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Nekodamashi-hen Part 1 (猫騙し編 其の壱 Cat-Deceiving Chapter Part 1) is the fourteenth episode of Higurashi: When They Cry - GOU and the first episode of Nekodamashi.

Synopsis[]

Japanese[]

圭一たちの活躍で沙都子は叔父である鉄平の元から助け出された。

運命のサイコロに導かれる未来は、梨花が切望した結末へと向かっているかに思われたのだが……。

English (Translated)[]

Thanks to the efforts of Keiichi and his friends, Satoko was rescued from her uncle Teppei.

The future, guided by the dice of fate, seemed to be heading towards the ending that Rika had longed for...

Preview Gallery[]

Plot Summary[]

Prologue[]

June 19th in the evening. At the Watanagashi Festival, Rena, Mion and Shion send cotton down the river and give thanks to Oyashiro-sama. Rena wonders where Keiichi and Satoko went off to, with Shion thinking they're "celebrating" together after the long battle they fought. Rika looks at her own cotton ball and says to Hanyuu that they finally saved Satoko after breaking his dead-end fate, so she knows they can work together to break the fate that involves Rika's own death.

Higu2020ep14 ooishi

The group returns to the grounds where many villagers are chatting and drinking. Keiichi and Satoko are still not back yet. Mion and Shion prepare to head home as Rika walks up to the villagers and asks if they saw Tomitake and Takano anywhere. One villager says he saw them in the parking lot when Ooishi suddenly appears, dragging a battered and bloodied metal bat with a crazed expression on his face. The villagers look at him in confusion when the detective proclaims with bloodshot eyes that he's been looking for Rika, suddenly tossing the bat aside and grabbing her throat. Ooishi says he's finally solved the mystery and a villagers tries to stop him, but he gets shot and killed with the detective's gun. Ooishi kills another villager and stands against a wall while still holding onto Rika. He starts scratching his neck and draws blood, complaining about the itchiness. Rika has a moment of realization about Ooishi's condition.

Ooishi yells that he knows the truth about Oyashiro-sama's curse, claiming that Rika was the one behind the mysterious deaths and that she needs to fess up. Rika finds the idea ridiculous but sees no point in arguing. Ooishi scratches his neck some more and shoots several more villagers. Mion goes up to him and says she'll listen to whatever Ooishi has to say as the next head of the Sonozaki family. She begs him to let go of Rika but he instead looks back at her and aims his gun. Shion knocks Ooishi out of the way and makes him let go of Rika, but the detective smacks Shion to the ground. Mion runs towards them but is too late, as Ooishi kills Shion. Rena calls out to them but the escaping crowd is blocking her path. Mion tells Rena to take care of Keiichi and continues running towards Ooishi, but she too is shot and killed. Rena screams in horror.

Higu2020ep14 rika gun

As Rena pleads for Ooishi to take her instead, he picks up Rika by her head and puts his gun up to her face, demanding that she tell him the truth. Rika laments how this perfect world ended so horribly and asks Ooishi to just end her. She refuses to reveal the secrets of the curse and says Ooishi will die knowing nothing. Angered, Ooishi throws Rika to the ground and beats her with his bat, killing her. As Ooishi continues beating Rika's corpse while telling her to talk, a bloodied Satoko walks up the stone stairs towards the scene. Rena yells for her to stay back.

First Half[]

Rika reappears in the Sea of Fragments, screaming and reacting from the sensation of being beaten to death as Hanyuu tells her that everything is okay now. Hanyuu tells her the pain is nothing more than a memory as Fragments displaying Ooishi's killing of Rika are shown. Rika calms down and realizes that she remembers Ooishi killed her, asking Hanyuu what's going on. The horned goddess replies that she's just a lingering trace of her former self and cannot leave this place. Rika wishes they could share a drink together like old times. Hanyuu tells Rika to listen closely: she's used her remaining power to restore Rika's abilities, meaning she will not lose any of her memories when she repeats worlds. The crack in Hanyuu's horn glows as she says this.

Higu2020ep14 hanyuu

Rika understands that she'll be able to remember who kills her now and can prepare better each loop, but she asks Hanyuu if she ever wondered that Rika may not want to live like this. Hanyuu knows Rika is aware that this Hinamizawa is different than the one five years ago. Rika says that in the world where Keiichi was paranoid, she gave him a hint to trust Rena but a tragedy still occurred. In the world where Shion went on a rampage, Rika caused the doll, the catalyst for the event, to go to Mion but Rika still died. Rika has no memory of who killed her that time or how.

Higugou hanyuuflicker

Hanyuu assures Rika that she can figure it out, and Rika sarcastically asks how she can defend from Ooishi's gun then. Seeing Hanyuu's dejection, Rika apologizes for yelling and gets surprised when she notices the goddess flickering for a bit. Hanyuu says again that Rika will figure it out and Rika comments that she just said that, and Hanyuu flickers some more. Hanyuu says that Rika has wonderful friends: Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Shion, Satoko, and many more. Rika says Hanyuu is her friend as well and tells her not to use her powers for any more unnecessary things.

Hanyuu says that after her 100-year journey, Rika's exhausted heart began to heal in the last five years, but it won't last long. People who live in time loops don't have physical lifespans, but mental ones. Rika is aware of the fact and hates that; she spent 100 years in Hinamizawa, feeling like a bird in a cage. She saw countess tragedies one after the other with no idea how or why they happened. Rika says her friends and their miracle stopped her soul from dying long ago, and she has no intention of staying a little girl. She got away from the village and managed to start a new life, and now she's been dragged back into it. Rika yells that even if she were to escape again, she can be sent back to 1983 at any time and asks Hanyuu if she understands how horrifying that is. Rika says that if Hanyuu disappears, she'll truly be alone and starts crying.

Hanyuu watches her cry and says that there's something she must tell her; she hoped never to tell Rika about it, but she will give that as her parting words. Hanyuu has many artifacts related to her, but the most important one is a holy, sacred sword: the Onigari-no-ryuuou. The sword has the ability to kill those for whom death is just the beginning, especially those who live in loops. The sword is hidden inside the ritual warehouse at the shrine. Rika asks what looper Hanyuu intends for her to kill, and Hanyuu says nothing in response but gives a sad look. She says the Hanyuu that faded into the Sea of Fragments didn't want to reunite like this and steps onto a Fragment into the void, telling Rika that she is no longer a fledgling. Rika reaches out to her and Hanyuu bids farewell, telling Rika she must shape her own future as her form continues flickering. Rika keeps calling out to her, saying that Hanyuu being with her was the only way she could bear those 100 years, and stops running before crying on her knees.

Higu2020ep14 nipah sad

Rika reawakens in her bed and is greeted by Satoko, who tells her that sleeping in is not a good look. The date is shown to be Sunday, June 12. Satoko notices her companion's sad expression and asks if Rika had a bad dream. Tears steaming down her face, Rika says she had a horrible dream but remembers none of it as gives a strained nipah.

Second Half[]

Higu2020ep14 rika knife

As Satoko and Rika make breakfast, Satoko notices the depressed look on Rika's face. The phone rings and Satoko goes to take it, telling Rika to finish cutting vegetables. Rika eyes the knife and thinks back to Hanyuu's farewell, with how she asked what kind of looper Rika was meant to kill. She realizes now that it was an obvious answer, putting the knife up to her neck before Satoko says they've been called for an emergency club activity. Rika lays down the knife as Satoko returns and says they'll be heading there in an hour. Rika says she has something else to do that day and won't be going. Satoko tells her that deserting club means a penalty and asks if this "something" has to be done now. Rika denies it and Satoko convinces her to do the thing after club.

Rika and Satoko join the rest of the club at school. Keiichi notices Rika's sullen expression and Satoko says she's been like that all morning, apparently from a bad dream. Rika asks where Shion is and Mion says she never told her to come, but she can call her later if Rika wants to hang out with her, but she says it's not necessary.

Mion decides to cheer her up by allowing Rika to choose the game they play. Rika says she wants to play hide and seek, and the grounds will be the entire village. Rika will be the only one hiding: if the club can find her before sunset, then they win. If they don't find her, then Rika will go home by herself. The club accepts the challenge. With ten minutes to hide, Rika runs off but turns back for a bit, saying the club won't find her. Keiichi thinks she's quitting the game already, and Rika says that if they can't find her and feel bad about it, it's not their fault.

Higu2020ep14 junkyard

As Rika hides, panning shots of the village are shown, including the Irie Clinic. Ten minutes pass, and the club splits up to find Rika. Mion searches around the school and thinks she's hiding in a bathroom, unlocking the door with a set of keys but finding nobody. Satoko searches around the Furude Shrine. Rena searches at the junkyard. Keiichi inspects the water wheel on the path going to school but he doesn't think Rika would hide in such an obvious place. The sun sets and the club regroups at school, thinking the game is finished now. The group figures they'll have to ask Rika tomorrow and prepare to go home when Keiichi stops them. He thinks Rika really wants them to find her, with Satoko realizing that something was really troubling her since that morning. The group swears to find Rika. Mion is asked about any really obscure places in the village, and she knows of one.

Higu2020ep14 statue

Rika heads to the ritual warehouse, opening the lock with a key. She climbs up to the statue of Oyashiro-sama and touches its head, which splits open. Seeing an empty slot where the Onigari-no-ryuuou should be, Rika nervously laughs and starts shedding tears, lamenting that Hanyuu left her a gift she never even wanted. Something glimmers inside the statue, which Rika pulls out to reveal a fragment of the ancient sword. She figures it's big enough to get the job done and sits down, putting the fragment up to her neck. Before she can do anything, she hears her friends calling out to her from outside and declaring that though Rika won, it won't be the same tomorrow.

Higu2020ep14 five more

Rika smiles and lowers the fragment, thanking Hanyuu for it. She can die at any time she wants, but she'll keep going for a little longer. Gazing up at the moon behind the window, Rika raises her hand and declares five more loops; if she doesn't succeed after five more loops, then she'll give up.

Soundtrack[]

Start Time End Time Track OST Description
2:04 3:40 Close Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 Ooishi attacks the villagers
4:02 5:00 Fushin [Fear of Earthquakes] Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 Ooishi interrogates Rika
5:02 6:30 I believe what you said I believe what you said Opening
7:38 9:03 N/A N/A Hanyuu and Rika talk
9:56 12:28 N/A N/A Rika laments her position
20:28 22:10 Disappointment Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Original Soundtrack Rika finds the Onigari-no-ryuuou is missing
22:15 23:44 Kamisama no Syndrome Kamisama no Syndrome Ending

External Links[]

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