A Strange Tale

**2/10 Converge Chapter 0: A Strange Tale** (２月10日 交差編０章: 半死, *2-Tsuki 10-nichi Kōsa-hen 0-shō: Hanshi*, lit. **10th Feb Converge Chapter 0: Half-dead**) is a chapter featured in *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative*.

It is the first chapter of the game. It covers Mizuki Date and Kuruto Ryuki's investigations of Jin Furue's death in both the present and 6 years ago, respectively.

## Case File Synopsis

On 2/10, Ryuki comes across a shocking sight while participating in a livestreamed quiz show.

6 years later, in the falling snow, Mizuki is shot at in the empty stadium...

Ryuki saw Jin Furue's right half appear out of nowhere in the studio. There was a signboard with the words Fray to Free and a QR code... Accessing the QR code lead to a suspicious video. After seeing this, Ryuki starts to hallucinate. Right after that...Jin's right half explodes into a crimson flame.

6 years later, after fighting off the shooter, Mizuki finds the left half of a corpse in the middle of the stadium. It is the other half of Jin Furue she saw 6 years ago... Why after 6 years...? Ryuki was on that case, so he should have some clues... Mizuki decides to Psync into Ryuki's brain.

## Faith to Face Quiz: Enabling Spoilers for the 1st Game

During the opening scene for this game, the mysterious game show host will ask questions directly to the Player as part of the *Faith to Face* Quiz show. The answers to these questions determine whether this game will feature full spoilers for the events that occurred in *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative*. The questions presented are as follows:

1. In Indian mythology, what is the name of the half-god, half-beast spirits that imbibe scents and are known for their musical ability?
2. **Are [You] familiar with the New Cyclops Serial Killings?**
3. (If you select "I am" in the previous question) - **On the final day of the New Cyclops Serial Killings investigation... who was the one who got shot in the leg?**
4. (If the previous question is answered correctly) - **Who is the culprit of the New Cyclops Serial Killings?**

The answers to these questions can be found below:

2. "I am." (answering "I am not." will prevent the remaining two questions from appearing)
3. "Mizuki"
4. "Saito"

With these questions properly answered, the game will change to feature new dialogue and new conversation prompts that contain many details about the events of the first game, such as the true nature of many characters and their pasts, and the final outcome of the culprit. Do note, however, that even with the spoilers disabled during this Quiz, the game will still include specific spoilers in regards to Mizuki and her family.

## Story Summary

### ----, --:--

ABIS Special Agent Kuruto Ryuki had a dream about being on a quiz show at Studio Dvaita alongside Boss, in which the host and other contestants were faceless blue figures. He tried to ask Boss what was happening, but she acted like there was nothing strange about the situation. The host asked Ryuki several questions, the last of which was whether precognitive dreams were real. Suddenly, the host and and contestants began splitting in half vertically and falling to the ground, one by one. Boss asked Ryuki what was wrong, before finally splitting in half herself. Ryuki screamed in horror.

### Stadium, 19:55

ABIS Special Agent Mizuki Date arrived at the stadium, when her AI-Ball Aiba alerted her to a presence in the stands. A masked figure began shooting at her with a rifle, so Mizuki blocked the shot with her pipe and hid behind a display board. Mizuki used Aiba's special vision functions to find the shooter and drive her off with a stun grenade. Unable to pursue her on foot, Mizuki looked toward the center of the field to see the split left half of a body, which she recognized as Jin Furue from six years prior.

### Studio Dvaita, 20:45

Six years in the past, Ryuki awoke at Studio Dvaita, where he had fallen asleep in the middle of a livestreamed quiz show. Fellow participants Boss, Moma Kumakura, Chinpei Wagai, Iris Sagan, and Mizuki Date expressed concern for his health. Before the host Andes Komeji could finish his next question, the lights suddenly went out. The staff scrambled to turn the lights back on, revealing the right half of a body in the center of the floor, a sign with "Fray to Free" and a QR code jammed into the center of his body. Iris screamed and fell back in fear while Mizuki stood with a stoic expression.

### Stadium, 20:50

The police arrived at the stadium to inspect the scene, including inspector Araya Kagami and detective Mikoto Ushidera. Mizuki spoke to Boss and begged her to let her on the case. Boss reluctantly agreed in spite of Mizuki's inexperience, knowing how much the case meant to Mizuki. Mizuki also asked if Kaname Date had contacted Boss after the explosion six years ago, but he was still missing. When Mizuki spoke to Ushidera, she explained to him that she was called to the stadium by an anonymous NILE message reading "HB, stadium." The two of them also wondered about the lack of footprints on the field.

When Mizuki began investigating the body, Aiba revealed that his estimated time of death was nine hours ago: roughly 12 o'clock that day. The body was cut at the molecular level, eliminating a blade, laser, or pressurized water as the murder weapon. Most of the body's blood was already gone, and the lack of blood at the scene indicated he was killed elsewhere. Aiba, Mizuki, and Boss discussed possible explanations for the mysterious six year gap, but were unable to draw any conclusions: Jin Furue had no siblings, and there were no signs of the body being frozen. Mizuki decided to ask Ryuki about what he knew from the case six years ago, and Aiba used Tama's GPS to narrow his location to Golden Yokocho.

### Studio Dvaita, 21:50

The police arrived at Studio Dvaita to inspect the scene, including inspector Araya Kagami and detective Mikoto Ushidera. Ryuki and his AI-Ball Tama began investigating, and learned that the victim was Jin Furue, the CEO of a company called Music Food. He had a substantial media presence and some of the witnesses knew of him, though no one knew much more about him. Tama pointed out that Jin's head had a wound from blunt force trauma and was missing one of his back teeth.

There was a signboard stuck in the body reading "Fray to Free!" with a QR code. As Ryuki and Tama discussed what it could mean, Tama eventually was able to get an internet connection and follow the QR code to a ViewQube video. She played the video for Ryuki, who suddenly began speaking in gibberish as the world appeared to glitch out around him. A little while later, he was back to normal, and brushed off Tama's concern for him. Suddenly, the corpse exploded and burst into flames, with everyone flinching away in shock.

### Golden Yokocho, 22:05

Mizuki and Aiba arrived in Golden Yokocho, and stood outside Brahman World Cuisine. Mizuki said that she'd visited there a bunch of times, and then confirmed with Aiba that Ryuki was inside. The two of them entered the restaurant.

### Brahman World Cuisine, 22:10

Brahman was empty except for Ryuki, who had been drinking heavily. Mizuki tried to ask him where the owner, Gen Ishiyagane, was, but Ryuki just mumbled something about him traveling to the "mirror world". She then attempted to ask him about the HB case, but his only answers were nonsense. Aiba believed Ryuki's alcoholism was a result of his trauma from the case six years prior, and Mizuki decided to Psync with him to learn more about the case and help him heal his trauma.

### ABIS HQ, Psync Control Room, 23:00

Mizuki brought Ryuki back to ABIS, where she spoke with Pewter about the case. Pewter informed her that the DNA results were back, and Jin's left and right halves were an exact match. He also confirmed that Boss hadn't yet returned to ABIS, and was probably out drinking instead. Pewter knew how important the case was to Mizuki, because she had lost both Date and her left eye in the explosion six years ago, and asked if she had permission from Boss to Psync. Mizuki insisted it was fine since Boss assigned the investigation to her, and Pewter agreed to help.

### ABIS HQ, Psync Room, 23:10

The drunk Ryuki was put into the Psyncee's chair while Mizuki sat opposite him in the Psyncer spot. Before the Psync, Pewter reminded Mizuki of the six minute time limit, and Mizuki reminded him that it wasn't her first time Psyncing. Pewter turned the machine on, and the Psync began.

## Trivia

### Etymology

* The English chapter title comes from the opening line of *The Turn of the Screw* by Henry James. The two branching chapters, Dispossessed and Alone, take their titles from the final line. *The Turn of the Screw* is a story in which it is ambiguous whether the strange happenings are supernatural or just a result of the main character's delusions; likewise, it is unclear whether the two halves of Jin Furue's corpse appearing at different times is a supernatural phenomenon. It can also refer to Ryuki's mental ailments that cause him to have strange dreams and hallucinations.
* The Japanese chapter title is one half of the phrase 半死半生, meaning "half killed" or "all but dead". This may refer to Jin's corpse, which is cut perfectly in half. It can also refer to Ryuki and how his poor mental state has put him one foot in the grave.

### General

* At Brahman, Aiba identifies Ryuki's blood alcohol level as 0.32%. The effects at this level of intoxication include unconsciousness, stupor, alcohol poisoning, and a non-negligible risk of death.

## Navigation

 Locations | **Tokyo**
*Chiyoda District*: Police Headquarters (Boss's Office, Psync Room, Interrogation Room) • Sunfish Pocket • Sekiba High
*Chuo District*: Horadori Institute of Genetics (Underground, Hostage Room) • Naixatloz Japan Branch (President's Office, Cathedral)
*Koto District*: Harbor Warehouse District • Date Residence
*Minato District*: Studio Dvaita • Aioen Orphanage • Ikume Shrine • Kumakura Office • Sejima Residence • Central Hospital
*Shibuya District*: Lemniscate Entertainment Offices • Yoyagi Park
*Shinagawa/Kabasaki District*: Matsushita Diner • Sagan Residence • Enda Residence • Kabasaki Chemical Plant
*Shinjuku District*: Golden Yokocho (Marble, Brahman World Cuisine) • Misetan Department Store • Tokyo National Stadium
**Side Ryuki:**
Dispossessed • Anyone Imagines • Ought to Know • Nothing to Be Done • Go • Farewell
**Komeji and Shoma Route:** Joy for Anguish • I Found Me • Past Its Ken
**Explosion Route:** Smiles for Tears • Well-Known • The Mind of God • Not All A Dream • She Was the Universe
**閭｡陜ｶ荵句､｢邱ｨ Route:** 遐ｴ邯ｻ逋ｾ蜃ｺ • All This Happened, More or Less
**Side Mizuki:**
Alone • Pass Mildly Away • End Where I Begun • Traveler • Left Behind • The Expense of Spirit
**Gen and Amame Route:** All Living Things • Of Arms and Of Man • Who's There • All That We Are
**Kizuna and Lien Route:** Bid the Soldiers Shoot • Sweet Silent Thought
**Resolution Route:** Hell • Visions • In Truth • Births • The End of Craving • Braver Than All Flowers