As Ren and Rui examined the Photo Album together,
a single photograph slipped out as Ren turned the pages.
It was a bride wearing white lilies on her head.
Ren stared at the photo in a daze, feeling as if it were beckoning him to a certain place...
The author, Ren Hojo,
is tormented by memories of murdering a young girl on the night of a festival.
Having commissioned Hisoka to use her Shadow Reading ability, Ren received the Photo Album containing the Memento Photographs.
The photographs depicted the exact same festival scene from his nightmares.
In search of further clues, Ren took his assistant, Rui Kagamiya,
and personally headed to the abandoned inn shown in the photographs.
Location: Hojo Residence
Photograph
Standing beside him, Rui suddenly spoke up:
'She's beautiful, but for some reason, she looks so sad. Creepy types like her are usually the ones you have a hard time dealing with, right, Master?'
Noticing that Ren was completely transfixed by the photograph, Rui left him to his thoughts and walked away.
Ren suddenly muttered:
'Perhaps that folklorist left something else behind?'
Rui asked: 'Are you going to commission Ms. Kurosawa again?'
Ren replied: 'Let's go there ourselves. I want to check it out right away.'
Rui exclaimed: 'You want to go at this hour?'
Ren said: 'I've actually heard of this place before.'
Ren searched the desk and obtained:
the Camera Obscura (Multi-Lens Type), Equip: Measure, Unfinished Manuscript, and Letter from Hisoka.
On the sofa, he found the Shadow Reading Report.
From the bookshelf, he gathered The Legend of the Slain Shrine Maidens and Rui's Notebook 1.
After reviewing the materials, Ren and Rui set off for Ichiru Manor at the Mizukago Hot Springs.
♦ ♦ ♦
Location: Ichiru Manor, Mizukago Hot Springs
Ren's Camera Obscura features a multi-lens system capable of four-to-eight burst shots,
making the containment of elusive specters his specialty...
The chapter begins with a tutorial for the Camera Obscura (Multi-Lens Type),
starting with taking test shots of Rui.
Rui: 'Did you make me look pretty?'
Ren: '...'
Rui: 'Well? Tell me.'
Ren: 'It just captures what's there.'
After practicing the burst function of the multi-lens camera, they stepped inside Ichiru Manor,
with the objective of reaching the room where Yuri had found the Photo Album.
As they walked through Ichiru Manor, Rui began sharing the lore of the location:
'The old wing of this inn is that ancient structure at the very back. It's said it was originally part of a temple or shrine dedicated to worshipping the mountain.
After it was converted into an inn, the owner's family lived there. However, a massive landslide struck the entire Mt. Hikami area,
and it was buried beneath the collapsing earth and stone.
The place where your requested Photo Album was found seems to be within that old wing structure.'[cite: 4, 5]
Turning left upon entering, they spotted a specter in the guest room: Submerged Woman.
As they passed a vent, it suddenly slammed shut...
In the room behind them, three specters materialized: Man and Women in Shadows.
Heading up the stairs, they saw a distant specter: Hand Beckoning to Darkness.
Entering the room where Yuri had discovered the album,
they immediately encountered a specter: Man in the Dark.
After the specter vanished, they found Dirty Notebook 1 left behind in its wake.
Ren felt that if he used this notebook as a token,
he might uncover more details regarding the woman in the photograph.
After reading the notebook, a specter named Man Standing in Darkness appeared behind Ren,
whispering: 'If you don't burn it... because of that photograph... you will see it.'
Once the specter vanished, Ren moved upstairs, encountering two hostile spirits on the staircase: Mizue Fukatsu and Nao Miki.
Ascending toward the second floor, they saw another specter: Man Beckoning Upward.
Upon reaching the upper floor, Rui filled in more details:
'After the landslide, rumor has it that the innkeeper moved his living quarters to the third floor of this building.
Shortly after, he either set himself on fire or jumped into the lake... the usual grim tale.
Ever since then, stories spread that if you look up at the third-floor balcony,
you can see someone staring back down at you.'
Entering Room 201,
they caught a glimpse of a specter in Room 203 through the crumbling wall: Man Beckoning Inside.
Rushing over to Room 203, they discovered a specter hanging inside a hole: Hanging Man.[cite: 4, 5]
Following the trace to the guest room corridor on the new wing's second floor,
they found the door firmly locked...
Aiming the Camera Obscura at the lock revealed a Psychic Vision: Crawling Shadow.
The vision hinted that the key was located back at the first-floor vent that had slammed shut earlier.
Turning back toward the first floor,
they encountered a specter in Room 202: Hanging Man in the Hole.
On the floor, Ren picked up Dirty Notebook 2.
Returning to the first-floor vent, they obtained the Key with Yellow Keyring.
Suddenly, the hostile spirit Akira Oonuma ambushed them.
After repelling him, they headed back to the second floor.
As they approached the window of Room 202,
a hostile spirit shattered the glass and lunged outward: Tomoki Harukawa!
It was none other than the Innkeeper of Ichiru Manor who keeps returning to haunt us.
Defeating him yielded Dirty Notebook 3.
Peering out the window broken by Tomoki Harukawa, they saw a plunging specter: Plummeting Woman.
Approaching the corridor door and using the Key with Yellow Keyring to unlock it,
a specter instantly dropped down right in front of them: Hanging Woman.[cite: 4, 5]
Taking the stairs up to the third floor,
opening the rooftop door revealed a specter: Man Drawn to the Sunset.
Peering inside through the window of the viewing room,
they spotted a specter: Hanging Man.[cite: 4, 5]
Opening the door to the viewing room revealed a specter: Man Staring at Something.
The entire viewing room was heavily charred by fire.
At the exact spot where the specter had been staring, Ren uncovered a photograph.
While Ren was inspecting the photo, Rui wandered out to the balcony.
There, on the floor where the plummeting specter had fallen, a hanging noose lay waiting.
Just as Rui was about to slip her neck into the noose, Ren noticed her in the nick of time!
Ren yelled: 'Rui! What are you doing!?'
Ren rushed toward her,
suddenly spotting a sinister specter beside her: Woman Beckoning to the Underworld.
As Ren stepped back onto the balcony, he was instantly attacked by a hostile spirit: Shino Kanamoki.
She was the hanging specter that had dropped when they unlocked the second-floor door.
Aside from her ability to levitate through the air, she has no notable attributes...
Upon defeating her, Rui suddenly snapped out of her trance.
Ren held Rui, asking her why she had tried to do such a thing.
Rui shook her head in confusion. As Ren supported her to begin their descent down the mountain,
a chilling woman's voice echoed from behind them:
'You will never leave this mountain alive.'
Ren turned around to find a Maiden of Black Water standing behind them.
'Dissolve right here.'
The battle against the hostile spirit Inori Mizukago (Alive) (Maiden of Black Water) commenced!![cite: 4, 5]
After defeating the maiden,
Ren sensed that she must be linked to the records left in the incinerated room.
Rummaging through the remains, he discovered Dirty Notebook 4.
After finishing the journal entries,
Ren wanted to uncover more about the folklorist, Keishi Watarai.
He figured Hisoka would have more files on him,
and given Rui's unstable condition, they couldn't afford to linger any longer.
He guided Rui and quickly descended the mountain.