fufufu..."
The boy laughed at Sumio once more, then vanished into thin air. Sumio again translated the details of the secret agreement he had exchanged with the light of the full moon into clear words, then pondered them. He knew that there was no going back. Not anymore.
The light of the full moon was called Mithra. With the conclusion of the ritual, the secret rite of contract made with "him", a new story was about to begin. From the distant past... and in all times.
I want to cry, but the tears won't come out. Have I lost my mind?
Kyoko is dead, but I still want her to think of me as a good brother...
I want everyone to think of me as a kind brother who cares about his sister...
I want people to think of me as a poor, tragic hero...
I want sympathy...
I'm filled with wicked thoughts...
These feelings...
Did Kyoko see right through me?
I feel guilty...
I never thought about a life without Kyoko!!
Ryo Kazan drove his bike to Reigetsu Pass, the place where his sister was said to have been in an accident. He wasn't purposefully driving slowly, but he was struggling to reach his destination. It was like time had slowed down.
Kyoko's death hadn't been simple information to Ryo. The police had notified him. He'd seen it on the news, too. That was all, though. His emotions had deserted him.
The sluggish passage of time gave Ryo the chance to string together hollow words, making him hate himself. That was why he had to end it, quickly. As if it had been waiting for this determination, Ryo's warped time quickly righted itself. And, as if urged onward, Ryo found himself standing at the scene of the accident.
...But when it came to verifying the body, Ryo faltered, putting off something that had to be brought to an end.
"We can do it once you've calmed down a little..." the policeman informed him and left.
Ryo was trembling. The policeman had seen it and felt sympathy.
The tongues of the flames, once a huge fire large enough to threaten Hinashiro Forest, now simply licked at their surroundings - at Kyoko's bike, and the big truck, too... Ryo squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to run from this reality.
"Hahahahaha... Wimpy little man!"
The cruel voice of a child pierced Ryo's ears. His eyes flew open, and he looked around him. All he could see was the retreating back of the policeman.
"Kyoko is crying. Hahaha...!"
What? Ryo finally realised that the voice was coming from above his head. He reflexively looked up at the sky. Ryo's eyes fell upon a curiously sparkling light amidst the darkness. It was the white-haired boy's eyes. The boy was floating in midair. Affirming that Ryo had noticed him, his lips twisted into a grin and he was slowly absorbed into the darkness.
Ryo, startled, put himself on guard. Not because the boy had vanished into the night sky, but because a black mass, which must have appeared at some point, stood before his eyes.
"Ryo... Help me..." the black mass murmured, squirming. Ryo's body froze. "I'll do anything... Help me..." the black mass pleaded again, then burst and crumbled into pieces that scattered themselves over Ryo. Ryo's mind sparked, too.
"Uwaaaaaah...!"
His cry alone echoed throughout Hinashiro Forest.
"You're Kyoko Kazan's brother, right? About the accident - I was wondering if Kyoko had committed suicide..."
"Hey! Don't hog him all for yourself. Ryo? People are dead because of your sister. Would you call this joint liability? You're her only family. What do you think about all of this?"
"Ryo! We'll make Kyoko into a tragic heroine...!"
Jostled about by the press, Ryo finally managed to push his way over to a policeman.
"The accident must have been caused by the truck driver drink driving or falling asleep at the wheel. This, though..." the policeman said, handing a helmet to Ryo. Kyoko's helmet! "It must be, huh?" The officer mmed, looking convinced.There was hardly a scratch on Kyoko's helmet. It had apparently been found a distance away from the crash site. That must be why they suspected suicide.
"But, ahh, don't worry about it," the policeman said with a laugh, then abruptly tore off the sheet with the expression still plastered to his face.
Ugh! Waaaaaah...!
Ryo came to his senses, letting out an unvoiced scream. The sheet was soaked with sweat.
A body covered with a sheet.
A body with the sheet torn off.
Something black and burnt.
Repulsive, curiosity-filled eyes, eyes, eyes.
Microphones thrust into his face.
The flashes of cameras.
A clean helmet.
After that, the images alternately appeared and vanished, making Ryo's sleep light. Moving his swollen eyes, Ryo looked at the framed picture beside his bed. The photo was of his sister Kyoko and her boyfriend Sumio, Sumio's younger sister Rumi, and Ryo himself. All of us smiling without a care, Ryo thought emotionally. It was peaceful back then.
—I haven't seen Rumi since then.
—Me? Looking depressed.
—Sumio... Screw him. He hasn't even called!
Ryo looked at each of the faces in the photo one by one, finally entranced by the face of Kyoko. She was smiling, her face filled with love. Her smile enveloped him gently, causing him to doze off. "What a baby," Ryo would surely have said if he could have seen it for himself.
"Ryo... Wake up. Ryo!"
In his dream, Ryo could hear someone calling to him.
Kyoko? No. Kyoko isn't here anymore. Don't call me!
"Ryo!"
Rumi? Is that you? Don't wake me up, he answered.
"My brother... My brother..."
Sumio? With the name in his mind, Ryo finally opened his eyes and leapt up.
"Rumi! What's happened to Sumio!? Answer me!" Ryo yelled, having an ominous feeling.
"My brother said he was going to die. Then he left, not long ago. ...He said he was going to end it."
"What? What does that mean!?"
"You know! If... if you'd protected Kyoko properly! This never would've happened!"
"What've I done!? Don't just make your mind up. I don't have anything to do with it. That's Kyoko and Sumio's problem, isn't it?"
"But my brother ran from me... He was mine..."
Ryo took a long, hard look at the face of the woman who was the sister of his sister's boyfriend, and who had once been his own girlfriend.
"You're crazy, Rumi! Keep your delusions to yourself."
"You're just lying to yourself! You let another man take your beloved sister... You're just using the fact that you're siblings to pretend that you don't feel the way you do..."
Ryo managed to resist the urge to knock Rumi over and pressed her.
"Where did Sumio go?"
"Come on! You suffered too, didn't you? We're the same, Ryo..."
"Enough. Where did Sumio go!?"
"Ryo... I feel like I'm falling apart. ...Help me!"
"Fine. Where did he go? Huh?"
Calming Rumi and finding out where he had to go, Ryo climbed onto his bike with a tut. He had sworn that he'd never go there again, but not if it cost Sumio his life.
The engine vigorously sputtered to life. Ryo straddled his bike and headed for the pass.
"You gonna go and die on me!?" he bellowed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Mika Kishii hurried over to the Alfa Romeo that had come to a stop on the road before her apartment building.
"I'll introduce you, Mika. This is Suzuki," Kimika Takahashi said, introducing the owner of the car to Mika.
"Hey! Nice to meet you. I'm Mika Kishii." Mika greeted him with her usual cheerful enthusiasm, getting into the car.
"We might as well go over Moon Bridge," Kimika Takahashi said, turning, from the passenger seat, and the car began to move jauntily.
"Oh, that's great. I've never been there before!" Mika said joked, trying to dispel the gloomy mood.
Moon Bridge was the bridge that spanned the entrance to Reigetsu Pass, and had come to fame overnight for how beautiful it looked lit up at night. Mika and her friends often spoke of it as an attractive location for a date they'd want to go to with their boyfriends. Her boyfriend... wasn't with her. Mika suddenly remembered her classmates' depressing conversation from that afternoon.
"They're saying that Kyoko's dead. Don't you remember? For a while, everyone was talking about how you two looked just like twins."
"Come to think of it, wasn't Rumi's brother dating Kyoko?"
A woman who looked just like her had died. It came as a shock. Not only that, but she was supposedly the girlfriend of Sumio Tohba, Rumi's older brother. Mika had met with Sumio Tohba the night before at the same park as always. Maybe he had been a little down... What had he been thinking? It hurt a bit. It was in the midst of her anguish that Kimika Takahashi had proposed that they go out for a drive that night.
"Are you free tonight, Mika? Let's go to Reigetsu Pass, before it's haunted!"
It was the kind of thing that Mika would usually have sprung on someone. She was bold and forceful. She had used others' misfortune as the source of her curiosity and enjoyed it. She hated herself for it, but today it was Kimika's turn. Mika hadn't managed to say no. That was why she was here. Was it some sort of poetic justice? Mika smiled bitterly, on the verge of tears.
"Oh, Mika! Look, look!"
At Kimika Takahashi's sudden call, Mika looked up. The pass of the beautiful moon. The scenery that spread out before her lived up to its name. Mika was captivated by the shockingly round, pure moon.
"It's sooo prettyyyy!"
The beauty of the manmade lights of Moon Bridge, too, stole Mika's gaze. She let out a sigh. A flood of light. That was what it was.
"It's like the moon's gonna swallow me up. Ahh, I wouldn't mind if I died right here."
"Die, die! Kyahahaha!" Kimika Takahashi mocked Mika, fooling around.
"The moon... it's so big!"
Sitting in the back seat, Mika realised now that she hadn't noticed that Kimika Takahashi, making merry in the passenger seat, had no laughter in her eyes.
Kyoko Kazan and Sumio Tohba... The thread of Mika's fate that bound her to these two through a strange destiny, was being pulled from a place she did not know. Mika, however, did not yet know the fear of a lunatic.
"You're going?"
"Yeah... What is it?"
"No matter what?"
"Yeah..."
"Even if I tell you not to?"
"Yeah... You must know why, Yayoi..."
Sumio Tohba stopped his bike in front of the Reigetsu Pass drive-in, saying words of parting to the woman who was with him. From their conversation, it was easy to see that there was a deep connection between Sumio and the woman he had called Yayoi.
"But, but, you...!"
"Stop it. If you say any more, "he"'ll hear us."
Yayoi fell silent, staring quietly into the darkness. She seemed to know well who the "he" Sumio had mentioned was. Her face was lit up by the headlight, giving off a bewitching air.
"Take care of Ryo for me," Sumio said, looking at the woman.
"Sumio... Don't go...!"
The sound of the engine echoed loudly in the night sky, drowning out her voice.
It appeared before Mika and the others suddenly. In a flash, it attacked them. That was how it felt. Headlights drew closer to the front of the Alfa. They couldn't get out of the way!? It was going to crash into them! Bracing herself for impact, Mika planted her feet firmly.
...But, contrary to expectations, the Alfa smoothly passed through the light.
"Sumio..." "Tohba..." Kimika Takahashi and Mika both murmured. Sumio's face was clearly visible within the light.
"Did you see that? What do we do, Mika? Did we hit him? Is Sumio dead?"
They both leapt out of the car, but no one was there. Mika felt as if though something was amiss. The feeling turned to reality with Kimika Takahashi's next line.
"I... I was supposed to be the one to kill him!"
"Huh? What was that, Kimika?"
Kimika Takahashi's eyes gaze wandered in midair as she approached Mika. She gripped upper arm tightly, as if to tell her that she wasn't getting away.
"Stay with me, Mika... Stay with me until the end! We're friends, right?"
Kimika Takahashi's fingers sank into Mika's arm. You're in danger! Mika's instincts screamed in warning. But Kimika Takahashi, possessed by an unknown power, was not going to let Mika shake free and run. Without resisting, Mika fell into the darkness.
Ryo's bike, running wild in search of Sumio, was brought to a stop by a woman wearing a bewitching smile. It was the same woman who had been with Sumio at the pass drive-in. Her slender lines were lit by the headlight, but there was no weakness in the animosity that overflowed from her body.
"Who are you?"
Ryo couldn't conceal his discomfort. The woman put a slender finger to her cheek as if only just noticing something, moving her alluring lips.
"I haven't introduced myself, have I? Not that my name is worth knowing, but... it's Yayoi Itsushima. Do you remember me, Ryo Kazan...?" The woman who called herself Yayoi spoke Ryo's name in a relaxed tone. "I've heard a lot about you from Sumio. About you and your sister, too..."
Ryo glared at Yayoi, getting the jump on her.
"How about instead of prying, you get out of my way? I don't know what you are to Sumio, but if you care about him, get out of my way!"
"It's because I care about Sumio that I'm talking to you right now. Why don't you let him die peacefully?"
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
Yayoi walked slowly over to Ryo and brought her body close, tempting him with her refined features. "You have a sister complex, don't you? How lonely it must be, not having anywhere for it to go. How about it? I'll let you take her place. The place of your sister, your beloved sister... How about it, Ryo? You can do whatever you like..."
"What're you after?"
"Rationality is quite useful, isn't it...? What a shame. I was so interested in you... Did you know? Kyoko loved you... Both siblings, in love with each other..." Seeing Ryo's rage-filled stare, Yayoi drew back, pulling back her hair and spitting, "What a pervert."
Ryo let the anger bubble forth. "Is that all you have to say!?"
"That's why Sumio had Kyoko..."
"There are some things people don't want to know!"
Ryo resettled his bike, the sputtering engine cutting off Yayoi's words. She backed away, looking disappointed.
"But your fate isn't so gentle. It's going to get tough from here. Goodbye..." Yayoi finished, watching Ryo drive away.
It was clear that Yayoi had been buying time so that Sumio could "finish it".
Would he make it in time? In his panic, Ryo surpassed the maximum speed, trying overtake the car in front of him, but it wouldn't make way. Ryo felt something strange in the air.
"We're finally alone. Are you listening, Mika? Let's go to him, together. I know everything. I know that Sumio wasn't serious about me. I know that he was sleeping with a bunch of other women, too... But... I feel bad for Kyoko, but he's mine... All of Sumio belongs to me. I knew about you, too, Mika."
Kimika Takahashi, who had stolen the car from Suzuki, spoke to Mika as she drove. Mika was slumped in the back seat, unresponsive. As Ryo drew up beside the car, his eyes stopped upon Mika's face.
"Kyoko!? Why?"
Keeping pace with the car, Ryo stared intently at Mika's face.
"Stop!"
Kimika Takahashi, sitting in the driver's seat, ignored Ryo's command, continuing to talk to Mika.
"But we're friends, right? Fufufu... So I'll share him a bit with you. I won't keep Sumio all to myself. I won't let the other girls touch him, though, so don't worry. Are you listening to me, Mika? Just a little further now... Just a little further."
Tch! Ryo tutted at Kimika Takahashi's crazed expression. He slowed down slightly, this time trying to approach Mika in the back seat.
"Get up! Stop the car!"
But Mika didn't budge.
Fufufu...
When Ryo heard the laughter, his bike was drifting. As he drifted along, Ryo, at his wits' end, stared at the Alfa, smoking next to a dented guard rail.
Ryo tossed his bike aside, sprinting over to the Alfa. Kimika Takahashi's arms and legs were sticking out, twisted in an unnatural way. Ryo ignored her, peering into the back seat in search of Mika. She wore a beautiful expression. He felt a flood of relief.
"Kyoko!? You're alive! Wait! I'm coming to help you!"
Ryo was unaware of Mika's existence. He desperately tried to pry the door open, to save his sister Kyoko. But Mika, the one he thought was Kyoko, slipped from his arms. Her upper body slumped onto the ground. Her face was near Ryo's feet, her legs still on the seat.
...Uwaaaaaah!
The scene of the accident from his nightmare reappeared before Ryo's eyes. Then, from amidst the darkness, the white-haired boy appeared. It was Mithra.
"The girl isn't Kyoko. They are the same, though."
Ryo glared at the supernatural being in the form of a child.
"She's a special girl, isn't she? She'd been waiting for you. But I killed her..."
"You were there yesterday, too, weren't you!"
Ignoring him, Mithra continued his own conversation. "Hehe, I know all of it. About you, and Kyoko, and Sumio... We're all friends."
"Are you screwing with me? Who are you!? What do you want!?"
"Nothing. I'm just playing with you all. You should play with us, too, Ryo..."
"Stupid kid! Ugh! What have you done!?" Ryo's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"It's a fun game. Such fun, hehehe... Ahh, I'm getting excited!" Mithra rocked back and forth in midair, laughing happily. "Well? It's an exchanging game. I'll let you decide what you want to do. You might not have a choice, though..."
"Cut it out! I'll fucking kill you, shitty kid!"
"You're a loud one, aren't you? Come on, keep it down. Here, listen up. I liked Kyoko, you know, but she wouldn't listen to me. What a naughty sister you have.
"Kyoko...!? Did you... kill Kyoko? You... Killed her...!"
"Cut it out with the accusations. I was going to help her, you know. But Kyoko just wouldn't..."
"Uwaaaah! What did you do to Kyoko!? What did you do!?" Ryo roared animalistically.
"You're a noisy man. If you don't listen to me properly, I'll kill you."
There was a flash of light, and Ryo's body ceased to move. The boy continued talking.
"So, since Kyoko isn't here, I'm going to use this lady... But she's dead, right? That's why I want to help her, why I have to help her."
Help me... Help me... Mika's weak voice coiled around Ryo's frozen body and wouldn't leave.
"See! She's asking for help, isn't she? I'm a good boy, so I can't just ignore her. Hey, Ryo, let's save her! Okay?"
Mithra slid through the air, moving before Ryo, their heads roughly level.
"Really? Kyahahaha, yaaay. Really really? Hehehe, hehehe. Hooray, hooray."
After pretending to strain his ears, Mithra clapped his hands with innocent joy.
"You're more grown up than Sumio, Ryo. Keep your promise, okay?" Then, as if he had just remembered, he added, "Um, it's not fair if I just save her, is it? Gimme a reward! Yeah..." An ominous glint shone in Mithra's eyes. "I'll take any person you embrace. Well? Got it? It's a promise, okay?"
Mithra hid himself within the darkness, Ryo's body freed. But Mithra's voice alone continued to drift through the darkness for some time, as if for emphasis. A living person, okay? Of course! It doesn't matter who. Make sure to keep your promise...
Ryo had no way of knowing that this was a secret rite of contract between himself and Mithra.
Ryo drove down the mountain pass road on his bike. In the end, Sumio had died without saying anything to Ryo.
A full moon hung in the sky, but its dull silver light was beginning to change. The sky was starting to brighten. Colour returned to the mountain pass. The morning sun would show its face soon.
It was all over. He wanted to rest - to forget it all. The nightmare was over... Ryo believed that. But...
"It won't end." A boy's voice echoed throughout Hinashiro Forest.
Ryo brought his bike slowly to a stop, straining his eyes and ears. A woman's silhouette appeared amidst the sunlight. It was Mika. Ryo simply stared at her as she walked over to him tiredly, unsteady on her feet.
Once Mika stood before Ryo, she let out a relieved sigh and collapsed. Ryo reflexively reached out, wrapping his arms around Mika and embracing her tightly, with all of his affection.
Fufufufu...
A boy's laugh ran through Reigetsu Pass, carried on the wind, innocent, as if he were rolling about with laughter.