What we know in canon from s2

DISCLAIMER: The following bullets are based on my memory. Would appreciate fact checks and screenshots. Will come back to update with screenshots when I find the evidence.

Hyde has mentioned in an earlier episode of s2, at the end of a chapter, that Darwick or, more broadly, the Institute, has a specific department or suborganization that is attempting to create anomalies.

Not just finding and capturing anomalies for study. I'm talking man-made anomalies, humans tampering with the supernatural, playing as God, mad scientist shit, etc ...

TASF (Tokyo Anomaly Survey Force?) is involved in creating anomalies. They leave behind documents about their experiments in s2 ep6 but also in s1 ep20 "unfathomable triangle"

My Prelim Theory

MC and the ghouls are part of the Institute/Darkwick's scheme to create anomalies. They and others have consistently used her to complete rituals - refer to that one vagastrom high school ep, the last ep of s1 when they tried to capture the kyklos at Lockburn, and now s2 ep6 ...

But what if her going on these missions is part of a bigger ritual? What if she is the anomaly they are trying to create and bring under their control?

Red text is background information that might be necessary to understand previous text. If you already know what I'm talking about in a text, feel free to gloss over/skip any following red text.

Blue text is entirely unnecessary for the post. It means I'm derailing entirely, and you can feel free to skip right over it.

So, I think MC is gonna become a ghoul in the next few episodes, and I think I might know what her stigma will be.

Starting off, you may ask, why do I think MC is gonna become a ghoul at all? From a narrative perspective, wouldn't it make more sense to keep the MC separated from the supporting cast?

It might, I'll give you that. But Tokyo Debunker has already, at least in my eyes, broken quite a few narrative stereotypes that one might expect.

One being that things happen off-camera a lot. We don't know what the Kyklos-Combat-Crew was talking about in the meeting in episode 21, Taiga losing the Kyklos all the way back in the Prologue, as well as why him and Haku were after it in the first place seeing as interdorm missions weren't a thing yet, the deserters getting caught and having been caught for over half a year now without us knowing what happened to them, and the entire... Ren's break in thing.

Another being that they aren't afraid to have real, in-universe mysteries. Why are ghouls different to other contract makers? They don't know. Where's Yamato? No clue. What exactly is the Sage Ring capable of? The book about it doesn't say. What was up with the Sky King? We still don't know.

Plus Kyklos genuinely getting away. Likely permanently.

They have no problem stomping on expectations. Why not stomp on one more?

So, fine, maybe they might break expectations, you might be thinking, but lunchboxe, you still haven't explained why she'd be a ghoul. Just why it'd be possible.

Well, I'm glad you asked! Y'see, there's a few reasons. First of all, assuming this next line was translated correctly, it can be seen as evidence.

This is a (hopefully accurately) translated version of a twitter preview for the next B-log.

This likely takes place next episode. Or at least in the next few. My belief is that "one of us" refers to MC becoming a ghoul. But I have more evidence, if that's not substantial enough for you.

The following are two screenshots taken from the original Kisaragi forum, (translated as is a feature on my chrome) a link I got from someone with actual access to 2ch. (2ch, or 2channel, is the website on which the original Kisaragi thread was posted. The website is usually inaccessible to those outside of Japan. In case you don't remember, Kisaragi is the name of the train MC was transported to in both the prologue and episode 21/22. The beginning of the thread creator; Hasumi's, story also aligns with MC's... Slightly.)

(Hasumi, the thread creator, while on the train she usually takes to get to work, suddenly realizes her train is taking longer than usual. By a lot. When it finally stops, she gets off to see where she is. The train leaves before she can get back on. The station she's at is unmanned, and called "Kisaragi" station. According to the above comments, Kisaragi may mean "demon". Hasumi leaves the station, eventually entering a tunnel. She hears drums. She runs through the tunnel, at one point seeing a one-legged man who "disappeared", until she finally got out of the tunnel. A kind man then appeared to help her, and called a train to the nearest station. His speech slowly devolved into nonsense, before he stopped talking entirely. They were heading towards the mountains for a while. He said the destination was "Hina". After that, Hasumi was never heard of again.)

The significance of this is the supposed meaning of Kisaragi. MC never actually leaves her train while in this "other dimension". The first time, Haku plays his flute, and they're out. The second time, it's MC's warding card that gets them out. The only people who ever actually leave the train while in what could very well be another dimension are Haru and Taiga, and while we don't get any story from Taiga about it, the one we do get from Haru isn't much better.

All it really mentions is that he "chased the Kyklos like a bloodhound, but still somehow ended up back at Lockburn Castle". That, and the fact he ended up at the top of the hill. No mentions of the landscape on the way, how far he went, or which direction.

So we're not really sure how far the seemingly different landscape of Kisaragi station goes, how much away you have to be for the moon to stop being red, or... Anything else regarding its relation to reality. Much like the original thread.

But that's not the most pressing matter here. The most pressing matter here is this:

We do not know who or what these are, and they seem to disappear when Haru follows the Kyklos through the window.

Why do I care about this? Well, Kisaragi station might mean demon station, right? What if those are demons?

Another thing I noticed is the number of figures. It matches with the number of non-MC non-Mina members of the prologue group chat.

So, we've established the possibility of MC running into a demon. Now for MC being chosen by one.

(they mention in the prologue that ghouls are handpicked by demons. Obviously, the criteria is never mentioned, but the ghouls are clearly chosen for a reason.)

I believe the main reason behind a demon choosing a subject to make a deal with is likely desperation. This isn't a controversy.

MC seems the most desperate of all. With each episode, she's only getting more desperate, to the point of crumbling to the ground in relief at any perceived breakthrough.

I believe she even has a line somewhere in the main story mentioning point-blank that, given the opportunity, she would absolutely make a deal with a demon to rid her of her curse.

She has a wish ready.

Now—this next bit isn't confirmed or even really implied, but I do believe it would make sense. I believe the difference between those who do and do not survive making a pact may be as simple as just strength of will. MC has been working all this time just to get out alive, if a failed pact means all of that goes to dust, I doubt she'd give in easily.

I also mentioned a theory about what her stigma would end up being. Well, that part's easy.

I believe in wishing for her curse to be cured, MC may become immune to curses in general. Hell, maybe even immune to all anomalous afflictions.

Why immune to curses though? Outside of her wish being to cure hers, of course.

Well, for one, she is currently residing in Clementia. Clementia was the go-to house for all things curse-related, was it not? I see many people reasoning that her supposed stigma, should she become a ghoul, would be plant related. I disagree.

In my personal opinion, I feel it would seem rather shallow writing to water her down to her curse even after it's broken.

Another reason I believe it's curse immunity is the flower at the beginning. The flower at the beginning cutscene of the game is a white lily. After some very quick research, I found that white lilies usually symbolize purity and rebirth.

Purity. It's a stretch, but assuming the flower relates back to MC, it could be purity of curses.

... Cough cough. Back on topic.

If MC becomes immune to curses, it would also mean she would be able to touch Rui.

Now as we know (if you're past ep.4) he's the former Clementia advisor/professor and now runs the campus shop under a cat manager (hilarious). His name is taken from a Japanese monk, very fitting for the advisor of a curse/church/temple/magic centered house.

It's of course for tension building reasons in the story that the we know so little of Clementia and by extension Benkei at this time. Like, Clementia would prolly be one of the best, if not THE best house to take care of MC's curse, so they can't have been a part of the arc yet to just magically solve the problem early on.

BUT THIS ROBS US FROM SUCH COOL THINGS and I honestly hope we'll see Clementia guys and their cards this year after Dionysia sits down. To further thicken the soup that is the plot.

Haku and Rui have been part of the house before. It honestly makes sense for both of them; Haku is the heir to a temple and Rui knows his shit with anomalous plants and herbs and has an interest (and contacts) in witchcraft. But both are spiritual and magical skills and interests and I need ALL of that in my life IMMEDIATELY.

We know quite little of Benkei, but he does sell all sorts of anomalous medicine and magical items in his shop. Even the shop background has those Japanese curse dolls (wara ningyô) on display that MC used in her performance in the haunted house, mimicking the Ushi no toki mairi-curse ritual.

So Benkei knows his shit, prolly having been a monk before getting a teaching/advisor job. But to just openly have curse items for sale in his shop for students to buy...? That's ballsy and dangerous as fuck, especially now since Clementia is defunct and Benkei isn't teaching anymore.

Does Darkwick's curriculum even have curse or straight up magic related classes anymore?

(Off topic kinda but I hate the steel blue waistcoat and salmon tie on Benkei, he looks like a fucking sushi or a cheap hotel auditor lol. He looks so much better in the shop apron, the green and the gold really suit him and I swear to fuck if Twist doesn't make Clementia's house colour green I'll explode something in Minecraft wwwwwww)

Now, the poor guy is super worried he's being creepy towards students that he does indeed come off a little creepy, to his own detriment. I believe the game devs tried to write a fresher take on the 2000's "pervy monk" trope and turned it to um... You know how when you go through airport security checks, you've made sure you have nothing on you and something still beeps and you panic like "oh shit what if I'm accidentally a drüg mule??"

That. They made the poor guy that.

Sure, as per the later episodes he's involved to at least to some extent with the academy's bullshit like the other professors, but honestly? I trust him more than I trust Nicolas at this point. Even if we know so little of him.

(I just think Nicolas is a sus henchman that keeps fucking up and feels guilty for dancing to Darkwicks tune lol)

And I have a stupid little theory why Benkei is so worried about coming off as creepy towards students. Being the advisor of a magic/spirituality/herb etc. forward house, he might've been involved with an accident involving love spells or love potions, even love related curses before Clementia got shut down.

I don't think it's anything related to the main plot, but who knows.

But why would a guy like him ALSO be the advisor to Ultio? A house literally named "revenge" that runs a fucking prison/holding facility??

It doesn't really fir his personality and vibe, at least knowing what we know so far of the facilities, but then again, all the professors are sus as fuck. Benkei just less so. I kinda hope he's in kahoots with Haku to throw Darkwick's plans off. Maybe he's one of the people Haku calls so often? Or the Institute? Dunno, just spitballing.

So far he just seems like a more straight up kinda guy than any of the other faculty members. Maybe I'm holding on to false hope for ONE professor to not be a conniving asshole lol

So I feel very bad for Taiga. Taiga totally has a stigma that make him able to see the future or something. I'm pretty sure of it, otherwise he wouldn't have tried to warn us about it as at the start of the gala in chapter 24. And that's probably why he was so "numb" in the entiere chapter he knew what would happen.

Another interesting thing we learn in chapter 23 is that Taiga opened the casino for Romeo. For some reason Romeo went to Italy in second year. Probably because of the Clash. Taiga and Romeo have a very toxic relationship. I love them but Taiga does lean a lot on Romeo, as if romeo and Him are the only real people in the world in his eyes in a way, i don't if it make sense. But he is very possessive of Romeo. Romeo isn't the same about Taiga.

I think Taiga was searching for someone that wouldn't use him and would listen to him. That why he liked the MC because she didn't do that and That's also probably why he was tamed around Haku, since Haku does that. That's also why he didn't share the secret of his stigma, otherwise flies would come around him to not hesitate and abuse of it.

Romeo is another case, i love him honestly but he is a lot materialistic. He did get betrayed and manipulate by Hyde a lot and still trust him even at the end. That what infuriate and make Taiga sad, because Romeo isn't like that with him, je just yells at him. Romeo need Taiga not because of Taiga but because of what Taiga can give him, what he can win with him. After all Taiga had to open the Casino to make him come back.

Chapter 24 really points out all the problems between the houses. All their toxicity come crashing down. And in this case, Taiga is done with Romeo it's clear. And he tried to warn everyone about what would happen even in first year or second year. Haru mentions at some point that Taiga told everyone about a traitor among them and talked about conspiracy. That's probably why he is this close off, because no one listened to him before and still isn't. And in his eyes, it might be very hurtful that Romeo trust more in the words of someone who tried to kill him and betrayed him once already than him.

And that's also maybe why he is more tame lately with ritsu, because in chapter 23, ritsu admit to use him. He is honest about it, but tells him that's just because he isn't here that wouldn't stop him and what he want to achieve. I feel like that a start for Taiga, which might explain why he brought him with him at the end of chapter 24 to confront Romeo.

I also feel like haru tried to be that type of person that listen to him. In chapter 23, Elias reveal how is truly Taiga to Haru. Haru tells him that he is starting to believe what he was saying before about conspiracy and everything.

And i'm pretty sure haru tried to do so. But you can't fake liking someone. Even if Haru and Taiga seems friends now it's clear that they are mostly tolerating each other, especially from Taiga's perspective. He's not gonna trust an old ennemy overnight especially since he has trust issues. And especially because Haru may have not trust him in the past. From Taiga's view Haru must be using him, especially since Taiga seems to be one of the only one having connection to old students of Dionysia.

Also in chapter 22, Taiga clearly states that the only reason why Haru is still alive is because of Towa. Taiga knows he can't win against Towa.

Taiga need more than a year to trust Haru but Haru is too forceful in his way. We see that with Ren already. He's pushing others people boundaries, thinking that how they would trust him without noticing that he is pushing them away from him by doing so.

And about Haru we know that his cheerful personnality is a part of a lie. It's implied when he talks to Elias. That's also may play on why Taiga doesn't like him. So far the only character other than the Mc who tried to listen to Taiga without treating him as an idiot is Haku. Ritsu has also started to improved in this area. It's clear that he is trying to listen more to Taiga and realized that Taiga isn't an idiot. I still feels like Taiga cares in his own way for Haru, since he did points out that he was hurt.

It's clear he is struggling with his issues but doesn't voice it because no one listen to him and honestly that makes me so sad. That's also probably why he only tried to warn mc when he saw her, because he knew she would listen. And that's also why he was so unbothered by the gala, because he knew it would be useless in the end.