(This theory may contain spoilers for the Made In Abyss manga up to chapter 66.)

The next story arc for Made In Abyss is developing, and I wanted to go ahead and share an idea of what I think might be about to happen next, based on the hints that we’ve been given so far. This fan theory concerns Riko, the Song of Hariyomari, and the identity of the so-called Priestess that has been mentioned by characters such as Tepaste and Nishagora.

First, about the Song of Hariyomari. According to the narrative, the Song of Hariyomari is a song passed along by the children of Orth, and is said to contain a message relevant to White Whistles, the legends among cave raiders, and may even contain a hint on how to advance to the 7th layer.

Earlier in the story, Nanachi is seen reading a book to her friend, Mitty. It would later be known to the reader that the verse that was read came from the Song of Hariyomari. This would happen when Riko’s party happens upon an emperorshell in the 6th layer, and the party recalls Nanachi having read the verse.

We also see at the Tumble Tavern that Habolg overhears a conversation between Cravagli and Tepaste, and then asks Jiruo whether he’s familiar with the song. Later, while on a joint expedition, Habolg happens upon a discovery which causes him to question whether Cravagli intended to somehow bring a fable to life.

The song is also known to the White Whistle, Srajo the Obscure, who is on the trail of the Priestess. Srajo teaches much of the song to Riko after determining that Riko is someone she could trust.

Next, the Priestess. We’re not given much information about this mysterious personage, aside from that it’s a person who interprets omens from the abyss, and it is said that she’s the one to have authored the Song of Hariyomari. Tepaste and Cravagli are somehow connected to the Priestess, but it’s not clear how. When Nishagora discovers Riko’s party, she sets eyes on Riko’s white whistle, and exclaims that she’s found the Priestess’s clan. However, Tepaste says that she never met the group.

According to Srajo, her party, Hail Hex, is in pursuit of the Priestess, who she says is trapped between the 6th and 7th layers, unable to advance. Because the strains of ascension in those layers are deadly, that’s a bad place to be stuck.

Where we left off, Riko’s party was on the verge of a joint expedition into the 7th layer alongside Hail Hex. While Riko is concerned with reaching the bottom, readers are suspicious of the motives of Srajo, who probably hasn’t given up her pursuit of the Priestess.

Having established all that, I think we’re about ready to get into some speculation. So here’s what I think might be going on: I suspect that the Priestess may be Riko herself, who also wrote the Song of Hariyomari.

On the surface, this seems impossible. After all, at the outset of the arc, Hail Hex is already in pursuit of the Priestess, whose cadre already includes Cravagli and Tepaste. So, how can it be that someone who just entered the 6th layer can be the same person who’s already being pursued between the 6th and 7th layers?

Much earlier in the story, Ozen the Immovable explained the time dilation, which causes time to move differently in the deeper layers, to the point that a person can spend weeks in the abyss while months pass on the surface.

It could be that the time dilation is more like a time warp which becomes more evident in the deeper layers. One could ask how Ozen would be unaware of this, but remember that most cave raiders cannot ascend from the 6th layer, due to the strains at that level. Thus, it’s reasonable to expect that if there was a time warp, it might go unreported, even if the people caught within were to notice it, at all.

Notice how, shortly after Riko’s party meets her, Nishagora comments on how time behaves around Riko’s party. Depending on translation, she could say that time “flies”, or “stabilizes”, or something to the latter effect. I have my doubts that Nishagora was merely commenting on how Riko and friends are “fun to be around”, as the party responded with confused expressions, to which she replies that it’s okay that they don’t know, and that she’s bad at explaining things, anyhow.

What I suspect is about to happen is that Riko will be presented with the opportunity to become the new Priestess, to replace the previous one, with the ability to interpret omens facilitated by her connection to the abyss (remember her dream about Mitty?). Perhaps the whole reason why Bondrewd crafted Prushka into Riko’s white whistle was because he believed that Riko could facilitate the “dawn” of the next thousand years. Perhaps when Bondrewd went to Iruburu, he gave instructions on how to embellish Riko’s white whistle, which Nishagora would then recognize.

But, if we know Riko, she doesn’t care about any of that, she just wants to adventure to the bottom, where she expects to meet her mother, or whoever might be waiting for her. Thus, Riko would decline, and insist on continuing her adventure.

Of course, this would be greatly upsetting to the cadre of cave raiders who carefully conspired over the course of years to groom Riko to be the next Priestess, which might include the likes of Bondrewd the Novel! And the one closest to Riko to give pursuit would be Srajo the Obscure!

But, there would be a problem. During the pursuit, Riko would be caught in a time loop, with Srajo’s party continually on her trail, and by the time she realizes it, it’s too late!

So, Riko needs to come up with a plan. Otherwise, she and her friends will be pursued by Hail Hex forever! Obviously, fighting them would be out of the question, as Nishagora alone would be too much to handle, and there’s no telling what Yataramaru and the twins are capable of.

However, Riko gets an idea: she could send a warning to herself in the past, one that could be passed along over the course of centuries and make it back to herself. It’s said that the Song of Hariyomari contains a clue on how to advance to the 7th layer, which is supposedly about the point where the Priestess is stuck.

Therefore, Riko completes the cycle by composing the Song of Hariyomari, and passing it along in the hopes that it would be heard by her younger self!

When a message must be passed along verbally with minimal distortion, music is an excellent way of doing this. If you’re familiar with the game of Telephone, you know that the phrase whispered into the ear of the first kid in line is usually way different from what the last child hears, then announces. Riko, being a child herself, is likely familiar with this game, and likely also realizes that people tend to be much better at remembering messages that are in the form of music.

And the message was transmitted so effectively, that it became known to orphans in Orth, and was even known to adults like Cravagli. Even Nanachi was seen reading the song to Mitty. These hint to Riko’s plan (if it is her plan) so far being a resounding success!

So, would this plan be enough to save Riko, and allow her to escape? Will this even be anywhere close to how events might play out?

I don’t know. But I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next chapter!