Report 5 Hikari

Report*5:HIKARI is the fifth Placebo report of The Silver Case. The chapter follows Tokio Morishima's perspective following the events of case#5:lifecut, and serves as the conclusion of his story in the original game.

Description

HIKARI follows Tokio's return to Ward 24 after going into hiding in report*4:AI. Rather than taking place concurrently with case#5:lifecut, it takes place after. This chapter fully reveals Tokio's past, and wraps up the Placebo story-line.

Summary

Monday, December 27, 1999, 11:04AM
Tokio returns home for the first time in months. He reads a series of emails sent to him by Erika Yukawa while he was away. She describes how she cared for Red, who seemed to be distressed by Tokio's absence. Erika wonders if Tokio is alive or dead, and recounts that when she confronted him before he left, she was planning to run away with him. But when she saw the look in his eyes she knew he didn't want that. In the final email, she says that she plans to go after Kamui. She says she won't mail him anymore, and says to let her know when to contact him again. She professes her love for Tokio. Tokio thinks to himself about returning to his old life, and says that "everyday life" pours out of everything and takes over.

1:11PM
In his car, Tokio asks himself if the guardian "Marduk" will wait, and remembers the death of Kei Nanami at the Babylon Shopping Center.

2:34PM
At Babylon, Tokio says that he can still feel Kei's presence, and a vision of her death is shown.

9:58PM
At Jackhammer, Tokio speaks with the Bartender, who comments that he doesn't look well and offers to make him an omelette.

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A conversation is shown between Tokio and a mysterious man. The man tells him that his fate is inevitable and that he is going to kill Akira. Tokio tells him that he isn't a hitman, and to just use whoever killed The Bat. The man tells Tokio that his fate was determined when he met Kamui Uehara and survived. Tokio says that after The Bat was killed, he started to speak to him as a lingering consciousness, and that he can still hear him now. Tokio remembers the same thing happening at Babylon and asks if he and Akira are made from the same "material", which the man confirms.

Tuesday, December 28, 1999, 6:27AM
Tokio reads an email written to himself, from the perspective of the lingering consciousness of Kei Nanami. She says that she was killed by Ayame Shimohira with a harpoon gun, and had her stomach cut to kill her child too. She called for Kamui's help, and felt that he was there. Then Tokio appeared, and she acted as the medium between Kamui and Tokio. She says that Ayame cannot ever be forgiven.

9:27AM
Tokio goes to Mulholland, and asks the old woman for cigarettes. She mentions that she hasn't seen him in a while, and notices Tokio not listening. She gives him the cigarettes, and he forgets whether he had paid. She lets him leave without paying.

10:08PM
At Jackhammer, Tokio orders a Trinity cocktail, and the Bartender tells him that Erika came in a while ago, and was drinking the same thing. He discusses the nature of perfection, and that the imperfect can be considered perfect by virtue of its imperfection. He relays his own experience of being homosexual, and having a BDSM fetish. He tells Tokio that once he accepted himself, it purified his heart. Tokio asks for a regular beer instead.

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The man tells Tokio that he was one of the children in the very first experiments of the Shelter Kids Policy. At some point a defect occurred, and he was expelled from the program. His memory was erased and he was sent back into society. He says that the purpose of the Shelter Kids was to become the perfect citizens of Ward 24, and that Tokio never turned out like Kamui and Ayame.

Wednesday, December 29, 1999, 7:20AM
Tokio reads an email from Erika, saying that she learned he was alive from the bartender. She asks to speak with him in the Scolba chatroom that night.

2:34PM
Tokio visits Gladiolus, and feels Ayame's presence.

4:01PM
Tokio writes a memo from the perspective of Ayame's lingering consciousness. She says she wishes she could have been raised like some sort of pitiful flower. Her name "Ayame" comes from the word "ayameru", meaning "to kill". She says that Ayame was created to be an even more mechanical being than Kamui, easier to control and with higher killing capabilities. Although the Ayame was made to oppose Kamui, there was a miscalculation in the plan, and the two were actually drawn together due to being raised in the same environment. By becoming pregnant with Kamui's child, her bottled up emotions exploded and she lost control. She says that she will not kill Kamui or Akira, and tells Tokio to find something for himself.

6:07PM
At the Hitakatsu Switchyard, Tokio feels the presence of Kaiji Enzawa.

11:38PM
Tokio and Erika speak privately in the Scolba chatroom. He tells her Red's name, and asks how her investigation is going. She refrains from asking about Tokio, since she says she trusts her partner. He tells her about the Shelter Kids Policy, and how 1440 children were raised underground to produce perfect citizens. Tokio tells her that he plans on leaving Ward 24 again, and promises to come back for Red some time in the next 30 years. She tells him that all she wanted from him was a promise. They say goodnight, and Erika leaves. Alone, Tokio writes about how he likes the moment just before dawn when the moon is peeking out and the sky starts becoming bright. He decides to sort things out in his own way.

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The man tells Tokio about the city planning of Ward 24, dating back twenty years. The current mayor, Kaoru Hachisuka, was once a member of one of the activist groups fighting for the area. Hachisuka's election without any political backing was greatly influenced by the Mikumo Incident making the system come into question. Hachisuka created a perfect plan to revolutionize the city from the ground up, with the brains behind the plan being a man named Nezu. He was a genius programmer who could plan and control the entire city, as if he were playing a game.

2:10AM
At Jackhammer, Tokio confides in the bartender about whether he should do something or run away. The bartender says he'd bet everything he has on the decision Tokio comes to himself.

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The man tells Tokio that the Shelter Kids Policy was integrated into the planning of Ward 24. It was first implemented by the TRO, however the balance between the factions was really controlled by Hachisuka and Nezu. Twenty years ago, Kamui Uehara was selected to be the basis of all Shelter Kids. The original Kamui was known as the "Format Kamui"; he was a hitman and expert criminal, and as a soldier who follows orders he was an ideal model for the perfect citizen. The man says that Kamui was unable to be controlled, and should be transferring to Akira some time soon. He tells him that the lingering consciousnesses plaguing his mind will fade once he kills Akira, and allows him to make the choice of what to do. Tokio seems to recognize the man.

Thursday, December 30, 1999, 9:19AM
Tokio reads an email to himself, from the perspective of Kaiji Enzawa's lingering consciousness. He describes the feeling of being shot in the head, which he says was by an assassin sent by Nezu. He says that Nezu is just using Kamui as an event to test the strength of the city in his game. He says that Nezu is the ultimate "Kamui believer", which is why he chose to back Ayame. Ayame is a killing machine closer to Format Kamui than anyone else. However it came to be known that Ayame wouldn't kill Kamui, and the job was assigned to Tokio despite him being a failure in the system. Enzawa laments never being able to see Ayame with his own eyes. Tokio reads another email from Yuu, which is a late re-sent Christmas greeting. Tokio writes an email to himself, where he decides to keep moving forward without killing Akira. He chooses to delete all of his writings and disappear. The image of Tokio's PC fades to black as he accepts his path forward. The unknown man is seen, who says that Tokio is an unfortunate son.

Friday, December 31, 1999, 11:57PM
Tokio wakes up at Jackhammer, after having drank too much. He finds a note from the Bartender, telling him to lock up the bar for him. He writes that sometimes in life it's alright to run. As he leaves, Tokio feels the presence of multiple lingering consciousnesses in his head. He wonders if he'll ever be able to accept them, if they'll simply go away one day, or if he'll eventually go insane. He tells them to "Fuck off".

Blue Monday

Trivia

• Tokio mentions the guardian Marduk, an ancient Mesopotamian god and the patron deity of the city of Babylon, referencing the Babylon Shopping Center.