Gammon Sakanoue came to me in search of an Armlet
and has obtained new power.
Wha--?!
That’s horrible! Gammon obtained an Armlet of Orpheus?!
And now he knows.
He has learned that in the future, there are two of me.
One is Kaito Daimon.
The other is...
There’s another...?
Who could it be?
The future is trapped in a flux.
It is up to you to decide which way it will swing, Phi-Brain children.
Cheers to 100-Star Jin
Excluding Kaito, the remaining candidates Orpheus selected are
Gammon, Freecell, Raetsel and you, Director Rook.
You’ve asked multiple nations to assist in
watching the Republic of Amgine and restrict my movement.
It’s easy for me to see such blatant maneuvers.
I am only blind to Kaito Daimon. He is the one exception.
Cease your meaningless resistance and awaken as a Phi-Brain,
Rook Banjo Crossfield.
Including me, the people currently challenging Orpheus’ Trial of Puzzles include...
Freecell, you solved the puzzle, didn’t you?
Can you keep going?
Yeah. Someone has to catch up to Kaito and then surpass him!
Freecell!
The more candidates, the better!
And then there’s Raetsel!
What is she going to do?!
No matter how many times you have challenged my Trial of Puzzles,
you have not awoken as a Phi-Brain.
Yet Gammon Sakanoue’s abilities with puzzles are rapidly improving.
In short, you need one as well.
You require an Armlet’s assistance.
Orpheus, promise me something.
Swear that you will definitely save Jin if I awaken as a Phi-Brain.
What purpose would that serve?
Just promise me you’ll save him!
Very well. I do not care to linger in this withering body forever.
You have my word. Once you have awoken as a Phi-Brain,
I shall release Jin Makata.
I’ll solve a Philosopher’s Puzzle.
And I’ll prove to you that I can obtain an Armlet of Orpheus!
H-hey! Orpheus?
Don’t do... it, Raetsel!
Jin!
Raetsel...
I’ve missed you, Jin!
Don’t don the Armlet of... Orpheus!
You must not... put it on!
You are gifted with puzzles!
That’s why... your abilities combined with the Armlet...
could lead your mind down the path of destruction...!
That’s enough! Jin, you’ve fought long enough.
Raetsel...
I know the truth.
When you sealed Orpheus, you sealed your memories with him.
Your body... and your mind have been fighting Orpheus this whole time!
When I go, I swear I will take him down with me!
Don’t talk that way!
I promise I will save you!
Don’t! Forget about the Armlet!
Raetsel, I think of you as...
Jin!
I shall give it to you.
You may have what you desire.
Do not forget: Jin Makata’s life is drawing close to an end.
This maze exists in a dimension where gravity is warped.
That must be the goal...
There is but one rule.
You are only permitted to walk down the stairs located in this maze.
You must not go up the stairs!
If you break that rule...
Are you ready?
Puzzle time... Start!
Isn’t that... Jin and I?!
Cheers!
Isn’t this yummy, Jin?
We’re here to celebrate safely solving that puzzle.
It’s nice to have a fancy dinner like this every now and then, isn’t it?
Really? Everything you cook is always so yummy, Jin!
But this is a three-star restaurant...
A three-star...?
Three stars mean it’s SUPER yummy!
Then your cooking must get a hundred stars!
A hundred stars?!
You’re too much, Raetsel!
But thank you anyway.
Hey, let’s have another cheers!
Sure!
To Raetsel!
To 100-Star Jin!
Cheers!
How nostalgic...
I truly enjoyed myself back then.
Just being with Jin was a blast!
Raetsel, don’t go near that dangerous puzzle all by yourself ever again!
But I wanna help you--
Here.
What’s this?
My good luck charm. I’d like you to keep it from now on.
When I’m challenging a Puzzle of Fools,
please pray for my safety and wait for me.
It was shortly after that when Jin...
Don’t let him go!
Go after Jin!
Stop Jin in his tracks! HURRY!
If you don’t stop him, Jin will fight Count Pythagoras in the Puzzle of God!
Right then... if only I had stopped Jin!
If I become a Phi-brain, I may be able to intervene with the past and save Jin!
That’s it! I could undo everything!
Hang in there, Jin!
It’s no use, Jin Makata.
Struggle all you may, but your voice will never reach Raetsel.
The Puzzle of God will be ready before much longer.
Indeed?
Excuse me,
but when will I be reunited with Lovushka?
Soon now.
You had best prepare to embrace that woman in your arms.
L-Lovushka...!
When we’re out here like this, I can’t help but get the feeling that it’s all a dream.
The hopeless future...
The way Jin turned into Orpheus...
How Kaito and Freecell are desperately working to solve the Trial of Puzzles...
Jin is important to him...
I get that, but...
Encountering a puzzle means encountering a person.
Solve them. Set them free, those puzzles.
The puzzles have done nothing wrong.
The blame should fall on those who made them.
Jin, he--Orpheus--isn’t a person. He’s a monster!
It’s a hero’s duty to defeat the monster!
Jin...
If only I could see where Orpheus’ plans are headed...
Then I could save Jin.
Just now, you were thinking to yourself,
“If I became a Phi-Brain,” weren’t you?
For you to correctly read my thoughts, I’m a failure as the director.
Could we serve as the trump card that allows Jin Makata’s mind
to escape Orpheus and this current predicament?
There is no evidence to prove that Jin actually exists inside of Orpheus.
I see... Indeed, Orpheus is the only one who has made the claim
that “Jin Makata’s mind coexists with Orpheus.”
“I hope that Jin is alive.”
Orpheus is exploiting the human weakness
in our hearts that ushers such thoughts...
Master Rook?
All four staircases go up?
There’s no way I can proceed...
What would it take to get over there?
I have to release this puzzle and obtain an Armlet of Orpheus...!
I wonder if this is the right way...
Really?
Won’t it lead to another dead end?
Jin!
That can’t be right, Rook!
You’re the one who’s wrong, Kaito!
I’m sure you’re supposed to take it over here.
Kaito Daimon and Rook...
What’s this supposed to be?
Huh? It didn’t work!
I told you so!
Go here and then... Huh? What gives?
See! You’re not any better.
What was that?!
But it’s the truth!
You two gave it a nice try!
Keep that enthusiasm up!
All righty! I’m gonna solve this puzzle!
Jin... Why do your eyes seem so kind when you gaze upon Kaito?
I’m going to solve it!
No, I am!
Now, now! No fighting allowed!
Really! Rook and Kaito are totally helpless.
If you two are going to fight over the puzzle, I’ll solve it for you!
Let’s see... This goes like this...
Wow! You’re amazing, Raetsel!
Good luck, Raetsel! Keep it up!
Just leave this to me!
Raetsel was together with us...
You can do it, Raetsel!
Is this... Is this one of those illusions Orpheus creates depicting the past?
Oh, Raetsel! Is it supposed to go down here?
It does! You’re amazing, Kaito!
Poopy!
I see a spot! It goes like this over here!
Rook, you’re also amazing! Incredible!
But I’d still be stuck if you didn’t figure that one part out, Raetsel!
Rook’s right! You’re awesome, Raetsel!
She can be so cute when she laughs...
If I became a Phi-Brain, I could change the past.
Is Orpheus trying to show that to me?
No, this isn’t Orpheus’ doing!
We did it!
Jin, lookie! Lookie! We solved it!
Aren’t we incredible?
We couldn’t have solved it without Raetsel, right?
Uh, that’s right...
That’s not true!
We solved it because all three of us worked together!
Raetsel, you sure are nice!
Only because I love Kaito, Rook and Jin so very, very, very much!
Kaito, Rook and Raetsel...
I want all three of you to remember what has happened here today.
Don't give up what is dear.
Never.
Never lose sight of what matters.
I wanted... I wanted to be with them back then...
I wish I could have solved puzzles with the three of them back then...
Was that a dream? No...
What is the matter, Master Rook?
Master Rook?
There is going to be a change of plans.
Kaito, it looks like you were right.
I will play my role accordingly.
Isn’t that what you’d want, Jin?
In order to move forward, I must take one of the staircases that climb upwards.
And the correct staircase is...
I guessed it!
Orpheus created this world.
This is the only staircase where the gravity works differently.
Jin...
I’m sorry, Raetsel...!
It’s my fault that you’re going through this...
It’s okay, Jin.
You showed that to me, didn’t you? Thank you.
I don’t need anything else if that blissful past could become the present!
Stop it, Raetsel! You don’t have to resort to such lengths to find...
Continue as you are.
Use that Armlet to make your desires become reality!
Next time, make it a higher-level puzzle, Orpheus.
Don’t be sad, Jin. This is what I want.
I’ve decided that I’m going to protect you.
Up? Down? I don’t know!
Think carefully. This is a silly question.
It’s silly...?
They go up!
Correct!
That was easy.
Now we can both get some airtime.
So you’re also getting some airtime?
Next time, “Kaito, You’ve Lost.”
Kaito, You’ve Lost
I said that I really wanted to make an appearance without taking some quiz.
That isn’t fair!
Fin Art: Akeru Otsuki