"Long time no see! What has everyone been up to lately? Any favorite works?"
"If not, why not try out a game called The Witch's House—a great puzzle game!"
"In my opinion, this game is definitely among the best in the mystery and horror genre!"
"Especially the plot—it's incredibly interesting, even surpassing all other similar works!"
"Trust me, in this game, you'll experience emotions that no other game can offer!"
"I'll be making a walkthrough video for it tonight, so stay tuned!"
"That's all."
While Chiba's "Fallen Saint Black Cat" account didn't have the same level of followers as Akifumi's SNS, there was a notable overlap between their fanbases.
This had the added effect of promoting the game.
After the post, a lot of comments started appearing quickly.
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"The Witch's House? I think I heard about this game today."
"Since it's recommended by Black Cat-sama, I'll give it a try!"
"A mystery, horror game? That's my favorite genre! With Black Cat-sama's recommendation, I feel safe trying it out!!"
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Even though there was some overlap between the fans, more than half of them were shared.
After all, Akifumi worked in so many different fields, which naturally expanded their fanbase.
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"I thought the long review of Your Lie In April was just a coincidence, but now I see it—Black Cat-sama is also a fan of sensei!"
"I just saw The Witch's House recommended by sensei yesterday, and now Black Cat-sama is recommending it too. Guess I have to buy it!"
"Isn't this the first time sensei has made a game? Is it really as good as Black Cat-sama says?"
"The Witch's House is definitely a solid game, but is Black Cat-sama serious about the plot being outstanding?"
"I've cleared it multiple times, and I still don't see anything in the story that's worth praising!"
"This is such an ordinary story, it really doesn't meet the standards I expect from the original creator!"
"Even if it's sensei's work, it should be viewed critically, right?"
"Could it be that Black Cat-sama's been paid for this?"
"…"
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The comments continued to pour in, with many expressing doubt or confusion. But then, a new post appeared.
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"Seeing a lot of players commenting that The Witch's House doesn't have any standout story moments, and they think I'm just blindly praising it—some even suggesting I've been paid..."
"To the last point, I'd like to ask: If Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei sees this, could you share your LINE ID with me?"
"Ahem, back to the main topic."
"For those saying the story has no highlights, I can only say, is it a bit too soon to judge without reaching the true ending?"
"If you're stuck, here's a hint: during the final chase, find Ellen's knife, and you'll see a completely different story."
"Just to avoid any argument, here's the badge I earned. Screenshot.jpg (click to view)"
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The screenshot showed Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat's playtime in The Witch's House and the achievements unlocked, with the most eye-catching being the unique gold achievement.
After the new post, responses began flooding in quickly.
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"Black Cat-sama, you've already reached the true ending so fast!!"
"I thought the other endings were a scam, but it turns out I was just too dumb to figure it out!"
"Wait, it's not a change in the middle of the game, but rather an item affecting the final outcome? Isn't that a bit too childish?"
"What's so different about the true ending?"
"Well, if it's so easy to get the true ending, I guess I'll go back and check it out."
"…"
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About 2 hours after this post went up, the comments started to shift dramatically.
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"Ahhh! My eyes! My eyes!!"
"Why did I have to go and watch the so-called true ending?!"
"It's fake! It's definitely fake!! I refuse to accept that all my efforts led to this outcome!!"
"In my rage, I punched my monitor! Ugh, my BDIFUBADSIBQ SW321C!!"
"I was so upset, but now I can't help but laugh. Did I really pay this much for a game?!"
"Anyway, I refuse to accept this ending! If anything, the earlier endings are the real ones!"
"By the way... is it possible that the only difference between the fake and true endings is that we didn't see the truth, not the other way around?"
"Shut up!!"
"I was wrong, I was so wrong. Doubting sensei's script!!"
"Once again, I've been destroyed by the master's genius, and now I feel like I've lost all hope..."
"This pain is deeper than any other I've ever felt!"
"I haven't even played The Witch's House yet, and I'm so confused. Isn't it just an extra item? Why has everyone's opinion changed so fast?"
"At first, we all didn't understand the plot, so we had shallow interpretations! It turns out, it wasn't the creator's story that was the issue, it was us! We were too stupid!!"
"Not played The Witch's House yet? Bastard! Stop reading these posts and go play it right now!!"
"Exactly! Go play it! This game is amazing!!"
"I'm off to recommend it to my friends. I won't allow anyone around me to not have played this game."
"Is it possible I've already recommended it to everyone?"
"This game is so excellent, everyone has to play it!"
"…"
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At first, players were expressing their pain, but as the tide shifted, the mood quickly changed.
Now, those who had discovered the truth, while heartbroken, were also taking action.
If the creator's previous works had brought sadness followed by a shift to hope and understanding, The Witch's House only left behind total despair.
From every angle, all that could be felt was pain. After experiencing that pain, there was no way to recover.
So...
"Let's spread it!"
"I can't be the only one feeling this pain!"
"Everyone should experience the love and beauty that The Witch's House brings!"