Yamazaki took a steamship out to sea, but encountered a shipwreck.
He didn't die immediately after falling into the seawater, but was saved by a mermaid named Suzune.
In this respect, Yamazaki Hikaru was undoubtedly very lucky.
This gave Furukawa Hirozawa the feeling of reading a fairy tale.
It's just that the surrounding colors, as well as the seawater, were all ice-cold.
The meeting between Yamazaki Hikaru and Suzune painted the entire game with a layer of warmth.
Not long after, Yamazaki confessed his feelings to Suzune.
The two of them naturally ended up living together.
This was undoubtedly happiness.
Furukawa could even experience the beauty of love within this [only bond in a desperate situation].
Eh?
But, could it be that this game only has one heroine?
Having explored for a long time and tried different dialogue options, Furukawa still hadn't discovered a second heroine.
This really doesn't fit P-sha's usual style.
To be precise, this has already deviated quite a bit from a typical galgame, hasn't it?
Under normal circumstances, to cater to different types of players, Pokeni would always design several girls with different personalities in their games.
For example, in Onmyoji 1, there were the gentle and enduring Yuki Rei, the decisive and brave Tsuki Kurai, the lively and cute Ra Kazekage... and even the somewhat bewitching Oniyakihime, all of whom could be romanced.
Onmyoji 2 also had highly popular female characters besides Asakura Reimu, such as Takiyasha, and even the Sword Spirit herself made players want to romance her.
But—
What is The Mermaid's Heart trying to do?
A galgame with only one heroine is unheard of.
Ah!
Hirozawa Furukawa slammed his hands down, suddenly realizing some terrifying truths—
No wonder it's called The Mermaid's Heart.
So it turns out, there really is only one heroine, right?
Just how confident, or perhaps arrogant and conceited, must one be to create a work like this?
Does [Kogahara Tsubakiaki] not fear that if players don't like the character Suzune, then the entire game would be ruined?
With such high risk, how much courage must the Pokeni development team have?
Well...
Hirozawa Furukawa looked at Suzune on the screen, a warm current flowing in his heart.
Damn it.
Reluctant as he was, he had to admit it.
This time, it was Kogahara Tsubakiaki's victory.
Suzune is such a well-crafted character.
The Mermaid's Heart is truly a galgame distinct from Onmyoji; it has no combat content, and the entire story is told through text and images, with plot points triggered by different choices made during conversations.
At the same time, there is only one female lead.
As information is continuously obtained and refined, a puzzle slowly emerges.
Yamazaki Hikaru, who survived the shipwreck, has somehow grown gills behind his ears that allow him to breathe underwater, and webs between his fingers that make it easier to swim.
Suzune guides him on how to survive in the deep sea.
To this end, they go through various adventures.
For instance, setting traps to catch large squid or sharks, or using harpoons for smaller fish.
When encountering danger, one must quickly squeeze into the crevices of the reef to hide.
This process is undoubtedly thrilling and exciting, filled with a sense of romanticism and the sour stench of love.
Even Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't help but feel envious.
Beneath the sea, one could see silent ruins, and the most crucial thing was that these silent ruins and wreckage were not, as Furukawa Hirozawa had imagined, shipwrecks from the Middle Ages or even earlier times.
Among the ruins, there was a city with a considerable level of technology.
Although eroded by seawater and overgrown with seaweed and barnacles, one could still see the exterior glass curtain walls, as well as high-tech looking cars.
This inevitably stirred up a profound sense of unease.
That intense sense of suspicion once again shrouded Furukawa Hirozawa.
The feeling was extremely distinct; even though the genre was different, and the story background was completely dissimilar, he could still smell something reminiscent of Onmyoji 2.
Suzune was a mermaid from the deep sea, beautiful, pure, and without blemish.
However, the living environment around her had become increasingly dire.
Ocean pollution was worsening, and many creatures had been killed because of it.
Suzune herself had long since been infected with an incurable disease.
"If this continues, you will die too, Hikaru," Suzune said, her large eyes looking up, as she reached out to caress Yamazaki Hikaru's cheek, her heart aching. "You don't belong here in the first place."
"It's time to send you back to your own world."
On the way, Suzune took Yamazaki Hikaru toward the harbor where humans lived.
However, they encountered some devious Hunters along the road.
Although called "Hunters," they were actually commissioned by a wealthy man suffering from an incurable disease who was seeking a mermaid that could grant [immortality] in order to prolong his life.
Legend has it that anyone who obtains the Mermaid's Heart can gain eternal life.
So Yamazaki Hikaru and Suzune began to fight these people.
In the end, Suzune, having sustained heavy injuries, sank into the ocean.
"Hikaru!"
Because of the "transformation," Yamazaki Hikaru's legs were gradually merging, and just as he was about to become a mermaid, he was caught in a fishing net.
In order to let Yamazaki return to the human world.
Suzune used her remaining strength to kiss him.
"Hikaru! As long as you think about the direction back, you can turn back into a human. My blood will help you get home."
Saying this.
A tear slid down Suzune's face.
She bit her wrist with all her might and placed it against Yamazaki Hikaru's lips, feeding him her blue blood.
So that was it—
Mermaid's blood could turn Yamazaki back into a human.
Although it was incomparably painful, and Yamazaki Hikaru kept shaking his head, the blood mixed with seawater entered his body through his gills and mouth.
The webbing between his fingers began to disappear, and his legs gradually returned to human form.
"No! Suzune, don't leave me..." Yamazaki felt utterly desperate.
As the large net rose, the seawater continuously receded.
And Suzune, like a faint glimmer in the depths of the ocean, was gradually drifting away.
At this moment, Suzune was like a butterfly, a butterfly with huge wings of light.
Deathly beautiful.
Flashback.
During his high school years, unable to bear the cold stares and bullying, Yamazaki stood on a bridge, looked down at the river below, closed his eyes, and jumped.
Although he felt unwilling, he thought that leaving this world, which appeared bright and beautiful but was actually icy cold to the core, might be a good thing.
But just as he had given up on himself, a [hand] reached out from the darkness and grabbed him.
He couldn't see the other person's face clearly.
That warm body instantly embraced him.
He only felt that the person's eyes were large and gentle.
It seemed to be saying, "Life is so beautiful, please live on."
At this very moment, those eyes overlapped with the current Suzune's.
For the sake of Hikaru, Suzune gave up her own mermaid life, striving to send Hikaru to the other shore, the human world...
Although it was full of sunlight, and lacked the coldness of seawater.
It was still suffocating.
At the same time, the BGM began to play:
[Petals drift and scatter in your sky, my life gradually calms, fading into the colorful breath.
Everything is dedicated to you... our time starts from here, don't cry for me anymore.]
It was still a very beautiful and pleasant melody.
I have to say, P Corporation's background music is truly "healing" to death.
Gentle and sorrowful, it always manages to pierce your heart.
[The beautiful, dreamlike world that belongs to us.
I want to watch your smile, let you gently stroke my hair.
This fluttering life is love... at this moment, let us slowly melt away.
A mermaid's heart.
Forever sunk in the heart of the sea.
Blooming right here.]
THE END
"The Mermaid's Heart"
THANK YOU
Ah...
Furukawa clutched his aching chest, feeling his eyes grow moist.
Damn you, Kogahara Tsubakiaki!
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