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Part 1 of Fragments
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Published:
2016-11-21
Updated:
2022-08-11
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383,284
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41/?
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Riposa in Pace

Summary:

The epilogue of the Hope's Peak Saga transpires on Jabberwock Island, where the students of class 78 become the most recent victims of a centuries old witch's tale. The protagonist, Makoto Naegi is held captive by the demented witch, with fashion sense as wicked as her sense of humor, and struggles to overcome her final killing game. A peaceful vacation among friends turned into a den of crimson-eyed killers, all seeking to be the last man standing.

Can Makoto escape the repeated cycles of bad ends with his sanity in tact? Or will he be crushed beneath the one-sided grudges, affections and expectations?

Chapter 1: Rondo di Depistaggio / Rondo of Misdirection

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A film theater was set ablaze. The fire raged along the curtains, the seats, and even encroached on the two figures near the center stage. Their glares burned as hotly as the rising temperature. The flames danced around them, like the audience observing the actors on the stage.

*cough*

The girl coughed blood and sunk to her knees. Her carefully put-together appearance was a mess. Red manicured hands pressed against the bullet wound on the left side.

Hurts like a bitch - Junko Enoshima crudely thought. A lopsided grin was plastered onto her face. Despite how circumstances appeared, she was having the time of her (after) life.

Those once doe-eyes were now cold as ice, and hard as the steel that was aimed at her. Then there was that beautiful red.

"Are you so crazy that you can enjoy this?" Makoto Naegi asked.

Junko forced a laugh, ignoring the metallic taste of blood, "If you ask me, you're the crazy one for are crazy for not seeing how much of a thrill this is!" The queen of despair's cheeks tinted pink with ecstasy. " Not like I blame you, everyone's afraid of trying new things at first. But don't worry, I'm a very good teacher." Once this was all over, he'd see things her way. Just like the whole world once did.

“If the entry fee's having to spend a second longer with you than I have to, then I'll pass on that." Makoto hissed.

Always playing hard to get.

Junko would be lying if she said she didn't adore that resistance. Even as that light of hope was tainted and blackened with dark emotions, a faint spark remained. Snuffing that out would be her pleasure.

And if she failed, that just meant she had the good fortune of getting to try over and over again.


The sun was setting on Jabberwock Island.

Hajime Hinata sat by the sandy beach, watching the ocean glimmering in a way he never could. Just being here was a luxury for the rich. A class of which Hajime would count himself among. That said, anyone who could reserve the island for several weeks went from "rich" to "disgustingly wealthy" or disgustingly powerful.

Hope’s Peak Academy was both.

“Hajime!” Called his friend, Chiaki Nanami. She was the Ultimate Gamer and the only reason a no-talent, reserve course like himself got invited to this school getaway trip. 

"What's up?" He responded.

"Miss. Yukizome wants everyone in the hotel for dinner. Afterward...the guys are gonna be telling scary stories by the statue. I’d rather be in my cabin, but Ibuki said she’d drag me out.”

“The doors have locks, y’know?”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Ibuki’s got waaaay too much will.” Chiaki yawned. “If I’m going, might as well have you there.”

“Yeah. Real flattering.” He hoped they didn’t stay out too long. The storm watch predicted a typhoon coming in. Normally, that’d be cause for staying in at night, but Hajime doubted Chiaki’s classmates played by laymen’s logic.

Hajime frowns at the memory of one of the most unpleasant first meetings of his life. Right when the ship docked, the students opted for drawing straws to see who'd carry the bags. It was just a fun game that turned sour when somebody took it to another level.

"I don't see the point of this game. If you ultimates are searching for a loser amongst us, then the outcome was already decided before playing." The white-haired bastard looked him in the eyes. Hajime's body was wracked by a cold sweat, a prelude to the sort of hazing he received in his old school. Why did he think that things would be different here? Hope's Peak is made up of geniuses who were set for life after graduation. Assholes like him were everywhere- "So why don't you enjoy yourselves while Mr. Hajime Hinata and I take care of everything."

...

At least Chiaki's friends had the courtesy to be angry in his place and dropped the game altogether.

Chiaki groaned. “Maybe I should skip dinner and nap while I can.”

“You sure you want to miss out on the ultimate chef’s cooking?” Hajime asked.

The gamer sighed. “Probably for the best. I hear Teruteru’s been working on another one of his ‘love potions’. If he picks today to unveil it, I’ll be glad to sit dinner out.” She said wearily.

“Pulled an all-nighter again?” He snickered.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Chiaki pouted. “One of the upperclassmen kept me busy.”

“You have friends over there?”

“Sort of. She’s private so…I don’t talk about her…much.”

The third yawn was the cue to put the girl in bed. He’d tell the teacher that Chiaki couldn’t make it. She’d probably understand.


The class of Hope’s Peak Academy circled the campfire by the Jabberwock statue. Not to say they were bunched up together. Everyone was sort of doing their own thing.

Hifumi patiently (and happily?) attended to Celes. It was impressive how he didn’t look winded in this heat, especially after running to the store and back, bringing a folding table and chair for the Ultimate Gambler’s pleasure alone.

Byakuya leaned by the statue, doing his very best to ignore his long-term stalker. At this point, Makoto didn’t think Toko was even trying to hide. What a strange relationship.

Mondo, Ishimaru, and Chihiro were huddled together in what the former two refer to as, a broship session.

Kyoko and Sayaka were nearest to the fireplace together, speaking too lowly for the luckster to make out what they were saying. He stared a little too long though. Blue and purple caught him, hook-line-sinker. 

He looked to the side, trying to ignore the nearby teasing. That led him over to Aoi and Sakura – the sports junkies, as termed by one of his best friends. It’d be more surprising if a day went past where those two weren’t together.

With kilometers of sand, woodlands, attractions, and water…scratch that, the real surprise would if he’d catch them anywhere except for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

As for himself – Well, Makoto took some pride in being an accessory to the reason they were all here. The academy ran into some financial problems over the last few years. Renting out Jabberwock had been the once-in-a-lifetime ‘generosity’ of the Togami heir. After quite a bit of cajoling from everyone, Makoto included.

It was an unforgettable experience, having to walk the sizing equivalent of an entire football field just to pass the gate and ring the doorbell on Byakuya’s villa.

- - -

“Who might you be?”

Knowing Byakuya’s personality, Makoto 100% expected there’d be some haughty butler to look their nose down at him. A female version of Byakuya wasn’t in the cards. She didn’t tower over the boy the way Byakuya did nor was ‘grimace’ the default expression. She was a different kind of imposing, with all the advantages that mature, well-proportioned women had.

“I’m Makoto Naegi…one of Togami’s friends.” He spluttered so badly that he forgot that he and Byakuya weren’t friends at all! The scion went out of his way to remind him of that fact every week.

“…” She studied him in a way that made him feel nervous.

“Um…I’m just here to visit.”

“I spaced out there, sorry. I’m Shinobu, Byakuya’s sister. Guess that makes us both unwanted guests.”

Unwanted? Makoto wouldn’t be surprised to hear that about himself, but did Byakuya treat his relatives that way too?

“Get lost.” The man himself said from behind Shinobu. She skipped to the side to let Byakuya pass. The heir’s perpetual scowl was in full force today.

“Sorry, Naegi. He’s in a bad mood.” Shinobu said.

“You were included in that remark.” Byakuya eyed her. “And how can you call yourself a Togami when you’re dressed so slovenly? In front of a commoner no less.”

Makoto furrowed his brow. “She’s barely showing any skin.” Unless dressing casual and not being decked out in expensive suits counted as ‘slovenly’.  Byakuya really needed to get out more.

“Did I ask?” The glare that Byakuya shot him could freeze fire.

Way to go, Makoto. He’d never say yes at this rate.

“Why are you here anyway? I put up with you enough at school. Have you come to spread your obnoxious optimism over my home as well?”

“I was wondering whether you could help us with raising money for the trip to Jabberwock Island…” Makoto rubbed his cheek.

Byakuya gave him the same expression he often reserved for whenever a certain ultimate clairvoyant opened his mouth.

“For the last time, the answer is n-”

“He’s totally on-board with it, and the ship.” Shinobu interrupted him.

For a brief moment, Togami flared her an angry glare. One Makoto noticed didn’t have 1/10th the steel he brazenly raised against the luckster and his classmates.

She glanced over to Makoto and said, “I’m the older sister” as if that explained everything.

“…” Byakuya grit his teeth.

“Am I wrong?” Shinobu asked.

Byakuya backed down at the prompt, instead directing his ire towards his classmate. “Your timing couldn’t have been worse.” Monotonously, he followed with. “I’ll consider it.”

S-Seriously? Everyone’s going to flip when I tell them! “I’ll make it up to you…somehow.” Makoto bowed his head.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Someone just might hold you to them one day.”

- - -

The classmates had all gathered by a campfire at Hifumi's call. All but two.

Those sisters were always sneaking off. He hoped Mukuro wasn’t having too much trouble.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Who has ever heard the tale of the Witch of Jabberwock Island?” Hifumi asked boisterously.

“Power of Christ compels you. Demon, begone. Haku Shakazulu.” Hagakure chanted ominously while clasping both hands above his head.

“What the fuck is he doin’?” Mondo wondered.

“Hiro doesn’t take occult stuff well.” Sayaka patted the clairvoyant on the shoulder. Pathetically, the act soothed the older man.

“I ain’t heard this story, but I’m guessing she’s some old, pimpled hag. Not really interested.” Leon raked his hands through his hair.

Hifumi rubbed his chin. “...The legend dates back maybe a thousand ago according to the rumors, so I don’t know what she looked like.”

“So I can totally imagine that she’s hot. Now I’m slightly more invested.”

Hifumi coughed. “The story starts with a lone girl washing ashore on a shipwreck. The natives feared she was cursed and summoned the local priest to perform an exorcism.”

“She’s a chick. Where’s the hospitality?” The delinquent cracked his knuckles. Who was he going hit, exactly?

“Comport yourself, bro! And you cannot blame them for approaching her with suspicion. She was trespassing on foreign soil.” Kiyotaka said.

“You talk like she should have brought a passport along.” Celes giggled.

“Don’t mock me. Passports weren’t even invented until the 1400s.”

“Poor girl. I’m sure she was harmless.” Chihiro said.

“You would be correct, Mr. Fujisaki. The priest found nothing evil about our heroine. But the islanders never stopped being suspicious of her. They scorned her as a ‘yellow demon’ and even made attempts on her life. Without being able to communicate, she couldn’t convince them otherwise.”

“Language barriers and cultural differences often lead to conflict. Given the time, I doubt this story has a proper ending.” Kyoko commented.

“Very astute.” Hifumi nodded. “The inhabitants began contracting strange diseases. Even the great priest was said to have died. They blamed and sacrificed the foreigner to appease the island's god. She was tortured and beaten for 16 days before she died after being run through with a spear and left to bleed out to death. Afterward, the natives later burned her corpse.”

“Holy shit.” Leon’s eyes bugged out.

“I’m leaving the lights on tonight.” Hiro was pale as a white sheet.

“It was an unlawful time.” Celes drank from her teacup.

The doujin author chuckled. “The fun part starts when the charred remains of the sacrifice disappeared. The islanders searched and came up empty. A new plague descended on the community, changing them. Some mysteriously committed suicide, and others turned into savage killers. One morning, all life on the island vanished. The legend states that this misfortune was the witch's revenge and that she still roams around to these parts even to this day, spreading despair to all who visit.”

“Shut the hell up. No way any of that’s real, I’ll bet Toki’s life on it!” Yasuhiro screamed.

“W-Why not your own, y-you con-artist?” Toko snarled.

“It’s just a fairy tale.” Byakuya scoffed.

“He’s right. I’m sure the rumor is just an attraction for customers otherwise there'd be incidents all the time and this area would be off-limits.” Chihiro’s brand of common sense was a welcome medicine for the more superstitious among them.

A low rumbling sound came shortly after.

“FOR THE LOVE OF ODIN, SHE’S HERE! Ogre, throw Hifumi at her.” The psychic screamed as he grabbed both ends of his outlandish hair.

“You’re overestimating Sakura if you think that she can lift Hifumi above ground.” Celes chimed in. “Besides, I believe that sound came from Makoto.”

“…Anyone up for dinner?” Makoto blushed. Most agreed and filed out in groups, heading towards the diner.

Byakuya had Makoto stay behind for a bit.

“Did you know there’s an addition to that story?” Togami’s fingers pressed on his glasses.

Makoto tilted his head.

“I’ll take your slow-timed response as an answer. Assuming you aren’t being your usual dull-witted self anyway. A rather bold assumption, I must admit.” Makoto hoped that Byakuya didn’t mean all of his insults. The bespectacled teen just had a compulsion to belittle everything that moved like it was second nature. Underneath it all, he was arguably the most honest and straightforward person the Luckster knew.

“The witch tale is indeed a common folktale; however, they also say that many years back, classes of our very own school were mercilessly killed by her on their vacation. What do you make of that?”

Makoto stared at him, slack-jawed, wondering what side of the field that curveball came from “You’re just trying to scare me right? That could never happen. It’d be all over the news if it did.”

“I wonder.” Ambiguously, Byakuya smirked and silently walked off to who knows where.

Wasn’t he the one against spreading rumors?


Hajime woke up the next morning and prepared to head out. His thoughts were still a bit disgruntled by the story shared by the statue on the previous night.

He’d handled the fair share of ghost stories better than some at least. Lost in thought, he didn’t notice he bumped into someone.

“My bad.” Hajime apologized. Once getting a look at who he’d walked into, he internally takes it back.

“Could it kill you to be a little coordinated or is that asking too much of a reserve course?” Said the marshmallow-haired jackass himself.

“…I’m not looking to pick a fight with you guys. Screw off.”

“It’s insulting the others to group me in the same bracket but like mom used to say, it’s uncouth to shy from a compliment. Even if it is from the lower class. So thanks, my name’s Nagito Komaeda.”

“Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you.” He bit back the sarcasm and reintroduced himself. Guess their first introductions weren’t worth the effort for the man to remember.

“That’s quite the cordial greeting. A bit bothersome too now that I think about it.”

“Why is that?”

“Chiaki and Miss. Yukizome bugged me all night about approaching you with...respect and kindness. It truly is amazing how merciful the ultimates can be towards scum, don’t you think?”

It was quickly becoming apparent to Hajime that he was standing in front of an Ultimate fanboy he could never hope to comprehend.

Nagito rapidly shook his head. “Oh, there I go forgetting again. Under suggestions (orders) from my betters, I should have been more tolerant of you just now, while you retained your composure despite it. Either this means you know your place or I’m even more incompetent by comparison. What a dilemma.”

What does he sound like a senile old man?

“I’m rather bad at explaining myself. What I’m trying to say is, let’s try and get along.” Nagito said, his smile seeming a bit forced however Hajime complied regardless.

“Sure,” Hajime said dryly.

The two begrudgingly shook hands.

“As a token of our new friendship, let me give you some advice.” Nagito’s face turned grave. “Stay away from Izayoi and Ruruka from the upper class. They’re kind of a pain even for me. No telling how they’d act in front of a reserve course when Seiko isn’t around to keep Ruruka in check.” Despite that ‘advice’, Nagito still made it sound like Hajime was the one at fault here.

“Thanks for the warning?” Hajime knitted his brows. How rotten did your personalities have to be to get called out by Nagito?

Here’s to never finding out.


In his search for Chiaki, he stumbled on one Ibuki Mioda leaving the men's barracks. He arched an eyebrow, knowing that particular room belonged to the pervert chef.

Why there of all places?

“Hajime found Ibuki, and she was being really sneaky too.” She appeared to have noticed him as well.

“Hinata or Hajime is fine.”

Ibuki nodded and promised to remember this time. 100% or so she said.

This was one excitable lady.

It was annoying in a different way from Nagito.

“What are you doing over here?” He asked.

“Ibuki had to drop something off in one of the boy's rooms.”

“Gotcha. Did Chiaki come by? She wasn’t feeling well yesterday. I thought I’d check on her.”

“OOOOOH! Your secret’s safe with me…as long as you help me out.” Ibuki said quickly.

“I think you lost me a few steps back…and what was that last part?”

“Why else would you spend that much time together when you’ve barely spoken to the rest of us?”

Because I wouldn’t last a day following your pace…

“We’re not together all the time, Chiaki even said there’s some amazing person who she's friends with. I haven't seen her that much in the past few days.” Hajime explained.

“That pretty vague. Sure, that’s not a lie?” Ibuki said unconvinced.

“That's what I said. If you guys don’t know about it, maybe she really is as shy as Chiaki said.” Then again, he could understand the desire to fly under the radar.

“Class rep might be talking about Junko.”

Who?

“Nothing to do about that then.” Ibuki mused. “Hey, wait! You didn’t say all this just to distract me, did you? I'm having a solo at the Typhoon in a few days. Make sure you come or else.” She demanded before storming off.

“It's only morning and I’m already exhausted. She didn’t even answer my question.”

“What question? And did you know mumbling to yourself in broad daylight is a sign of insanity, Hajime?” Hajime almost yelped at the sound of Chiaki’s voice.

He ought to put a bell on her. “I was looking for you before I ran into Mioda. She practically forced me into going to her show.”

“She probably just wants you to mix with everyone and is using her offer as an excuse. You’re pretty awkward.”

“Debatable.” 

“Just treat them like you treat me.” Chiaki said.

“That’s impossible for more reasons than one.”

“You know, we weren’t always as friendly as we are now. Last year, we barely attended class and rarely hung out together. Everyone was too busy focusing on improving their talents to think of genuine school life.”

“That’s a surprise.” It was half-a-lie. If Hajime had talent, he’d focus on it 24/7, but with how close-knit Chiaki’s classmates seemed, he thought they were the exceptions.

“It is, right? But Miss Yukizome told me even I could use a talent like gaming to achieve my goals and thanks to that, I was able to bring everyone together. It looks to me like Ibuki’s trying to do the same for you. At least give her a chance.” She said with a hopeful smile.

“When you put it that way, I don't have a choice but to show up.”

“You do.” Chiaki corrected. “But I’m happy you’re considering it. I won’t be going though.”

That was a shocker. “Do you have plans?”

“Moreso that concerts aren’t my scene. Speaking of which, you’ll need these.” Chiaki pulled some earbuds out of her bag and placed them on Hajime’s hands "These are special buds Hope's Peak made me in order to focus on gaming. Even Ibuki's singing can be blocked out with this. Just keep them on until you get used to the pitch."

“Isn’t it kind of rude to her?”

“I’m sure you’d agree your life’s more important.”

“What exactly am I getting into here?”


Chiaki wasn’t wrong, like at all, as Hajime confirmed at the Typhoon the next day. Ibuki Mioda’s singing could kill a man; there was no other way to explain it. It took 30 full minutes for the shock to wear off and for him to adjust. After that, he did Ibuki the courtesy of taking them off.

He owed it to Ibuki and Chiaki to blend in. Some were easier to get along with, particularly Kazuichi Souda. The reserve course student noticed the shark-toothed mechanic was one of the less serious Ultimates given his antics on Central Island a few days back. He didn’t look to be in a good mood though.

"Yo, what's got you down?" Hajime said. (cooly)

"Who's asking? Oh, you're that um…Hinata guy, right? Surprised you showed up to this thing." Kazuichi replied.

“I figured it'd be nice getting to know everyone else."

"Took you over a week for that? Well, better late than never. Just look over there." Hajime followed Kazuichi’s directions to Sonia Nevermind and Gundam Tanaka together. The princess’ happiness was a direct contrast to the brooding boy beside him.

"Say no more.” Hajime took the hint.

"I know right, I'd drink my problems away, but Miss Yukizome would force me to swim across the island for that.” Kazuichi heaved a deep, regretful sigh. Just when Hajime had crossed him off the list of fun people to spend time with, the guy livened up and showed off those shark teeth. “Oh well, I've still got time before I have to go work on a big project, let's hang till then.”

Talk about one speedy recovery.

“Don't think I've properly introduced myself. Names Kazuichi Souda. Call me Kaz.”

"I’m Hajime but you already kind of knew that."


"How’d you like my songs!?" Ibuki almost jumped him at the end of the concert. As in, he literally, had to keep his arm out to stop her from tackling him to the floor.

“It rocked my world.” Hajime said.

“Ibuki knew you had good taste. Too bad, you could have made a great bandmate." The compliment pleased the musician enough to get her to back off.

"Me on an instrument? You so don’t want that.” Hajime wasn’t terrible, just bad. The latter was worse if you asked him. An amazingly awful singer is more interesting than the multitude of ‘bad’ ones. “Shame Chiaki couldn't make it."

"Class rep has never liked my music anyways. Stuff like that isn't for everybody you know?" She spoke.

Hajime was taken aback by how soberly Ibuki admitted that. He’d thought her hyperactivity was compensating for a fragile ego.

"Don't worry about it. You're the Ultimate Musician. If you were chosen by HPA then that means that there isn't anyone else in the world who is as talented in the field as you are." Hajime reassured the girl.

"...S’that right? Yeah, maybe it is. Thanks! I feel better now." Ibuki forced a smile. “I just need to improve so everyone will accept my style...I'll catch you later." Ibuki ran off…then ran back.

“Ibuki forgot the most important question.” She pressed her hands on her hips and stared him down. “Did you buddy up with anyone?”

“Sort of. I think I’ve officially become Kaz’s wingman.” He laughed, but there was a far-off look in his eyes.

Ibuki’s eyes widened in shock. “Woah. I’ve heard of starting from the bottom, but I didn’t think anyone was desperate enough to dig that deep!”

“Don’t be. Please.”


Back at his cottage, Hajime was ruminating over a fairly successful night. Maybe the ultimates weren’t all that different after all.

In that case, there may be no need to…

His doorbell rang abruptly. Hajime got off the bed and opened the door.

“Got a moment?” Chisa Yukizome asked.

“Sure.” He anxiously stepped out.

“I heard about Ibuki’s concert. I was worried you would be uncomfortable out here.”

Word travels fast. “I’m cool. Kazuichi’s a unique guy.” He relaxed, now that he confirmed there wasn’t any trouble. Hajime had gotten along with most of the others. Only a few like Hiyoko, Byakuya, and Akane didn’t take to him.

Chisa clapped her hands. “Glad to hear it! Now, I’m here to take attendance. There’ll be a serious rainstorm, so I want to make sure everyone’s in their cabin.”

I won’t be going out tonight. I’ve already my share of fun.” He replied.

“Chiaki could learn from you.” Chisa sighed. “You haven’t seen her, have you?”

“She didn’t go to the Typhoon. I think she’s with a student named Junko.”

Chisa cocked her head to the side. “I didn’t know we had a student like that.”

“I didn’t either. Ibuki told me. Apparently, she’s one of the seniors.”

 “I’ll have to check with the older class.” The instructor nodded, then smiled back at him. “That’s all for me. I won’t keep you.”

“Good night.” Hajime waved and shut the door. Just as he was about to rest for the night.

*knock*

What now?

He stomached his irritation and motioned towards the door.

Chiaki stood outside his doorway. “Do you have time?”

 “Can’t it wait for tomorrow? It’s going to rain.” He groaned.

“It can’t.” She affirmed.

Chiaki wasn’t forceful. It was probably a big deal.

“What’s the emergency?” Hajime closed the door behind him.

“I was leaving the hotel and I think I saw one of the girls run into the abandoned building.”

That was all? “That’s not our problem.”

“It’d be trouble for me if somebody got hurt.” He remembered then. Chiaki was the class representative.

Shit.

“I came to ask you for help, but if you’re not up to it, I could go by myself.”

What self-respecting guy would say no to that? “I’m in.”

He just hoped they’d get it over with quickly.


The eerie building stood a good distance from the hotel. The windows were shattered; the front door was broken down and replaced with a warning sign forbidding entrance. And he was about to enter the wreck, at night, right before a potential storm.

“When we find this chick, she better kiss the ground I walk on.” Hajime said.

Chiaki’s silence prompted a concerned head tilt backward. “You okay there?” He noticed her flushed face.

“Yeah...I think.”

He didn’t. She barely kept herself upright. And that much sweat could only indicate a fever.

“Let’s find her and get out of here asap.” They pressed on.

The door handle was broken, making getting in as easy as pressing down on the frame. He flicked on his flashlight, illuminating the darkness.

“Good call, Hajime. I could barely see anything on the way over. I’d have been blind going in here.” Something sounded off about Chiaki’s comment.

“No problem.” Hajime limited his speech, shielding his mouth from the vomit-inducing stench, dust, and the stale air.

They marched across the hallway. Creaking sounds erupt from the shifting floorboards. One felt like the rotting would give in under their weight.

Hajime noticed a run-down washroom pm the right and an opening leading to a large empty room further on the left. Suddenly he heard what seemed to be a window shattering and strong wind rushing in. Hajime ran over to the sound. All he heard and saw was the rainfall.

The storm was coming in.

“Are you sure you weren’t seeing things, Chiaki? If someone had been here, they’d have noticed us a while ago…”

Hajime made a sharp turn to look behind him.

Chiaki was gone.

His heartbeat picked up, but rationality won out over panic.

“I’m the one with the flashlight. There’s no way she’d be able to get around here.” Nor was there a reason why she would. It was almost also pitch-black outside…so how was she able to tell whoever came in here was a student, much less a girl? The vantage point between here and the hotel’s entrance was several meters, there’s no way Chiaki could have made them out.

The boy’s breathing became heavier trying to assess the worst-case scenario. “No, there’s no way anyone was close enough, the floorboards are too loud. Nobody could have taken Chiaki unless they could levitate or fly and that was ridiculous. To pull that off, you’d have to be a ghost.” Hajime stopped himself.

That’s dumb.

He’s being dumb.

“I get it now. They’re all playing me.” Hajime deduced.

Chiaki’s odd behavior. Two teenagers walking into an abandoned building by themselves and one of them mysteriously disappearing? It was like a script out of a b-rated movie. The ordeal was staged as a means of trying to scare him off.

Wait. Wouldn’t that mean I’m a 3rd rate actor? “Ugh, never mind. I’ll just play along until I find them.”

Hajime thought back to his near-miss of an assumption. “A mechanical killer teddy bear forcing high schoolers into a killing game. There's no way a concept that stupid could be real. I’m the one who’s crazy for letting Kazuichi's story get to me. "

Hajime continued to wander as dust piled on his clothes. He had just gone through the kitchen where he found an assortment of knives and skewers. He made a mental note to stay the hell away from that area.

It wasn’t long before he searched the entire building.

He’d had enough. He was tired beyond belief and the rush of adrenaline wasn’t making his thoughts any more coherent. Hajime’s only option was to turn around and leave.

“Looks like a dead end over there, Hajime.”

His heart stopped. For what seemed like the 12th time in 3 days, Chiaki came from out of nowhere.

“Um, are you alright?” The gamer asked, a worried expression on her face.

“I’m not! What the hell do you think you’re playing at going off on your own like that!?” Hajime wasn’t normally the type to resort to anger, much less to his crush under normal circumstances. Too bad, nothing about this was normal, and none of it was funny. 

“Sorry. There was something I needed to take care of and…well I can’t tell you.”

Hajime didn’t buy her words for a second. She’d been acting strangely for a while now. “We’re going back.” Hajime passed her on the way to the exit.

He stopped moving when Chiaki’s slender arms wrapped around him. The girl was fragile enough that the boy was confident he could pick her up with one hand. But right now, her grip felt like a weighted stone holding him down.

“What are you doing!?” His voice cracked and pitched.

Chiaki turned him around. Her face flushed unnaturally. “If this is the only way I can make it up to you then…”

Hajime couldn’t get a word in before Chiaki pressed her lips against his. Even as he gave into pleasure, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.


He woke with a refreshed smile the next morning, having enjoyed every minute of a wild night. He took a shower, combed his unruly brown hair into a passable style, then headed out the door. Meals needed to be prepared after all. He’d had one particular dish in mind for everyone last night, but his ‘secret ingredient’ went missing the day before.

As usual, he had been the first to arrive at the hotel while everyone else was still asleep.

As usual, he began sorting out the ingredients from the cupboards.

What wasn’t usual was the pool leaking out from the fridge. At first, he assumed someone forgot to close the lid on one of the pots and it dropped overnight.

Every second felt like an eternity as his senses were heightened. Consequently. it was easy to count the passing moments, even as his muddled mind tried to make out what laid before him.

If asked how long it took to process the imagery? He would have said 36 seconds.

If asked when his throat dried up and bile wormed its way up? 24 seconds.

If asked how long it took to become aware that he had wet himself? 49 seconds.

When he started screaming at the gruesome view of Hajime’s severed head lodged in the fridge, Teruteru Hanamura wouldn’t have an answer.


*Yawn*

Makoto rubbed his eyes, partly taking care of an itch and partly shielding it from the sunlight seeping through his blinds. He went through the motions of starting his (not so) average daily life. Even after rigorous combing sessions, his hair remained a trademark mess.

The ultimate lucky student made his way towards the hotel for breakfast. With eyes facing forward, he became the unsuspecting victim of a surprise tackle from behind.

“Hehe. Sorry about that, shorty~” The woman behind him didn’t sound the least bit apologetic.

An aggravated Makoto turned his head around from his position. It's the younger of the twins and a girl who seemed to have her head in the clouds constantly. Still, she and Makoto were famous for getting along.

The brunet wondered if becoming acquainted with a girl – his polar opposite in personality – was good luck or bad luck. 

He took her outstretched hand in his and said,

“Good morning, Ryoko.”

 

Regrets #1: If I had taken your hand like this on that day...maybe I could have saved you.

 

Notes:

(This chapter's events aren't in chronological order. All the scenes with class 78 take place 2 years after)

I've slightly edited the first chapter to match my current standards. All the main story beats and foreshadowing's in there. Just told more competently, I hope.

Comments, feedback, and criticism are still very much appreciated.

Chapter 2: Primo Sangue / First Blood

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“You look pretty frail. Are you sure you’re not hurt…Makoto, right?”  Ryouko struggled to recall his the spiky-haired boy’s name as she helped bring him to his feet

“No really, I’m fine. Although it’s nice to see you remembered me this time.”  He was half-joking but he grimaced at the memories of times when she didn’t. Some instances had mundane consequences but others weren’t nearly as pretty. The worst nearly got him a visit to the police station.

Makoto knew the girl suffered from an amnesiac disorder as long as she could remember, or couldn’t in her case. Ryouko’s memories were known to chronically fade at unknown intervals which left her with a disturbingly carefree mindset and as a result, she refrained from interacting with anyone but Ikusaba throughout the beginning of the year.

Speaking of which… “Have you seen your sister around anywhere?” He asked

“What? I thought she was right behind me.” The redhead searched in every direction but to no avail

“I feel like I should know the answer to this. Give me a second.” Ryouko pulled out a notebook from inside her vest and flipped through it. She stopped at a certain page with machine-like precision.  

“Honestly, that sister of mine…” She closed the notebook and returned her softened attention towards him “Mukuro’s probably somewhere nearby and there is a surefire way to get her to show up.”

“How?”

“Easy. You just need to leave.” She said, deadpanned

“Seriously!?” He yelped. He knew the Ultimate Soldier was uncomfortable with his presence at times but he didn’t think she disliked him that much

The girl clutched her stomach with both hands as she laughed “I’m screwing with you.” 

Makoto pouted but  he couldn’t help but be impressed by Ryouko’s progress. Upon learning of her condition, Makoto had confronted her because it wasn’t in his nature to leave others out. 

Ryouko had explained her situation is simple terms; she saw no point in getting involved with people she wouldn’t remember.  Makoto thought it was a waste but he had to have hope which is why he spent a(n) unreasonable amount of time the following evening thinking of a way to overcome her boundaries.  Eventually, he settled on buying the amnesiac a notebook in place of memory storage and, well, he thought girls liked diaries.

He wasn’t sure she’d accept his offer at first but all that meant was that he’d need to be more persistent. As clear as day, his efforts seemed to have paid off.

 “So are we just going to stand here all day and keep the food waiting? Get moving and lead the way, shorty.” She abruptly turned Makoto around and started pushing him towards the lounge from behind.

With Makoto facing front, Ryouko turned her head backwards where her blue eyes met a pair of pale ones. The owner was expertly hidden behind a palm tree a few meters behind and stalking them.

True to her title. An average person like Naegi would never be able to detect the Ultimate Soldier if she actively chose to camouflage herself…however, average would be an unbefitting description of the Ultimate Analyst, Ryouko Otonashi.


 

The restaurant appeared to be full, save Asahina and Sakura.  Ryouko had walked passed him to sit at a table nearby Kyouko and Sayaka.

“Can’t. Breathe.”  Makoto wheezed out, finding himself in a headlock by the Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon Kuwata.

“You’ve got guts trying to nab the class hottie under my watch!” Leon said

“That’s enough, kids. Can we not do anything that might get me fired please?” A tall man in a white tuxedo and fedora addressed the students

Leon let the smaller boy go “You do a good job of that yourself. If we pitch in you’ll get the axe for sure, Kizakura.”

Celestia Ludenberg put down her expensive Royal milk tea and placed her decorated finger on the tip of her nose “That smell…have you been drinking again?” She posed the question to the fedora

“Is that a problem?” Kizakura replied

Several groans could be heard in the background. Makoto felt the air grow colder, particularly in the area around a certain detective.

“Not at all, I’m just waiting for the opportune moment to ensnare you in a wager. Nothing’s quite as profitable as trouncing a drunken opponent out of everything they’ve got.” The gambler answered with crossed fingers and sported a smile that didn’t bother to obfuscate her intentions.

The direction of the conversation shifted when Kiyokata stood up and exaggeratedly raised his finger against the elder man, as he often did.

“That is not the issue here, classmate Celes! Mr. Kizakura, May I remind you that you are a TEACHER and SUPERVISOR here!? Such callous behavior this early in the morning is-“

“not welcome in a school environment, we get it” Several monotone voices resounded across the room

“They fight over this more than my band mates. How many times does this make?”

“73 and counting, Ms. Maizono.”

“Geez  guys, we’re not even in school.”

“He’s not some one-dimensional character in one of those f-filthy manga. When is he going to quit it with that lazy gimmick?”

“I’ll read his future and check for 100 bucks.”

“I’ll take that deal. Can’t spend everything they pay me for this gig on booze money.” Kizakura said. Kiyotaka looked to be seconds from exploding at the remark before a powerful arm grabbed his shoulder

“Like I’ve been telling you bro, just let it go.” Mondo said, his expression looking every bit as fed up as the others

Kiyotaka reluctantly conceded “Very well, I suppose I can let it slide given the occasion however, that is part of the problem. We’re all minors on  a reserved island and we need a capable and SOBER adult figure to supervise if anything goes wrong.”

“That'a what you’re worried about? What do you think the academy gave you those bracelets for?” Kizakura pointed to the accessories strapped to the wrists of all the students

Makoto looked towards his right wrist where a black-and-white themed bracelet was latched on.  Every member of the class had received one upon setting foot on Jabberwock Island.

“The bracelets are meant to keep track of your location at all times. As long as they’re on, even If one of you bright kids goes missing, we just use the academy’s resources and find the signal, easy. Pity they’re not very stylish.” Kizakura mused

“I don’t think someone who wears a fedora in this decade has any right to talk about fashion.” Kyouko finally spoke up with a venomous tone

She was definitely waiting for that opening Makoto thought

Mondo and Kiyotaka stepped back, predicting that the mood was about to take a turn for the worse.

However, the stab at his fashion sense didn’t appear to affect the man “Ouch, Kyouko.  Now is that any way to speak to your beloved and diligent teacher?”

“A teacher who lost the class attendance sheet on the first day.” She snapped back

“In my defense? I didn’t lose them; the damn things vanished like magic. Besides, there are only 16 of you kids. 17 if you count me and well…pretty sure Munakata and Juzo already high-tailed it out of here.”  He  shrugged haphazardly

Kyouko prepared to retaliate further before being called by out Sayaka

“Come on Kyouko, you promised we’d swimming today. We have to get ready. ” Sayaka clasped the detective’s gloved hand

“…I suppose promises are meant to be kept.” The lavender-haired girl tried to sound calm but anyone could tell her tone had lost the usual edge and the icy demeanor she had moments prior had melted completely

Makoto almost didn’t how Kyouko tossed a quick look at him before being dragged off by the idol.

Huh? Did I get something on my face? Oh wait, I haven’t eaten yet so that can’t be right

More importantly I wonder when those two got so close.

“Beats me.” “Perhaps some Yuri action at last?” Hagakure and Hifumi chimed in

“Did I say that out loud?” Makoto muttered

“You think? Guess we know who can’t keep a secret to save his life.” Ryouko teased

“Well, now that we've got that out of the way…Hagakure, about that reading.” Koichi placed a wad of cash in the fortune-teller’s palm

 Hiro gazed at his crystal ball for a few moments before looking back up “From what I can see, Taka’ll stop soon, real soon.”

 The instructor shook his head in mock disappointment “Piece of advice Hagakure, the trick to a scam is to make the deal sound a liiitle~ less bullshit. Guess we’ll chalk this up to the failed 70%.”

“Um e-excuse me, Mr. Kizakura?” Said the smallest individual in the room, the Ultimate Programmer Chihiro Fujisaki

“Need something?”

“Did you forget already? I’m supposed to complete a project the practical exams here and I’d like to receive permission to use the research facility at the 5th island.”

“Thinking of the assessments already. As expected of Ms.Chihiro, thinking so far ahead suits you.” Hifumi praised, to which Leon gave him an unimpressed gaze

“You, know he’s a dude right?” the athlete droned out, stating the obvious

“It doesn’t matter as long as it’s cute.” Hifumi responded, undeterred in his beliefs

“You know something?  I can agree with that.”

Can we not!?” Chihiro pleaded

 “Relax Chi, I'm just messing around. Besides I’ve got more important things that need doing right now sooo Makoto, let’s get going.” The moment after Leon’s declaration, the luckster felt an arm grab his hoodie and jerk him backwards to the exit.  The athlete’s physical prowess was truly outstanding. Makoto didn’t even have time to voice any complaints before he was dragged out of the room

But I haven’t eaten yet…


 

“So what are we doing here?” Makoto grumbled, evidently not in the best of moods. Leon seemed to ignore that fact however as they sat opposite to each other at the diner on second island near the ocean.

“Makoto. Be my partner” Leon declared

“Leon, there’s this thing called context. I would really appreciate it if you used it here."

“Isn’t it obvious already? The guys at my old school would get it right away.”

“In that case, couldn’t you ask the others to help you out with…whatever this is?” Makoto groaned

“You’re kidding right? Hiro’s a dead beat, Yamada’s into 2D, Mondo can’t go within 2 ft of a cute girl without flipping his shit and Taka’s plain impossible. It has to be you by elimination.”

“What about Togami?”

“He’s a prick.”

“That's a bit harsh.”

“Pfft, says you. Forget about that right now because I need you to be my wingman.” Leon explained  

“...There’s nobody else on this island for us to do that with…unless you mean our friends? I don’t think that’s how it works, Leon. You don’t pick up girls you know and besides, they’d see right through it and call you a creep.”

The athlete took on a competitive grin, apparently expecting the other boy's response “It’d only be super awkward if I went there alone but that’s why I’ve got you, shrimp. You’ve got that whole virg- nice and harmless aura some girls like , plus you’re short. If you’re there with me then I’ll be safe by association.” He said, as he caught himself. He then leans forwards and places both hands on Makoto’s shoulders “Come on, buddy. I’ll make it up to you.”

Makoto sighed and resigned himself to fate “I’ll play along. What's the worst that could happen?”

“YES! Now for the plan. First, here’s your gear.”


 

Several minutes later, the door to the diner opened as Hina and Sakura entered, the former muttering something about donuts before catching the duo lounging around “What are you two doing here?” She probed

Naegi, now dressed in a summer hoodie and swimming trunks greeted the swimmer “Hina, Leon’s trying to-” Leon clasped a hand over the luckster’s mouth before anything more could slip out

We’re going for a swim at the beach later. Nothing suspicious here, babe.” He said quickly

Hina gave them a puzzled look “You and Him? Alone? Wow, I didn’t know the two of you were so close.” She said

“W-we’ve always been like this. This is pretty normal for us.” Makoto replied, playing up the charade and to which Hina gasped. A red tint apparent on her face

“Hina my girl, you likely have the wrong idea.”  The ogre said before addressing the boys

“I must say, your timing is rather impressive because Sayaka had asked us the other day to accompany them. Unfortunately, we had to decline as Hina’s training requires time.”  Sakura mused with a knowing gaze seemed to pierce through them

“Now there’s a coincidence if I’ve seen one. Isn’t that right, Naeggs?” Leon said

“Y-Yeah”

“Hehehe, I’m not really getting it but I have a feeling that this is one of those moments where I’m better off not knowing.” Asahina said

“An astute observation, Hina.” Sakura acknowledged “We have matters to attend to therefore I trust the two of you know to behave yourselves.” 

The ogre cracked her knuckles as Makoto and Leon rapidly shook their heads in perfect synch. Sakura reciprocated the gesture with a nod of her own and left with Asahina.

“Nice, they totally bought it. Knew I was flawless.” Leon said, wiping sweat off his forehead

Makoto gave the orange-hair a semi-cold stare “I’m starting to think even my optimism is average when compared to you.”  

“Stuff it, shorty. I mean that literally.  Seems like we’ve still got time, go do something useless like eating since you skipped breakfast. ” 

So he noticed after all


 

Around an hour passed. They had moved out of the diner and onto the beach

“Makoto…and Leon?” A voice called out to them

The boys traced their gaze towards the door and looked over the ultimate pop idol wearing what appeared to be a two-piece bikini. The lower half of her waist covered by a dangerously low-reaching beach dress

“Holy shit. That swimsuit’s from her photo album,” Leon mouthed almost breathlessly. Makoto was in a similar state of awe

Maybe Leon really is a genius. Mom was right, I shouldn’t doubt my friends.

“If the both of you keep your mouths open like that, some foreign venomous fly might just find a way down your throats. Then again, watching you choke on it may not be so bad.”

*Whistle* Leon called out to the newcomer. It was Kyouko who was wearing similar attire, only in velvet black and her gloves ever-presently covering her hands.

“Just so you know Kyouko, I’ve got a comeback for that but it’d probably end in me permanently buried in sand. “ Leon joked while the lilac-haired girl cracked a small smile

“As long as you’re aware.”  Her amusement didn’t last however as she faded back into her stoic persona “Now what's your business here? I really hope you’re not about to use coincidence as an excuse.”

”Man, you girls sure are paranoid. I hear that sort of thing is bad for your health. Right Makoto?”

Leon received no response and looked to see the other boy frozen, and his face as red as a cherry.

“Snap out of it, man.” The orange-hair violently shook the luckster

“Q-Quit it, I’m fine.”  He said still flushed and transparently refusing to look in the girls’ direction.

 “I've seen enough. This clearly wasn't Makoto's idea.” Kyouko analyzed, her gloves resting on her chin

“Wow, guess you really are a detective.”

“You don’t need super high school level powers of deduction to see through you. ”

 “Don’t sweat the small stuff and just let us join. You know we’re good for it.” Leon begged

“Hmm, yeah maybe this can work.” The pop idol muttered lowly “Okay Leon, we’ll take you up on that. Feel free to tag along.”

“Sayaka I don’t believe I agreed to-” Maizono suddenly tangled her arms around Kyouko’s own right one, much to the latter's apparent discomfort

“Aw don’t worry, it’ll be fun. I promise. And besides…”  The idol whispered into the detective’s ear

“Very well, I suppose this shouldn’t be hard to deal with. “ Kyouko said.


 

At some point during the walk across the island, Sayaka had moved side by side with Leon while he and Kyouko trailed behind them. The brown-haired boy was focused on calming his nerves else he’d say something he’d regret.

“Say Kyouko, you look great.”

“Thank you…but I’m already aware. If not before, I definitely was after seeing your reaction earlier, Mr. Open Book.” She teased him with her favorite nickname for the ultimate

Makoto groaned in response

“You’ve got that wrong. I-I was just surprised to see the great and stoic Kyouko Kirigiri putting on something so risqué. What. Were you trying to impress someone?”  It was a childish taunt but he couldn’t resist trying to get a reaction out of her…even if his odds at matching the detective in a battle of wits were virtually non-existent.

As was quickly proven to be the case

“I had no idea.” She said, feigning shock “Well if you say so then it must be true. After all, I’d be foolish to doubt the deductive prowess of someone who got lost on campus and ‘accidentally’ wandered into the girls changing room.”

“Okay, I get it already! I suck, happy?” He whined. That was a memory he definitely didn’t want to relive right now.

The lilac-haired girl shrugged “Your own fault for trying to be spiteful. You’re out of your element.”

“I just haven’t gotten much practice.  Just you wait and watch me pull one over on you someday.”

Kyouko smirked at the challenge “I’ll hold you to that.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent eventfully. Makoto and Kyouko had grown comfortable in each other's presence and spent ample time together. Although Makoto felt it was a tad artificial since they always seemed to end up together. At the very  least, he felt that Sayaka may have been avoiding him. Not ignoring exactly but their relationship felt a bit fractured lately.

I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. It was a nagging feeling eating away at him but the luckster couldn’t seem to find a chance to talk alone with her. That chance appeared when Makoto noticed Sayaka staring off in the distance and Leon nowhere to be found. 

Sayaka, do you have a moment? “ He walked up to her and spoke however he received no reply. The idol’s paid no attention as her eyes glazed over

“Um…Sayaka?” He prodded her with his finger causing the idol to jolt

“Oh Makoto, sorry I was spacing out there.” She said

“Is something bothering you?”

Sayaka gave him a troubled look “Hey, did you notice how the farm over there was empty?”

Makoto remembered there was a ranch on the first island crawling with livestock. He had been too fixated on Kyouko to keep them in mind on the way over

“I didn’t notice anything. Maybe they hid in the barn. There’s a storm coming later and I hear animals can sense danger and stuff.” He proposed, trying to lessen his friend’s anxiety.

“Maybe, but in that case, doesn’t this mean there’s nobody around to take care of them? I get that the school wanted to do us a favor by having the resort to ourselves but leaving no staff behind is a bit too much don’t you think?”

“Sayaka?” He asked out of concern

“I feel there’s something dangerous about this place. At least that’s what my intuition tells me.”

Silence passed for a moment before the girl continued

“Don’t mind me, Makoto.  It’s probably nothing and I’m overthinking things.  Tell Kyouko I’ve had enough for today so I’ll be going back to my room now.”

“Wait up.” Naegi called after her.

She stopped and turned back to face him “Oh right, you needed something?”

“Um, it isn’t that important. I was just wondering if I could talk to you alone.”

“Wow Makoto, I didn’t know you were so bold but I’m an idol ya know.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” He shouted

“I’m kidding. I  think its sweet of you to be worried about me.”

Makoto flushed “You know?”

“Of course, I’m an esper after all. I want to say you have nothing to worry about but you’d do it anyway right?” She shot him an honest smile

“Absolutely.” He answered immediately

“A persistent guy. Alright, I’d do anything for my number one fan so let’s meet up tomorrow then, first thing in the morning.”

“That’ll be great.” The short teen beamed

Sayaka was his first friend at Hope’s peak and he didn’t think he could have made it this far without her keeping him grounded. Still, there didn’t seem to be anything that could be done at the present moment so he just had to manage.

Wait. Number one fan? Who, me?


 

The sun had begun to set and the girls had already left

“So did you have fun?” Leon called out to him. 

 “…Fine, you were right.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, buddy. Screwing around like this is all part of enjoying life.  The real losers are the ones who take it way too seriously and like hell am I letting you end up like Taka.”

Makoto had to chuckle a bit before he stumbled across a realization

"Is that the reason why you’re so ambivalent with your talent?”

“Hmmm. Not really. There was a bunch of reasons for how I got involved in baseball. Kind of a boring story but I’ll tell you if you’ve got nothing better to do.” Leon took on the usual pose when he was contemplating

“Lay it on me.” Seems like he really wants to anywa-

The sound of thunder struck, making the luckster shift abruptly

“Though we should probably get back to the cottages while we’re at it unless you want to get caught in the rain” He said as the sky began to turn gray

“Yikes, last thing I want is to fix my hair, let’s get moving.”  The boys ran off towards their cottages, settling on using Naegi’s room.

As they approached the door, Naegi noticed Asahina doing two cottages down. Their eyes met and he called out to her. Strangely enough, she gave a half-hearted wave with her eyes seemingly shifting between him and Leon before widening in shock.

“She definitely has the wrong idea.” Leon said, entering the room

Makoto didn’t really get it himself but he followed suit. Leon had made himself at home and claimed the bed while Makoto sat on the floor

“I guess you could say it began with my cousin, Kanon. So let’s get her out of the way first."

The baseball star proceeded to explain his relationship with Kanon along with the rest of his teammates in his former middle school

“YOU REJECTED HER 4000 TIMES!?” Naegi could barely control himself as he alternated between laughter and pity

“Laugh it up but seriously, Kanon was a pain. Can you believe she tailed me on dates every day at middle school for years and thought that I, her cousin, wouldn’t notice her?” He said, exasperated

“At least I can trust Komaru to never go that crazy.”

“Right forgot you had that sibling complex going. Gross, by the way.”

“Back on track, I gave her a wager saying she had to hit a ball 160 km/h in order to get a chance with me.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Highest female score is 140 km/h.”

“…So you tricked her? That’s horrible!"

“Tricked? No way, dude.  We’re talking about my cousin here, it’s definitely possible. That girl is unreal puts her mind to something. I told you she stalked me right? Well the only reason I knew was because I caught her once. I didn’t say anything but we definitely made eye contact. The problem came after that, as in she kept getting better at hiding.  By the end of the year, I could only feel her presence or something; you know…that feeling you get when you think someone’s watching you.  She might be able to give Ikusaba a run for her money. Either way, I just needed some space for a little while and used this to keep her busy. If she can’t manage it, I’ll just break the deal off, no sweat.” He sounded sure of himself so Makoto chose not to chide him further

“Moving on.  The reason I picked up baseball is because I kinda sorta did have a little crush on Kanon back when we were kids. The whole cousin thing hadn’t kicked in yet so I was pretty hung up on her. The problem was that she was still in her daddy’s little princess phase. My uncle’s this really famous TV bigwig at TAT so I felt pretty lame by comparison.”

Makoto raised a hand “Can we pause for a second? You were trying to compete with your filthy rich uncle for your crush, who is both your cousin AND his daughter, and who you are now going out of your way to ignore?”

“Kids do dumb shit. Sue me.” Leon replied before continuing “My dad wasn’t as well off so I asked him what I could beat my uncle at and I was told he was terrible at sports as a kid. Afterwards, I just tried a whole bunch of em and settled on baseball since my throwing and batting arm were above average. Not even some adults could keep up with me. Word got around after a while and I got popular as hell. Girls were flocking towards me and I tried my hand at a lot of cute ones. I can’t say when but I lost interest in Kanon so there was no need to try hard at all at baseball either. If it weren’t for the girls I’d have quit, period.”

Leon, that’s a bit depressing

“Okay, maybe that’s not quite right. Don’t tell anyone but there was one big reason…and it has to do with a guy I knew.”

“I met him in my first year of middle school, said his name was Nekomaru Nidai. He was older than me but I couldn’t tell by how much; he was built like a tank so it could have been 3 or even 7 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could take Ogre now.  Dude was real passionate about sports too and learned I had talent. Of course me being, well me, I turned him down immediately and said I didn’t need any kind of training he wouldn’t give up. Want to know what he did next?” He waited before proceeding

“He challenged me to a solo game. One round at pitch and one at bat. Me!  The baddest in the game.” He laughed as he fell back on the bed “Unfortunately, he kind of smoked me. I could barely see his pitches and when his turn at bat came around, he nailed mine out of the park…it was frustrating.”

 “I couldn’t take a loss lying down and practically begged him for one more round at bat until he agreed; it was like a scene out of a kids’ spat where the loser whines about getting one more chance for a  winner-take-all . After embarrassing myself like that, I defintelyto bea wanted to beat him this time.  His first pitch was too fast for me but it wasn’t like before, I could see it this time.  On the second pitch, I was fast enough to nick it. I could also tell he was sweating; thought the pressure was finally getting to him. All I needed was one more try to prove I was the best.  His third pitch came and I hit it out of the park. The rush I felt was incredible, winning had never felt that good!” He kicked at his legs and sat back up

“That turned to shit a split second later when I saw the guy lying on the ground.  I ran over and shook him a few times but he didn’t wake up. It took all I had to pick him up and take him to a bed at the nurse’s office. It was after hours and since nobody was around, I was freaking panicking and was about to call an ambulance until a hand grabbed me. I looked back and saw the guy awake and glaring at me, said a call wasn’t necessary and was only going to be a pain. I thought he was fucking crazy, he almost had a heart attack and he told me not to tell anyone."

“Don’t bother me with something troublesome. My body can handle something of this magnitude.  Besides…its not the loser’s right to burden the shoulders of the victor.”

“W-What the hell are you on about? You could have died? Sit your ass down and let me get help.”

The next moment, the giant had swiftly left the bed and snatched the cellphone from Leon’s hand

“YOU IDIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO YOUR FUTURE!?”

Leon raised both hands in front of Nekomaru “Pretend my left hand is the Earth and the right is the sun…You lost me back at Venus, moron!”

“Just think about it! A famous athlete puts someone in a hospital because of a solo match and with no witnesses? How do you think the press is going to spin that!? Do you have any self-awareness at all!?”

“I think there’s more important things to worry about, like you actually dying on me.”

“Of course not! As a team manager myself, it’s only natural that I pay the utmost attention to my athletes and take every measure to expedite their success. It’ll be a cold day in hell when I allow myself to be responsible for a single blemish on their career.”

“Alright I get it, no calls. But you’ve got to tell me what happened so I don’t worry myself to death about it and what’s this about being a team manager? Aren’t you some monster champ yourself?”

The giant composed himself after being posed the question “I guess that’s fair. I don’t care for long-winded explanations so I’ll give you the abridged version.  I’ve been diagnosed with a heart disease so sports are out of the question. I moved on to an occupation as  a team manager because I was inspired by the fleeting yet brilliant life of someone who had similar circumstances and vowed to carry on his dream.  Will that suffice?”

Leon scratched his hair “…Sounds like you’ve got some heavy baggage. Kind of feel bad for prying now.”

“I don’t mind so long as you reciprocate. Why are you so intent on letting your talent go to waste?”

“Not this again. I’m telling ya, it’s only for the chicks. I hate getting dirty and did I mention what they make some guys do their hair? No way am I going through that.”

 “A means to an end I see,”   Nekomaru showed a slight grin “So is that why you were prancing around back there at the thought of beating me?”

“Oh…you were still up for that. Don’t get the wrong idea, everyone likes winning and nobody likes losing, nothing more than that.”

“Speak for yourself then because I didn’t mind losing to you one bit. Seeing prospects surpass me is what I live for. Want to know why? It’s because of the pride I have in my pupils.” His voice raised again

“You can’t have pride in something you either hate or is unimportant so why care in the first place? If baseball really meant as little as you’ve claimed, you wouldn’t have accepted my challenge you and wouldn’t have demanded a rematch afterwards. Really, the only reason I made that wager with you was to assess whether you were worth the effort and I’d say that’s a definite yes.”

“I’ve seen plenty of your types so take my advice. Keep on with it and you’ll find you wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”

“We’ll see.”

“Still, since you did win, I have to reward you with one of my special massages.”

“Huh? No. Dude.  I’m totally fine. There’s no need to-“

There was no escape.

“Something sort of stuck with me that day. I wasn’t getting better, he just slowed down. I’m supposed to be the best but there I getting giddy over beating a dude with a terminal illness and then got lectured by him after a heart attack. How lame. If anyone had seen that, my rep with the girls, with everyone would have tanked. I couldn’t even quit because that’d make me an even bigger loser in his eyes and mine. Plus, I thought he was a pretty cool guy, a bit hardcore, but cool. So I thought it couldn’t hurt to get keep up at baseball, maybe even get better at it.”

A few moments of silence passed before Makoto spoke “Guess I’ll have to thank this Nekomaru guy if I ever see him.”

“What’s any of this got to do with you?” 

“His training that you kept up with baseball and got scouted right? In that case, he’s also the reason I got to meet one of my best friends.”

Leon facepalmed “Dude…that Is seriously embarrassing. I’ll never get how you can say corny shit like that out loud without dying a little inside.“

In unison, the two burst into simultaneous laughter.

 “So how was it?” Makoto asked as the hilarity died down

“How was what?”

Naegi looked up at the taller male and replied with a teasing smirk “You know. The massage?”

“Freaking smartass. It was great and if you think about telling anyone I just said that, I’ll knock you into a coma and make sure you forget all about it.”

And With that, the two said their goodbyes for the night. Makoto laid on his bed and slowly drifted to sleep

Heh. He’s rough around the edges sometimes….a lot of the time…and not to mention extremely insensitive but I really think Leon just isn’t a guy anyone can hate.


 

“I will…”

A voice could be heard echoing in darkness

It sounded familiar…that’s right, it was his own...but he wasn't the one who said anything.

Upon that realization, his figure was reflected in what looked like a mirror image of himself.

Only 'It' stared back at him with such authority and gravity that he doubted whether it really was him.

“This time. I will definitely leave here.”

 It was strange. Despite the owner of the voice staring right at him, he didn't feel the message was directed towards him.

That's right. The statement was a simple declaration.

The form faded into darkness and moments later, Makoto woke from his dream. The sunlight touching his skin. Something Makoto noticed was covered in sweat.

What a strange dream...Oh well, I have to get ready


 

Makoto followed the usual routine every morning and went to the restaurant, only he noticed something was different today. Nobody was eating or chatting amongst each other rather, most of the group were huddled together staring at the wall in mass confusion and in some cases fascination and worry.

“W-What the hell is this creepy thing?” Hiro broke the ice.

What he referred to was the simple yet completely out of place insignia that was newly inscribed on the restaurant’s upper level. 

“Whoever’s idea this was, come clean and I’ll go easy.” Kizakura said as he exuded rare signs of intimidation. However, nobody among the students present made a move

“If that’s how you want it, fine by me. Hope you kids like group punishment.”

“Wait.” Kyouko stepped up, and addressed the elder with a passive glance “First, we’d be better off ascertaining what this mark is and then we might be able to finger the culprit. Besides, something about this paint is bothering me.”

“Forgot you were into the whole detective thing. Fine, do it your way.” The teacher shrugged

Shortly after, Kyouko began inspecting the scene

“This is…definitely some variant of black magic circle.” Celes spoke up. “I’d rather not reveal my sources, however while that drawing is crude but there can be no mistaking what it is.”

“Eh Ms. Celes, do you realize you’ve just implicated yourself?” Hifumi tipped his glasses as he stared accusingly at the gothic Lolita. The latter however, didn’t appear to be in the mood to give him the time of day

“If she was the culprit I don’t think she would have said anything, Hifumi.” Asahina countered

“I-I wouldn’t be so sure of that.  It would be just like a h-heinous criminal to play a trick like giving evidence to absolve themselves of s-suspicion.”  Even the socially obstinate Fukawa began to involve herself

The air began to stir in the direction of the ultimate martial artist, silencing the group “Enough. We’ll be here all day if we resort to baseless accusations.”  Sakura said, arms crossed

“Gotta agree with Sakura here; it’s a bit too early for a witch hunt.”  Leon added

Makoto thought the same and it wasn’t just because he disliked watching his friends accuse one another of wrong doing. In this situation, it would make more sense to search for a motive after Kyouko had finished with her business. Speaking of which, he couldn’t help but notice the detective’s posture tense up somewhat as she observed the paint with her black gloves.

“You know, Kyouko…no matter how many times you look over that marking, what it’s made of won’t change.”

Makoto faced in the direction of the voice and saw Ryouko and Ikusaba standing side-by-side. The statement had come from the elder of the twins.

I didn't even notice them

Kyouko's eyes remained on the sisters for a moment before replying “You’re right, unfortunately.  Even if I inspect it a thousand times, it won’t change the fact that this drawing was made with blood.”

Now that had caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Mondo was the first to speak “What the fuck did she just say? I mean, that’s obviously just red paint!”  Despite the biker’s protests, a sinking feeling enveloped the room. As if still processing the weight of the information, everyone was slow to respond

“Where are the others?” Kizakura said 

That awoke Makoto out of his stupor

Others? Who else isn’t here?

He surveyed the area

"Chihiro…Ishimaru…Togami and…Sayaka?"

Kizakura inquired further “When was the last time anyone saw them?” 

Did he have to put it so ominously? Makoto wondered

“I saw bro off last night.” Mondo interjected

“Don’t think anyone’s seen Chihiro since breakfast yesterday, he had some project to do.” Leon added

“I-I lost sight of Master Byakuya yesterday afternoon.” Fukawa reported on cue

“Kyouko, Leon and I saw Sayaka late in the evening. “ Makoto said, starting to feel lightheaded for reasons he couldn’t quite pin down

“Of course!”  Hifumi yelled out “This has to be one of Mr. Togami’s ‘games’.”

“How dare you insult master, you disgusting sack of garbage!?” Touko seethed with indignation, glaring daggers at her fellow author

“It’s not impossible. Toges has some pretty poor taste when it comes to things like this but I thought he grew out of it.”  Hiro's said

“I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves yet again, or perhaps this is a means as to avoid reality?” Celes said “The problem as of now isn’t the person but the drawing itself.  As our resident ‘experts’ have stated, this is most definitely blood. Therefore I dare propose the obvious question…how much blood do you think it takes to paint that circle?”

“Not enough for a single person to live without.” Mukuro said in her usual despondent tone and none dared to doubt the information provided by a professional killer scouted by the academy

“Indeed. So tell me, do you still believe we have the luxury to keep arguing around like this while some of us are absent?" Celes said, her words hanging in the air

Ah, I get it. She must be implying all that blood…might have…come from one of us but that’s strange isn’t it? Something like that isn’t…

Makoto recalled the conversation he had with Sayaka the previous day

"I feel there’s something dangerous about this place. At least that’s what my intuition tells me.”

Those words shook his core

“I’m going to check on the others.” Makoto had already begun walking to the exit before speaking.  

“Hey Makoto, you can’t go alone. Wait up.” Hina called out to him but the luckster had already departed.

While Makoto had said he would search for the others, he meant one in particular

Intuition? Isn’t Sayaka’s intuition incredibly accurate…then

Unconsciously he had begun to pick up his pace and soon he broke into a full sprint, not even minding that he jumped over 5 cases of stairs in the lobby and broke open the door.

This is just one of Togami’s sick jokes isn’t it?

His heart beat louder and felt heavier than the pelting rain on his clothes.

We’re Ultimates from hope’s peak.  There’s no way anything could happen here

As he was running, he tripped over himself and fell hard on his face.

So why was I running? Why am I scared?  And why did I fall over?

He picked himself up, mud now readily apparent on his paling skin and clothes. He tried to brush the stains off using his palms before noticing blood cascading off his hands, Jacket and now ripped trousers.

As the rain attempted to wash off the liquid, he noticed that there wasn't an open wound for the blood to spill from

It's not mine...then

He paid greater attention to his surroundings and saw a blood trail from where he was standing leading to the pool. 

That wasn't there before

While Naegi would never admit it to himself or anyone else outright, a part of him wished he had kept running without looking back. At the very least, in that case he may have been able to live in blissful ignorance for a few more moments.

As he moved towards the reddening pool, he began to make out an object floating in the middle. He would never mistake that broad shape or the formerly pristine white uniform and black boots. Even if that same uniform was now was shredded open with cuts and blood dripping stains on every opening. But even compared to that, there was something starkly different than before.

Makoto could have sworn he heard his name called in the distance. It had to be one of his friends. His other friends.  He had mostly drowned tuned them out as one of his  friends was floating right in front of him …only there was nothing upwards of the collar.

 “Taka?”  He stared dumbfounded at what he was slowly coming to realize, was the headless body of the ultimate moral compass

 

Notes:

Regrets #2

Emotions are not needed to reach the truth. They blind, mislead and are easily used against you.

To cast these liabilities aside and assess the situation without bias or preconception. That is the mark of the peerless detective who stands at the summit; a ground where lies cannot tread. Yes, that is what I used to be and where I should have remained.

It really was his fault for dragging me down from there and because of him...I never want to return to that lonely place.

Isn't that strange? To fear a destiny I had been groomed for all my life? To fear perfection?

Chapter 3: Bugia Innocua / Beautiful Lie

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

His eyes fluttered open, revealing a fan hovering under a white ceiling. He instantly recognized that this wasn’t his room.  He turned his head sideways and realized the colorful décor was missing and replaced by white everything.

The stiffness of his body meant he must have slept for quite some time so why did he feel so tired?

He groggily tried moving his legs and found they felt heavier than usual.  He slowly sat upright on the bed and looked down to see Hina resting on his lower half.

He tried recalling the events that led to this bizarre situation.

I remember waking up this morning and something eventful had to have happened…a magic circle…and…Something else…thoughts aren’t coherent…the my  head hurts. The head?...Aah I remember now…There was no head, just blood…So. Much. Blood

Taka’s…

The images of this morning vividly replayed in his mind, causing Makoto to scream at the top of his lungs. The resulting noise jolted the swimmer awake, looking equally as fearful when she saw him in distress.

“M-Makoto, calm down!” She embraced him .

Beads of sweat rolled off Naegi’s forehead but he somehow managed to refrain from panicking further.

Relatively anyway.

“Blood. Taka. His head was---!” He stammered incoherently.

“We know. Please, just don’t say it.” Hina replied. Makoto could hear the anguish in her voice and deduced she was crying as well. He wasn’t faring much better himself.

That's right, I need to calm down

His friend, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, a person who worked his very hardest to uphold the morals of society…was brutally murdered. That fact wouldn’t change but he needed to assess the situation. That’s what Kyouko would do and he couldn’t think of a more reliable model at the moment.

“Where is everyone? How long was I asleep? What happened?” Despite his best efforts to remain calm, he couldn’t prevent an outburst of questions laced with anxiety.

“I’ll explain everything one at a time but first,  you’re in the hospital on the third island and have been sleeping for most of the day.”

Hina informed him of what had occurred during his absence. She and Leon had found Naegi next to a blood trail in front of the pool. Afterwards, he fainted and fell backwards hard. The others caught up and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Mondo took it the hardest; he jumped into the pool and dragged the corpse Taka out of there. Everyone thought the biker was about to lose it and storm off looking for the killer by himself until Sakura stopped him…by putting him into the next room.

The violent implications were clear.

Kizakura had ordered the students to hole up in the medical ward with Sakura and Mukuro standing guard while he went off looking for Chihiro and Togami.

That’s right, the others were missing. Chihiro, Byakuya and Sayaka!

He grabbed the swimmer’s shoulders, his fingers almost digging into her skin.  “Hina. Where’s Sayaka!?”

She winced at his clutch and replied   as calmly as she could “Sayaka’s fine. She’s with everyone in the lobby...mostly everyone.” At that, he hugged the swimmer back. A part of him was relieved at the good news. Another tried  to fight back the feeling of self-disgust that emanated from the comfort of one of his friends surviving even if another had not.

“I want to see them.” He told her

“A-Alright. Just follow me.”

Despite his best attempts at hiding it, Makoto couldn’t help but feel a dizzying sensation as he got off the bed and followed behind the swimmer.


 

Asahina led him to the lounge where he was met with the majority of his classmates staunched up tensely across the room.  A  number of worried stares were thrown in his direction as they took notice of his presence. His eyes met with Sayaka's for a moment before she looked away nervously. 

That was weird

Hiro was the first to call out “Naeggs, you’re alive!” running over and placing both hands on Naegi's shoulders

He really thought I was going to die…

“It looks that way. How about you guys?” He asked and was met with brief silence before Kyouko addressed him

“We haven’t found much yet…although if I were allowed to be in the field, I can assure you we’d have made more head way by now.” She said disdainfully and explained that Kizakura had barred her from exercising her duties as detective 

“I guess I can see his point if he’s trying to keep everyone safe but what if he gets into trouble he can’t handle?” You couldn’t protect anyone if you couldn’t save yourself first.

“I wouldn’t worry about him. While his relationships, habits and personality are lacking, Kizakura can be counted on in times of distress.” She responded with confidence. Makoto figured this was as much of a compliment as Mr. Kizakura would ever receive from the ultimate.

“What about the others? Even if Kizakura  can handle himself, it's still going to take more time to get to two people alone. Chihiro and Togami could be in danger!”

“Assuming that one of them is not the killer correct?” The tension in the room increased 10 fold as Celeste uttered those words

Everyone stared at each other but none dared to speak. Makoto immediately understood that something else must have happened in his absence, it was as if they were meeting each other as strangers for the first time.

“What's going on and where's Ikusaba and Touko?” He asked

“Touko is currently under surveillance and with our very own soldier as guard ” The gothic lolita explained

He really wasn't liking this development. “Surveillance? What for?”

“Why yes. After all, our dear Touko is the prime suspect. Ah- perhaps I should have said Genocider instead?” She says, coyly

“We’re suspecting her? Where’s the proof?”

“I would assume the fact that Touko harbors a renowned serial killer as a secondary personality would more than suffice for evidence but if I must, consider the gender of the victim.”

“He was male.” He said hollowly, a clear understanding of what the red-eyed girl was alluding to.

“Indeed but here is the dilemma, Sayaka was also vulnerable yet was unharmed thus indicating the culprit may have a preference for males and what's more is that the victim was fairly handsome; perhaps even worthy of C rank.” Celeste elaborated

“...That’s circumstantial evidence at best.” He spoke tactfully Arguments were his strong suit and Celestia knew it.

The gambler huffed and conceded that the luckster had a point “True however that all depends on how Chihiro fares. If he’s still alive then I suppose all we can do is doubt poor Touko. If he is not then I fail to see how you could overlook these similarities as mere coincidences.” 

“Then what about Genocider’s signature? From what I’ve seen, her scissors and execution style has been absent.” Makoto said.

“Normally you may have had a point but who is to say she simply didn’t act on impulse. Trying to rationalize logic with a psychopath is unwise.”

He said nothing to that but this was an odd accusation even for Celeste. Makoto knew there had to be more for her to suspect the author "Okay, then let's try this from a different angle. On whose authority was it decided that we could imprison our friends without evidence?"

"Ah, now for that I do have an answer. It was a majority vote between us that Touko was a potential threat." 

His stomach churned as he stared at his classmates in disbelief and they all refused to look him in the eye. All except one.

"I understand how you feel, Makoto but Celestia has a point. I would not like to believe Touko would do such a thing however, considering her oddities, it would be wise to err on the side of caution." Sakura spoke as a voice of reason and Makoto knew she was right.

Even so, that didn't mean he had to like it.

“Be that as it may, Touko is certainly a candidate but that does not make her the culprit.” Kyouko intervened, returning the attention in the room back to herself.

“Oh my. You sound as if you already have an idea in mind, Kyouko.” Celeste appeared to have picked up on the Kirgiri’s implications.

“Perhaps.” The other girl responded, succinctly.

“Yeah, it’s obvious who killed Taka.” Said Hiro, surprising near everyone else in the room.

“Wait. YOU know who the culprit is?” Asahina asked, her tone veiled in skepticism.

“Of course, the culprit was the witch of Jabberwock Island.” He exaggeratedly pointed his finger outwards, absolutely convinced of his newfound discovery

“I’m sorry I asked.”

“It's true. I’ve seen her in my crystal ball.”

“Who knows, he might be right. After all, Hiro did predict Taka would stop harassing Kizakura. Just not in the way any of us thought.”   Leon added, crouched down near the wall and with a baseball bat in hand, apparently for self-defense.

“Nonsensical thinking like that would be the last thing we need right now. We live in the real world where actions are committed by observable phenomenon, not superstition.” The detective declared, letting her words soak in before continuing with “Is that what you’d expect me to say at this point?”

Makoto and the others looked at her in shock.

“Now this is truly bizarre, Kyouko.  Are you, of all people, actually saying this oaf’s theory may be correct?”  There was no mockery in Celes’ query.  Makoto could see that the gambler was legitimately caught off guard.

“I don’t believe I said that either.  I’ve merely accept the possibility based on few uncertain factors.” Kyouko raised her gloved hands to her chin as she relayed her observations to the group “To deny the possibility that some unknown may be the culprit based on a preconception that denounces the existence of magic is tantamount to closing off a path without checking what lies beyond. An amateur detective might make such a mistake but that isn’t the Kirigiri way.  At the time when the body was discovered, we witnessed the same drawing in the restaurant. Whether or not Hagakure may be correct isn't the issue, it's that whoever is behind these attacks wants to lead us to that conclusion.” Kyouko said

“Is there any point to that?” Makoto proposed “If the killer’s aim is to scare us, why go through this farce?  I mean we’re not kids anymore so nobody should be afraid of something so unrealistic.”

“My thoughts exactly:  Whether the killer is a fool or has some ulterior motive, the fact remains that their actions are counter-intuitive.”

“So you guys are saying there really is some kind of monster out here?” Hina said, fear present on her face

Kyouko directed her attention towards the swimmer “That’s not right. I’ll stress it again; I’ve merely considered that possibility. I don’t believe in the occult however I am also not qualified to disprove their legitimacy.  Frankly, I would have preferred not to share this information in the first place  My methods are to keep discoveries private until I have enough to create a concrete picture of the situation…however the current predicament requires haste and none of us are very well protected”

“I understand the gist of it but there is also the possibility that we merely have an outsider in our midst attempting to confuse us.” Sakura added

“Indeed, that would be the third and last possible option.”

“The other two being the existence of a witch…or that the killer is one of us.” The martial artist concluded

Makoto didn’t care for that final proposal. He didn’t believe for an instant that one of his friends could have murdered the others. He would denounce that possibility, even if it meant believing in the impossible.

Therefore “Celeste. I want you to promise me that you won’t accuse Touko of murder. Not until we know for sure.”  Makoto said.

“Very well, I will acquiesce to your request however, that does not mean I will be letting my guard down around her. If you wish to ignore the most dangerous element then that is your decision. Celestia Ludenberg on the other hand, values her life.” She said with a smile that was almost certainly faked.

He resigned himself to that compromise. The gambler didn’t appear to be in the mood for anymore negotiations and he had other matters to tend to.

“ Glad to see you’re alright now.” A melodious voice belonging to the ultimate idol came from behind him.

Naegi recognized that Sayaka looked no worse for wear.

 “I’m fine but honestly, I was more worried about you.”

“Yeah about that…to tell you the truth I'm a little scared here.”

He made a fist and lightly slammed it against his chest as a gesture of confidence “With Kyouko around, we’ll figure things out in no time and if she can’t, I’ll still find a way to get us out of this mess.”

The idol laughed “You sound a little like Togami, grandstanding like that. I’ve always thought it was cool how you always know just what to say.” He blushed. Compliments always made him nervous. He was just average after all.

"So why didn't you show up at this restaurant this morning?"

"Oh that." She smiled. "Sorry this is really embarrassing but I sort of slept in."

“Really? Well as long as you're not injured or anything." He reassured her " And we’ll definitely get the guy who did this so nobody else gets hurt either.”

At that, he noticed Sayaka’s expression became much more serious.

“Don’t even think about it. We should worry about staying alive…I don’t want you to confront this person.” She used a forceful tone the luckster hadn’t heard from her before. “If you do, I want you to promise me to think of yourself and run.”

“But-“

“Makoto Naegi!” Sayaka raised her voice.

Makoto flinched at the pop star breaking character and accepted that she wasn’t going to back down this time.

“I promise. “ He said, scratching his hair

“I trust you but if you lie to me, I don't think I'll be able to forgive that.”  Her blue eyes were cold as ice

Things were really awkward after that. Makoto didn’t believe he had said anything wrong but he could also understand the Idol’s feelings. As for his promise, that was something he may have to break if the situation called for it. Afterwards, he asked Sayaka for where Ikusaba was keeping Touko and was referred to the girl’s washroom upstairs.


 

Makoto ventured towards the room on the upper floor. The soldier had given him an uncertain stare when he had walked in while Touko sat at the corner on the left side of the wall, 

Makoto waved towards the soldier, to which she nodded  as he approached the writer.

“Touko.  Are you okay?” He instantly regretted the stupidity of his word choice as soon as they left his mouth. Given the circumstances, he knew she was the furthest thing from stable given her inferiority complex and Makoto hadn't made much progress with getting Touko to open up. His motivational speeches, as they were often called, came naturally. He was admired for speaking from the heart but the downside to that manifested In how he rarely put much foresight into what was actually said.

"I see sleeping beauty f-finally woke up. I-I bet you c-came to accuse me of m-murder too."

 "Before we get to that, I want you to tell me first. Do you think Genocider's responsible?" He needed to be careful as to not set the bespectacled girl off. If he came across as overly positive, she'd see it as patronizing behavior and retaliate so he figured it would be best to hold back his own opinions until the end.

"H-How the h-hell should I know? Even if I don't r-remember blacking out during the day, there's nothing stopping her from showing up while I'm asleep and we don't share memories." Touko said

Then there's not much of an alibi she can make. There's another option though

"Can I ask Genocider herself then?" 

"I can't allow that, Naegi." "Hell no!" Both females in the room responded simultaneously but with varying levels of denial

Makoto would probably understand Fukawa's reasoning but he was surprised Mukuro objected as well

"Orders y'know. I was told to prevent any and all attempts that would lead to her transforming into Genocider. I always follow orders." Ikusaba said without a shred of hesitation.

"On whose orders?"

"The same ones that asked me to stand guard, who else?" Truly this was a person who embraced simplicity.

Yet Makoto couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment towards his classmates

"Not like I'd allow it anyway. That bitch is always causing trouble for me but I won't let her be used as slander material against M-Master Byakuya any more."

That was new. "W-Why would Togami be affected by this? It's because of him that Genocider behaves."

The evening was becoming more and more confusing for him and the numbness that never seemed to go away wasn't helping.

"F-Feigning ignorance isn't going to gain my trust y-you know." She mocked but Makoto genuinely had no idea what she was referring to. Something the writer caught onto "...You really don't know? How dull are you seriously? The main reason they p-put me here is because they're afraid I'm the Master's tool. Not like that's wrong, in a way; it's an honor if anything." Touko's facial expressions reaching a state of euphoria for reasons Makoto nor anyone else would dare to understand.

This is getting ridiculous

He took deep breaths before continuing the conversation "Why is Togami being suspected?"

"Oh come on, the fat idiot said it this morning didn't he? They t-think this is some twisted game he cooked up. As if master Byakuya would ever commit to something so tasteless."

"Sorry but my memory of this morning isn't the best right now, care to elaborate." Touko's vindictive eyes softened into something nearly resembling sympathy and sighed "They believe the entire vacation might be a set-up and that Master's using her as a weapon to get rid of you all for sport. Even idiot hair came up with the idea that Ishimaru is still kicking and the body we saw was some kind of doll. Your girlfriend. Not the blue one but the smart pink one shot that down real quick though."

Makoto pretended he didn't hear that last sentence and he swore Ikusaba twitched as well.

"That's all speculation." 

"Well duh but they won't know until they find him and he's missing right now. I should be out there looking but F-Freckles here won't let me leave. Even if I made it past her then I'd have to deal with the ogre." Touko bit her nails as she considered her options

This time, Makoto was sure he saw subtle movements from the girl behind him....was that a knife her hand tried to reach for?

Touko, please don't provoke the very scary (and dangerous!) mercenary behind me 

Those thoughts aside, Naegi felt he had learned quite a bit of the situation. While some parts remained sketchy , there was one thing he knew for sure. There was a fatal lack of trust present between his classmates. If they were going to get through this, then they needed to work together, not doubt each other.

And I'll start here.

Certain of his course of action, he addressed the author with newfound conviction "Touko, I want you to know that I don't agree with what's going on here and think you really are innocent. It may not seem like it right now but I know we're friends, all of us. We’re going to need everyone to keep their heads on straight here and that includes you." He said, semi-forcefully "I just need you to believe in me and yourself."

"You want to me to trust you? L-like hell I could trust a face that looks that harmless. Haven't you read a mystery series before? That's just asking to be shot in the back right a-at the climax!" The ultimate writer looked at him as if he was an idiot.

Makoto frowned a bit at that. Was he rejected?

"Then again. You're also totally useless and can't do anything by yourself. No way s-someone like you could be a mastermind. At best, you're a support extra designed to make the leads l-look cooler so I guess there are worse choices than you."

I'll take that a yes then.

"Don't worry Touko, we'll definitely get this straightened out and you out of here. Just...be a little patient and don't try anything drastic."

"O-Obviously. Didn't I say I couldn't leave here anyway? So get lost and clear things up with Master Byakuya."


 

The ultimate soldier saw him out of the restroom.

“That was pretty cool.” Ikusaba spoke. It happened so rarely that Makoto would often forget what her voice sounded like.

“You think so? I was just saying what I felt was the truth; that no matter what happens, we can’t lose hope.”

“Hope…say, what would you do if you eventually found this guy?”

“If it came to that, we’d have you or Sakura hold them down until the police arrive.” He was somewhat embarrassed at leaving the heavy duty to the girls.

“I see. You know if it was up to me, I wouldn’t take chances."  She said “If someone’s in your way then all I need to do is kill them and get it over with. Try it sometime.”

What? I could never do something like that! No way!” He yelled.

The soldier laughed at his outburst, sounding awkward in her own amusement “It was just a joke to lighten the mood. There’s no way a nice guy like you could kill anybody.  Maybe it was in bad taste?”

“Bad taste is putting it mildly.” He grumbled and wondered why he was such an easy target for teasing.


 

 It was the dead of night and the rain had lifted.

Mondo should still be unconscious in the hospital bed next to his own; checking up on the biker would have to wait.

Makoto’s next objective was the most difficult and if he knew this person half as well as he believed, their patience should be reaching its limit. He stalked the lower floors of the hospital looking for her and sure enough, he found Kyouko trying to sneak off through the front door at the entrance.

She only made a few steps outside before he made his own way over and called out to her.

“Going somewhere?” Makoto teased. His voice  low enough where only the detective could hear.

 If Kyouko was surprised by his presence, her expressions didn’t show it “Oh drat, I’ve been found out.” Her words on the other hand told a different story.

“That reaction…You knew I was going to be here.” Makoto realized he had been outplayed yet again .

“Don’t make me sound so manipulative. We’re familiar with each other enough to know the other’s habits, things just happened to end up this way.”

“You duping me is the natural order of things, I’ll bet. ” He said, sarcastically.

The lilac-haired girl eyes shifted away from his a bit and stared passed him “I suppose that’s one way to look at it though I would rather you not hold it against me considering you were caught as well. Didn’t you know the first rule of tailing someone is to watch your own back most of all?” She pointed behind the luckster

Naegi’s eyes widened as he instinctively turned around. Standing behind him was Leon, who gazed at the two with transparent interest of his own.

“I saw Shorty over here acting suspicious and tailed him. You guys bailing by yourselves?”

Kyouko’s guard flared up as she countered “That is the idea. Will you stop us?”

“No way, I just think it’s pretty gutsy for you guys to go without backup.  I thought you’d have asked Ogre or Mukuro to go with you at least.”

“Sakura lives by her morals so she may feel inclined to stop us. Ikusaba is out of the question.”  She may have expected that question given how quick and succinct her response was.

“Far be it from me to be presumptuous but I assume you’re offering a helping hand?” 

Leon retorted with a buzzing sound “Wrong.  Mondo woke up and Sakura asked me to help pacify em. I thought eggs here would do a better job and found him acting all creepy.”

“I'm not creepy...but that’s great. I’ll go help” He said, happily. More good news was welcome

 A grunt came from behind the Hoodie as soon as he spoke

“Um…tell you what Leon. Could you cover for me and Kyouko till we get back?”

“Dude seriously, I came here so I’d have to do less work and you’re pawning more on me?”

“You owe me one, remember?” He drew out the last word, reminding the baseball star of his assistance on the previous day

“Ugh, a lot of guys here are crafty as hell  so don’t blame me if I screw up.”

“You’ll do fine. Just stay away from Celeste and Sayaka. Besides, it shouldn’t be too much trouble with Sakura there. Mondo would never hit a girl.” With that, Makoto left the hospital with Kyouko. A small part of him enjoying the thought of his friend struggling to keep secrets.

That faint entertainment was wiped away when the bodily pain resurfaced.

“We have two objectives. Find Togami and search for clues about Taka.” Kyouko said, bringing the boy out of his short stupor. Those words carried a great deal of weight and Makoto steeled himself in preparation for what he was likely to find there.

The duo scoured their surroundings as they made their way to the library first; the area where the Togami heir frequented most. With the ambiguity surrounding exactly what they were dealing with, to say the boy was jumpy would be an understatement. Kyouko had “previously invited’ him to join her in mock cases during their time at hope’s peak where they would uncover small-time misconduct within the school grounds and sometimes outside of it.  Regardless, their current predicament was hardly comparable

He wasn’t exactly capable of putting up a fight if it came down to it so he wondered why the detective hadn’t enlisted some of his more dependable classmates. 

“Kyouko, why didn’t we ask Ikusaba for help? No offense to Leon but she’s a lot tougher than him.” 

“Two reasons. One being that, at this moment, I believe it would be dangerous to have her around. On that note Makoto, there is something I need to ask you" Kyouko slowed her pace so Makoto could be well within hearing distance. Now they were nearly walking side by side. "I would like hold off on stating whatever conclusion you may have reached.  When you first arrived at the restaurant in the morning, the blood from Taka’s body was absent correct?”

He nodded

“In other words, this means the body was moved to the pool within the timeframe of your arrival and your departure. In that case, if we were to assume the killer is among us then the suspects would be the ones who weren’t there when you arrived.”

“Makes sense but wouldn’t you be assuming I’m not the killer?  I-I’m definitely not but you can’t prove that.” He spluttered, waving his arms in defense

“I already asked the others the same question so unless they were all lying then you’re in the clear for now. More importantly, following this train of thought would narrow the suspects down to Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko, Ikusaba and Sayaka.”

“I’m not really comfortable with thinking our friends are capable of this.”

“However you can’t be sure. To expect a human being to cater completely to your expectations regardless of the context is arrogant and unwise, do try to remember that.” Kyouko said

“Back on topic. There’s also the issue of the victim:  Kiyotaka Ishimaru was far from a push-over and as someone who had trained his body for most of his life in martial arts, taking him down is no easy feat. What’s more is that his talent warranted him to have keen observation of suspicious activity. For Ishimaru to have ended up like that leads me to 3 possible conclusions, each a problem on their own. The first is that they were someone he trusted and he was taken off-guard. The second is that he was overpowered and was unable to leave a trace of where the scuffle took place. As for the last, it’s possible the killer was both someone he knew and someone strong enough to best him in that manner.”

Makoto gulped instinctively

 “Hold on a second. Isn’t that the same thought process Celeste was using to accuse Touko? I thought you disagreed with her.”

“I said nothing of the sort. I implied that we shouldn’t ignore all the possible options, not that hers was invalid. In my experience, the nature of a crime can reliably be traced back to the most obvious culprit 90% of the time. I do things this way because ignoring the other 10% could cost lives.” Kyouko said “You’ve also gotten the wrong impression.  I never said I thought Ikusaba was the one who brought Taka’s body there. Did you notice her appearance in the restaurant?”

“She looked normal to me but I was kind of surprised how I didn’t notice her until she spoke up.”

“As did I but if you had paid appropriate attention, you might have seen that her boots were dry.”

“Dry?”

We each had umbrellas so it's natural our clothes would be dry but our shoes are another story. It would mean Ikusaba never left the restaurant from the moment the rain began to when Taka was found. Not only is remaining there suspicious in of itself but it's stranger that she would have missed whoever painted that drawing on the wall.

“You mean…”

“What did I say about stating your conclusions?” Kyouko chastised him

That was true. The reason he came along was to add a different perspective and pick up points she might have missed. Besides, he didn’t want to think Ikusaba was capable of this.

Well, perhaps capable wasn’t the right word. She was the ultimate soldier after all and contrary to what some might think, even he wasn’t naïve enough to believe she could have gotten that title without killing…a lot. Still, even taking that into account, the elder twin had never even hinted at the tendency to kill unprovoked in all the time he’d known her and there would be no motive.

 “So what was the other reason?”

“I didn’t think she’d want to be away from her sister at a time like this.” Kyouko replied. Her words resonated with something Makoto had wished to inquire on since the group meeting.

"Hey Kyouko...about the majority vote for holding Touko captive and suspecting Togami."  He was disgusted with himself. He didn't want to ask. He didn't need to ask. But he asked anyway. "Did you agree to that?"

The detective's pace sped up past him and as a result, Makoto could no longer see her expression. A short time elapsed before Kyouko continued "Like Sakura said I understand how you feel and I also understand why their actions were necessary however...you should know me better than that. I have always believed in innocent until proven guilty therefore until I have the facts, there is no reason for me to condemn her. Besides Touko is our friend, isn't she?" Kyouko turned around and gave him a genuine smile. Even in the darkness, he could see that it accentuated the girl's already intense beauty.

Makoto's face beamed at her answer and he too smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. The detective continued to inspire admiration within him. He couldn't help but be amazed by how Kyouko could be so reliable and efficient without sacrificing her caring nature.  

Truthfully, he was jealous. And the instant that feeling sprung from within him, so did a murky, hazy sensation that rippled throughout his body. He could barely maintain consciousness and his legs would have given out had he not stopped abruptly.

Hearing the hoodie's footsteps come to a halt, Kyouko turned back to see him frozen in place, a single line of sweat falling off his chin. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record but I’ll say it again regardless…are you sure you’re alright?” The detective was demonstrably concerned.

He told Touko moments ago that everything would be alright once she starts believing they will be and in himself. This wasn't the time or place to show weakness and he wouldn't make himself out to be a hypocrite of that caliber.

He gave Kyouko the strongest smile he could muster at the time  and forced himself to speak "My bad, I nearly tripped over my shoelace as usual. You know me.” 

It wasn’t often he told lies. He just hoped it wouldn't become a habit

 

Notes:

Regrets #3

Talent isn't all its cracked up to be. A guaranteed shiny future is nice but the expectations and effort you make for it, that's just not my style. My whole life, I always looked for shortcuts to solve my problems and when things go my way, I end up forgetting the reason I started searching in the first place and go with the flow. That's what happened with me and Kanon.

But you guys are different, I had more fun in the past year than the rest combined. If I had to choose between the opportunity of a lifetime or slugging it out with all of you, I don't even need to think about what would make me happier.

And that's why...

Chapter 4: Mostro di Logica / Monster of Logic

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Naegi and Kirigiri left nothing un-turned as they rummaged through the ultimate moral compass’ cottage for clues.

How did they get inside, you ask? Kyouko had long confessed to lock-picking as one of the many essential talents of a detective. A part of him just thought she was being a deviant and screwing the rules. This was a girl who rebelled in the strangest ways and he was sure her father would agree.

As expected, the room was neat and tidy.  Taka, who often stressed cleanliness and order, would never leave his room (even a temporary one that would likely have been cleaned after his departure) in less than perfect condition.

It wasn’t so neat now that he and Kyouko had gotten through with it. He had asked what it was they were looking for specifically and she had replied with something along the lines of “Anything that’s suspicious.”

In other words, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack.

 Despite feeling his condition improve, he still wanted to hide it from the others. At least until everything settled down. Easier said than done since Kyouko kept making side glances his way, something that suggested he wasn’t convincing enough.

 Still, the fact that she hadn’t said anything outright meant she didn’t have a solid idea, in which case he was doing a fairly good job.

Makoto searched the area around the upper section of the bed and bumped and accidentally swiped at the alarm on top of the drawer, making the rectangular object fall onto the floor upright.

 Makoto placed both hands onto his ears as an obnoxious sound rung incessantly from the now-activated alarm.  He attempted to grab it before a gloved hand latched onto his wrist. 

He couldn’t understand why but Kyouko insisted he leave it untouched.

Several minutes passed and the alarm showed no signs of quieting. A full 15 minutes later and Makoto thought his brain was about to explode.

“Alright, that should be enough.” Kyouko said, and he quickly disarmed that horrid clock.

He sighed as he rubbed his temples

Peace at last

 “Just as I thought, the picture is starting to become clearer.”

“I’m glad there was actually a point to that, Kyouko. Care to share?”

“From what I can gather, it is likely that Kiyotaka was murdered this very morning…as in within an hour of our finding his body.”

Makoto caught on quickly. “The alarm doesn’t have an auto-shut down sequence so he had to have turned it off this morning, right?”

“Exactly, only I had my suspicions after seeing the pristine state of the room, someone made the bed after he had slept.  Furthermore, Ishimaru lives by his schedule as much as Sayaka. He’d always be the first to sleep and the first to wake so based on that alone, the chances that he left this room in the night are slim and the possibility that he was attacked inside this room is even slimmer.”

Leaving only one option left, he was killed after he left this room in the morning…and none of us noticed. Of course we wouldn’t, the cottages are soundproof!

“You’re the only one I’ve told about this but remember when I was investigating the diagram in the restaurant? The blood there was still wet and warm. Now consider this: where exactly are we?”

Where are we?...Jabberwock Island…a  famous tropical resort ..I get it

“We’re on a tropical island. Blood usually takes a little under an hour to dry under normal temperatures It shouldn’t have taken more than half an hour.”

“Correct, meaning that circle must have been made a short time before we arrived.  In other words, everyone who made it to this morning’s breakfast is most likely exempt from suspicion for the mean time. That would include Ikusaba, naturally.” Kyouko said, alleviating the luckster of his growing suspicions of the older twin.

Indeed, Makoto realized that it was simply impossible for the ultimate soldier to have somehow killed Taka, done something with the body, made the diagram, then left and came back without anyone seeing her during that short timeframe. Then again, they had reason to believe the stoic girl may not have left the building at all. Nobody’s that good…unless there’s some kind of ultimate murderer out there.

“Therefore, if we subscribe to the idea that our classmates are behind this murder then that leaves only Chihiro, Sayaka and Togami as the prime suspects. Assuming Ishimaru didn’t decide it was a good idea to experiment on decapitating himself.”

I can’t imagine for a second Chihiro could have done this. Nothing about his character even hints at being capable and he doesn’t have the strength for it.

He realized that they hadn’t truly addressed the possibility of an outsider committing the crime “What are the chances that someone really snuck on the island?”

“Not very high in my opinion. From what I was told, Hope’s Peak had gone to great  lengths to prevent such an occurrence. The island was swept clean of anyone before we arrived and there is only one location where ships may dock. As you know, Kyousuke Munakata and his assistant took the last ship out a few days ago and none have arrived since.”

No chance then…

He smiled bitterly

Kyouko noticed his deflated expression and offered a ray of hope of her own “Either way, we won’t be able to fully solve this mystery until we find the other two. There’s no point wracking your head over the size of the forest if you can’t even see the trees in front of you.”

He agreed. They  had a better chance tackling the problems in front of us and working our way from the bottom which means, we need to start looking for Togami and Chihiro. Kizakura was handling the latter so it’s clear where we needed to go.

“The library then?” He proposed

“Unless there’s anywhere else you think is suspicious?”

Makoto felt like he was forgetting something important but nothing came to the surface. He had his increasingly annoying ailment to thank for that.

“No. Lead the way.”

If at this point he had remembered, things might have turned out differently.


 

The duo trailed back to the second island when a shaggy, long-haired hobo came running their way and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Naegi-chi,  Kirigi-chi. We got trouble. Big trouble!” 

“H-Hiro? How did YOU find us and whats wrong? Makoto said, somewhat disturbed by how they got busted by him

“Leon told me but that doesn’t matter right now. EVERYTHING’s gone to hell.” He shouted in his usual dramatic fashion

Way to keep a secret Leon.

“Calm down and tell us what happened.” Kyouko ordered

“I don’t know. One second everything was fine and the next, we were under attack. Ogre and Mondo broke out into a fight then the whole place got totaled then Genocider showed up and then Hina  tried to stop them, then Mondo ran off!”

Makoto took a full 5 seconds to process what he had just heard.  “No way. First off, Mondo would never fight a girl, even Sakura.”

Kyouko shook her head and frowned “Remember what I said about preconceptions? We’ll have to drop  the investigation for now and make sure our fellow classmates don’t end up killing each other.”


 

To say the formerly tranquil scenery of the hospital was replaced with a warzone overnight wasn’t far off the mark. Only this destruction had occurred in the span of a few minutes.  The hospital had been set ablaze, numerous cracks and potholes filled the grounds and the building itself looked a shell of its former self. As if an indoor tornado swept its way through the compound, the windows from top to the bottom floor had been shattered and the front door been blown to smithereens, making it easy for the trio to see the flames burning everything they touched inside. 

Makoto’s attention however, was focused on the people outside the building. Sakura was crouched on a single knee and with Hina at her side. The martial artist had a number of bruises, some a clear shade of purple and blood dripping from the side of her abdomen.

” Sakura! Those wounds…”

“I have suffered worse; these injuries are far from life-threatening however they may take some time to recover.  Possibly longer, as we no longer have any medical supplies in the immediate vicinity.” She faced the ruined building.

“How did you get those injuries?” Kyouko said. Makoto could see she had entered into interrogation mode.

“Ashamed as I am to admit it, they were inflicted by Mondo while my back was turned.”

“That jerk! Always going on about never hitting girls then he pulls this crap? Even if he is hurt about Taka, that gives him no right to lay a hand on Sakura.” Asahina was furious.

“Enough, Hina. The very last thing I desire is to have you all fight each other on behalf of my own incompetence.  Moreover, I do not believe Mondo was in his right mind…and I am not referring to Kiyotaka.”

“You noticed something.”  Kyouko phrased it as a statement

“Indeed. While my injuries were due to an assault from behind…Mondo was still far more difficult to deal with than he should have been, especially for someone who had just regained consciousness. Even more unnerving was the color of his eyes, they were scarlet red.” Sakura said. The gravity she spoke with hinted there was more to her ordeal than words could express.

 “Mondo’s irises are purple and we’ve known that since we met him. Are you certain you weren’t seeing things in the midst of a fight?”

“I would never make such a callous mistake, Kyouko. While in combat, it is imperative for a master to keep their eyes locked on their opponent’s.  A person’s eyes betray more of their actions than words ever could and  I believe someone of your caliber should understand this best of all.”

“…You’re correct. I don’t mean to doubt but you understand what you’re telling us, yes?” It was in Kyouko’s nature to play the devil’s advocate. A truth that Oogami understood as well

“I do and I may not believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. What do you make of this?”

“I’m not sure. There is no illness I have in memory that can make a person change eye color but it would explain why Mondo would actually attack you, much less from behind. Mondo’s always had problems restraining his anger but he has never crossed that line. Nobody with such strong values changes that abruptly.” Despite maintaining her stoic persona, Makoto could see the detective was becoming frustrated. Stranger things occurred seemingly without end and we barely had any answers.

“Could you tell us what happened precisely, since before he attacked?” Makoto said. Maybe they would get answers if Sakura went into full detail of the events.

“Very well. I had requested Leon’s assistance at keeping watch over Mondo as soon as I felt signs of his regaining consciousness. He didn’t immediately acquiesce to my request but he did return a few minutes later.  I cannot say where he went.”

I can…Sorry about that.

Sakura continued. “He did not return alone however. Celestia came with him and apparently expressed interest in Mondo’s condition.  As loathed as I am to suspect my classmates of ill-will, I was skeptical of the nature of Celeste’s intentions and kept watch over her.”

“Celeste did?  I can see why you’d be suspicious then; she isn’t really the type to go for sentimentality. What happened next?” Kyouko added

 “Oh, I can field the next one. I got sort of hungry and wanted to make something in the hospital’s kitchen but I think the food burned and turned on the fire alarm. I think there was something wrong with the stove because I never burn my food. Looks like it had been used too which was weird because I didn’t smell any cooking.” Hina interjected. Makoto wasn’t sure of whether her cheer had returned somewhat or she was just embarrassed

Sakura nodded her head to verify the swimmer’s testimony “Afterwards, I left the room to check on the problem and found Hina there. It appeared to be a minor accident and after making sure she was unharmed, I returned to my position. Only, I met Celeste on her way out, claiming she had ‘finished her business there and departed. Leon wasn’t in the room either therefore I initially assume she had waited there until my return as to not leave Mondo unattended.”

Leon, come on…

“I ruminated over the day’s events near the door and took my eyes off Mondo. Deep in my own thoughts, I failed to notice my assailant and received a knife wound to the side as punishment."


 

Mondo. What is the meaning of this?” She said as she clutched her side with one arm, the knife had been forcibly removed and thrown to the wayside.

The gang leader didn’t respond but instead ran forward, pulling his left fist back in an attempt to land another blow. This time, she would be ready.

Sakura was well aware of her opponent’s strength, they had fought earlier this very day after all and she only had a moderate amount of difficulty subduing him. To an ordinary person the incoming fist would seem as if it moved at a hundred miles per hour, essentially invisible but to her, it might as well have been standing still.

 Mondo’s reach entered her personal space and the aim was clearly poised at her chest. She deflected it with the back of her own right palm, pushing his arm to the side and disrupting his balance.

The biker countered by kicking at her open wound, to which Sakura responded by raising her own knee to block the attack. Mondo was now unable to defend himself against the palm thrust Sakura had delivered towards his torso, blowing him back to the wall next to the window.

It was a miracle he hadn’t flown right through given the formerly sturdy wall was now adorned with cracks and looked as if it would fall apart any moment.

Dishonorable tactics…and those eyes, is this really Mondo?

Much to her surprise, Mondo picked himself up from the indent he had made on the wall and cracked his neck, looking no worse for wear.

It would be unwise to underestimate him, he was chosen by Hope’s peak for his brutality after all.

She could have called for the others but in this situation, that decision may only place them in danger. No, this was something she had to deal with personally.

 Without the use of strategy or tactics, he laid out another frontal assault but she was certain the end result would be the same.

He bore his metaphorical fangs against her. Sakura prepared to block his swing as it came inches from her own however, Mondo had stopped that very inch short and instead switched to his right fist.

A fake

She strained herself to dodge but she managed it.  From there, Mondo merely assaulted her with a flurry of fists and she caught and deflected every last one of them.

This exchange carried on for nearly a full minute before Sakura saw an opening to knee Mondo in the gut, sending him backwards once again.

Only this time he hadn’t been pushed back nearly as far.

Sakura could feel her wound beginning to take its toll. She had no intention of hurting her classmate, who was blatantly unwell but his movements were increasingly becoming unpredictable. If the fight dragged on at this pace…

Before she could finish her train of thought, Mondo was on her again. He dove under her and launched an uppercut. Sakura had no choice but to step back in order to evade the blow.

 At that moment, she had realized her folly.

From the previous barrage of fists, she had been forced to take a few steps back. Unbeknownst to her, she was right at the door’s entrance however after Mondo’s last attack, she had backed off even further.

Now he had room to escape and spared no time taking it.  He fled to the right and ran towards the lobby with speeds Sakura couldn’t believe he possessed.

He’s running away, this is bad…

She gave chase and immediately noticed her disadvantage. She had been able to contend in a space where she required little movement but large motor actions caused her injury to worsen and blood to flow quicker. She simply couldn’t keep up in this state.

It was then that she detected a musky scent in the air. It was a smell she would know anywhere, smoke.

The fire alarms came back in full force but this time she knew it wasn’t a false alarm. Mondo noticed as well which explains why he came to a temporary halt near the exit, as if debating whether to escape.

Sakura used this opportunity to shoulder bash him out of the building. He flew back several meters and landed unceremoniously on the hard cement.

Once outside as well, Sakura took her eyes off the biker for a moment to check the state of the building and as she feared, smoke and flames seeped out of the windows on the upper floors and were making their way down.

Hina and the others, I need to-

Only years of martial arts training could have prepared her in sensing the waves of killing intent emanating from behind. She rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Mondo dropping his heel onto the pavement.

His heel had sunk into the ground, creating a miniature crater where she had been standing.

That was intended to be a fatal blow.

“…I see. If that is your intent then I will meet you with equal use of force.” The entire time, Sakura had focused only on defense and minimized the amount of damage she could incur on her classmate…she no longer had that luxury.

As if contrasting Mondo’s crimson, Sakura’s eye shone a bright azure. The ogre took a proper fighting stance for the first time and the air itself tensed as she did.  She would make the first move and that would be the end of Mondo’s resistance.

Or it would have, had her concentration not been thwarted by obnoxious chatter

“Kyahahahaha! What’s this, what’s this? A hot session between our resident beefcakes? Why wasn’t I invited?” Both fighters turned their attention to the newly resuscitated Genocider Syo in all her ravenous glory.  She arrived by jumping from one of the upper floor windows and now stood in front of them, creating a triangular formation between the 3.

“There you are.”  Sakura heard Mondo speak the first time since he woke, she had begun to think he was no longer capable of that function.                                                                               

“Hm?  I was joking about wanting to be invited, baguette. Master is the only one from me.” The serial-killer said, pointing her scissors at him as a gesture of intimidation.

“I ain’t gonna put up with your nonsense. Tell me where rich boy is or I’ll beat it out of ya…well, that’s going to happen either way so feel free to keep yer trap shut if you’d like.” He spoke without mercy and was determined to carry out his threat.

“D-Did I just hear that right? Did Muscle head just threaten my Adonis? Kyaha- wait, this isn’t funny at all. Say, are you trying to get killed by me?” Genocider said, as vicious as she sounded, there was little doubt of her confusion. The entire scenario that played out before her made no sense…okay less sense than usual.

Mondo didn’t reply, he simply directed the bloodlust that was formerly aimed at the martial artist towards Genocider.

Now that was a language the bespectacled murderer could understand and she readied herself to respond in kind.

What was Ikusaba doing? Sakura thought   .

No. Genocider’s unexpected appearance may have worked to her advantage.  She had let the blood rush to her head because she was backed into a corner…or perhaps her warrior spirit had simply been roused. Regardless of the reason, with Genocider here, Mondo’s attention and effort would now be divided. All she needed to do was check the serial killer.

“Are you sure it is wise of you turn your back to me, Mondo?”

That caught the biker’s attention.

“And let this be a warning for you as well, Genocider. I will permit no more killings in my presence, be they friend or foe. If one of you insists on attacking the other, I will take that opportunity to put the both of you down immediately. Likewise, even if both of you come at me, the end result will be the same.”  An aura of intimidation exuded from every inch of the martial artist’s body.

It was a stalemate. Sakura’s threat had made itself known therefore, neither Mondo nor Genocider made a move. Attacking now would defy common sense.

Unfortunately, common sense did not exist in Genocider’s dictionary.

She sprung to attack Mondo. He retaliated. Sakura made her move.

The result could only be described as pure chaos; a veritable hurricane of fists, kicks and shears filled the air.

If one made a move, another would be there to counter immediately, and would need to prepare for the third’s attempt even then. It was a perfect deadlock; neither combatant could leave any openings therefore neither could fight at full-capacity.

This was the optimal situation for Sakura, the only one of the three who wished for such a conclusion and this check would remain so long as Mondo and Genocider did not join forces against her. An event that was evidently impossible on the part of the former.

Sakura couldn’t fathom where Mondo’s hostility came from and she hadn’t the space to think about it any further. In combat, wasted thoughts were tantamount to a wasted life.

It was a pity

Had circumstances been different, she would have reveled at the joy of testing her mettle against worthy opponents such as these. The training facilities at Hope’s peak were state-of-the-art the likes of which she had never seen, even her own dojo which comprised a legacy spanning hundreds of years of martial arts practices could not compare. In the end however, they were merely equipment and could not even begin to compare to live combat.

Truly, a pity.

Their battle could have gone on for hours but it was only a matter of time before they were interrupted.

“What the hell are you guys doing?”  All 3 stopped and stared in the direction of what sounded like Asahina’s voice.

What they saw were the remaining students having escaped the hospital and staring at them with varying expressions of awe, worry and fear. In truth, they had been there sometime earlier but what they had seen left them in a trance.

All but one Ryouko Otonashi, who appeared unimpressed at their scuffle and was piggybacking who looked to be Ikusaba.

It was at this instant where Genocider thrusts her scissors towards Mondo. The gang leader was taken off-guard and consequently unable to prevent Genocider’s scissors from grazing his right eye. Blood spurted out the cut, much to the horror of the others.  Mondo did not so much as yelp at the wound.

Genocider took this opportunity to cackle madly and ran out of the area with great agility.

Mondo recuperated within moments  and went after her

“We’re going after them, Hifumi!” Celeste ordered as she along with her servant, chased them.


 

“So Mondo’s target was Genocider while Celeste and Hifumi went along. A predictable turn of events once you see the pattern.” Kyouko said, thoughtfully.

 “I needed to make sure everyone else was safe so I had to let them go. My apologies.” Sakura said, ashamed of her failures.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Sakura. You only did the best you could and frankly, I’m just glad you and the others survived that.” Makoto said

Sakura’s expression turned grave “…Perhaps not. I suggest you look for Ryouko, Makoto. She left in the direction of the hotel with her sister on her back. I cannot be sure but perhaps Ikusaba was injured by Genocider.”

 “Do as she says, Makoto. I still have some questions here.”

He heeded the girls’ advice but not before listening in on a question posed by Kyouko. Something along the lines of “Do you have any idea who started the fire?”

…Who?


 

 On his way to the hotel, he came across a perplexed Leon, as if unsure of what to do in the current situation. For Makoto, that didn’t matter. He had questions that desperately needed answering.

“Leon. What the hell?” He said angrily as he stomped his way towards the other boy

“What did I do?” The athlete responded

“Everything wrong! What happened to not staying away from Celeste and Sayaka?”

“That wasn’t my fault. Celeste found me right after you guys left and listened in on the conversation. I didn’t think she could do any harm so I brought her with me.”

A fair defense if true so Makoto decided to let that end slide and focus on the more important detail

 “Sakura told me you left Celeste alone with Mondo, why?”

“I saw Sayaka walking down the halls with this glum look on her face she’d been packing the whole day. Thought I’d act as a little comfort, if you get my meaning.”

In truth, he had done nothing wrong. Not knowingly yet he had opened the proverbial Pandora’s Box because of his lack of foresight.

Frustration rose from within, if he stayed any longer, he might do something he’d regret…which would probably end up badly given how much more physically adept the older boy was “You’re impossible…did you see Ryouko on the way?”

“Oh yeah, she was carrying Ikusaba and walked right by me without saying a word. Ouch right?  Speaking of which, she didn’t look so hot.”

That was all he needed to hear before continuing to the hotel. 


 

From the compound, Makoto could see light coming out from to one of the open rooms. He approached the area carefully in order to be sure whoever was staying there was friendly.

Inside, Ryouko knelt over what Makoto deduced to be her older sister’s resting on the bed.

“She’s dead.”  Ryouko must have known he was there because she didn’t even turn back to face him. The words she spoke however, made Makoto’s blood run cold.

Makoto rushed over to the auburn-haired girl to confirm her statement and sure enough, he saw that the soldier had suffered an injury that no human could survive untreated; a wide gash across her throat.

Ah, there was that vomiting sensation again.

“Why did this have to happen? Goddamit!”  He yelled and slammed his fist against the wall. The recoil seemed to hurt him more than anything.

He had spoken with Ikusaba…no Mukuro, just moments before. She smiled and laughed just like any other girl but that was over with now. To add insult to injury knew there was no way to pin this murder on an outsider.

“…Why indeed. A strange way for sis to go out, I’d say.” A despondent Ryouko answered his rhetorical question without any trace of emotion.

“D-Don’t you care? Your sister just died!” He asked, shocked. He admittedly wasn’t all too aware of the their relationship but surely they had to have been close.

“Yeah, I’m the one who just told you that, remember?  Whether I care isn’t the problem, I’m just observing something weird.”

“I’m skeptical thinking there’s something not strange about this.  All of this.” Makoto said, sarcastically.

“Not that.”  The amnesiac placed her index fingers on both sides of her temples and closed her eyes

“Yeah, like this doesn’t really work out.  The width of the cut and circumstance of the killing implicates Genocider and her scissors as the murder weapon but Touko managing to kill big sis, is statistically improbable when comparing their specs.” The analyst opened her eyes and finally faced him

“About a 3% chance I’d say because there’s no way sis would fail to see Touko turning into genocider. Stinky would have hit the ground the second she sneezed-On the other hand, Genoicder killing her quickly and silently enough for nobody else to notice? The count drops to 0….unless she had help? The only other way would be...” She mused, tilting her head quizzically.

“You think one of us helped her escape?”

“Muku was known in her dog squad for never being injured in war so I’m pretty sure almost nobody here could have pulled that off…Wait, that’s not right, I could and so could you.”

Me?

“Yeah, you could totally be the killer. You’ve got no alibi either.”

“I’m innocent!” He countered. “And why makes me special compared to everyone else?”

“You sure are deeense…then again, big sis was all that good at the whole ‘expressing my feelings’ deal either.  Ugh, this is annoying, you just are okay! If anyone could have been an accomplice, it would be one of us and I didn’t do it. Way too important not to write down in my notebook.”

He didn’t like where this was going. The last thing he needed was to be the new suspect. “I wouldn’t even have a reason to kill her. Aren’t you the ultimate analyst? Why can’t you figure this situation out?”

“That’s true…a motive is indeed the issue here.  Say Makoto, did I ever tell you how my talent worked?” She raised an odd question out of the blue

“Not really. Any time I asked, you’d call it a long story, forget and then say it again the next time.” He scratched his hair

“That does sound like me but no biggie, now is a good a time as ever then. “ She stood up and towered over the boy

“As an abridged, my talent lets me figure out stuff easy, like ESP. To put the detailed version in layman’s terms, I want you to picture two end points: Your perspective is Point A and the object of interest is point B  and there is a line that connects the two– Now imagine a scenario where your sister birthday is coming up…what was her name again? Komakkie?”

“Komaru!”

“Komarie it is. So let’s posit that you, her brother, who I would assume has a better idea of her likes/dislikes than the norm, attempted to give her the most ideal gift. How would you go about it?”

“Okay. Well she’s got hordes of manga at home so I could get her a copy of Sailor moon.  If not that, I could introduce her to Sayaka but that might be overkill. I guess a middle ground would be finding her a boyfriend, she’s always complaining about that whenever I visit for Christmas.” He murmured, given her question quite a bit more thought than the girl intended.

Ryouko’s expression was the picture of disgust “Uwaaah, you really do have a sibling complex…I can work with this though.”

“Why does everyone say that?” He whined

“The point is due to your position, you are entitled to a variety of resources that would allow you to come closest to the objective of satisfying your little sister, at least compared to a stranger.”

“Using the end points as an example:  think of everything that comprises the concept of an action…or perhaps reality itself as a network of connections that expands infinitely.  Now imagine these connecting lines as inactive until they are prodded by information and light up. A relatively uninterested bystander like a classmate with a passing fancy might be able to generate a single connection however you would instead make several  branching out from point A and connecting to point B.”

“You know Komarie likes books --> Buying some would make a suitable present -> Successful connection

 Komarie wants a boyfriend -- > You cannot reasonably provide this nor would she want you to -> Connection failure and the line shuts down

Give Komarie Sayaka --> A bit sadistic at the expense of our favorite pop star but it could work -> successful connection.”

He was starting to get an idea of what her explanation was alluding to. Like the process of neurons transmitting information via a synapse in the brain

“Naturally, it’s possible for the lines to connect to each other before arriving at point B in order to reach the most optimal conclusion. These lines all signify the data, the logical reasoning and the process that makes an end result possible or impossible. Feel free to call these metaphorical connections, a [logic dive].

In the case of someone like Kyouko, she can illuminate a larger amount of logic drives in this network than most. Using the first as an example, Kyouko wouldn’t stop at just buying books. She would think of where the money would come from. What time she would purchase it. What location she would make that purchase. How she would present it to the target. What she can expect their reactions to be in advance etc.  See. There are a greater number of active lines because Kyouko’s actually intelligent. ”

Ryouko’s expression hardened more than Makoto thought possible. It looked like he was staring at a doll.

“Those burdened with the talent of ultimate analyst are given something of a cheat code. The entire network is active right from the start. It is just a matter is of paying attention to them…no, I suppose that’s not quite right. Even instinctively, we are capable of making connections without consciously being aware that we need to make them to begin with. If there was someone out there who I would have a fateful encounter with one day, I would realize that fact just by crossing paths with them even if I had no idea what specifically separated them from the drones of society.”

“So why can’t you use that here?”And is she slipping out of character? He thought. It always unnerved him how her normally whimsical personality could abruptly transform into one so mechanical.

“An error. I do not quite understand it myself but there must be an element that has shut down one of those lines beyond my ability to activate them. To re-use the birthday girl analogy, keep the objective and your motive the same but instead of implementing the 3 logic dives used as examples before, replace them with you deciding to stab your sister with a kitchen knife.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” He was saying this a lot lately.

“Ding Ding, we have a winner! It doesn’t make sense because your hypothetical action is both extreme and counter-intuitive. There is no genuine logic or semantic reasoning present nor do any of the other lines contain information that suggests a temporary lapse in sanity. It is an irreconcilable error causing the logic dive to remain inactive, permanently.”

Afterwards, she suddenly glared at him. Makoto took a step back as her gaze seemed to pierce right through him.

“You are much the same. I can’t read you because of your luck you see. That talent is inseparable from your existence and there is no pattern behind it. A complete outlier...perhaps that’s why I think you’re suspicious.”

“If that’s true then the killer has to be insane…could it really have been Genocider?”

“Please tell me you didn’t buy into Celeste’s assertion about madness not being able to be reasoned with. You’re not unintelligent and I said earlier that I could account for Genocider’s chances against Mukuro didn’t I?”

True

"Just cuz you're crazy doesn't mean you're not running off logic. There's a difference between that and being irrational. My talent's half-assed. The lines are shutdown but they're not 100% either. More like 30%, and I forget any of the connections I make."

“That’s…kinda bad.” He said, dejectedly

Ryouko tilted her head again, as if she didn’t understand the reason behind his concern. “Is it though? I think it worked out A-okay and I would also think you of all people would agree.”

“Eh?” This was what made the amnesiac a fun person to be around and also unnerved the crap out of him. He could never keep up with her pace.

“You just accused me of not caring about Muku riiight? Come on, can’t you see the reason for the network analogies?!”

"...No?"

She groaned. "I'd basically predict everything if my talent worked properly. See the problem?"

“I think what you’re getting is at is that you’d feel trapped, mentally I mean?” He asked, unsure of his conclusion.

“Eeeeeeeh, you get 40 points."

40 out of what? He wanted to ask but the words were caught in his throat as he saw that detached look in the analyst’s eyes again.

“From what I can tell, If there was someone out there with my talent that didn't have amnesia…they'd be like a boring old machine. They'd never do anything because they know how it'll all turn out. Someone like that would be dreadfully, abominably, and tediously boring.”

Notes:

And so Info-dump: the chapter, is complete.

Took a completely different turn from how I'd originally planned. Sakura's segment was just supposed to be a brief recollection of what she had seen but then I thought 'hey, this is a chance to show off what badasses the tanks of the group were in real-time' and lo and behold, my first fight scene. Wonder if turned out okay.

As for Ryouko. I thought it was a good chance to go in-depth in how her/Junko/Izuru's talents work and used one of the mini-games in DR as the basis; weird how that fit in so nicely. Furthermore, highlighting the difference in awareness between Ryouko and the other 2 made for a convenient *cough*cop-out*cough* explanation for why Ryouko wouldn't solo the island's mysteries.

Speaking of mysteries, there were quite a few hints here if you look closely.

Chapter 5: Nemico / Enemy

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ryouko waited by the door while Makoto said his final goodbyes to Ikusaba Mukuro; resting on the makeshift bed with arms folded over her chest. He almost thought she seemed at peace…were it not for the cruel gash across her neck. 

He could only imagine how much pain the girl had experienced. He could even see the bloodstain on her gloves, likely due to clutching the injury before she drew her last breath.

He turned towards the door way and never looked back.


 

Everyone regrouped at the Typhoon and Makoto had told the others of Mukuro’s passing. The reactions among his classmates varied from disbelief to fear. The former category comprised of Leon, Sakura and Hina while the latter was from Hiro, who seemed to be mentally out of reach for the moment.

Kyouko’s reaction was neither. Her mask appeared  perfect to most however Makoto had experience on his side and what he could gleam based on that knowledge was a look of confirmation mixed with something else he couldn’t quite place.

Sayaka was somewhat more difficult to read. Not particularly because she was better at hiding her emotions but because she went about it in a more flexible way.

Kyouko’s stoicism was like armor, so durable that it would meet most attempts at piercing it head on and prevail without a chink to its structure.

Sayaka on the other hand could be called a mirror. One that flawlessly reflects whatever you wanted to see so there would be no reason to even try and break through it.

He knew something was wrong but that was all. His classmates were exceptional at keeping to themselves.

“I’ll need everyone to give me an alibi on what they were doing this evening.”  Kyouko said, assuming the position as leader

“What for?” Leon argued

Kyouko raised an eyebrow at the premature resistance “To keep a record of tonight’s events straight unless there’s a problem with something that simple?”

“So why does it sound like you’re suspecting us of something.”

He decided it was best to intervene.  “I’m sure Kyouko’s got a good reason and she’s our best shot at surviving here.”

“Whatever. Ask away if you think it’ll help.”

Kyouko nodded “We’ll start with you, Hagakure”

“Me first.  That’s easy, I was lying on the first floor’s couch after Celeste and Makoto had their little stand-off.  Hina came by me a few times so she can be my witness.”  Hiro replied

The swimmer affirmed his statement with a nod

“That’s fine. Did you happen to hear the sound of a windows or doors opening during that time?” She pressed on

Hiro rubbed his stubby chin, trying to recall the events from this evening “No, don’t think so.”

Kyouko frowned.

Makoto knew why.  It was a double-layered question: both of them had should have left around 7 in the evening. If Hiro really was in the lounge then he would have been able to clear suspicion by answering yes. More importantly however was that he’d give us a lead on…

“Oh wait. I think I heard someone leaving this evening. Can’t remember the exact time though but it was definitely before 8 pm.” Hiro said, jovially.

 “Just a moment, you sound like you may have heard signs of an intruder and did not think to tell anyone or check?” A dumbfounded Sakura asked.

“What if someone snuck in and killed Ikusaba, you idiot!”  Hina seemed ready to burst before Kyouko interjected.

“Calm down, Hina. Hagakure’s callousness aside, he is most likely referring to Makoto and myself.”

“Oh…wait, you guys went off together? At this hour?” Hina flushed.

Leon, Ryouko and Hiro snickered in his direction. Sakura kept her arms crossed. Sayaka…oh he could actually tell this time, that was definitely a look of disappointment.

“Not like that, Hina. Since it’s those two, they were definitely out investigating by themselves.” The pop-star corrected them, much to his appreciation.

“A likely occurrence but I cannot I approve of your disobeying orders, Kyouko.”  Sakura added.

“I did what had to be done. Now, Hiro, did you only hear the door opening once?”

“If it happened more than that, it would have been easier to remember.”

And just like that, the culprit had been cornered. Makoto understood the purpose behind Kyouko’s question. If nobody else had entered into the building, the killer would have to be someone who was in it from the very start. In other words, one of us including Celeste and Hifumi however, it stands to reason that Hiro wouldn’t be a suspect.  

Mentally, he chuckled grimly. What a disgusting, horrid turn of events this was turning out to be.

“Alright since Hiro’s in the clear, you’re next Asahina.” Kyouko said.

“I was moving around a lot so it shouldn’t be too hard for anyone to vouch for me. Can’t stay cooped up in one place ya know?”

“I believe you mentioned something about cooking back when me and Makoto arrived? Expand on that.”

Asahina described what had occurred when she had caused the alarms to trip.

“It wasn’t my fault okay; someone had to have messed with it earlier. I NEVER burn my food.” The swimmer raised her hands in defense. She was so sure of herself that Makoto found it difficult to doubt her.

“Hina might be right about that. I remember Hifumi playing around in there while I was looking for Makoto.” Leon said with a thoughtful expression.

“Hifumi …could it be?” Sakura began to speak.

“Save that for the end, Sakura. Right now it’s best to get everything out in the open before forming a coherent hypothesis.”  Kyouko warned “On that note.  You’re next, Sayaka.”

The idol responded without a trace of humor or hesitation “I’m not sure anyone can support my alibi. I moved around but not nearly as much as Hina and I didn’t come into contact with anyone.”

“In other words, you don’t have an alibi.” Kyouko frowned

“What’s with the coldness, Kyouko? For your information, I can vouch for her. I saw Sayaka strolling around looking bothered and thought I could help. She turned me down though.”  Leon said.

“Indeed.” Sayaka sighed

“Very well but what would have troubled you so much, Sayaka?” On paper, Kyouko’s words may have appeared to be out of concern but there was clearly an accusatory element hidden within.

“This entire situation is vexing, Kyouko. Not all of us are used to being around corpses.”  Sayaka snapped back.

A dead silence filled the room as they the majority of the students gaped at her. Although Kyouko didn’t appear all that taken aback by the outburst.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Sayaka apologized

 “Let’s move on.  Ryouko?”

“I don’t think anyone can support me here. I was sleeping in one of the rooms for a while.” Ryouko responded, a bit too cheerfully for what her statement implied.

“No alibi then?  You were the one who found Ikusaba’s body so you are the only one who knows the details of the crime scene. With your talent, it should be easy for you to replicate anything worthwhile to us.”

“I’ll save that for after we’ve got a working theory going. ”

“You won’t talk?” Kyouko scowled but the amnesiac took the detective’s glare head on without flinching

“Not yet.”  Ryouko said curtly

Kyouko sighed.

“From what I’ve heard, we can suspect that Celeste and Hifumi are involved in tonight’s events. According to Sakura’s testimony, Mondo was aware of the events that had happened since morning despite being out cold the whole time.  Sakura also told me that Celeste had ample time to indoctrinate him if she chose to. What’s more is that Mondo’s target was clearly Togami while Genocider was the bait. In all likelihood, they wanted someone who could be traced right back to him.” The detective said, gravely.

Gasps were heard across the room

 “Moreover, Celeste would have had a clear motive after expressing her disdain for Fukawa earlier and with Ikusaba guarding her, Genocider’s escape would not have been possible.” Sakura added “It is also possible Hifumi may have tampered with the stove on the upper floors and caused the fire. This would give him and his ‘master’ the smokescreen they needed.”

“If you think about it, everything checks out. So one of them killed Ikusaba?” Asahina said.

“Doubt it, Hina.” Ryouko interrupted “When I found Muku’s body after the fire started, there was something I found interesting. Anyone care to guess? Hint: We saw it for the first time today.”

“…Another magic circle.” Kyouko stated

“Correct!”

“I TOLD YOU IT WAS A WITCH!” Hiro yelled.

“Shut the hell up!” Asahina replied

“For what purpose would someone do such a thing? To commit a murder, spend time leaving a signature and then burning the whole place down and destroying any evidence of it?”  Sakura ruminated.

Hina shook her head. “Maybe Celeste placed it there to confuse us?”

“Confuse who? Ryouko stumbled upon it by mere chance and had she not brought it up, nobody would have ever known. The risk is too great and they gain almost nothing.” Sakura argued against the swimmer’s deduction

“That is assuming Ryouko is telling the truth.” Kyouko said.

Ryouko childishly blew a raspberry in response “You and I both know that pretty much nobody can have an alibi for Muku’s murder anyway. No timeframe for when someone iced her. Even Makkie here coulda done it.”

“Hey, I told you I’m innocent.” He raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

“But why would Celeste even do any of this? Was she the killer all along?” Leon said

“No Its actually the opposite. Celeste has a great sense of self-preservation whether she realizes it or not. I assume she was unable to trust anyone else and decided to strike  before becoming a victim. It is possible Ikusaba was merely collateral damage.” Kyouko explained. “Anyway, we’ve learned quite a bit so what we should do next is clear but we can approach it in two ways. Find Celeste, Hifumi and Mondo and have them give us an explanation or we find Touko or Togami, have them explain their side of the story and we’ll come across the other three eventually.”

“What about Kizakura and Chihiro? He should have been back by a long time ago.” Hiro said

“No time to worry about that. If they’re safe then whether or not they are with us won’t change anything. Regardless that will be enough for now. I can see that everyone’s too on edge right now and are probably tired.  I’ll give everyone 45 minutes to rest, then we’ll meet up again so make sure to check the time on your bracelets. Makoto, I’ll need to speak with you before you go.”

The others murmured as they dispersed into different rooms within the building.

 

-[Kyouko Kirigiri]-

“Kyouko?”  He asked

“Keep your eyes on Sayaka’s movements.”

He gave her a surprised look. “I know she went too far there but I’m sure she didn’t mean it. That’s not a reason to single her out.”

Kyouko crossed her arms and give him a side glance “Not that…I mean, that was partly my fault but I don’t hold that against her. Do you remember what I told you about the suspects on our way to Ishimaru’s cottage?”

“I already asked the others the same question so unless they were all lying then you’re in the clear for now. More importantly, following this train of thought would narrow the suspects down to Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko, Ikusaba and Sayaka.” (Kyouko Kirigiri Chapter Three)

 “I think you mentioned that Togami, Chihiro, Sayaka, Ikusaba and Ryouko were the only ones who could have killed Taka. You removed Ikusaba later and its pretty much impossible she could have done it now.”

“Indeed.  Togami, Chihiro, Celeste and Hifumi aside, Sayaka is the most likely the suspect without a proper alibi for now.”

“You don’t trust her? I thought you guys were best friends or something.”

In a rare display of emotion, Kyouko stared at him wide-eyed “Where did you get that idea?”

“You mean you’re not? But you two were so close lately. Honestly, I was starting to feel left out.” He scratched his hair.

“I hadn’t thought much of It but I suppose you’d be right to say we’d come to something of an understanding recently but this isn’t the time or place to talk about it.” Kyouko continued “Besides, It’s because I trust Sayaka that I can’t rule her out. Despite appearances, Sayaka Maizono is definitely capable of committing murder. She may not have started it with her career on the line but all it takes is for her to be backed into a corner.”

“I don’t think she’d ever kill but…I can’t deny that she’s capable of doing immoral things.”  He would know best as Sayaka had told him of the sacrifices she made during her ascension to the ultimate pop sensation. 

“Either way, I just want you to be careful around her. I have little doubt in mind that whoever is killing is working with an accomplice.”

At this point, that was practically unmistakable. Celeste and Hifumi were proof.

“About the circle Ryouko brought up…” He started.

“There’s nothing to say that’s changed from last time. If there really is such a thing as magic then it’s unlikely we’d be able to uncover this mystery using logic anyway. That would be our last resort and hopefully it won’t come to that.” Kyouko replied

 

-[Sayaka Maizono]-

 

Usually, Sayaka would have spoken up first after recognizing his presence. That this had not occurred when he, very loudly, approached her meant she was mad. Makoto expected that but to resolve the situation, he needed to find out how mad.

“Sayaka.” He called out to her

She faced him and beamed brightly “Hey Makoto, What’s up?”

He stiffened

“Why are you clamming up? Did you need something?” She said, with a smile

“No...real reason. I just thought I could help calm your nerves.” He said, nervously

“That so? I kind of do need someone to talk to right now and since I know you’re soooo good at listening.”

It was the passive-aggression stage, several levels above what he expected and usually meant he screwed up big time. The longer he dragged this on without apologizing, the worse the situation was going to get. In dire straits such as these, he was forced to use  greatest technique of the Naegi family. Admitting you did everything wrong, which was partly true in this case.

He looked Sayaka square in the eyes  “I’m sorry. I know I promised to stay out of trouble but I had to. If I didn’t, kyouko would have gone off by herself. Okay I know that sounds like an excuse and it is bu-” Sayaka cut him off with a raised palm and a placed her other hand on her forehead

“What was that? Just stop, I’m going to get a headache.” She said, still smiling.

“Y-You’re not mad?”

“Oh no, I’m pissed beyond belief after you broke our promise almost immediately after we made it. But I should have known better and predicted Kyouko’s moves. You’re definitely not the type of person to leave someone alone when you think they need help, even if you aren’t exactly healthy yourself.”

“Sorry?” He said confusedly

“No its fine I guess. That’s one of the things I like most about you after all. ”

He blushed.

“But how you get flustered so easily is definitely in the top 3. You’re Mr. Open Book for sure.” She laughed.

He groaned “Not you too. You girls really do get along.”

“Don’t worry its cute…you girls? You mean Kyouko and I right?” She inquired.

“Yeah, how’d you two get so close anyway?” He asked. Even if Kyouko had brushed him off, that didn’t mean he couldn’t an explanation elsewhere

“I’m not really sure I want to answer that.  I definitely won’t right now, maybe when we get back to school after all this.”

Makoto slumped at the results of strike two. 

“More importantly, there’s something I want you to have.” Sayaka grabbed his right palm and placed what Makoto discerned was pepper spray on it.

“Why do you have that?” He asked.

“Self-defense.  Idols don’t go anywhere without something to protect them but since you seem to like charging into things without a moment’s thought, I think you’ll need it more than me.”

“I don’t think I can take this.”

 “Don’t worry and I have more effective protection on me anyway. Just take it or I really won’t forgive you.”

When she puts it that way...

“One more thing.  It’s probably dangerous out there so don’t let your guard down around anyone.”

He wondered, she had simply told him to be careful…so why did he feel that what she really wanted to say was “Don’t trust anybody”

-[Aoi Asahina]-

“You getting ready, Makoto?” Hina addressed him from behind

He turned to face her “Just about. I wanted to see what everyone was doing before we head out. You  look a bit tired, maybe you should get some sleep.”

“You noticed. The truth is that I barely got a wink last night.” She yawned. Makoto thought back to how he had woken up to find her resting on him in the hospital. He chalked it up to Hina being mentally drained from this morning but there was apparently a different reason. It would probably have to be fairly significant because, as far as he knew, Hina was the sort of person who took care of herself. Putting her diet aside anyway.  

Regardless, it may be worth asking about “Was something on your mind then?”

“N-No.  I’ve just – skipped out on donuts this week!” She said, with an abnormal amount of energy.  It was without a doubt an unremarkable lie.  People as nice, upfront and honest as her have little experience lying which is why it’s easy to tell when they’re hiding something – or so Kyouko has told him repeatedly. Ah, Hina’s expression had deflated while he was thinking. Had he made his disbelief obvious?

 “It’s no good, huh? Really, it’s not that big a deal, definitely nothing like what’s happening right now. ” She said, but he wasn’t convinced. It would have to be something important to get a reaction like that.

 “Makoto, are you scared?” Hina interrupted his thoughts.

Guess she must be feeling the pressure. Maybe I can use this as a chance to take her mind off the situation for a while.

“Of course I am but…being scared isn’t going to solve anything. Plus I may not look it but I’m a big brother you know. My parents made me watch over Komaru all the time back when we kids.”

“We older siblings have to buck up in times like these.” Asahina giggled 

“Oh yeah, you have a little brother…Yuta right.”

“I told you a bit about him before, my case might be different from yours though. He’s a total pain, always charging into everything recklessly but he never cried once. I never really needed to protect him from anything. Maybe if I had back gotten some experience back then, I wouldn’t be so afraid when things get tough now, ya know?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Hina. I say I was a helpful older brother but I messed up  a lot…kind of brings back some embarrassing memories.”

“Not true. I bet you’re a great sibling.”

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “Thanks.”

 As if catching onto a moment’s weakness, Hina’s grin turned predatory “That reminds me, you’re also great at dealing with the guys.” 

Huh? Where’d this come from?

“I guess?”

“You can admit it. I totally get that there’s something going on with you and Leon, no wonder you’re so dense when it comes to the girls.”

Maybe she’s still sleeping because I don't have a clue here

“W-Where did you get that from? We’re just friends.”

“Suuuure, that’s why he spent soooo long in your room before he got back. No fooling me, mister.”

“You’re exaggerating, it wasn’t that long and even then all we did was talk.” He saw her smile widening and caught himself “About girls, that’s all!”

Hina looked unconvinced

Seriously, what about him made it so easy for everyone to tease?

“Fine.  It wouldn’t be fair if I asked you to spill your guts if I won’t do it myself so we’ll call it even, kay?”

“Sure.”

Hina yawned again. He advised that she find somewhere to rest as they still had plenty of time.

 “There isn't really anywhere to lie down in this place.” Hina retorted

“You didn’t have a problem sleeping on me earlier.”

“That…usually only happens when I have plushies or soft pillows.”

Is she going somewhere with that?

“If it’s not too much of a bother…” She seemed to be trying to ask him something but he wasn’t quite cluing in on-

Oh. OH

 “S-sure, feel free. I’ll wake you in a few minutes.” He blushed

“Thanks Naegi.”

And so Asahina found herself a new lap pillow.

-[Sakura Oogami]-

 

Naegi had noticed the martial artist moving slowly back and forth. Brooding too. Then again, it was difficult to tell when she wasn’t. Maybe this time, he might be of some help.

“Thinking about something, Sakura?”

“Nothing of import.” She paused for a moment “No, perhaps it would be best if I spoke my mind this once. I am not as intelligent as Kyouko or Ryouko so it may not be my place to decide what information is worth withholding. Do you remember when I spoke of Mondo’s actions at the moment the fire alarms came on?”

It hadn’t been all that long since she had told him but he it was difficult to remember things lately, not with those headaches.

It was then that she detected a musky scent in the air. It was a smell she would know anywhere, smoke.

The fire alarms came back in full force but this time she knew it wasn’t a false alarm. Mondo noticed as well which explains why he came to a temporary halt near the exit, as if debating whether to escape . (Sakura Oogami, Chapter Four)

 “You said he stopped and may have been thinking about his options?”

“And I still stand by that presumption. I would like your opinion on this; Do you believe Mondo would have made such a lapse in judgment had he known about the fire earlier?”

He raised a finger to his chin and contemplated the biker’s own thought process at the time “Not really. Since he was being chased, he shouldn’t have stopped if Celeste have told him about the alarms. He should also have known where Touko was being kept.”

“My thoughts exactly, she would have had all the time in the world to warn Mondo and it’s not as if he was unaware of the building’s structure.  If they were truly colluding, why would he have made such a crucial mistake? I do not believe Celeste would create such an amateur scheme.”

That all made sense but… “This doesn’t sound like irrelevant info here, Sakura. Why didn’t you bring that up during the meeting?”

Sakura closed her eyes as she spoke. “I may not be as intelligent as the others but that does not mean I am a fool either. I am unsure as to what Celeste and Hifumi’s roles are in all this but the fact remains that they turned on us. Until the weight of their actions has been clarified, we have no choice but to consider them the opposition…and I decided to make use of that fact.”

“Sakura?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing

“You are free to think less of me if you wish but my hands are tied. Ikusaba’s death solidified this. As someone whose’ martial prowess was close to my own, I never would have imagined she would fall so easily.  In less than a day, we have lost two classmates if not more and I refuse to let Hina become prey to malice as well. Therefore, Celeste’s betrayal proved to be opportune. Remaining on the defensive leaves us vulnerable and this killer, whoever they may be, is still illusive. You cannot chase after what you cannot comprehend…but we now have a confirmed target we may use to go on the offensive.”

She used Celeste as an excuse. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I wished to confess… and I have a favor to ask. In my current state, I may not be capable of protecting Asahina, much less the rest of you. In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi.” The ogre spoke in a tone of resignation.

“I refuse!” He yelled “Accepting that would be saying it’s fine to for you to die, I’m not having it.  I’m sure Hina would say the same thing and you know how she is. If you act recklessly, then she’ll follow you for sure. If you’re thinking of her best interests then do your best to survive and so will the rest of us.”

An awkward silence passed between them

Sakura was the one to break it “You are correct, those were foolish thoughts. It would appear my mind is in greater need of training than I believed.”

“Uh, I didn’t mean it like that. I think you’re plenty strong there already.”

“It is fine, Makoto…and thank you.”

“No problem. By the way, about what you said about Celeste. I don’t think I agree with that kind of reasoning. If you wanted to get your intentions across, all you needed to do was talk to us and I’m sure everyone would listen.  If you acted on your own then how is that any different from what she’s doing now?”

“Indeed.  I am sorry for taking up your time given you don’t seem be doing all that well.”

“You mean about me fainting?  I’m over that. I think everyone’s on edge right now, you don’t need to give me any special concern.”

“That is not what I meant.” She said, before turning away from him and leaving

 

-[Leon Kuwata]-

 

Makoto spotted the athlete practicing baseball swings and approached him. He made sure to keep a few meters distance. Getting hit by a bat was probably the last thing he needed right now. Soon enough, the musician-wannabe also noticed him and struck up a conversation.

“I can’t believe that bitch pulled a fast one on me.” He said

“What was Celeste even doing there?” Makoto wondered

“While I was around, she was being her usual creepy self but at least she was behaving. She just sat on the only chair in the room and played with her cards. Didn’t say a thing else so it made staying there awkward as hell. Lucky for me,  Sayaka passed down the hallway and gave me an out. She’d been bummed out since we found her this morning though.”

“You mean after…Taka?”

“I forgot you were knocked out for that. Sakura was carrying you and Mondo.  Kizakura, Mukuro, Kyouko and I rushed over to Sayaka’s cottage while the others went ahead of us to the hospital. We banged on her door a few times before we got an answer. She said she’d just gotten out of the shower, which probably explained the towel, damp clothes and shampoo smell. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about there.  Then we went inside to explain everything to her while she got changed and afterwards, we met up with the others. The rest is history.”

“I see… there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary?” Makoto murmured

“Now that I think about it, I was standing by her window and noticed the umbrella on the nearby drawer was wet; maybe the rain just got on it somehow.  Asides from that, it was just Sayaka being a lot more moody than usual. Sure, some crazy shit happened but she’s taking nearly as bad as Mondo and Touko, or as close as anyone can get to those nutjobs. Even when I spoke to her after ditching Celeste, she just gave me the cold shoulder. Girls sheesh” He sighed

 “Now I’m just prepping my swing in case It comes down to bashing Mondo’s head to get him back to his senses.” He swung again (thankfully) in the other direction.

Makoto meekly took a step back “Uh, you’re not going to kill anyone with that right?”

“No way… least I don’t plan on it. Even if its self-defense, murder is definitely something I don’t want on my rep. The newspapers would eat that up and I’d be through, good bye Hope’s Peak.”

“Besides, if Mondo’s as tough as Sakura said then I’ll be the one who needs to worry about getting killed.”

Makoto recalled Sakura’s description of Mondo during their scuffle. From the sounds of it, Mondo was scary.  He hadn’t thought of the biker like that since their early days. “Just be careful, I don’t want to see anybody else get hurt If I can help it.”

“What’re you worrying for? This is me we’re talking about. If any psycho comes at us, I’ll knock him out in one blow.”

“That’s the kind of confidence that has me worried…but optimism is good.”

“Exactly so don’t sweat it, buddy. Not as long as Leon Kuwata’s got your back.”

 

-[Yasuhiro Hagakure]-

 

“Hiro I’ve got something to ask you.” He almost felt like a kid again for asking this. By that, he meant a kid who was still afraid of bed-time stories.

“Shoot away, little guy.” The fortune-teller replied

“After I first woke up, you said you had seen the witch so you should know what she looks like right?” It was a simple question but the luckster felt he had been defeated in some small way. Kyouko had conceded it was possible for there to be a witch but nobody had actually thought about it in-depth. So here he was, thinking the much older classmate would have some answers.

“From what I remember, she looked about your age and real pretty too.  Pinki-ish blond hair. Twin-tails with bear clippings. Combat heels. Black-White shirt and one hell of a miniskirt.”

…What?

“You know for an ancient and vengeful spirit, she had a knack for fashion.” Hiro said, evidently taking the absurdity of his claims in stride. “Whoa, don’t tell me you’ve finally seen the light too?”

Makoto shot him a confused look.

“I mean, everyone else keeps suspecting each other but no way a human could have pulled these killings off and we’d have no reason to anyway. Then it’s got to be the witch, I don’t know why everyone’s wasting energy looking elsewhere.”

He wasn’t sure what to think, really so he nodded his head.

“More importantly, could you tell what my future is like?” Makoto requested.

“Only If you’re paying because I don’t offer service to anyone for free. Not even my own mom. It’s a rule I follow no matter what.” Yasuhiro informed him

“Fine, I’ll pay you back after we get out of here…just give me reasonable prices.” He sighed

“Done. Let me see what we’ve got here.” He pulled out his crystal ball and sat on the floor. From Makoto’s perspective, Hiro was just gazing intently at a transparent orb.

His colleague must have seen differently as his eyes lit up after a minute of observation.

“This is great. According to my prediction, you’ll be waking up in a classroom at Hope’s Peak in the near future. That means we win, right?”

Makoto patted Yasuhiro on the shoulder and reminded of him of his relatively low rates of success. Not that 30% was bad or anything, by comparison, he had a greater chance of success than anyone else recorded in the world. If anything, Naegi considered Hiro to be an amazing person in his own right. He thought everyone was.

“Don’t worry. I’m right 30% of the time, 100% of the time and I say we’ve got this.”

Sometimes he wondered if Hiro said stuff like this just to bait people. But Hey! Hiro had hope so who was he to deny him. He wanted to believe in the older teen’s predictions too.

For the moment however, he focused on a peculiar inquiry.

“Wait, whose future did you read to see the witch?”

“Yours.”

“Why me?”  Makoto looked surprise. If Hiro’s predictions were accurate then he was supposed to meet this witch?

“No offense dude but your luck is awful. If anyone was going to run into her, It'd be you.” Yasuhiro explained.

He still didn’t understand though. “I thought you said you needed to get paid for your readings.” There’s no way Hiro could rip someone off so blatantly…then again…

Hiro sighed, as if he was about to go on a tedious lecture “It’s complicated but there are a few reasons for that. First, my readings are terrible if I do requests pro bono. Also, I don’t think I’ve had had a single solo prediction come true if I told someone about it.” He muttered.

“But…you just told me. Heck, you told everyone.”

“This brings me to reason #2. I overcharged Kizakura yesterday, might want to keep that little detail between us if you can.” Hiro raised two fingers in front of Naegi.

Apparently, he could. Hiro could definitely rip off someone so blatantly.  “I’ll pretend I didn’t even hear it. But why go through the trouble, can’t you just read your own future?”

Another finger shot up “Reason #3. I can’t do readings on myself because they’re wrong 100% of the time. Don‘t think I’d want to know either since Fate’s a scary thing. If my predictions are correct then there’s really nothing anyone can do to change it. Like if I told some dude they were going to be hit by a truck the next day, he could hiding in his living for the next 24 hours.  Too bad though, all that’d mean is the truck would crash his house and get him there whereas he’d have been fine if he just went to work. Who’d have thought Fate was a closed-circuit, what a jip.” Hiro admitted.

“Then why just not tell him?”

“Sure but who’s to say getting his future read wasn’t his fate all along?  Besides, I can’t exactly tell a customer I won’t provide a service they paid for, much less lie about it.  I didn’t even back down against the Yakuza.” Hiro shrugged, unconcerned. 

“YOU went at it with the Yakuza?” It didn’t surprise him that the fortune-teller would get caught up in shady dealings but hearing he did it willingly was a different story.

“Yeah, we’re talking way back before I met you guys.  I was at an underground gala this blond, scary -looking, middle –aged mob boss came to my booth with his goons. I think he was from some big shot dragon clan or whatever,  I didn’t sweat the small stuff.  What really mattered was that he was paying me a TON to give him a foolproof reading and that he’d hire me permanently if it turned out legit.”

That sounded dangerous. By hire, did he mean…

Hiro continued “Now that I think about it, maybe he meant becoming his subordinate; wow I dodged a bullet if that was true. Anyway, I did as I was told and saw his kids were going to bite the big one. I told them the truth; best they could hope for was that I got it wrong.  Some of his guys didn’t like that and thought I was ‘insulting the clan’.” He spoke the last bit mockingly "Bah, I gave em what they asked for and they accused me of swindling them. Me? Can you believe that? “

“2 seconds ago, you just admitted ripping off our teacher.” Makoto said in a flat tone.

“Okay, that time but I was totally legit here but they wouldn’t listen. I bailed as fast as I could and let me tell you, all that shit you hear about the yakuza are all true. I was on the run for years, it hurts just remembering it.”

“But you got away right?” He stated what he believed to be the obvious.

“That’s the strange part, the chases sort of cooled down abruptly 3 years ago. One of their guys cornered me in an alley-way and I thought it was finally my time to sleep with the fishes.” Yasushiro shuddered

“He pulled out a black briefcase and placed it in front of me. I opened it hoping it wasn’t a bomb…but it was loaded with cash. It was funny because the amount was exactly 10x the amount the boss said he’d pay me. The yakuza dude told me it was an apology for their ‘shameful display’ or something and then left. Never saw any of them again.” Hiro confirmed his question but… Makoto gazed at him with doubting eyes.

“I’m telling the truth! Why does nobody believe me when I tell this story? ” Hiro shouted

“Don’t think you can blame anyone for that, it’s pretty out there.” Makoto looked at the man pityingly

“So are aliens but they’re real too.”

Okay, time to get this trainwreck back on track.

“Why do you even need money anyway? I don’t get how that interferes with talent.” Makoto said

“It doesn’t need to be money. The customer just has to give up something worthwhile for my talent to work.  Your guess is as good as mine why, but the patterns speak for themselves. I don’t think it was always that way. My mom might know but she never talks about my childhood and I’ve never bothered pressing her on it. Why get in the way of making money, know what I mean?”

He really didn’t and he doubted he ever would

-[Ryouko Otonashi]-

 

“Makoto, don’t you think Kiri was totally being mean back there?” Ryouko whined.  The two sat across one another while she laid her head on the table between them.

“I can’t say but I don’t think should have antagonized her.” Calling her by that nickname probably won’t help things either. “Why didn’t you just do as she asked?”

Ryouko’s stood up energetically and gave grinned like a child “I couldn’t help it. She’s been stumbling all over the place. I just had to mess with her a little.”

“Stumbling?” He raised an eyebrow as the unorthodox girl sat back down.

“Totally! She couldn’t make up her mind. The old Kiri may have been able to solve this case but not like this.”  As always, she spoke several steps ahead without a care to maintain pace with whomever she was speaking to. “Well, not like I ever met the ‘old Kiri’ in the first place but my notebook never lies!” She held stretched out from her seat and held the notebook a little too close to his face.

“Uh, could I check that then?” He backed up a bit and smiled wryly.

She faux gasped “Never! Just because it was a present from you doesn’t mean you get to look. That’s a girl’s privacy you’re messing with, mister.”

“Right… In that case, I don’t know what you mean by the old Kyouko but I like the current one just fine.” He said, confidently.

“You do. I wonder if you get that it’s because you say things like this that I can’t stop thinking you’re the culprit. It would be a masterpiece.”  She said, calmly. A stark change from her cheery persona moments prior.

“ Stop being stingy and tell me you’ve been planning this all along. Have you been screwing your way into everyone’s hearts, learning our weaknesses so you could finally rip us all apart when you got the chance? If you do I won’t tell a soul, promise.”  She waved a pointed finger her finger at him in an exaggerated manner.

“That’s ridiculous.” He dismissed the accusation.

“I know right? Your acting skills are downright terrible; it would take a miracle for you to fool some of the guys in our class.  Ah but you don’t have to be acting. Maybe you’ve got a dark side, like a split personality?”

He sighed.

“Wait. That’s already been done. It’d take a real hack-job to make you Touko 2.0. Oh could Amnesia work?...No, then you’d be ripping me off.” She gave him a thoughtful expression…as if any bit of sense could have gone into such thinking.

Someone make her stop…

“Hey, maybe we’re both in this together. Mastermind besties!” Ryouko said, happily.

He denied the possibility.

“Too bad, perhaps some mental defect may have helped explain why you’re having those migraines.” She said, matter-of-factly.

“You noticed.” Naegi frowned. He should have known better than to think he could keep it a secret from her.

“I’d be surprised if most haven’t but you’re pushing yourself so hard I think they don’t have it in them to tell you to stop. “

So they knew? How many? 

Ryouko laughed “That look you’ve got. Don’t tell me you thought it was a secret. I did say you were a terrible actor, remember?”

His shoved his face into his hands for a moment and muttered words along the lines of ‘open book indeed’. He’d berated Hina earlier but he had forgotten he was also one of those honest types.

“But hey, think about it this way. If nobody’s said anything despite knowing then you don’t have to either.”

He calmed down “You’re right. But  what about you? Don’t you think this situation warrants you to be a little uneasy?”

“Not really, I’m more bothered by how big sis died.” Ryouko replied. He picked up how deflated her response was in contrast to the rest of their conversation.

Bothered that she’s gone or interested in how it happened?  He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer

“We should probably meet up with Kyouko and the others now.” He stood up but noticed the auburn-haired girl had not done the same

“Go on ahead, I’ll be doing some last minute thinking.” She waved

Just as he prepared to leave, a thought plagued him. It was a question he needed to have answered “Ryouko….you really think I killed her, don’t you?” With repeated exposure to Ryouko Otonashi, he had learned to pick up signals, such as when she is and isn’t being serious.

She smiled and motioned him to sit back down. He didn’t decline.

“I’m not quite that socially inept, I wouldn’t joke about something like this in front of you if I didn’t earnestly believe it.” She started with a heavy blow “You fit into most of the pieces and are in my blind-spot; what sort of idiot would ignore that?”

“Then you’ve decided I’m your enemy? That kind of hurts.”  It really did but pain was something that was happening a lot tonight. By comparison, this only mildly registered.

“Ha? You? My enemy? Where did you get that idea?” Ryouko looked stupefied, much to his confusion.

“You just accused me of being a murderer.” He said.

“All that means is that you’ve killed a bunch of folks, I don’t see how that changes things between us. Even if you did kill big sis, that just means there’s an exciting side of you I’ve never seen before.” She puffed her chest out with pride for the both of them.  He didn’t like where this was going.

“What kind of friend/big sister would I be if I turned you away at a critical period like this? Friends are supposed to accept each other and stuff, that’s what you told me. Er, what my notebook told me you told me.” Ah, there was the punchline. She had removed any sort of context and taken his words literally…and without question.

“That isn’t what I meant.  Friendship is a lot more complicated than that, especially in those circumstances.” And since when was she family?

“But Touko is part of the group and she’s an infamous serial killer.” She tilted her head.

He was probably the only person in the world who had to put up with this. And this certainly wasn’t something he could explain in… -2 minutes, yeah Kyouko will definitely take this well.

 He sighed “If a friend ever tells you they’ve committed murder, don’t just accept it casually. You need to help them by stopping them.”

“So…you want me to turn you in? I don’t think that’d end well for you.” Ryouko scrunched her eyes in confusion.

He needed to change strategies

 “Okay let’s try this: If you can prove I did it then feel free to turn me in to the others. However, you need tangible evidence.” 

“This sounds like a pretty twisted game, Makoto. Could be fun though, deal.” She shook hands with him to confirm the agreement.

Looks like I got the message across in a harmless way, I think. I know I didn’t kill anyone so what’s the worst that could happen?


 

“I trust everyone’s had sufficient time to gather their bearings...some more than others.” Kyouko said

Makoto and Ryouko shrunk back at her words, knowing what she referred to.

“If so, we’ll be moving as a single unit towards the 5th island.”

“Why there?” Hina asked

“Because we‘ve already moved through the first and second islands, finding nobody worthy of suspicion. Moreover, the direction Genocider and the others were headed was on the 4th island and that’s where we need to be.”

“Besides, Kizakura should have contacted us by now. Even if the hospital burned down, we’re just down the block and he has a tracer.” Makoto looked at his bracelet. “For him to have been gone this long is a bad sign.”

“Don’t worry. That guy’s an idiot and you know what they say about invincible idiots.” Hiro interjected. The group stared at him, all with similarly dumbfounded expressions.

“Yes, that would also be one of the reasons. Chihiro was supposed to be at the 5th island research facility and finding him is one of our priorities.” Kyouko was the first to recover.

“And the other priorities are?” Sakura asked

“Togami is also unaccounted for so he’s in the same boat as Chihiro. Genocider must be apprehended as she’s the only witness to Ikusaba’s murder. Celeste, HIfumi and Mondo need to be caught as well to have them explain their actions. Lastly is to discover the identity of the culprit.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.” Hiro said.

“When looking at them as separate targets perhaps but I have little doubt that our objectives will be entangled one way or another.” Sakura extrapolated on the situation.

There wasn’t much room for argument so they did what they had to and left for the 4th

 

-[Fourth Island]-

 

“May I advise we split up here?”  Sayaka said, addressing the whole group and earning a few surprised stares.

“For what purpose would we divide our numbers? It would lessen our chances of survival.” Sakura answered.

“Why would all of us search two islands together? Moving at that pace and it’d be daybreak before we covered the entire area.” Sayaka explained.

“Maybe we can just split up into smaller groups and search a single island one at a time” Hiro said.

“Wouldn’t that just defeat the point of sticking together?” Hina countered the afro’s suggestion.

“We would have no way of contacting the other group if something dangerous happens either.” Makoto added.

Sayaka shook her head. “Risk is something we’ll have to face matter what. We should at least try to be expedient when dealing with it.”

“I agree with Sayaka.” Kyouko said “We’re wasting time arguing here as it is so we’ll divide into two teams. I’ll take the 5th island with Makoto and Sayaka. Sakura you’ll be in charge of all the others, your job is to capture anyone who isn’t presently with us.”

“Do you not think these choices of members are unbalanced?” A perplexed Sakura inquired.

“I fail to see the problem. The three of us are well capable of taking care of ourselves to the point where we’d be able to avoid a fight if it came down to it. Something made easier with having less people.” Kyouko flicked a strand of hair and sported a look of indifference

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go by yourself then?” Ryouko interjected, he knew that expression. She was playing around again.

“As Asahina said earlier, that would defeat the point.” Kyouko answered.

Ryouko huffed “If you say so, Kiri.” Kyouko sharply raised an eyebrow to the given name.

“Setting that aside, we should make less noise with just us 3 and we’ll run away if we find trouble. Oh, we should probably decide where to meet back up.” Sayaka said.

“Coming here is probably out of the question since the three of you won’t have investigated to know where is safe on this island. It would be more expedient to return to somewhere with a wide space for caution’s sake. I suggest the Jabberwock statue. If all goes well, we would reach there before the three of you.” Sakura advised.

“Good idea, we’d see what would be in front of us quite clearly. If there was nobody there or too few in number, that would be cause for concern.” Kyouko agreed.

They parted and went their separate ways.

“Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get going. Kyouko, Sayaka, you guys make sure to keep Makoto safe.” Hina called from behind them and waved. Ryouko, Sakura and Hiro did too.

Isn’t it usually the guy who gets asked that?

He waved back

 

-[Fifth Island]-

 

The 5th island could have considered the least attractive section of the resort. Mostly because it was home to construction facilities, warehouses and even a miniature military-base. Apparently, this island was mainly for business transaction and scientific developments of that nature. Chihiro was supposed to be working inside one of Sea-King industries’ building, a research facility home to the largest corporation on the island and would normally be filled by 100 employees.  Ordinarily, the students weren’t allowed on this side of the islands and even Chihiro had needed clearance explicitly from Hope’s Peak and the teacher to be allowed here. Makoto had no idea what Chihiro had planned to do inside that research facility but it was no doubt related to machinery.

The trio had just (quietly) finished covering the Jabberwock factory and the resident Chinatown, the next location was in the way of the research facility. The air was pretty bad and the smell was worse, like he was at an industrial precinct. In a way, that wasn’t far from the truth.

 “So Kyouko, isn’t there something you want to ask me? That is why you agreed with my suggestion of splitting up.” Sayaka spoke up, walking in front of Kyouko and himself. Before now they had investigated in relative silence. Naegi had thought it was a bit awkward but he had a feeling the upcoming discussion wasn’t going to make things better. They stopped and waited for her to face them…but she didn’t. Sayaka merely kept up a slower pace.

“No point in stopping.” She began. “We’ll save more time if we talk while moving. Let’s be honest, we both know you wouldn’t be able to read me even if I was lying anyway, Kyouko.”

From the look of her expression, the detective didn’t appear to take offense…nor did she take the bait.

“Very well, if you’re going to be so accommodatingly upfront then I shall do the same. Did you kill Kiyotaka or Ikusaba?” Kyouko resumed her pace as well, staring at the idol’s back. As for Makoto, he trailed behind them with a sinking feeling of foreboding in his gut.

“Before I answer, what do you think? It won’t influence my answer but I’m curious.” Sayaka responded, still not facing their way.

Sayaka had taken the initiative in this discussion and played a move Kyouko hadn’t expected. The idol wasn’t under any obligation to answer the detective’s questions therefore to get information she had to submit to the blue haired girl’s requests lest the conversation right there and she let an opportunity slip away. However that didn’t mean the lilac-haired girl was backed into a corner. After all, what kind of ultimate detective is lacking in skill at interrogation?

 “Who knows? I can only say you’re undeniably suspicious. It’s preposterous to think you have no involvement in these occurrences whatsoever.  Isn’t that why you brought this up, to clear away guilt or perhaps confess?” Kyouko’s words didn’t match her tone. She spoke haphazardly yet her words were undeniably aggressive. Makoto was starting to remember what had occurred in the meeting and contemplated whether to interfere.

“If that’s so then why didn’t you bring Ryouko with us? After all, she isn’t any less suspicious than I am. If anything, you should have more reason of suspecting her.” Sayaka answered

“I thought you said you’d answer my question if I did yours.” Kyouko frowned.

Sayaka giggled

“I never said I’d answer immediately, did I?  But its fine, I know the answer anyway. You might have a shot at interrogating me but there’s no chance against a talent like that so you decided it would be better if the most suspicious element was left with the main group. I wonder if Sakura picked up on that though, I can never tell how much she holds back…Oh well, Sakura’s modesty is one of her charms. I really like that about her.” Sayaka didn’t appear to be taking this seriously.

“Looks I went off on a tangent back there. The answer to your question is no, I did not kill Kiyotaka. As for Ikusaba…well, I don’t believe I could pull that off even if I tried. Facades are one thing but stuff like killing intent would be seen through in an instant I think.”

“In other words, you’re admitting to being capable of killing Kiyotaka.” Kyouko saw an opening

Sayaka laughed derisively “A total pessimist, I already said I didn’t kill anybody.”

“You were in a position to and are blatantly lacking an alibi. I have no reason to believe you.”

 Makoto could barely make it out in the darkness but he was Sayaka’s shoulders shook a bit at that.

 “You believe me when I say I couldn’t kill Ikusaba but not when I claim innocent? What’s with that you side-stepp…”

The idol stopped mid-way as she looked to the right.  Makoto and Kyouko, who were trailing behind naturally caught up.

He saw a look of amazement from Sayaka, an expression he and Kyouko soon shared as their eyes followed the trail of her own.

The research facility had been ripped to shreds. What the hell could he call this? There were slash marks everywhere on the factory- like a town of bears had their way with the place.

If bears had claws 3 meters in length that is.

What he knew for certain was that there wasn’t a human alive that could have done this.

“Let’s go. Chihiro and Kizakura may be inside. Something has to be.”  Kyouko said with a tinge of fear.  

Makoto’s knees shook as he tried to follow the detective. Kyouko and Makoto were about to enter the grounds before a pair of arms held them back.

“Wait!” Sayaka grabbed onto both his and Kyouko’s wrists, keeping them in place with such strength that he felt her nails digging into his skin. “We shouldn’t go in there. We’re suppose to avoid trouble remember?” Her head low making her expression unreadable.

Makoto could see Kyouko wince as she struggled against the other girl’s grip “Be that as it may, we’re not getting anywhere ignoring this. You’re the one who said risk was unavoidable, remember?” Kyouko bit back

“Not the time for this, Kyouko. Listen to me, nothing good can come from walking in there. We should leave.”

“That’s not possible. I mean, Chihiro could be in there. What if he needs our help?”  This time Makoto chose to speak

“Forget about them! You think Chihiro of all people could walk away from that? Bullshit. He’s dead. Kizakura’s dead. Togami’s dead. All of them are dead.”  Sayaka shouted.

If anything was inside that building, they would probably have noticed them now if they hadn’t before. But neither Makoto nor Kyouko could even pay attention to that.

“What do you mean?” Kyouko said. “I may have understood you referring to Chihiro and Kizakura but nobody so much as mentioned Togami. What reason would you have to think he would be a casualty?”

Sayaka’s grip faltered as her arms shook.

“Why are you making everything so difficult? You’re both supposed to be smart so why? Why can’t you take the hint!?”  Makoto had never seen the girl in such distress. To be honest, it was starting to scare him

Wait what did she say?

“Um you’ve been hinting at something?”  He spoke gently as to not upset Sayaka further…unfortunately it appeared to have had the opposite effect because the blue-haired girl broke away from them. He rubbed his wrists and found he could almost see indents on them

“What do you know and what have you been trying to tell us?” Kyouko added, not quite as gently. Too fast for him to cut her off because it appeared that any more interrogating would have negative consequences.

Sayaka stepped back slowly raising her head.  He could see the bags under her eyes as she was on the verge of tears. To put it succinctly, she looked horrible.

 His thoughts were interrupted by Sayaka’s crazed giggling

“What’s with that look? Have you turned against me too, Makoto? ” She said, sporting an broken smile  “I wonder why I even thought  I could trust you two, that you’d be different from the rest. ” She clutched her own shoulders and shook. Makoto thought she would break down at any moment and began to approach her.

“Get back!” She brandished a knife she’d kept hidden in her skirt and pointed it at them, causing the luckster to freeze in place.

“I-I don’t really get this situation but we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s wrong.” There was no strength in his words. Because…

You want to help me?” Sayaka laughed once more. “Then prove it. Prove I can trust you.”

He said nothing. He couldn’t say anything, not on the spot.

“Of course you can’t. Just like I can’t prove I’m not a murderer, you can’t prove you’re not on their side either.” Sayaka shook her head, cruel smile replaced by a blank, hollow stare.

“That’s why it’s best if we split up here. If you’re really trying to help, you won’t come after me. If you do then I’ll consider you an enemy too.”

The idol sprinted off in the direction they had come from.

“W-We have to go after her.” He said, but he didn’t move.

Kyouko broke out of her stupor.

“No.  You should know as well as I do that she was serious back then.  In her heightened state of paranoia, she may very well go through with her threat.” Kyouko said, regaining some of her composure.

However, that was a decision he couldn’t approve.

“That doesn’t mean we can just leave her like that!?” His voice cracked.

“Very well, I won’t stop you but then what of the research facility? We have yet to investigate or know what happened to Chihiro and the others. Should we abandon them instead?” Kyouko argued.

“That’s not fair, Kyouko!” His hair covered his eyes as he screamed.

“I know.” Kyouko responded.

But he stayed anyway and deep down, he knew why.  It was because…

“Let’s go.” Kyouko walked towards the entrance.

He was afraid of Sayaka. That’s why he turned his back on the direction she fled and followed Kyouko.

Sparing no time, they entered the battered building. Once inside, he could find no sign of anything resembling a bear or a similar wildlife, only destruction as far as the eye could see.  There was nothing remotely salvageable in the area, not that he would be able to tell with his lack of technological awareness. But there was a scene he had seemed to become familiar with over the course of a few hours. Even then, familiar may have been a stretch as what he had seen previously was not quite this bizarre. Kiyotaka had been missing a head that had yet to be discovered. Chihiro on the other hand was most likely all here…and everywhere here; with multiple chunks of what they used to call ‘Him’ scattered across the broken down room.

 

-[Second Island]-

 

Sayaka had long since stopped running after realizing they weren’t giving chase. She couldn’t deny a small part of her was disappointed but it was for the best. Things didn’t go as she hoped and in the end, she gave away to the pressure and broke down. Like hell she could face them again after that.

 Then again, she wasn’t sure deserved to be near them after what she had done to Kiyotaka-and what she is still being made to do. Show business was a place where enemies were made and allies were tentative at best yet she had never felt as much hate for anything as she did for them.  A near tangible state of enmity was searing through her.

That was fine. It gave her motivation and now she had time alone to straighten out her thoughts.

In all likelihood, she’d never be able to live with herself but that couldn’t be helped at this point. What mattered now wasn’t the past but the future. What could be done about it? Running away and averting her eyes had backfired spectacularly however that also meant the answer before her now was clear as day. She gripped the knife tightly in her hand turned around, heading back to the direction from where she came.  A sense of elation and excitement had melded with her anger; just as the rims of her blue irides were steadily overshadowed by a bright red.

Notes:

Sayaka is the intended star of this chapter but I'm not sure if I handled her descent into madness well enough.

Next chapter, the mastermind shows up.

Chapter 6: Primo Maestro / The First Master

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Naegi fell to his knees. Sobbing as he banged his fist against the cracked floor. He had failed yet again and another of his friends had paid the price.  He had thought Ikusaba and Taka’s murders savage – no, subconsciously, he had wanted to repress the implications of what the ultimate compass’ decapitation entailed. Taka was murdered, that much he had reconciled with but he had never considered exactly how much pain would he have gone through to die like that.

And Chihiro, who was often thought the weakest and kindest among them, was forced to go through an even more heinous experience.

Naegi couldn’t recall a point in his life where he had been angrier; it was enough to surpass even the reoccurring headaches . If anything, he felt they were bizarrely making him calmer.

Once again, he tried to think about what could have caused these deaths?  The first two, despite their vague circumstances could have possibly been attributed to a highly skilled and dangerous human but this time? There was no chance of that.

The sound of clacking heels caught the boy’s attention as he raised his head to see Kyouko examining Chihiro’s various body parts.

The girl didn’t take long at all. She turned back and motioned for him to stand.

“We should regroup with the others. I’ve seen all I can here.” Kyouko said. 

“Did you discover anything?” He asked

“Plenty.  Rigor mortis already set in and I estimate Chihiro was killed more than 12 hours ago. If I could guess a time period, it would have been quite early in the morning and before Kiyotaka’s murder.”

So Chihiro died first? And we never even…

He wiped away a new batch of tears away.

“Kyouko…do you still think a...human could have done this?” 

“Yes, in fact I’m now more certain than ever of that.” She stated, boldly.  It was an answer that stood in opposition to the very ground they stood on.

“From what I can discern, whatever destroyed this place is certainly extraordinary however, that does not mutually exclude the element of human interference. Sayaka has proven this much for me.”

But she was just unstable, he didn’t have a clue what was going through her mind right now. Does that mean Kyouko did?

“Did what she said make sense to you?” He ventured

“It did…and it should have to you as well. Sayaka believed one or more of us to have been conspirators or perhaps the killer themselves. Why do you believe that is?” Kyouko explained, confused at his inability to follow her train of thought.

“I'm not sure, couldn't she have been paranoid?” It was an awful thing to say about his best friend but he could think of no other explanation.

“Sayaka was clearly in a state of anxiety but she wasn’t deranged. Paranoia doesn’t denote the level of certainty her words implied. Remember what Sayaka said.

I wonder why I even thought I could trust you two, that you’d be different from the rest. ”  You  want to help  me ?” Sayaka laughed once more. “Then prove it. Prove I can trust you.” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter Five)

“Sayaka told us that she believed we would be different from the rest, meaning that at some point, she had lost trust in everybody else. Now you could argue that she could have been closer to us and held more faith in our ability not to betray her…but then how would you explain what she said about Togami? Even you can’t deny that was impossibly suspicious and her reaction to our questioning all but confirmed she knew something.” Kyouko continued

That was the problem. He didn’t want to believe so he couldn’t piece those points together. Kyouko probably realized this.

“So what are you saying? You think Sayaka really is the killer?”

Kyouko sighed

“Admittedly, she was one of my top suspects…and even now I still doubt her but the reaction to seeing this place was genuine. There was no acting when she confronted us. What’s more is that this is Sayaka we’re talking about. Her reputation means everything to her and she would do anything to protect it. There is nobody less likely to initiate a scandal than Sayaka, much less one with as much gravitas as murder.”

“Whether Sayaka killed is no longer the main issue. The problem is that Sayaka knows who is responsible even if she didn’t kill.” Kyouko concluded her hypothesis.

“If that’s true then why didn’t she tell us after all this time?”…If what she said was true then the end conclusion would mean…

Arg, I’ve had it with these migraines.

“It’s simple, she wasn’t allowed to...that's why all she could do was give us hints.”

“Why are you making everything so difficult? You’re both supposed to be smart so why? Why can’t you take the hint!?” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter Five)

She was trying to tell us something…and we didn’t listen.

“It seems you’ve figured it out. First, we can assume that Sayaka was acting against her will…in which case, why is it that she never told us directly even though she was with all of us for most of the day? “

“The culprit must have forced her not to say anything.” He choked.

“Indeed. Do you remember anything she said that might clue you in?”  Kyouko prompted.

He began uncertainly “...I had the feeling when I spoke to her that she warned me not to trust anybody. This was during the break you gave us.”

“I see…then we’re at the worst-case scenario. For Sayaka not to have told us despite having every chance meant that the culprit had some means of keeping surveillance. In other words, one or more of the people in our group is the killer.” Kyouko closed her eyes, and spoke with a tone of resignation.

Makoto knew as well. If Kyouko’s line of reasoning was true then anyone could figure out where it ended. From the very start, why would the culprit ban Sayaka from telling us of their identity if we didn’t already know it?

“You can also see why I don't believe that some abnormal force is at work here.  This whole time, they left us a calling-card to signify their deeds so why go through the trouble of forcing Sayaka to abstain from telling ustheir identity? I am confident those magic circles were nothing more than a smokescreen.”

He felt another spike of pain on its way. It was getting worse…

“Hold on. Sayaka kept quiet this whole time, even after Celeste and Hifumi escaped with Mondo. Does that mean Celeste was also a smokescreen and the culprit was still was us this whole time?” He opened his mouth in shock.

“…Yes, that would be the most likely scenario. If Sayaka told you to watch out for someone then that couldn’t have meant Celeste because she had already made her betrayal known. We should head back to the others.”

“Now? But what about the teacher? He was supposed to be looking for Chihiro.” He spluttered. 

“Makoto…we have walked all over this island save the fourth and found no sign of Kizakura. Strictly speaking, he ought to have found Chihiro not long after he left and back when you were still unconscious. He didn’t have to search everywhere like we did, he had a clear destination…so why is it that we haven’t found a trace of him?” It was a rhetorical question and he doubted she would answer him even if he pressed it.

The unspoken truth was that if Kizakura wasn’t with the others on the fourth island by the time they returned then he was already dead. And that was probably true for Togami as well.

More than the emotional disturbance, the physical pain he felt was becoming unbearable. It took everything not to cave in tell Kyouko that she was lugging around someone who should be in a hospital.

What.The.Hell?

He doubted. Kyouko’s theory was sound but he doubted, he wanted to doubt as much as he could. He didn't want to believe his friends could kill, much less mastermind a mass-killing.

It hurt

They had shared an innumerable amount of experiences together. There had to be some other reasonable explanation

He trusted them. He knew them. They couldn't-

The migraines reached their highest point, so much that he couldn’t hold back this time and let out a sharp growl while clutching his forehead.

“Makoto?” Kyouko sounded worried, very worried. If his cover hadn’t been blown before, it had been now.

The pain faded at a far quicker rate than it came and soon he felt…relieved, like a fog had suddenly lifted somewhat. The metaphorical haze hadn’t completely lifted and he felt that this was a serious problem. He couldn’t recognize why but he knew instinctively, that he was missing something.

Nevertheless, enough had dissipated for him to think more clearly than he had been all day.

“I’m fine, Kyouko.”

“No, you’re not. You haven’t been since you woke up and I have no idea why you’re trying to hide there’s something wrong with you. Or is it normal to look like you just had a brain aneurysm?” She pressed, angrily.

“I’m…not hiding it this time. I actually feel a lot better now.” And that was the truth; he really did feel better than before...he still didn’t have any idea why but there were more important things to deal with.

“Kyouko, when exactly did you begin suspecting Sayaka?” Kyouko raised an eyebrow at the change in topic.

“The usual reasons. I didn’t have anything concrete to work with but her lack of an alibi and change in behavior may as well have been a giant beacon for me…thinking about it now; she may have acted like that on purpose. Sayaka’s weakness is that she’s immensely vulnerable to stress however, she normally has a poker face that rivals Celeste’s.” She answered cautiously, as if trying to examine the reason for his question.

“…That was it? You saw nothing else that made you suspicious of her? Even in her room.” He asked

“Nothing in particular, no. Did you think of something?” Kyouko inquired. She didn’t press on his condition. He assumed she had noticed his improved disposition.

“No, I was just wondering.” He said, scratching his cheeks. “We should go now. The others could be in trouble.”

Kyouko looked at him for a moment and then nodded. The two of them made their way back to the preceding islands. A thought stayed with the luckster all the while.

Maybe they could...

Sometime later, the duo could see a figure slovenly approaching them on the straight bridge to the 4th island. Kyouko motioned for Naegi to stop. He steadied himself in preparation but there wasn’t anywhere to hide.

Those thoughts proved unnecessary as the closing figure took a round shape both students recognized.

“M-Mr. Naegi?” Hifumi said weakly.  Even in the dark, Makoto could tell the ultimate had seen better days. He approached them limply and far too slowly.

As they moved towards him with caution, Naegi gasped. The writer’s shirt had been stained in a familiar red color as an impossibly sharp scissor was embedded on his chest.

 

-Celestia Ludenberg-

 

Things did not go as planned.

For Celestia Ludenberg, that would be understatement of the century. This trip was meant to be a stepping-stone, a test-run to simulate her life of luxury and some (presumably rich) asshole had to go ruin it. Like hell Taeko Celestia Ludenberg was about to become roadkill for someone else’s amusement.

But that was also part of the problem. Nobody had seen the pompous Togami heir in over a day and that in itself was suspicious because he sought attention nearly as much as she did. It wasmiraculous enough that he hadn’t shown up to gloat long ago.

Ishimaru’s death was a tragedy to be sure but it was better him than her right? but the others did nothing about it and just stood around waiting with the obvious killer. That was when she knew there was something to be done and with a little help from that person, she’d managed to gain the upperhand and chase down Genocider right to Togami.

 Or that was how things were supposed to go.

Genocider had wounded Hifumi at the carnival on the 4th island. The idiot couldn’t handle himself, had gotten stabbed by one of Genocider’s scissors and worse is that he couldn’tin p her down long enough for Mondo to capture her. The four-eyed bitch just laughed and ran at a pace none of us could keep up with. Naturally, I abandoned the fat pig after he proved useless even though I forced him to come along. Whatever his fate was, it would be my his own fault.

That oaf Mondo had been just as uncooperative. While their goals were the same, he was completely inflexible in his methods and merely charged into the funhouse without thinking. That was the last place any of them wanted to get lost in and to no surprise, that was exactly what had occurred.

They had lost Genocider almost immediately and then proceeded to trail around in circles inside the grape house. They had no choice but to find their way back to the entrance and think up a new strategy. It goes without saying that meant I had to, because Mondo was severely lacking in brain power.

Once they made their way outside, they found their precious classmates waiting there…well all but Makoto, Kyouko, Sayaka and Ikusaba.  They split into groups? Ha! That sounded like a fun time for those four. 

On any other day, such a catastrophic choice of members would have greatly entertained the gambler.

As expected, they bombarded us with tedious questions. Where’s Hifumi this? Why did you betray us that? Not a sense of ambition or initiative among them, how disappointing…Well, Ryouko at least seemed to abstain from that direction and was instead focused on Mondo.  Impressive as always, had I been in her place then I too would be more concerned about the changes in the man. Fortunately, it wasn’t my problem and most certainly was theirs.

They found out the hard way when Mondo rammed them. Leon tried to put up a fight…for reasons she couldn’t understand and was easily batted away. Sakura and Asahina fared better but it appeared the martial artist’s injuries were too much for even her to bear as Mondo managed to fend them both off splendidly. Celeste didn’t fight of course, manual labor was best left to the help. Mondo would be a make a C+ at this rate.

If they died then that would be their own problem. I’m  the reason they’re here None of the killings were her fault after all.

Predictably, Mondo emerged victorious and looked to deal the final blow on Sakura who was barely conscious.

That was where everything went wrong.

I felt a chill run down my spine as shrill laughter emerged from down the road.

It was Genocider Syo and while it sounded like she was laughing, her expression indicated she was anything but amused.

It appeared she had escaped while they had wasted time running in circles inside that godforsaken funhouse. She also seemed to have came from the direction of the castle…so why did she look that pissed and more importantly, why did she come back?

“Someone fess up.” The serial killer started “Which one of you dickweeds off’d my prince in the castle before I got the chance? Speak up and I’ll make ripping you to shreds half as painful as you deserve for that shitty joke.”

Everyone was speechless. If Genocider was telling the truth then…what had I been doing and who was the real killer?

As Celeste processed that information, she became aware of the situation she was in…this scenario was…

Genocider’s patience didn't last enough for me to finish that train of thought. The bespectacled girl leapt into the air and from her long skirt unleashed a deluge of scissor-blades down at the group. 

H-How was it possible for her to have that many?

Dodging was impossible for a human and even if it was, she would not have had the fitness to do so. A fact that she would regret as multiple scissors carved their way into her flesh.

Before she fell, she saw Mondo charge headfirst into the rain of blades with reckless abandon. Sakura shielded Hina by covering the swimmer with her own body. Leon attempted to deflect the scissors away with his bat. Yasuhiro suffered the same fate as herself (how ironic). Ryouko…she could not see the amnesiac.

Her dress was in tatters. Arms, legs and even her throat were pierced as she was nailed to the ground.

Yes, things definitely had not gone according to plan. But, this would have to assume that she had been the chessmaster. Flip over the circumstances and she couldn’t call it anything short of perfect.

Ah, she had walked right into a trap.

A pool of her own blood had begun to form. To be killed by a serial murderer…was such a mundane and painful way to die however, part of being the greatest gambler in the world meant Celestia Ludenberg always knew when to fold. Accepting defeat gracefully was the best the loser could ever hope for.

But she still didn’t want to die.


 

Makoto and Kyouko arrived at the aftermath.  The road leading to the funhouse had been showered with Genocider’s scissor blades. Not so many that moving through was difficult but the sheer amount of numbers was surprising nonetheless. An even more shocking detail was the state of the owner.

Mondo held Genocider in the air…by grabbing hold of her neck with one arm. The serial killer did not appear conscious. Whether she was still alive was unknow-

The sounds of broken bones were heard the very next moment. If Genocider had been alive when they arrived, she wouldn’t be now after the biker had snapped her neck.

A monstrous feat given the man himself had scissor blades piercing his legs and jacket. How could anyone even stand with that much oozing blood. Naegi was beginning to understand exactly what Sakura had felt when she fought him.

Speaking of the ultimate fighter, what the ahoge-haired boy saw next made his heart drop. As he scanned the area, he saw Celeste and Hiro speared by scissors…and unmoving.

Asahina held on to the giant Sakura tightly, wailing loudly. It was difficult to see from the angle he stood but there were so many scissors etched into Sakura’s back that it was plain as day what had occurred.

“I have a favor to ask. In my current state, I may not be capable of protecting Asahina, much less the rest of you. In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi.” (Sakura Oogami, Chapter 5)

So you did it anyway.

He didn’t cry. Maybe because the tears had already run out for him or maybe he had become desensitized…or maybe he was exhausted? He couldn’t figure out the reason but at the end of the day, he wasn’t panicking like before. He could only accept the reality.

I’m sorry. He thought. That was all he could do for them now

Not just for them but their families. It was strange but he thought so clearly that he could even think pessimistically about the outcomes.

Even if they did survive, what then? They’d become victims of the media. Mondo would get the death penalty for sure. Sayaka’s career would never recover, assuming her mind would. Kenshiro, Ms Hiroko and the other loved ones...

He even thought of trivial details like how Hope’s Peak would handle such a scandal.

But that was the best case scenario. If this was a dream, he may as well play it out and wake up already.

“Did’ya both come to join the party?” Mondo said. His words may have seemed intimidating but he looked ready to fall over at any moment.

Makoto was the furthest thing from a medical expert but even he could see the gang leader’s injuries were most likely fatal.

“Don’t you dare threaten them, you piece of shit.” Leon stood up. He had fared the best out of the others. From the number of scratches on his metallic bat and the comparatively minimal injuries he received, Makoto surmised he had deflected most of the scissors. He wasn’t even bleeding much.

He saw no sign of Ryouko, so she probably escaped... No sign of Togami or Mr. Kizakura either.

“So what do you plan to do now, Mondo?” Kyouko said, sharply

“Syo said Rich boy’s dead. I’ll check tha’ out after I’m done with the rest of ya.” He threatened

“Shut up! Shut the hell up!” Asahina yelled. Makoto had never seen the tanned girl so furious but what else could be expected.

“All of this is your fault! You, Celeste, Hifumi, Syo and whoever the fuck has been killing everyone! I’ll make you pay for what you did to Sakura!”

Hina ran at the biker and Leon followed her.

“Hina, wait!” Makoto yelled but the swimmer didn’t listen.

He was about to run after them before Kyouko placed a glove hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the detective shake her head.

“Nothing we say can get through to her; we were simply too slow to act. If you go there now, you’d only be placing yourself at risk.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can just stand here and let them endanger themselves.” He said…but he knew that was also wrong. Asahina was not presently in any danger. One skilled look at Mondo’s form could tell that the man was on his last legs. His words earlier had been a bluff.

Mondo was being pushed back. He defended as well as he could but against both Asahina and Leon but the odds were against him. His knuckles cracked as they tried to deflect the blows from Leon’s bat and Hina’s own punches, even if the biker dodged them, would land on the scissor blades. The scissors would either be pushed deeper into Mondo’s insides or be blown off causing even more blood to spill. Something made worse by his damaged eye, he had a blind-spot that wouldn’t let him defend properly.

Makoto’s prediction came true quickly as Asahina landed a blow in the biker’s gut while Leon seized the opportunity to whack him in the chest. Mondo flew backwards and fell to the ground, unconscious.

It was over for him. They all stood in silence for some time before Makoto broke it.

“Ryouko’s not here?” He asked, drawing the others’ attention.

“She ran off before Genocider attacked us. Probably hid inside the funhouse when things got hectic.” Leon responded

Makoto gave Kyouko a look.

She returned one of her own and showed some concern. Eventually, the lilac-haired girl, shrugged and sighed.

“I’ll go look for her while the rest of you deal with this.” She said, as she sprinted into the funhouse.

Makoto approached the duo, with one hand inside his pocket.

Even standing a meter from Hina, he could feel her seething with confused anger. It was only natural. Mondo hadn’t directly killed Sakura, Hina just needed something to vent at and even that had lasted mere moments.

“I-I’m not done yet. Get up!” She marched towards the fallen Mondo.

What she felt was dissatisfaction in its rawest form. No matter what she did, Mondo would die anyway.

 “Oi, oi are we just going to let her mutilate the guy? He may have lost his mind but Mondo’s still our friend.” Leon voiced his opinion and Naegi agreed, he wasn’t about to let her become a murderer.

Still, he waited for Hina to draw closer to Mondo.

“I’ll stop her. Leon, watch my back. We don’t know what or who else is out here.” He said. The athlete nodded and gave his signature grin of confidence.

Makoto smiled amiably and moved towards the swimmer and the biker, his hand never leaving his pocket.

If I’m correct then…

He thought about all the events that led up to this point and the people who weren’t presently with him.

The steadfast Kiyotaka

The skittish Chihiro

The forced accompli Sayaka

The illusive Togami

The victim Touko

The whimsical Kizakura

The unreliably reliable Yasuhiro

The incomprehensible Ryouko

The unknown Ikusaba

The protector Sakura

The scapegoat Celeste

And the pawn Hifumi…

Makoto knew he had reached the answer when he felt the wind blow.

 

 -Several Minutes Earlier-

 

“Mr Naegi, is that you?” Hifumi spoke again, as if he wasn’t sure whether he could trust his own eyes. Was he already hallucinating.

It didn’t matter, they rushed towards him and settled the boy down.

“What happened?” Kyouko asked

“G-Genocider got me and Miss. Celeste abandoned me.” He was betrayed yet he still spoke of her with honorifics.

Makoto swore and looked at Kyouko fearfully. They had no medical supplies…how utterly ironic. He had burned down the hospital, the one place where they could have found something to save him.

“It was my fault for following Celeste and leaving the group. I-I was scared of dying and so was everyone else...but Miss Celeste,  she seemed as confident and sure as ever.” Hifumi spoke, his voice noticeably becoming lower

Of course Celeste seemed confident, she’s the Ultimate Gambler. Bluffing was part of the package and Hifumi bought it.

DAMN IT

“You’ll get through this Hifumi. We’ll find something that can heal you, just for god’s sake don’t fall asleep.” If Celeste could have kept Hifumi with her using deceit then surely he could do better with words of hope.

It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.

“Hehehe. Spoken like a true p-protagonist Mr. Naegi…but even someone who fantasizes as much as I do can see reality when it slaps me in the face. I’m done for.”  The writer solemnly said as he raised his hand into the air, grasping nothing.

Naegi caught it and shook the other boy “What’s with everyone? Why can’t all of you believe in us!? Why did you mess with that damn stove and burn down the hospital!?” He screamed

Hifumi gave Makoto a confused expression, as weak as it was.

“W-What…are you talking a…bout?” He was growing weaker, like an ember on its way out. “I didn’t go into the kitchen…and I never…trie…to start…a…fir...

 

 -Present-

 

Hifumi’s sentence was left unfinished and nor would they ever reach completion.

He died

However, he had left the vital clue that they needed.

Makoto heard the wind shift and he threw himself down. If he wasn’t physically able, he trusted his bad luck to see him through.

And so it did, as unbeknownst to him, he had already begun falling the moment he started moving towards Asahina. His shoelaces came untied and tripped him up prematurely.

As a result, the blow from behind missed its target.

Before Makoto hit the ground, he pulled out the pepper spray he had gotten from Sayaka. The entire time he had shook the can inside his pocket. Now he stretched his left arm to hit the ground  and winced as he heard a crack but there was no time to think about pain Makoto used the momentum from the left hand’s contact with the ground to flip his body around as best he could and brought the bottle in front of his assailant.

Using his right hand, Makoto sprayed the can's contents at full blast.

A resounding cry could be heard as Makoto’s back finally hit the concrete. He didn’t stay down long and rolled into a rebound near Asahina. The girl had also turned towards him when she heard the pained scream.

The swimmer gazed at the scene in confusion. Makoto, who crouched next to her with what looked like pepper spray and Leon Kuwata kneeling, with both hands covering his eyes.

“What are you doing? Why did you attack Leon?” She asked

“Hina, get back!” Naegi ordered.

“You little shit!” Leon screeched, with his eyes still closed. He blindly tried reaching for his fallen bat before feeling new weight impact him from behind and force him to the ground.

Kyouko Kirigri had slammed into Leon from behind and placed him in a ground immobilization lock. She sat over his fallen form, one arm pressed on his shoulder/collarbone and the other to pull his right arm towards her. She was in a position to dislocate his shoulder if he so much as moved.

It was the sort of technique even a novice could see was perfectly executed by a master.

“Reckless but it worked as planned, it seems.” Kyouko said, matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, looks that way.” Makoto muttered

“W-What the hell’s going on here?” Asahina stepped back, nearly tripping over the biker’s body.

“I didn’t want to believe it myself…but there’s no denying it now. Leon’s the killer.” He said

To say Hina was in disbelief would be an understatement.

Makoto continued “It’s hard to explain but I had a feeling it was him before we arrived and made a plan with Kyouko.”

“He proposed that in order to expose the culprit, he would remain with them alone while I would pretend to be preoccupied and leave the area. Of course, we had no idea Ryouko wouldn’t be here. We initially planned to use Chihiro as a scapegoat but my searching for Ryouko’s disappearance proved to be more natural option – afterwards, I merely had to ambush the culprit once he had dismissed my presence and focused on Makoto. I admit, that was some quick thinking, Makoto. I didn’t expect you to be capable, honestly” She said, with a tinge of pride.

“Yeah…but you were in the way, Hina. Leon had stood by you the entire time so if I had called him out on it and he turned out to really be the mastermind then you could have been used as a hostage. That’s why I let you make some distance away from Leon.”

“No way. That’s…Then I was besides the killer this whole time?” Asahina slumped to her knees and brought her hands to her cover her mouth.

“Bullshit.” Leon spoke from underneath Kyouko, his eyes still clenched in pain from the spray. “You’ve got no proof that I killed anyone.”

“You’ve got that wrong!” Makoto yelled

Kyouko pulled at his shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain.

“To be honest, I was still skeptical myself. Before seeing you attack him, there were too many contradictions in the theory of you being the culprit and Makoto said there was no time for an explanation. Still, for Makoto of all people to distrust someone that strongly, there definitely had to be good reason for it. I merely decided to believe in him and it appears to have paid off.”  Kyouko supported him

“I have plenty of proof that you killed, Leon. I’ll show you right now.”

 

-[Climax Reasoning: Initiate]-

 

“Your scheme worked pretty well. From the very start, you narrowed our view of suspects using the timing of Taka’s murder and made it so anyone who was already inside the restaurant could not be the culprit. Unfortunately for you, that doesn’t exclude you from being Taka’s killer. All you needed to do was have someone else bring the body out into the pool.”

“That’s bullshit! Who the hell would have even helped me?” Leon argued

“Not willingly perhaps but you could have forced someone to…and that person was Sayaka! Don’t bother denying it, Leon. Sayaka made it crystal clear that she knew exactly who the culprit was and that it was one of us. She also knew exactly who died. Sayaka had acted strangely the whole day and we would only have noticed that if she wanted us to. She was hinting all along that one of the students among us was the killer.” Makoto accused him

“Nice theory twerp but you’d have no way of proving I even had contact with her.”

Kyouko interjected. “But we can. Not only did you have ample opportunity to meet during this entire trip but I can also prove you'd have at least two chances within the past day. The first was when all four of us had an outing before the day of the murder. You were the one who suggested to come along and had ample time to speak with Sayaka then. Furthermore, we can extend your time of contact to earlier this evening. You said it yourself didn’t you?”

Truth Bullet: “What’s with the coldness, Kyouko? For your information,  I can vouch for her. I saw Sayaka strolling around looking bothered and thought I could help. She turned me down though.”  (Leon Kuwata, Chapter Five)

 “You told me that too.” Makoto added

Truth Bullet: “I saw Sayaka walking down the halls with this glum look on her face she’d been packing the whole day. Thought I’d act as a little comfort, if you get my meaning.” (Leon Kuwata, Chapter Four)

“In fact, you talking about Sayaka’s to me was what made me figure you out. Remember what you told me?”

Truth Bullet: “I see… there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary?”

“Now that I think about it, I was standing by her window and noticed the umbrella on the nearby drawer was wet; maybe the rain just got on it somehow. ” (Makoto Naegi and Leon Kuwata, Chapter Five)

“You slipped up, Leon. A wet umbrella that visible in her room? Sayaka would never do something so careless and even if she did, how in the world would YOU notice that while Kyouko wouldn’t, especially when she was already suspicious?” He glared at the baseball star. "The only reason you told me that was to throw me off your scent wasn’t it? There is no way you couldn’t have known that I’d be suspicious of her if you mentioned that…but you got ahead of yourself.”

Alright, so I may have the chance to talk with Sayaka a bit but you still haven’t proved I killed anyone. Hell, didn’t you two investigate the crime scene? The blood was still wet, idiots.” Leon snarled

Truth Bullet: “From what I can gather, it is likely that Kiyotaka was murdered this very morning…as in within an hour of our finding his body.”

“We’re on a tropical island. Blood usually takes a little under an hour to dry under normal temperatures It shouldn’t have taken more than half an hour.”

“Correct, meaning that circle must have been made a short time before we arrived.  In other words, everyone who made it to this morning’s breakfast is most likely exempt from suspicion for the mean time. That would include Ikusaba, naturally.” (Kyouko Kirigiri and Makoto Naegi, Chapter Four)

“A terrible lie. The fact that you would even know of such a detail without proper investigation is incredibly suspicious…but this is one of the contradictions I mentioned. I do not see how it is possible for you to have the time to kill Kiyotaka and make it back to the restaurant in…”

“No need Kyouko, because the blood and the tidied room were both traps.” Makoto interrupted her.

The detective raised her head at this.

He smacked his forehead “It might have been the headaches I had recently but I can’t believe I forgot something Sayaka told me the evening before. We were assuming that the blood on the magic circle was Taka’s but it never needed to be because there are more than just humans on this island.”

Truth Bullet: “Hey, did you notice how the farm over there was empty?” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter Two)

"There are also animals on this island, Kyouko. Sayaka told me the farm had been quiet yesterday and it would be a simple matter of just getting blood from them instead of Taka. I’m willing to bet that’s also why Taka was decapitated. Leon wanted to give us the illusion of having confiscated massive amounts of blood from the body. When you look at it from this perspective, the timeframe completely disappears; Taka could have been killed at any point from when we last saw him till this morning.

Kyouko nodded and confirmed his hypothesis “Yes. In that case, the alarm and tidied room are of no consequence. It would have been easy for someone to enter that room and alter everything; I certainly could have. It’s also possible that Taka himself could have done it and been called out by any of us during the night. As the ultimate moral compass, Kiyotaka would never refuse a request from his classmates; including if it was to meet them somewhere in the middle of the night…He was far too trusting.”

“Wait a second.” Asahina chimed in “Makoto, how long did you and Leon talk to each other last night?”

Makoto had forgotten about that and right now, it kind of stung to remember. “It couldn’t have been that long. Maybe an hour or so but Leon should have gotten back…” Ah, he understood

Truth Bullet: You can admit it. I totally get that there’s something going on with you and Leon, no wonder you’re so dense when it comes to the girls.”

“Suuuure, that’s why he spent soooo long in your room before he got back. No fooling me, mister.” (Aoi Asahina, Chapter Five)

“I don’t know if he saw me but I saw him getting to his room waaaay late. It would have been way more than 1 or 2 hours after he went into Makoto’s room. I just thought he and Makoto were…you know but if not then, what was he doing for all that time?” Hina gasped

“What the hell did you think I would do with that half-pint? I'll have you know I’m strictly a ladies man…ow ow ow!” Kyouko’s hold tightened significantly.

“It would seem the pieces are falling into place. Including how you managed to fool us into thinking Celeste was ever in control of the situation.” She said, calmly.

“Seriously? You’re pinning that on me too?”

“Why not? After all, our belief that Celeste was the one pulling the strings was almost entirely on account of taking your words at face value.” Makoto answered

Truth Bullet: “That wasn’t my fault. Celeste found me right after you guys left and listened in on the conversation. I didn’t think she could do any harm so I brought her with me.” (Leon Kuwata, Chapter Four)

 “You never even gave evidence suggesting that what you said was true but we believed it because Celeste was already gone. Therefore, nobody was around to contest your claim and you even used Sayaka to act as your alibi. In all likelihood, you’re probably the one who manipulated Celeste into acting.” Kyouko added

“Fucking how? They’re the ones who started the fire.” Leon squirmed

“Oh? And who was it that told us that?” Kyouko smirked and tightened her grip.

Truth Bullet: “It wasn’t my fault okay; someone had to have messed with it earlier. I NEVER burn my food.” 

“Hina might be right about that. I remember Hifumi playing around in there while I was looking for Makoto.”  (Aoi Asahina and Leon Kuwata, Chapter Five)

“For your information, we found Hifumi on our way over here and his last words were that he never went inside the kitchen. That was the main clue we used to figure you out.”

Asahina flinched when Kyouko mentioned the writer’s final statement.

“It was basically your word against his but I have proof that Hifumi was telling the truth. Sakura told me herself: Mondo had stopped in the middle of a chase because of the fire alarms which means he didn’t know about it and implies Celeste and Hifumi didn’t either otherwise they would have told him.” Makoto said.

“Don’t you think I’d just have told Celeste herself if she was working for me?”

“Too risky. They may have had their flaws but they were neither heartless nor stupid. You had no idea of knowing whether those two would intentionally endanger everyone in the building just for someone else’s plot. It would also have ousted you as acting incredibly out of character. Celeste would have picked up on a plot that Machiavellian instantly.  Who knows, she may well have suspected you to be the culprit for such cut-throat behavior.”

“Tch.” Leon let out.

-[Climax Reasoning: Complete]-

 

“The witch’s legend was merely a precept used to derail the investigation.” Kyouko finished.

“There are some parts I still don’t understand, but the evidence we have against you goes way past the point of coincidence. You dropped the ball when you just tried to kill me too. Just admit you’re the killer and let’s end this.” Makoto raised an accusatory finger

“I don’t understand. Why? Why would you do any of this?” Hina asked

“While I’m certainly interested in the motive, I feel there is a more important question that needs to be asked first.” Kyouko interjected "After getting all the evidence out in the open, I am all the more convinced of one single fact therefore I ask: Leon, who put you up to this?”

Makoto and Asahina jerked

“Huh? Didn’t we already decide he’s the mastermind.”

“Leon is undoubtedly among them but think about what you just said, Makoto. Reflect on the planning, attention to detail and predictive ability that would be required to set up a scheme of this magnitude. If our hypothesis is correct, our moves were read several steps in advance and the reason it failed is partly due to Leon’s own oversight to begin with. Do any of you really think that Leon is someone with that kind of skill?”

That…was a good point.

“Furthermore, there are also mysteries that have yet been solved…such as how exactly Leon killed Ikusaba and the others.”

Someone who could have been the brains of the operation.

“Ryouko? Was she behind this?” Makoto asked. The amnesiac's name was the only one that came to mind in the case of impossibly accurate predictions, she had even explained in great detail how effective her power was...but could she really kill her own sister?

“That would be the most probably solution. I can think of none other with the capacity for such meticulous planning…but let’s hear the answer from the man himself. Well, is Ryouko your benefactor?” Kyouko demanded.

Leon replied with a chuckle

It was an action unbefitting his current position and that made Makoto worried. Kyouko must have felt the same, as she applied the greatest amount force yet to his arm. It wouldn’t have been surprising if his joints gave in right there.

This time, Leon didn’t scream

“Ease up, you’re killing me here.” He replied instead. “I gotta admit, that was some pretty cool detective work. You mostly got me all figured out.”

“H-He admitted it.” Hina curved her hand into a ball

“You murderer!”

“Yeah Yeah, I;m busted. I’d have to be a complete moron to deny that much evidence against me…but so what? Even if you know, you guys can’t do a damn thing now.” Leon smiled

He had a really bad feeling about the phrasing of that statement.

“What do you mean by that?” Kyouko frowned, still on top of him.

“You’re a smart girl. You figured out the plan but you’ve missed out on a few details. Like for example, how do you think I threatened Sayaka into helping me?” They couldn’t possibly know the answer to that and he did as well.

“Easy. I didn’t threaten to kill her or anything. Check my right pocket and you’ll see for yourself. I won’t move a muscle, promise.”

Kyouko switched positions and pushed her weight onto the athlete, slipping her arm into Leon’s jeans and pulling out a cell phone. The entire process lasted mere moments.

The detective didn’t look inside however, instead she tossed it towards Asahina and himself. Afterwards, she resumed her former position.

“I have no idea what’s on there. He may have something that could cause me to lower my grip therefore; it would be prudent for the both of you to look it instead.”

And so they did.  Naegi picked up the phone and Asahina leaned in from the side

He turned on the phone and saw a background picture of himself, Leon, Mondo and Hiro in Halloween costumes. The photo was months old.

Ordinarily, this would have seemed normal but now, it just felt like he was being mocked.

This couldn’t be what Leon wanted to show him so he scrolled until he found the pictures folder.

What he saw shook his core. Not just because of the contents specifically but the possible ramifications of how far this madness extended.

“Aren’t these Sayaka’s bandmates?” Hina asked

The girls had been bound to chairs by thick ropes. Their faces had been blindfolded but anyone who knew of their group would recognize them instantly. They even wore their idol uniforms.

His mind stirred.

“How?” Makoto questioned.

Kyouko looked at them puzzled while Leon laughed at their reactions

“Yup. All I had to do was show Sayaka that little photo and she was putty in my hands. I told her if she wanted to see them again and get off this island in one piece, she had to help me out. Of course, I also told her that there were others like me in the group in order to make her doubt you…All except the two of you.” Leon, smile grew wider and more malicious.

“The plan was to kill off just about everyone but I told her that if she behaved, I would keep you two alive and told her that you weren’t working with me. By doing that, Sayaka was relieved that her favorites were the ones who could be saved and could be counted on…buuuut.”

“That also meant that she would be more likely to distrust everyone else. Furthermore, by instigating Celeste, Sayaka was only given more reason to not rely on anyone except us.” Kyouko nearly snarled. The limits of her self-control had been pushed to the edge.

“You guys sure make explaining stuff easy. I feel like a Bond villain right about now.” He joked

He joked. Where was his confidence coming from?

“What an idiot. As if I was ever going to let the goddamn detective and her goddamn groupie walk out scot-free.”

“Leon…you didn’t answer my question. I didn’t ask what the picture was for. I asked how you got it and how did you kidnap them?” Makoto demanded.

In truth, while Makoto was concerned for the idols, an even bigger problem was that Leon…or whoever backed him had somehow gotten to people on the outside. Wouldn’t that mean their families could be in danger?

Calm the ahoge down, its probably standing up like crazy right now. I don’t know how those girls were caught and I didn’t hear anything about anyone else getting kidnapped either. If I did, you can bet your ass I’d have used it against you.” Leon snickered.

Could he believe that?

“You didn’t hear? In other words, you were told that by someone. Its about time you give us the answers we need, who is behind all this?” Kyouko hastily ordered the killer.

“Hey now, don’t rush a guy…you might miss something big and I was getting to that anyway. Say Kyouko, did you ever once think about how exactly it was Taka died?”

“He was decapitated” She stated the obvious

“You didn’t answer the question. Did you ever think about how exactly he died? And don’t get things twisted, I killed him personally.”

“What is he saying?” Hina asked, worried.

There was that bad feeling again.

How did Taka die? Like Kyouko said, he was beheaded but what does th-…how again?

Makoto remembered the headless corpse. It was such a shocking image that he vividly recalled the scene even now.  Contrasting the blood-stained pool, Naegi had seen that the head had been chopped clean off. So clean that had it not been for the outfit and the blood, he would have mistaken the corpse for a doll.

There was nothing in this resort that could do that. No swords or axes. The weapons in Nezumi castle were for decoration (weren’t they?)  Even if they weren’t, Leon has no experience with those weapons, and there’s no way anything like a knife or a cleaver could have made such a clean cut with his physique. Where it to have been Sakura, Ikusaba, Genocider or even Mondo, it could have been possible but Leon wasn’t anything like them.

…or was he? Why was he making assumptions? Why did he still act like he even knew this person? The Leon he thought he knew would never have done any of this.

The person in front of  him was a complete stranger.

As if her thoughts mirrored his, Kyouko’s eyes widened sharply and twisted the arm she had kept locked in place fully.

Whether it was because Kyouko had sensed the danger or Leon have moved somehow, he didn’t know. What he did hear was the sickening wrenching of bone.

Kyouko distanced herself a few meters forward of the grounded Leon, and stood somewhat ahead of Makoto and Asahina.

All the while, Leon didn’t let out so much as a scream. He just stood up, his right arm hanging limply on his side.

Didn’t he feel that? It’s almost like...crap.

Leon’s eyes finally opened, his sclera were a light color and watery from the spray but Makoto knew he could see fine; there was no swelling either.

He raised his only working arm and grazed his irides with his fingers.

On the tips of his fingers now laid a pair of transparent contact lenses.

Makoto suppressed a shudder as his fears were realized. Leon was now looking at them with the same scarlet eyes as Mondo.

“Him too?” Asahina squeaked out.

“You break a guy’s arm and then look at him like he’s the devil or something, And Taka always said I had bad manners.”

From their perspective, the situation had reversed completely but in reality, they had never tipped out of Leon’s favor. He was just messing around.

“I said it, didn’t I? You guys can’t do a thing anymore, now that the muscle heads are all dead and gone.”

“Muscleheads…are you talking about Sakura?” Asahina’s prior fear had given away to renewed anger at the insult.

Before she took as much as a step forward, Kyouko snapped at her from in front of the duo. “Asahina, don’t say another word.” The detective said, without turning around.

Hina appeared to get the concise message and restrained herself.

“That all? Too bad, I was hoping that’d rile you up a bit more, babe.” Leon goaded them.

“But back to what I was saying…do you guys even realize what kind of position you’re in? Ikusaba, Mondo, Sakura and Genocider. Any one of those four would have been a total pain to deal with…so I needed to get rid of them. There were a few kinks along the way, but I think we can say it turned out alright. They off’d each other with me barely having to lift a finger. Now, the rest of you will be easy to pick off. ”

“I see. You disposed of Togami and Kiyotaka first to pit Mondo against Genocider, incite the rest of us and pull Ikusaba and Sakura into the crossfire…is that what you’re trying to say?” Kyouko murmured.

Leon’s eyebrow twitched a bit at the mention of Togami’s name.

“Bingo, give the arm-breaker a prize.” He said and soon any sign of amusement gave way to monotony .

“But you know, you’re off on 2 crucial points.” He strolled over to pick up his fallen bat. The trio readied themselves. If it came to a fight…they may have a chance. Leon’s left hand was his weak hand, and he couldn’t have been that tough if he couldn’t break Kyouko’s grip.

“First, you’re assuming Ryouko was my partner-in-crime but you’ve got it the other way around. That bitch was the annoyance I had to avoid the whole time so I wouldn’t get caught in the act. I even suggested we kill her off first but she said things would be more interesting if we kept Ryouko around. I didn’t get it at the time but I’m starting to see it that way.”

“Who are you-“ Kyouko started but was quickly cut off

“Second, you said that the witch was just a smokescreen I made to throw you off my trail. I don’t think I agreed with that…but I doubt words can convince you at this point.”

He gripped the bat’s handle and raised it to the sky with his left hand.

“So let me show you instead.”.

There was at least a 10 meter distance separating them. What in the world did he think he could do from there?

“The gift I received from that witch.” He now wore a full-on slasher smile

From Junko Enoshima.”

The bat came down and all hell broke loose.

The swing had hurled an explosion of force towards them. The ground caved in and blocks of solid stone, along with the embedded scissor-blades, flew into the air as the blast came towards them.

He yelled Kyouko’s name. As the one standing in front, she was bound to take the full brunt of the blast if she didn’t move.

Fortunately, the detective reacted quickly and ready to dart to the side. Only she was closer to Leon than they were and therefore had less time to evade.

It was as if time had slowed down. He had to propel her out of the way.

That was when he noticed

Besides him, Asahina remained frozen in place, with a terrified expression.

 In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi. Makoto remembered the words Sakura had left him with.

There was no time to make a choice so his body moved instinctively and pushed Asahina to the side with all the strength he could muster.

After that, all he could see was white.


 

The aftermath was as if a concentrated bomb had gone off in the immediate vicinity - and in the shape of a cone of destruction that spread out from where Leon stood.

As for himself…he had been blown off into the air by the shockwave and carried away before the full blast had engulfed him completely. As a result, landed on the hard concrete and rolled onto his stomach. He felt pain…immeasurable pain. He had never hurt this badly in his life

However, that was also evidence that he was currently alive.

It was a miracle…did he owe it to luck?

His clothes were shredded to the point he could feel bare skin of his arm and stomach on the smoldering concrete. His ears rang. His legs felt impossible heavy. Only one of his arms twitched when he moved them. An eye was shot and the other had dirt in them. His forehead was bleeding profusely…it was pretty bad.

He probably couldn’t run away from this.

What about ..the…others…

It took significant effort just for him to lift his head from a position.

“K-Kyoko…Hina” The words barely came out

The smoke cleared quickly and within his narrow line of vision, he could make out the swimmer lying on her back. Her chest heaved so he knew she was alive. He couldn’t reach her or ascertain her condition…but for now, she was alive.

The other girl however, couldn’t be seen from this angle. He tried moving his neck to see behind him on his left side but it was no good. It felt like it would snap if he tried to force himself.  Thus he was instead forced to place all his weight on the arm that still worked and pushed off the ground to turn around.

It was an undeniably clumsy maneuver but he was left no other recourse in desperation.

He did so 3 times. Each movement more difficult than the last until he had moved 40 degrees to the left from where he began.

He saw Kyouko there. She hadn’t been too far away from Asahina but the sight in his left eye had become somewhat blurry.

He noticed immediately however, that the detective wasn’t moving. She was lying on her back just like Asahina. Her arms rested on both sides and formerly gloved hands were now shredded, much like his own attire. Makoto could see burn scars on her hands, even worse than the rest of her body.

What worried him most however, was a thin sliver of blood cascading from her narrowly-opened mouth

Kyouko…

He tried to motion his left arm to reach out to her but to no avail. That was when his working eye landed on a familiar object resting conspicuously between him and Kyouko.  Like the detective, it was burned but the cloth that covered it was intimately familiar enough for him to recognize even in that state. After all, he wore it every day.

“O-Oh…t-that’s why…I..ca..nt…feel….its not…attached…anymore….heh..he”

He wanted to laugh and ended up vomiting blood instead. Internal bleeding apparently made its way onto the list.

Am I...going to die?

He pushed on his remaining arm and crawled his way, ever so slowly, towards the detective.

Minutes of tedious crawling had felt like hours to the luckster. Now there was a mere 3 meters separating him from his goal.

He could almost reach her…had it not been for a pair of sneakers stepping in his way.

“Yo, Makoto. You’ve seen better days…need a hand?”

The obnoxious voice called to him. He tried raising his head to glare at the figure but he couldn’t even make it past the knees before his neck felt like it shatter from the strain so he dropped back to the floor.

“Man, seriously how lucky are you? You took my [Grand Slam] head on and you’re not just kicking but moving too. Unreal” Leon crouched over him

There was only one thing Makoto wanted from him now. An explanation

“Why…did...was…any…it…real?” Makoto asked, able to meet the eyes of the now crouched Leon

“Aaaw come on. Give me that look and I feel like I'm about to put down my dog.”

Naegi didn’t respond.

“Silent treatment huh? I deserve that. To answer your question…of course it was real. All of it was.” He said solemnly. It was a tone that didn’t match any of his actions the past few days.

Anger gave way to confusion, and confusion was replaced by more anger.

Simply put, the man spoke nonsense. Leon would mock him with that…after everything he just did?

He wanted to scream for the truth but the words were drowned out by coughed blood. He was certain, he had blacked out for an instant.

“Guess you don’t believe me? That’s fair but it’s the truth you know… talent isn't everything in this world. Sure, those who got it are secured for life, like Hope’s Peak says...but the effort…its just not my style. That’s why I’ve taken shortcuts my whole life and when I succeed, I end up forgetting what was important to begin with…like Kanon.”

He paused

“But you guys weren’t like that. I didn’t need an easy way out because I enjoyed all of it I tossed away that stupid fantasy of becoming a musician and dedicated myself to baseball. It was because of you that I learned to like it, and my talent for what it was and not what it got me. If I had to choose between the opportunity of a lifetime or slugging it out with all of you, I’d pick this class  every time.

And that's why I did all of this. My buddies that I liked so much. The shiny future that I worked so hard for. I wanted to feel the despair of throwing it all away. The despair that Junko promised!” He cackled madly. “Man, if old man Nekomaru could see me now, what would he say!?”

Makoto had stopped listening. Incomprehensible words weren’t what he wanted to hear in his what was likely his final moments.

“Ha…Well, I guess I should wrap things up…since I’m pretty much done, I might as well let you in on a secret.” He stood up and took a practice swing

“Truth is, I didn’t actually kill Togami.”

…What?

“I was going to but I found him in the library already dead and I have no idea how. All I did was take his body and chuck it in Nezumi castle for Syo to flip out over last night. Man, that was hilarious” He laughed

“It wasn't just him either. Mukuro and from the sounds of it, Chihiro and Kizakura are probably dead too...someone’s been a total kill-stealer. These weren’t part of Junko’s instructions.  Guess my work isn’t quite over yet if there’s something other than me still alive on this island. Speaking of which, I’ll be sure to send Ryouko and Sayaka right off with you so you won’t miss each other in heaven.”

He now raised his bat into the air once more.

 Naegi craned his neck upwards. If it was the last thing he was going to see, he might as well get it over with and screw the pain.

What he saw was Leon…crying.

“What I talked to you about the other day, the fun afternoon and everything before it. All of those meant something. Even if I had to kill you, I at least wanted you to have that one day to enjoy yourself as much as you could.” Leon smiled. It was a gentler smile than any he had ever seen from baseball star.

“Later, kid.”

He swung down and Makoto expected the end

What he didn’t see coming was a large knife nearly chopping Leon’s head off.

“What the-“

The baseball star had barely managed to dodge the blow coming from in front of him

He jumped several meters back in the air, jumping over Kyouko’s body as well. Leon's grip still remained on the handle of the bat as he brushed his neck with the back of his palm. It was there he felt a thin cut and blood slowly pouring out. Had the knife gone any deeper, he would be dead.

Makoto took notice of the feminine figure of the attacker

“S-Sayaka?” He mouthed

She looked down at Kyouko’s fallen form and then gazed back at him, red eyes filled with sadness and regret.

“H-How the hell did you get in front of me like that? I didn’t even see you.” Leon yelled with his former composure absent.

Sayaka didn’t respond. She simply brandished her knife at him

“Heh, I get it. You’ve fallen to despair too…though it doesn’t look quite like mine and more like Mondo’s.” Leon said.

“Ah well, I’ll just take care of all you with one shot.” Leon raised the bat for the 3rd time.

Makoto knew what was coming. He tried to warn Sayaka but found he was no longer capable of speaking.

“Any last words, bitch?” Leon sneered.

And Sayaka smirked

“Try turning around, idiot.”

Leon’s eyes widened for a moment and then snickered.

“You really think I’ll fall for the oldest trick in the-“

Leon was interrupted by what he felt was a surge of raw killing intent from behind and turned around

“You’ve got to be shitting me. You’re still alive!?” Leon said incredulously.

A bloodied Mondo now stood in his vision, peering at him with eyes set to kill. Evidently, he had heard every word and knew he had found his kyoudai’s murderer.

Mondo poured every last bit of energy in his fist and aimed for Leon’s chest.

Leon used his metal bat, the only weapon in his possession, to defend against the blow by placing it in front of his chest.

Fist met Iron.

“Die, you fuckin’ prick!” Mondo yelled with the last of his strength and as if the situation responded to his accord, the bat literally shattered and left Leon defenseless.

With no further resistance, Mondo’s continuing fist slammed against Leon’s chest and broke his ribcage. Leon vomited blood at the point of impact and was then sent flying backwards into the air at great speeds.

Mondo stared as the culprit landed and remained for several seconds.

The gang-leader too then fell to the ground, never to awaken.

“Damn, I messed up.” Leon breathed, coughing out even more blood. The blow had paralyzed every inch of his body. 

“My…[Grand Slam] is the only power I got and something I can only use when I’ve decided to throw everything away. A grand slam scores the most points and only happens when your teammates are on the field backing you up...so it’s only natural my Despair would represent the anti-thesis…but, I forgot that you had one too. Junko told me… I remember now. Tossing aside your principles....the rules that defined you…in order to become strong…anything that wounds you just makes you stronger, but you don’t heal from them. She told me…that was your Despair, your [Outlaw]” Leon explained. Whether he was delusional enough to believe the biker could still hear his words or he was simply talking to himself was not known.

He lamented his callousness and looked to the side.

“So…what’s your Despair?” He said slyly to Sayaka, who stood over his defenseless state.

Sayaka tilted her head in response.

“Heh…you don’t even know, do you? Fuck…this bites…I…don’t wanna die like this…Kanon.” He cried.

Sayaka smiled. It was the perfect smile only the ultimate idol possessed…and so Leon knew he had met his end.

“Leon…just how stupid are you?”

It was a rhetorical question for Sayaka stabbed Leon in the heart without waiting for the answer...she did so repeatedly.

After over a dozen stabs to the boy’s body, Sayaka picked herself up and walked away, not even sparing another glance at the corpse.

She gazed elsewhere in the vicinity. Sakura, Celeste, Hiro, Mondo...Kyouko.

Tears streaked down her face as she made her way to the last person left alive. The last of some of the only real friends she ever had.

Makoto had merely watched the ordeal passively…there was nothing else he could do.

He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. All he could do was watch with no control over his environment, like he had experienced these events through a painfully low-quality TV screen.

Sayaka gently picked him up over her shoulder.

She didn’t take him far…just a mere 3 meters over to rest by the side of the departed detective.

Makoto moved his head to the right and stared intently at Kyouko. The lilac-haired girl’s normally tied braid had been undone and she almost seemed asleep…if it wasn’t for the streak of blood running down her lips.

It bothered him but he couldn’t move his arm to take care of it.

A moment later, Sayaka’s arm reached over to Kyouko’s face and wiped it off gently with her fingers. .

Makoto looked over to see Sayaka smiling over them. This one was undoubtedly genuine but that made it all the more painful. Had it not been for her eyes and the blood, she would have appeared as she did on any other day.

Even without words, she had managed to read his thoughts.

Psychic huh? Then…

Makoto inaudibly mouthed Asahina’s name and prayed Sayaka would get the message

The blue-haired girl nodded and stood up, moving towards Asahina’s direction.

Thank you. He thought

He returned his focus to the girl besides him. The girl who didn’t stir.

Not only because he had been the one who made her go through such a dangerous ordeal but his fault goes back even further. Naegi remembered Ryouko’s words and now he knew what she meant. Maybe Kyouko could have figured Leon out if she had been like she was before and all of this could have been avoided…at the very least, she wouldn’t have been caught up in his recklessness. And even then,  he might have been able to save her but he chose to protect another instead.

In the end…hadn’t he been the one who killed her? In that case, Ryouko had won their bet after all.

Kyouko…I’m sorry

Makoto cried. It appeared there were still some tears left after all.

…He was getting tired. Some sleep would be nice 

Sayaka returned  and laid down next to him

He looked to her for confirmation on Asahina’s condition. Sayaka nodded happily

That’s…good. Even if I didn’t formally accept Sakura’s request…I still wanted…to keep it.

He closed his eyes for a bit and found he’d almost fallen asleep.

Sayaka. It really showed how well they knew each other, even without having a conversation. It was like she could read his thoughts. Of course, he had no way of knowing if Sayaka was telling the truth or she wanted to spare his feelings before he…it was scary to think about.

He wanted to believe. Even though it failed him so many times, he wanted to think of the positives at the very end. After all, his optimism is what defines him as Makoto Naegi.

Still, he wondered what Sayaka would do now. He would be lying if he said the abrupt change in eye color didn’t bother him. Would she end up like Leon and Mondo? He didn’t know but he wished that would never be the case.

He felt a warm hand cup his face. Sayaka gave him a knowing look as she did so.

I see…then I don’t have to worry too much.

The average boy smeared in his own blood showed a forlorn yet peaceful smile.

The idol draped in the blood of others gave the greatest performance of her life.

Let’s meet again somewhere, Makoto.

Yeah, I’ll be waiting.


 

Hey...can you hear me?

Makoto Naegi stirred as he heard a melodious voice call out to him.

He woke up drowsily, as if coming out of a deep sleep.  A cold sweat on his features as his head rested on top of a hard wooden desk in the middle of the room. His body felt heavy.

Where am I?

He gazed at the front and found himself in a familiar looking classroom.

This is Hope’s Peak, isn’t it? What am I doing in class?

He wiped the drool from his mouth using his left hand…why did he feel so relieved doing that? He couldn’t remember.

What was that voice I heard?

 He turned to the left and found a pair cobalt eyes staring at him intensely. The owner was sitting on a desk on the far side of the room

In a late response, he yelped as he jumped out of his seat.

Was she watching me this whole time? 

The girl placed her hand under her chin and looked amused by his reaction.

He took in her appearance. Black, white and red garments. Mini-skirt. Combat-boots. Strawberry blonde hair. Twin-tails and bear clippings. She was really pretty…curvy too.

The trendy type...was someone so peculiar always in the school? The description sounded familiar at least but what was she doing here...heck, what was he doing here?

Did I fall asleep in class or something? Pretty mean of everyone to just leave me there, if so.

"Are you okay? You seem pretty out of it."  She said

"Oh, uh sorry. I'm just trying to remember what I'm doing here." He replied.

The girl's eyes widened a bit and then narrowed again. She hopped off the table and made her way towards him.

He scuffled awkwardly until she was within arm's reach. The girl placed cupped his forehead.

Huh?  Standing this close, Makoto could see that the girl was considerably taller than he was...then again, most people were.

"You were shifting in your sleep and sweating like crazy when you woke up so I was wondering if you had a fever or something. Doesn't seem too bad though, were you having nightmares then?"

Did he have a  nightmare? He couldn't remember.

"Maybe...but it probably hadn't been a good dream at least." It was kind of embarrassing admitting that to someone he just met.

"Hmm, s'that so? Well, as long as it isn't something too serious, we should probably get going." She stepped away from him and walked towards the exit.

He agreed...what time was it anyway? He couldn't tell because the hand on the clock was frozen...and his own watch appeared to have stopped as well. To most people, this would have been indicative of some suspicious circumstances...but this was just Tuesday for someone as unlucky as Makoto Naegi.

Makoto went after the girl and found the outside halls empty.

"Looks like nobody's home." She said.

HPA wasn’t a particularly crowded school. As the home to the elites of the elites (and himself), they strongly prioritized quality over quantity but for nobody to be roaming through the halls was somewhat jarring.

They walked around for several minutes and found nothing, even the gymnasium had been empty. The girl besides him had taken to humming and whistling the amuse herself. She didn't seem awkward around him at all given they were strangers. If anything, she was maintaining an oddly close proximity, to the point where their shoulders almost touched...not that he minded.

"Uh hey, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto Naegi by the way." He introduced himself.

She stared blankly at him for a moment and then giggled.

There it was again, was there something funny about him? W-Was there something on his face or did something get caught  in his unruly hair again? 

He instinctively checked his hair and found nothing.

"I'm..." She began and stopped prematurely, facing front.

Makoto raised an eyebrow and followed

Before them stood a metallic gate; like the kinds you saw on TV guarding some stacked vault.

...Strange. Isn't this where the front entrance to the school is supposed to be?

He moved towards the gate and heard a whirring sound. Tracing the noise to the origin, he saw what appeared to be a machine-gun turret aimed towards him

Wha? This is Hope’s Peak, isn’t it?

He stepped back in fear of what would happen if he came any closer to the gate. This had gone too far for a prank.

"H- Hey. What the heck is that doing here?" He said to the girl. He didn't receive a response.

He stared blankly at where she used to be standing and saw nothing. He turned around and found she had disappeared.

Now, he was starting to panic. 

He sprinted back to the direction they came from, yelling for anyone to signify their presence.

He was really starting to regret not asking the girl her name sooner. 

Maybe she got out through the windows

Trying to find an alternate route for the exit, he discovered what should have been an obvious discrepancy between the HPA before and now; all the windows had been bolted shut.

He ran all over the first floor and stopped in front of fairly large red doors he had never seen before.

He pushed them open and marveled at the view.

Makoto walked into an enormous Cineplex, several times the size  of the gymnasium, which he had believed to be the largest space in the school.

He stepped to the back of the theater to get a good view of the place and noticed one of the first seats in the back row had a sign that said “Reserved for Makoto Naegi.”

His eyebrows rose at that. Having little clue of what was occurring, he had no choice but to sit.

As he did, the screen began counting down from 16.

What an odd number

After  16 seconds of waiting, the blank screen changed to a viewing…of his class. It looked like a recording…no it had to be one because he was in the video.  Sayaka, Leon, Taka, Mondo and Kyouko were huddled over around his desk, chatting amiably.

Funny, he didn’t really remember something like this specifically but it was just as possible that he forgot. It seemed a mundane enough occurrence.

So why did this image hurt so much?

A sudden migraine erupted. He raised a hand to his forehead, reeling from the pain.

The pain relented somewhat.  He didn’t understand what he was doing here. Was he still dreaming?

He sighed

"Still out of sorts, huh?" A voice came from besides him.

Makoto turned his head sharply in the direction of the sound. It was the girl again, had she been sitting next to him the whole time?

Why hadn't he noticed?...And where did she come from? He was sitting in the back row.

He looked over the new presence to see if there was some other exit but found none.

“Get it in gear kiddo, my face is over here.” She smirked and leaned in closer

He blushed. Too close.

Next, one of her arms snaked around the back of his head and brought him into a kiss.

Makoto’s eyes widened at the sudden action and even moreso when she bit down on his lips and drew blood.

He pushed her away and stood up from his seat.

“Wh-What are you doing?” His voice muffled when he tried wiping off the blood on his lips with his hoodie.

The girl licked her lips then proceeded to point at him and laugh.

Makoto realized this person was a more eccentric that he initially believed and backed away from the seated row.

“Who are you?” He asked, struggling to act intimidating.

“Eeeeh? What’s with that reaction? And after what you did to me the last time.” She played coy and spoke in innuendos.

“The last time? Didn't we just meet a few minutes ago?” He argued.

“Hmmm, really? I don’t pay much attention to minor details, that’s always been your thing, Makoto.”

She spoke his name so familiarly and wasn’t even worried despite being in the same situation as he was…unless

“Do you know what’s going on here?” Makoto asked.

“Interesting, you caught on faster than I thought you would.” She  gave a thoughtful expression

If he didn’t know it before, he knew it now; this person was dangerous.

“Answer me. Who are you? And where the hell am I!?”

The girl puffed her cheeks “Who are you this. Answer me that. You sure do throw out a lot of questions for such a little guy, but what the hell? Your reaction might be worth the effort, upupupu.” A strange laugh.

“Who I am, is none other than Junko Enoshima and as for where you are…”  ‘Junko’  trailed off and started rocking back and forth with laughter, perhaps there really was an inside joke. He certainly didn’t find anything funny about this situation.

She stood up as he did and approached him 

He stepped back hastily and clumsily fell onto his backside

Junko…That name sounds familiar.

“The gift I received from that witch.”

 He broke into a cold sweat. W-What was that memory?

“Putting it in a way you can understand...” She leaned over him and gripped his hands with her own, holding him in place. Makoto screamed as excessively sharp nails punctured deep into his hands and made him bleed.

He was trapped. Not simply by force but in fear of  that predatory gaze; he feared he'd be ripped apart if he resisted. 

“From Junko Enoshima.”

…well you’re obviously dead, silly.”

And the memories came flooding back.

 

CHAPTER 1: DESPAIR AT FIRST SIGHT

SURVIVORS: 2

BAD END

 

Notes:

That's the end of the first arc. It took a lot longer than I thought it would so I shoved in 2 chapters worth in the final run.

So how was the mystery? In spite of the finer details, I wanted to make the culprit and main actor similar to the first trial in DR1 - might not always be that way though. Something else I tried to convey was exactly how dangerous it is to take a character's sole word at face value regardless of who they are or how persuasive they might seem. If someone can't back it up, you should probably be skeptical.

Bonus points for anyone who guesses where Naegi and Junko are.

Chapter 7: Interlude I: Junko Enoshima

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“So this is a miracle you won for yourselves, isn’t it?” A pink-haired girl held a stuffed rabbit tight to her chest.

“A miracle, huh?”  A boy with heterochromia replied. He took solace in the gentle sound of the ocean waves beneath the moving ship. “This isn’t a bad ending, is it?”

“Of course not! It’s what I lived, fought and spent my life for. Now let’s go. We’re all going to make our future together!” Her words were filled with blinding hope and optimism yet he couldn’t stop smiling sadly at the bittersweet meaning behind them. She spoke of togetherness but that was…

“Hajime. If you don’t hurry, the food will be all gone.” A raspy voice called out to him…only him.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Hajime responded and joined his classmates. The girl beside him turned ephemeral and soon faded to nothing.

He was tired of lamenting weakness. The despair of the past was over, now they all had a future filled with hope.


 

A large screen played the events as they transpired.  Sitting in the middle of the cinema, Chisa Yukizome watched the scene with a great degree of pride for her students. All of them had lost their way but they managed to recover onto the right path while “she” had failed. That was fine though, for what could make a teacher happier than watching their students surpass them?

She shook her head. What she regretted was the scene unfolding in front of her. The love of her life had chosen to devote himself to carrying the burden of her own mistakes. Knowing the type of person Kyousuke was, Chisa knew he would never truly forgive himself. How she wished to apologize, to tell him it wasn’t his fault. Unfortunately, that was impossible. After all, the Chisa Yukizome of that world was already dead.

She could only trust in Kyousuke to find happiness in his own way. He had never betrayed her expectations before and he certainly wouldn’t start now. Not after Naegi had saved him.

Not after hope had finally won over the despair in the final killing game.

A fact she wished to confirm with the other individual present. “I told you, didn’t I? True hope will never lose.” She said. During her short period as a teacher, she had always believed that even the worst students or rotten oranges as she called them, could be saved with proper guidance. The tragedy had proven her wrong. This person was utterly hopeless.

Chisa had expected a response in the form of ridicule, disgust or an outright dismissal of their victory. What she hadn’t seen coming was silence.

Junko Enoshima’s attention was glued to the screen, as if not registering the teacher’s proclamation. Her expression was one Yukizome was unable to make out. Chisa had thought she had seen all the faces of the ultimate despair. Crass, Childish, Intellectual, Depressed, Coy, Pretentious and Empty.  What the initial six had in common was an intent at mockery…all of them were far from genuine but the last Chisa believed to be Junko Enoshima’s true nature; an emotionless husk who saw all others as sub-life forms. A monster little different from the Izuru Kamukura she had first met.

So what was this? The expression the fashionista currently wore looked to be a mixture of resignation, amazement and…longing. Like a person at the end of their long life had suddenly been reunited with an object defining their youth.

As if snapping out of a trance, Junko’s eyes widened and her expression was replaced with a Cheshire grin.

“Chisa. Honey. You say something?” The blond faced her. From her position, an odd-looking book could be seen on her lap beneath a bowl of popcorn.

“You lost.” Yukizome’s momentary interest had faded to the back of her mind she addressed the fashionista despondently. Just sitting next to the despair made her skin crawl

“Lose? Us? We haven't the slightest idea of what you mean, harlot! What we just witnessed wasn’t Hope vs Despair. It was Hope vs Crazier Hope that just looks like despair.” A crown somehow found its away onto Enoshima's head.

“Regardless, your influence over that world is gone. I don’t see what more you can do so why not just fade away somewhere and never be heard from again?” Chisa smiled innocuously. Passive-aggression was probably the limit of civility she could show this demon and even that was solely because Chisa was in the same boat for helping in bringing about the tragedy, willfully or no.

“Whoa! Don’t just ambiguously tell someone to die; it could actually happen ya know!?” Junko’s mood turned depressive “Ah wait that was a joke. Since we’re already dead and all.”

“Indeed, so why am I here when I should be dead as well? Or did your parents never even teach you to let the dead rest in peace?” She cocked an eyebrow

“Uwaah, what’s with this sassy teacher? I brought you here out of the goodness of my heart you know.” Junko faked cuteness

“This way you’d get to see how things turned out after you died. Wouldn’t it have sucked if you just bit it and never knew whether Muna-hottie would go batshit? Like your favorite show being in its last season and some douchebag pops you before the final episode.”

She felt a headache coming on “Then you failed spectacularly. Despite certain losses, it had the opposite effect on me.” Her thoughts were of her friend and newly discovered rival, Juzo.

“Yes…that didn’t develop as I predicted.” Enoshima’s gaze returned to the screen.

Chisa did the same and noticed the remainder of class 78 (besides Fukawa) together. All five of them. Apparently Kyouko Kirigiri had survived a close dealing with death. A genuine smile crept onto Chisa’s lips.  Not simply because the detective was alive nor due to the happy expressions on the faces of her friends but knowing that her former colleague’s sacrifice had truly been worthwhile. Chisa had always thought of Koichi as a slacker, both as a teacher and a director at the future foundation but his actions in the killing game had changed all that. She was glad to have had such a courageous person as a senior.

“Aight, enough of this shit!” Punk Junko snapped her fingers and the screen paused. The lights in the overly spacious Cineplex had also illuminated.

“That’ll be all for now, Tits. I’ll be sure to call again when I need ya!” She slapped Chisa on the back repeatedly.

The former ultimate housekeeper stood up from her seat. With her back turned she asked “Junko…where are we and why did you really bring me here?”

“Hm? You mean this dusty old place?” Even with her back turned, Chisa knew the blond was wearing a condescending grin. Of course, the chance of receiving a direct answer to even the simplest question was slim. Nothing was ever simple with her.

“As far as you’re concerned, you can call it purgatory…or maybe its heaven.”  Laughter ensued from both women. It was the sort of morbid joke that one couldn’t help but marvel in sheer incredulity. Neither of them would ever be allowed to set one foot in such a utopia. No, if they were destined for anywhere in the after-life, it was obviously hell. Is that where she was?

“It doesn’t really matter in the end, you know. What’s interesting here is that we have both ascended the realm of the living. In which case don’t you think where isn’t nearly as relevant as what we are?”

She begrudgingly nodded. Unfortunately, it was a good point and she had an equally good idea of where Junko was going with her logic. After transcending the bonds of flesh and looking down at humans from above. There were only two words describing such an existence, from a human’s perspective. Therefore the question shouldn’t have been of heaven or hell but whether they were of the divine or the demonic. Unrest grew within the housekeeper.

“You…Have you really given up?” Chisa inquired. This time, she turned to face Junko.

 “Who knows?” Junko didn’t say another word beyond that ambiguous statement and clutched the book to her chest.

Typical, Chisa thought

There was nothing she could do any further, so she left. At the exit, Yukizome opened two enormous doors separating the theater from that place. As she walked out, she took in the familiar scenery. How this place could be here was beyond her ability to comprehend but the nostalgia was undeniable.

Naturally, as the halls of Hope's Peak were like a second home to her.


 

The pest had finally left. Hmm, pest might be pushing it a bit. Another presence was welcome in this deserted space and Chisa was intelligent enough for them to hold a decent conversation…her looks weren’t bad either. Chisa was stacked, just how much silicone did that broad force into those things!? Well not like she was one to talk. Even more impressive however, was how she could maintain such composure. Most people wouldn’t be able to hold back from losing their shit to idiotic emotions after being within 3 ft of the person responsible for ruining their lives.

Yes, she had made a good choice of selecting the housekeeper as one of her useful members of Ultimate Despair and for bringing her here. Chisa had been able to maintain contact with the despair faction even as a sleeper agent in the future foundation and was the mastermind behind the final killing game. That was worthy of praise, moreso than some of those useless ass-hat students of hers.

Oh dear, she shouldn’t think of poor Komaeda like that, he was her upperclassmen. Nevertheless, It wasn’t like the older woman could resist her [Authority] anyway. 

She remembered the words Yukizome had spoken and Junko’s response was genuine. The events of the final killing game surpassed her wildest expectation. All members of the future foundation but  Mitarai were supposed to have died in the initial killing game and he would then have committed suicide after witnessing firsthand what a hopeless world he had created. Nobody would mourn that retard of course. People who can’t feel despair also don’t know what it means to be sad. Even a child could understand that. The despair he felt in his final moments would have been orgasmic and yet, this was the end result?

At some point the screen had continued playing.

Impossible…

Even Kiri-fucking-giri had lived! Yukizome had made a perfect set-up.  The detective would be too caught up in her failures during their entrapment at Hope’s peak and would most definitely sacrifice herself. This would throw Makoto into despair and-or have him killed at the hands of Munakata. Of course, Junko had also anticipated he would succeed and fill the vice-chairman with hope (blergh!)

He always managed to beat the odds like that but for bacon-hands to survive too? Ridiculous, the probability of Mikan arriving at her location in time and finding her was astronomically low. To begin with, the remnants shouldn’t have even been there.  This was a battle of hope…with that cute brat Monaca on the side.

Certainly. Certainly Izuru Kamukura was a man whose talents far surpassed even her own. Give him a few weeks and he alone could have reversed The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History. However, there was an insurmountable gap between capability and will. She had indoctrinated Kamukura and took away his will to act in a way detrimental to her own plans, whether he knew it or not.  All the man could do was satiate his interests, she merely helped guide the way to despair and he followed her without question. Even implanting the A.I of that worthless Chiaki Nanami was well within acceptable deviant parameters and that alone would not have any true impact on her own A.I’s agenda.

 The problem was Naegi. He unleashed the will that she had kept suppressed in the original Ultimate Hope and her plans were shot from there; afterwards, it was evidently a simple task of reviving the other remnants. That snow-ball effect spiraled into an avalanche of good fortune for them and the worst of the final killing game was avoided.  

 How did he do it?

The ultimate despair stared down at the floor.  The popcorn on her slap spilled and the book she had been holding with care fell with it.  Junko clutched at her temples with both hands, nearly causing her head to bleed as her long nails dug into the skin.

A goddamn manlet whose specs were so low that she had paid him no real attention during their time as classmates. All he ever did was prattle on about friendship and perseverance like some shounen protagonist while the whole bloody game was seinen material at minimum! How could they just get over all the suffering? What about all the death!? Ohohoho and let me tell you, there was a LOT of dying!

She didn’t understand…

He had defeated Despair and triumphed over false hope. He had won and she lost. Junko Enoshima had lost. It was a word she had never even considered before the killing school life but here she sat, a three-time loser, and to the same person.

She   couldn’t   understand…

As the Ultimate Analyst, she was supposed to know everything. Her predictions would always be accurate unless they were pit against someone with comparable or greater talent…but this was merely random luck. Even Komaeda would be a more respectable individual for despite his protests of inferiority to the Ultimates, he retained a higher degree of competence than the lot of them. Before The Tragedy, none had come as close as he in unraveling her plans and almost did in a few moments what Kirigiri couldn’t in months. In addition, he mastered his luck in a way that offset extreme amounts of fortune and misfortune. Naegi had neither Komaeda’s intellect nor skill so why did she lose to him instead?

What was it about him? He was unpredictable. He was…

It could that his successes were in part her own fault. Whenever she orchestrated a plan, she did so with a minute probability of failure. Doing so was symbolic of despair, the characterization that defined Junko Enoshima. A plan with no probability of defeat, for the express purpose of defeating one person would be tantamount to denying herself and worseacknowledging him. That in itself meant defeat.

 A warm liquid slid through her fingers. Evidently she had dug deep enough to cause bleeding and soon a thick stream of blood trickled down her forehead and slid off her chin in droplets.

 Junko Enoshima returned her gaze to the screen and froze at what she saw. At some point, Fukawa and the little Naegi sibling had joined the five. They were now locked in a group embrace with Makoto and Kirigriri in the center. Even the normally reserved Togami had joined in on the display of affection and relief.

At that moment, Junko felt a surge of emotion flowing through her. She couldn’t pin down what it was nor could she pry her eyes away.

What she felt wasn’t despair. That was an emotion she had grown accustomed to for longer than she could remember…then there was something else that came close to despair? Whatever this feeling might have been, it was…

 

He It was Interesting .

 

For Junko, the word interesting was on a different scale of extremity than for an ordinary person. She was someone who had experienced everything the world had to offer and grew bored of it. It was like comparing the thirst of a marathon runner to someone who had been stranded in the desert for days without water. All she had was despair so for an emotion to rival it was nothing short of miraculous. A miracle that she wasn’t about to let slip away.

She ignored the blood covering her face and stared at Naegi’s now lone figure. He stood there smiling. Not at her of course but at the beautiful sight of the sun setting over the ocean. 

Junko watched him with renewed vigor.

She couldn’t let it end this way.  She wanted another chance to get back at him but she also recalled the most important words Chisa uttered. All physical trace and influence Junko had over that world really was at its end therefore she could never go back there in any form.

However that didn’t mean there weren’t other ways. She had the means to achieve her goal…along with the instructions on how to use them. Her eyes momentarily darted to the book on the floor and then back to the screen.

Aquamarine eyes burned with crazed passion. She stretched out her arm as if it could reach the screen, much less the figure it projected.

 “If I can’t come to you then I’ll just have you come to me!”

Schemes were already circulating in her head, it was possible for her to make this work...but she would need a test before the real thing. Something that could suffice as an experimental run...

An idea clicked almost immediately. Junko remembered the day The Tragedy began, where she looked down on reserve whelps falling to their deaths. The last time she ever saw Mr.Tall-Dark-And-Handsome, Izuru Kamukura.

They may have never got to meet again but she was the type of person to keep her promises....whenever she felt like it anyway.

"I said it, didn't I? I will always have a use for you, I-z-u-r-u...or should I call you Hajime Hinata now? Upupupu!"

Notes:

Next chapter: Bad day to be an egg.

Chapter 8: [Ultimate Despair]

Notes:

A reminder that this is a very setup heavy chapter that will have major implications for the ones down the line. Feel free to ask for clarification if necessary.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The world, you see, is full of 'If's.

 Without the If of Eve being joined with Adam, society as we know it would never have existed. This world in which you live is only one of countless Ifs, constantly being propelled forward like a pool of mud by these possibilities. Miso soup no naka de, if you will.

 What follows is an Iffy world where Ifs If Ifs. An uncertain Klein bottle where the surface and the inside are one and the same. ...Oh, don't break it, now. None of you bastards could afford to pay for it.

 Ahem. Anyway, this is a world of Ifs. You could speculate and guess and make conjectures all you like, but only the future is a flexible pool of mud. The past is more solid than a -40 degree banana. The past can't be changed, and looking into 'A World That Could Have Been' won't save anyone in the real world.

After all, an If is only an If. And even if there was a sickening parallel world where that particular If became real, humans can't cross those lines so easily. In this case, all Ifs are Divergence Ifs.  - Danganronpa IF


 

Junko Enoshima.

It was a name he had only heard of recently but it sent chills to his very core; the origin of the worst experience of his life.

Life? What life!?  I-I died didn’t I!?

He remembered the unbearable pain. At the time, his injured body might have numbed some of the pain but now he recalled it in full.

In raw burst of emotion, he let out a feral scream and raised his leg to kick his captor away from him.

She let out a grunt after being slammed in the gut and fell back.

Makoto spared no time and unceremoniously picked himself up. The boy ran down the Cineplex steps in order to reach the exit.

A quarter of the way there, he tumbled and involuntarily rolled down the rest of the way. Makoto didn’t even stay down for two seconds by the time he stopped.

He simply got up and ran  and any semblance of pain was ignored out right. Whatever he felt at the moment wouldn’t compare to what laid in store for him if she caught up. If Leon could do that to him then that girl, that demon could do unspeakable things.

No. That wasn’t going to happen. He was getting the hell out of here, nothing else mattered compared to that.

Adrenaline levels at their peak, Makoto sprinted as fast he could down the halls until he came across the gated door once more where the turret blocked his way. To discern the authenticity of the weapon, he removed the bracelet on his wrist and threw it towards the gate. The next instant, rapid-fire bullets reduced the accessory to nothing.

Makoto froze, staring at the bullet-ridden space.

Maybe…I could make it.

He smacked himself in the face in an attempt to regain some common sense and then darted back, hoping she wasn’t on his trail. The gymnasium was out of the question, the windows were bolted shut and he didn’t even dare think someone with his physique could unlock them.

But maybe there was an escape on the upper floors? He ran to the location of the staircase on the first floor and discovered it had been blocked by a shutter gate.

No No No No!

In an act of desperation, he brought his shoulder down on the gate in an attempt to break it down. His actions proved fruitless and he was running out of time.

Makoto turned around to make sure ifhe was still alone. There was nothing in the halls as far as he could see but he heard the sounds of footsteps, the clacking of heels to be precise. He noticed they were also unnecessarily loud, like she was taunting him.

He ditched yet another attempt and ran to the recording room. He locked the entrance behind him and slumped down to the floor, back pressed against the only exit.

Makoto was exhausted, evidenced by his heavy breathing  and profuse sweating – He felt his heart would give out if he ran any further.

He was trapped. Trapped in this place with that thing.

The unluckster pushed his head down with both hands and shut his eyes.

The trembling ultimate knew he couldn’t hide here forever, she’d figure out this room was locked eventually and break it down. He didn’t know how or when but he knew he she would.

Reflecting on the situation he thought. How did I get here? He was just an average person…what the hell had he done to deserve this? I-I don’t want to die like that again, anything but that.

Un-befitting the circumstances, his stomach growled loudly.

He literally hadn’t eaten any in over a day and had done nothing but trekking around an island and now an empty school.

“Not the time.” He hissed

“Someone sure is hungry~” A voice other than his own spoke from.inside.the.room.

 He felt his heart stop

Makoto’s eyes opened wide and slowly brought his head up, fearing what he might see.

Junko sat on one of the desks, gazing at him in amusement. It was the same pose she had made when he first woke up in the classroom. But now he saw that amusement for what it was: Malice.

There was no other entrance into the room besides the one behind him…therefore, she had done the impossible.

Makoto realized clearly that he had been toyed with. There was never anywhere he could run and nowhere to hide. She just let him scurry around like a rat to show him how futile it all was.

Junko approached him but all he did was stare up at her in shock. She knelt down to match their height and tilted her head; sadism oozing through her features.

A sole tear fell down Makoto’s face.  Junko stretched a hand forth to wipe the liquid off and then slowly caressed his cheeks.

It burns

Appearing satisfied, the girl stood up and grabbed Naegi’s hands, motioning for him to stand as well.

He obliged, feeling that he had no choice in the matter.

Junko unlocked the door and took him out with her; one arm latching onto his and pulling him along. She hummed while he said nothing along the way.


 

 

5 minutes later, Naegi found himself sitting alone in the cafeteria.  Junko had brought him there and made him sit patiently while she entered the kitchen.

He sat there motionlessly, not unlike a doll with its strings cut. He neither bothered to look at nor run for the doors. It wouldn’t matter in the end.

Junko came out sometime later with a sudden change in appearance. She wore a pink apron while hair had been redone into a pony tail. More importantly, she had brought a plate of curry and rice and laid it out in front of him.

Makoto looked at the newly made food and then to the girl who now sat across from him. Fingers laced under her chin as she looked at him expectantly.

“You’re hungry right?” She said.

A wordless conversation passed between them. Makoto stared at her with an expression that needed to know if the food was poisoned. Junko ignored him.

“Don’t hold back on my account, eat up…or would you prefer me to feed you?”

He didn’t need any further provocation and dug in. The food was tasteless. Given the texture, the food itself was probably excellent but Makoto didn’t believe anything would taste good to him even if it had been made by an Ultimate Chef.

After he finished, he stared back at Junko who had watched him all the while. She picked up a cloth and stretched over to wipe his chin.

“Now that you’ve calmed down, we can talk.” She said, pulling back.

“T-Talk?” He responded, unable to hide the relief in his voice.

She nodded and placed a finger onto her lips “I kinda feel we got off on the wrong foot earlier…or was it me that got off your foot?”

Makoto shifted in his seat and looked away.

“Do you make it a habit of hitting girls? Hmmmmm?”  She prodded, jokingly. Was she joking?

He stuttered  out an apology

“Upupu. Don’t worry since I’ll be over it soon anyway.” She said, ominously.

"What did you want to talk about?” He said listlessly, trying to change the subject as fast as possible.

“Your ticket out of here, vermin.” Junko claimed, with a tone alteration.

D-Did her character change?

“I…I can leave?” Makoto returned his gaze to her.

Was she just raising his hopes? He didn’t know, he didn’t understand this person.

“Indeed…but only if you manage to best us in a little game." She consented

Us?

Is there someone else here?”

“Nah, that’s just a thing I do. Don’t let it bother you much.” She said, deadpanned. Her personality had reverted to normal and the crown on her head, disappeared.

“O-Okay. Are we somewhere on the island?” He inquired timidly.

“Incorrect. This is not Jabberwock island and I believe I already confirmed your demise.” This time, Junko reformed her pony tail and spoke professionally. Where those glasses came from, he had no idea.

“If I’m dead, then where am I? I know this isn’t the academy.”

“Indeed…but before that. Have you ever heard of multiverse theory?” Junko brought up something dubious.

“Um yeah, in movies I guess. Only the basic stuff though.” He answered to the best of his ability.

“Then what I’m about to say shouldn’t surprise you too much. Do try to keep up because I don’t have the attention span to explain the same thing more than three times.”

He nodded. That number seemed off though

“Multiverse theory suggests there are a countless number of parallel worlds neighboring ‘our’ own and branch off infinitely. What determines this separation is an [action].  The future isn’t set in stone you see; whatever action you or anyone else performs will result in a different future. Imagine a hypothetical World A through F in a line. World A and World B are likely to be quite similar with small differences based on performed actions. But, World C would diverge based on the actions of World B, not World A and the same for World D off C. By the time you reach World F, chances are that universe would be very different from World A.

This is a gross oversimplification, the actual thing is a complex and tangled web of transitions but what you need to remember is  that there are countless parallel worlds and that they differ greatly the farther they are away from the relevant origin.

And one more thing. While these worlds may be endless, they all exist on the same layer; a bubble if you if that makes it easier to understand. Of course, this is a nigh-impossible theory to test empirically.”

“Uh…okay. What does this have to do with where we are?” He asked, confused.

“Upupu. I was about to exact you the same question. Among these parallel universes…which one do you think we’re in?” Junko returned to her original personality.

“Huh? Wait you’re being serious…No, even before that, how could I answer that? You just said worlds run on forever.” He spluttered.

“Pick one .” She said, forcefully.

“World B?” He flinched 

"...Good guess but nope. The answer…is none, understand?”

Makoto looked puzzled.

We’re not in any of them…but according to her, I’m dead. Then naturally, I wouldn’t be in any of those worlds… I’d be outside them.  That sounds pretty unbelievable.

“Where we’re currently standing is a space outside of that metaphorical bubble so we can look down on them as we please. After all, you did the same when you came into the theatre, remember?”

The Cineplex? The recording?

“Did you think that video of you geeks screwing around was a recording or something? Oh no, it was happening in real-time…just not to you.” Junko added, right on cue.

“Damn right I don’t believe it. You’ve got no proof.” He accused her. Something he immediately regretted.

Junko deadpanned for a moment then stood up and circled around the table separating them.

Naegi hastily left his seat and backed away…not fast enough however.

Idiot, don't antagonize your psycho-kidnapper!

Junko wordlessly brought out both of her open palms in front of him, earning a confused look. Afterwards, she delicately placed both palms on his wrists. He winced as he remembered the puncture wounds she’d made earlier.

Junko slid her hands down. Naegi looked at his arms in shock.

The wounds had healed but even stranger, was the watch that had been blown to smithereens by the machine-gun was back on.

He had seen her palms; there had been nothing on them so how did she do it?

“Didn’t you notice how time never moves in this place? I know you checked the clock in the classroom and that bracelet of yours should have told time.” She said.

He remembered how the handle stopped but he had dismissed them as an unlucky streak.

“Feeling like a believer yet or did you really forget what Leon did to you that quickly? If so, just tell me and I’ll be sure to leave a more…lasting impression.”  She said, with a look of condescension.

I understand...this is all

“…a dream. “ He said bitterly. He relaxed and slumped back into his seat, resting his head on the table. “This. All of this is just a nightmare I’m having a little bit of trouble waking up from.”

 Junko watched him sit down, blankly.

“I see. So it’ll be dream denial this time. That’s dangerous talk, our viewers might rage if this story turned out to have a dream ending. ” He had no idea who Junko was talking about but she laughed derisively and sat on the table near him.

He wondered if this girl just didn’t like chairs.

‘But that’s fine too …as long as you remember that I have no problems with giving you hell in this "dream" so if you don’t want to experience those painful memories, you’ll be a good boy and listen.” She said, air-quoting the word.

Makoto nodded, flippantly.

“Back to what I was saying. You are able to be here because you’ve already passed on…and because I brought you here for a way to kill time. And if you win that game, you can go back to your world and do whatever it is failures like you do.”

Ouch.

"All I had to do was pick out a world and remake its history a little. It had to be a relatively isolated event so things wouldn’t change in the grand scheme of things and that change occurred in…”

“Jabberwock Island.” He finished for her. He didn’t believe any of it of course but he might as well humor this nightmare.

“Yes. Jabberwock island was a perfect setting…for more reasons than one and as a result, certain events occurred there that allowed me to change the nature of that world but also in a way few would notice.”

“Few? So there’s at least one person who knows what happened then.” He droned.

Junko grinned darkly in response. He didn’t understand. What was clear is that this woman hated him for reasons unknown so why go through all the trouble of playing a game with him? Oh well, it was a better alternative to torture.

“You do catch on quickly, that’s a trait you’ll need.  Things didn’t go swimmingly at first, I admit. I ran into a bit of problem with world line divergences.  For the game to work there needs to be rules...and consistent ones. Doesn’t really work out if the game-board changes too much.” She trailed off.

He didn’t follow.

“In truth, your world isn’t the one I wanted but…the original is one I can no longer access and yours was the next best thing. I suppose it shouldn’t matter too much, your world was right next to His so any changes  outside of what I considered necessary would be inconsequential.”

“So I’m just somebody's replacement? Great to hear.” He mumbled. His luck is the stuff of legends.

“You should pay attention because this is the part that’s relevant for how you get back. I needed more than just picking out a world, I needed to isolate and limit the divergences as well. Let’s just say that as far as you’re concerned, I've made it so that at the start of every killing game, you’ll also be going back to the starting point on your little field trip.”

He raised his head at that.

"I-I can go back, before everything happened?” He said a bit too eagerly.

Junko responded with a nod.

Then he had a chance, he could still save everyone. He felt a pang at the guilt of not having considered his friends until now.

“Naturally, I have no intention of letting you fix everything. Your job is to deal with the despairs I have on the island.” She explained

Despair? Leon mentioned something about that..

“They are my chess pieces for the game and the ones that will be acting against you and spreading despair to all of your friends. It goes without saying that the despair agent in the previous round was Leon.”

“What did you do to him?” He growled

“Eeeeeeh? Was it my fault? How do you know he wasn’t like that from the start?” She switched to  a (fake) cute persona “Did you really think I’d give away my secrets?”

Indirectly, she admitted to being the cause of the incident. In a way, that was good enough for him.

“By the way, last round was my win because you died.” She said.

 My death is the loss condition? Makes sense for me but why does my life matter on her end? Where is this fixation with me coming from?

“Your winning conditions are simple. Survive the despair on Jabberwock Island and leave. Either by yourself, all your friends or whoever’s left if it’s too difficult for you but in the end you must win. Of course, the despair agents have unique abilities like Leon but that should be fair given how outnumbered they are.  You just have to defeat them along with their plans in whatever way you see fit” She shrugged as if implying the game's difficulty had been set to easy.

Or we could just leave with Mr. Munakata and his friend before that. He thought. If the girl hadn’t figured that out yet, he certainly wouldn’t clue her in. Junko had made it clear. This was a game of strategy and secrecy.

"If that's true then you've already cheated. Outnumbered? At least 3 of my friends got messed up because of you and according to Leon, there was more out there even he didn't know of." He challenged.

"Upupu, get a load of this manlet accusing ME of cheating. Listen here, I don't mess around with my rules otherwise why bother setting em? There will only be one despair that will be born out of this killing game." She explained.

Makoto was about to shoot her down before she raised a hand to silence him and continued.

"At least, that's how things start but you know...despair is contagious and spreads like wildfire. It'll be up to you to try to recover the infected if you can...or just kill them off, your choice.  And besides, the infected won't necessarily be on my side. After all, you did see  Mondo and Sayaka turn on Leon, didn't you?"

That was true, Sayaka and Mondo only cooperated because Leon manipulated them. Once they learned that...they killed him.

The thought of his friends murdering one another was something he still couldn't get used to. He didn't think he ever would.

"Then how do they get infected then? Doesn't seem fair unless I know that."

"How does anyone fall to despair? You hit them where it hurts. The infected aren't just randomly chosen, they have to be in a position to break down first. Mondo went nuts from his oh-so-dull-and-boring boyfriend getting beheaded and Sayaka couldn't handle adversity to save her life; she went down here easier than on her producers. What's new?"

"Shut up, don't you dare make fun of them!" He lashed out. Every word from her was like poison and he'd be damned if he let her get away with insulting his friends.

"Oh? What's a scrawny piece of shit like you going to do about it?" She baited him.

An illusion or no, he had been given both a chance and a challenge and refused to back down from either.  She could rot here for all he cared but he and his friends were leaving this twisted game.

“Let’s assume for a second I believe what you’re saying.” He stood, pointed at Junko and made a proclamation using his signature pose.

“There’s no way I’d leave even a single person behind. I would save everyone and crush you absolutely, I won’t lose to you!”

“There’s no way I’d leave even a single person behind. I would save everyone and crush you absolutely. I won’t lose to you!”

They both spoke in unison.

“Huh?” Makoto recovered. How did she do that?

Junko’s shoulders began shaking and soon she threw her head back on the edge of the table and broke out into hideous laughter. It didn’t seem as if she would stop relatively soon.

W-What was so funny?

Beads of sweat began to form and his breath quickened. The headaches returned. It was the same as when he met Chihiro…no, it was even worse.

Junko’s laughter continued as she clutched her stomach and wagged her legs into the air. “There it is! I made him say it!”  She howled.

It was like…It was like the hidden joke she kept bottled up the whole time was brought to the surface after his proclamation...but why? There was something wrong. Something was…missing?  He knew that much now but what? What!?

"I must have missed the joke but what the hell is so funny!?” He spoke harshly.

Junko’s laughter calmed down slightly. She looked at him while wiping tears off her eyes.

You are the joke. You don’t even remember. Again! Upupu-kyahahahaha.” The laughter resumed before she could even finish her speech.

Remember? Again?  There is…something wrong with my memories...

“You…haha…I said it didn’t I? I told you it’d be a pain to explain how things worked for the third time. What made you think this was your first time coming here!?

W-What? T-The 3rd time? That’s impossible

“Lies…You’re lying. I’ve never seen you before in my life and you said it yourself. We only met for the first time when I woke up in the classroom!” He said…but did he really believe that? Could he trust himself to believe that?

“Oooooh, so you believed me then but not nooow?

Makoto’s throat hitched. She had to be lying but if so, why was he reacting like this? And why won’t these damn headaches ever quit?

“W-Why would you lie back then?” Stop it, its better if you don’t know.

“For this moment, of course. I wanted to see the despair on your face when you realize what a failure you are.She continued. “Does it hurt? The migraines I mean.” She said with a knowing grin. “Tell me, have you realized why you get them? Did you think it was stress? Or what, a natural reaction to seeing the corpses of those shit-for-brains you call friends? Come ooooooooon, Makoto. You’re no fool so you should have realized it by now. I mean, didn’t you already forget the previous day a few minutes ago?”

Realize…they began when I saw Taka and… I felt different after seeing Chihiro. Back then, they stopped and I started thinking clearly. That-------- was how I figured Leon was the killer. It was how I knew it was possible for him to kill then…the reason I felt that way was because…

Junko trailed her way towards him and began circling around him. “It’s funny you know. The transition from going back to that plane and waking up here is killer on the self and the mind. So bad, that you’re liable to even lose your memories in the process.  I wonder what kind of cruel bastard even thought that up…well I guess it can’t be called a real killing game without someone having the memory reliability of a goldfish. Upupu”

I lost my memories? Then…that means I’ve also lost to her?

“Oh Oh Oh, let me guess. You were thinking that you could just screw the rules and get off that island using Munchy’s boat right, riiiiight? Ahahaha- did you really think I’d let you? Are you that fuckin’ retarded!? You won’t even remember this by the time you meet him…and even on the off-chance you did, I have ways around that.”

Ah, I never stood a chance did I?

He remembered. In all the chaos he had forgotten but he remembered now. “The dream…”

“Hmmmm?” Junko brought a hand to her ear.

“I had a dream…another me was speaking…he said he would escape the island.” He said, languorously.

Further laughter ensued.

“Now isn’t that just precious. You’re having dreams within a dream. Say, is that even possible?” She mocked him…and it was working.

He had been overwhelmed by her.  This woman sucked him up completely into her pace.

“You best be careful, Ma-Ko-To~. People who dream their whole lives away only have death awaiting them when they awaken.” She whispered into his ear from behind.

This…wasn’t a dream.

Her arms snaked under his, circled around his chest and pulled his back close to her.

Makoto felt as if life had been sucked out of him “What do you want from me?” He pleaded

"What do I want? A peculiar question but one easily answered…There is only one thing I want from you.” She snuggled against his neck.

 “What I want

 – is for you to do your best.”

He couldn’t see her face but all trace of amusement from the girl vanished as she spoke those words. He felt like he was speaking to a completely different person. She was…empty.

“W-What?” He asked 

“Did you expect me to say I want your suffering? Your despair?

Perhaps that might have been the case some time ago but now I am after for something else entirely, something that only you may be able to provide. I do not know what that ‘something’ is. Consequently I can only ask you to try your best and for that, I have created this stage. For that reason, I will give you an infinite amount of chances as you are able.

A second chance is a truly wondrous thing, you know. The power to correct mistakes and alter the future to achieve a happy ending is something everyone has desired at one point in their lives. You should feel that now more than ever, Naegi.

But you must also remember that a happy ending is subjective to whoever wishes it; in other words, there may be as many as there are people. Once you realize that, does it really matter how many times Hope and Despair clash? As long as a winner exists there will certainly be a happy ending…so let yourself go and give it everything you have. I will accept the answer you reach no matter the outcome.

If am to be defeated and enveloped in hope  then that is fine but if you fall and are devoured by despair along the way, then that is also consummate. I simply want to see your worth...and for that, I will come at you with everything I have.”

She let go of him.

“That’ll be all for now. Too many sweets leads to diabetes, y’know.” Her persona reverting.

Besides, you must be tired after all that truth-spitting. Dinner won’t be for a while and there are dorm rooms on the first floor if you want to take a nap.  I would also recommend you check the third floor before anything else you think is productive.  I’ve unlocked the staircase, ain't I generous?”

A nap…that sounded nice right now.

He turned away to walk towards the exit

“Oh Makoto, one more thing.”

What now?

He turned back to face her.

The unluckster would have missed it had he so much as blinked but he would no doubt have felt it regardless. ‘It’ referring to the heel Junko had dropped on his gut out of a spin-kick.

The resulting blow sent him flying out of the cafeteria; his back blowing the doors open. Naegi flew for about 30 meters before touching and rolling onto the ground.

He had all but spit out the contents of his meal.

“Now I’m over it!” She called out with a smile and a wave from inside the cafeteria before the doors inconceivably closed on themselves.

He hated that woman.


 

Makoto  placed a hand on his gut. How a girl like that could kick so hard, he would never know. Worse is that the pain was a reminder that what he was experience was real.

Junko had recommended he go to the third floor, could he really trust her? Of course not but he didn’t have a choice.

The stairway had been unlocked as she said and he made his way up. The first thing he noticed was a barricade blocking the entrance to the 2nd floor.

Was there something he wasn’t meant to see there?

He moved onward and crossed over into the third floor. This appeared to be the recreational layer of the place, as in there was actually a recreational room. Might be fun if he had nothing better do; too bad he did.

He briefly examined the physics and arts rooms. Neither subject was really his cup of tea but it didn’t hurt to look, he might have found some information there. 

Unfortunately there had been nothing of use…well, the place was clean at least. Very clean, he didn’t think the real HPA was that neat.  He thought Junko may have been a neat freak but if that’s the case, why this floor and not the first?

There were only the classrooms left and he doubted he’d find much in there.  He slid open the door leading to classroom 3-A (seriously, he was beginning to wonder if Junko was a HPA fangirl) and as expected, nada.  Checking insides of the desks also got him nowhere too.

Only one more to go. Whatever Junko asked him to find was probably there…or she was just messing with him. The latter was probably more likely.

He slid open the final door and saw her.  An apron-wearing, older woman resting her head on the teacher’s desk. 

He approached the person carefully. If they could be here then they couldn’t be normal…did that mean he wasn’t normal?

Wow, she’s pretty. He thought up close. The woman didn’t look like a bad person but then again, neither did Junko at first and…he should probably expect they’re working together.

She's sleeping…should I come back?

Sleeping beauty’s eyes slowly drifted open She rubbed them and then looked at him. They remained in that position for a few seconds before…

“PERVERT!”  She screamed as she grabbed his arm, flipped him up into the air and slammed him onto the ground in masterful procession.

He grunted as his back hit the deck. When did he become a magnet for physical abuse?

“Who the heck are you?” She asked, thinking he was the bad guy, apparently.

“Ow, what was that for?” He groaned, picking himself up

“That voice…That hair! Naegi!?” She hastily backed up and raised her arm defensively in a slope.

Hmm, did this person know him?

“Yeah, I’m Makoto Naegi.” He greeted

“B-But you’re so small…er..small-er!” She rambled.

“I’m reasonably tall! My growth spurt just hasn’t kicked in yet!” He whined. His height was a sensitive topic.

Eh? What’s this pitying look she’s giving me?

“O-Of course, just give it time and I’m sure you’ll grow a few millimeters…ehehehe.” She scratched the back of her head. She muttered the last part under her breath so he couldn't hear.

“So have we met before? You knew my name, I mean.” He scratched his cheek.

“Um…Junko told me!” The older woman proclaimed

Why was she so surprised to see me then? Maybe she really is a suspicious person.

“Sorry about throwing you, I thought you were…ya know." She apologized. She definitely doesn't seem like Junko. Maybe he can believe her...

“That was my fault, I guess. Junko told me to come look for you…at least, I think she meant you.”

“I see…sorry that you’re here. I take it you died then?” She looked worried and she was right.

“Yeah…can we not talk about that, if possible?” He tried to say it as nicely as he could but he really didn’t want to be reminded of that. If anything, he wanted it to forget it all again.

“Sure, I just wanted to know if you were aware of your situation. That girl is up to no good again.” She sighed, and took a venomous tone when speaking of the twin-tailed girl down below.

“Does that mean you’re not with her Ms…”

“Oh right. Introductions. I’m Chisa Yukizome, call me Chisa.” She perked.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Yukizome.”

“No seriously, call me Chisa.” She said, with a scary smile

“Chisa then. How do you know Junko?” He tread carefully.

“Our relationship isn’t by choice on my part. I was brought here just like you after I died.” She muttered with a dissatisfied gesture.

“You? That must’ve been awful…and you’re so young.” But it was nice to know that he had people who he could relate to here. He might lose his sanity if he had to be around Junko alone all the time.

“Is that really something you should be saying in your position, I wonder.” She replied. Looking at him, bizarrely.

True.

He conveyed the major details of his interactions with Junko to Chisa. 

“The problem child of all problem children.” She sighed. “I’m sorry to say but I’m as lost as you. Usually, she has a one track mind for despair and despair only. If she says that’s not what she wants then that’s probably true…but it’s no less worrying.”

“So…you don’t know either.” His shoulders sagged

“Sorry…but even if I did, I doubt she would allow me to tell you.” She said, regretfully.

“Why?” He tilted his head.

“I can’t tell you that either. Junko has a way of keeping things under wraps in this place but just know that there are some things I’m physically incapable of doing because of it. You’ll probably figure it all out in time anyway. After all, the point of any game is progress.” Chisa added

Too bad…but maybe there’s someone else that can help.

“Okay but is there anyone else around and if so, where could I find them?”

“There are…others but I can’t tell you who they are or where either.”

That wasn’t too helpful…maybe he could ask in a less direct way?

"But if Junko sent you to find me then there must be some way I can help," Chisa wondered.

"Wouldn't you helping me work against her unless...?" Was this a bad idea after all.

"No No, I'm definitely on your side here, Junko's just something of an idiot, thankfully.  That girl would never want a game where she would win for sure and from what you told me, you have quite an advantage I think." Chisa said.

"Could you explain? Simply please." He didn't think he could handle any more bombshells today.

"Junko told you that she's expecting something out of you and that she'll give you an infinite number of chances. In other words, Junko's given you the initiative; your resolve determines who wins and who loses. This time there's no grand objective in it for her, it's all on you." Chisa explained...though he didn't quite know what she meant by 'this time'.

"I think I get it...but can I really win?" He asked, pessimistically.

"What do you mean?" She responded gently

"Can I beat her? I mean, she does all these weird impossible things and my friends...I don't want to suspect them. I've even died twice before...maybe its better I don't keep my memories." He chuckled, deprecatingly.

"That's no good, mister!" Chisa yelled and poked harshly at his forehead, catching him off guard and nearly causing him to fall back.

"Eh?" He let out

"That negativity's the last thing we need; I expected better of you, Makoto. Junko may seem tough but she's beatable, y-...tsk."  

"Why'd you stop?" He looked, quizzically.

"That's what I was talking about. When I say there are things I'm incapable of saying, I meant it literally...but you know, all that means is that she's trying to hide weak-points. People only do that when they're afraid of having them exposed. If Junko was really invincible, she wouldn't need all these tricks." Chisa explained

That was true but... was it enough?

"I've got an idea. I'll have to teach you the ropes." Chisa beamed

"You can do that?"

Chisa pointed to the front desk in the classroom and motioned for him to sit while she stood at the teacher's desk.

"Sure, I know all about killing games and such. I was in one. Not for long though."

....Huh? Did I hear that right?

"Plus, I was a teacher myself so that's what Junko's probably expecting anyway," Chisa added.

Was she just going to gloss over her previous statement? He thought

"You were a teacher?" He opted for a more polite conversation instead and didn't tack on "before you died."

"Yeah, the class I taught was pretty crazy but they were all great kids. I learned a lot from them too before a big accident." She showed a sad smile.

Damn it, I screwed up.

"Its fine if you don't want to talk about it." He tried to reassure her but she shook her head.

"No, some things should be told even if they're painful. Well, let's just say we all got into quite a scandal and along the way, we lost a very important member of the group." Even without specific context, Makoto could see guilt written all over the teacher's face.

Oh...

"Sadly, things got worse after she passed away. We were all lost for a long time but...a miracle happened. A special person and his friends never gave up on us even after we did some unsavory things and as a result, all of us were saved."

"Us...even you?" He asked, he felt the word 'save' was somewhat ambiguous.

"Yes, even me. Even though I died, I was saved too." For that one moment, Chisa spoke as someone who had no regrets over their lives. 

He had doubted someone as kind as genuine like this...but he couldn't accept that.

Someone like this was killed? Based on her words and relation to Junko, he had pieced together that Chisa was murdered in a twisted situation like he was in.

"I don't like it..."

"Hm?" She probed.

"I can't accept something like that as saving. You shouldn't have had to say goodbye to anyone that soon. That's just not fair!" He stood up and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Reality is cruel, Naegi but accepting that is part of what it means to be an adult, I'm sure you'll understand someday. I'm well aware of my circumstances however, I don't plan to waste away feeling sorry myself nor wish it had been someone else instead.

BI like that sort of thinking and I'm sure he felt the same way about everyone he lost. He never gave up trying to save everyone he could and even when he failed, he didn't stop believing he could save more."

"Does it matter when he didn't?"

"The mindset is what's important. Without the drive to attain the best possible future, the fruits of his efforts would have diminished. He couldn't protect everyone but he saved people nonetheless; people who would most likely have died without his beliefs. Those lives are proof that his efforts meant something and you're a lot alike in that regard." She replied.

"You think?" When putting it that way...this person sounded sort of amazing. Was it alright for someone as average as him to compare?

She nodded "That's why I think you should take that drive, the need to protect everyone you care about and use it to save your friends on that island."

She's right...I can't give up yet...huh?

Makoto felt a scratchy sensation all of a sudden  and the next thing he knew, the desk in front of him start chipping away into thin air…all of them were.

He stood up in panic and soon started coughing blood. There was something happening. His insides were dissolving…like they were dipped in acid.

“Naegi!”  Chisa rushed towards the luckster and held him. Somehow the progress had stopped but the damage he had already incurred didn’t go away…and neither did the pain.

 Was he going to have to become used to this?

“Darn it...what is that kid thinking? He should know better.” Chisa said, angrily.

That was when he heard it. A harmonious sound came from above him. Moments after, Makoto felt his condition improve; the pain had dulled considerably…no he felt better now than he did before Junko kicked him.

With a relieved sigh, Chisa let go of him.

“What was that?” He said, fearfully and checked his body to see if everything was fine.

“I can’t say but I can bet Junko was involved somehow.” She murmured.

“Then the music? Did she do that too?”

“Ah no…that came from the highest floor in the building.”

The top floor? If this place was modeled after the academy then it should have at least 5 floors and Hope’s Peak itself is much larger than some university institutions. A small community could probably live here for years without trouble. The instrument couldn’t have been very loud since the music was soft on the ears however, for the sound to be that clear…

“Don’t wrack your head around it too much. I said it didn’t I? You’ll figure out everything eventually. At least, you should feel better now right? So let’s get back to class!” She said

“That’s it!? But the class just started disintegrating. Aren’t you worried!?” He replied, incredulously.

“Stuff like that happens every once in a while, you learn to get over it. Besides, you’re a young man, a little danger should be exciting!” She said with stars in her eyes.

This person was a bit of an eccentric herself…but its in a good way, I think. She kind of reminds me of Asahina.

The memory of the swimmer’s critical state came back to him…was she alright?

I’ll just have to place my faith in Sayaka. As for myself then I’ll do the best I can and try to fix everything. Somehow I’ll get us our normal lives back.

“Ms. Yukizome.” He said and saw her eyes narrow to slits in response

“Um…Chisa, please teach me the skills I need.” He bowed before the teacher.  He remembered the scene of the classroom when he arrived. Looking between Chisa and the empty set of rows in the class instilled a sense of forlorn in him, now that he understood the teacher's past. Maybe he could help fill that void a bit.

A hand rested over the top of head and played with his hair.

“Just leave it to me, Naegi. I’ll do my best to give you all the assistance you need. Just remember to always have hope, no matter what you face or learn. Don't ever lament about your circumstances or wish them on somebody else; what matters is that you confront them as best you can. Your memories and experiences are a part of you and give you strength, wishing them away is the same as running from your problems and asking to be vulnerable.

Not that you of all people need that kind of advice. You might stumble along the way but I know you'll overcome all obstacles. There isn't anyone I know who believes in hope more than you.”

Me? I'm not really sure I understand...but for someone to have that much faith in me makes me happy.

"Thank you, Ms.Yukizome. I won't betray your expectations."

And I've decided, I'll also save you too.

"That's Chisa and you don't have to worry about me. This might be the only time I'll ever quote Junko but...no matter what happens, I'll accept what you are. Just do your best." She kept ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, I won't lose hope." For the first since he arrived, Makoto smiled.

However, he spoke facing the ground. And as a result, he was unable to see Chisa’s sorrowful expression.


 

“This is…disappointing, Enoshima.” He said, from within the cafeteria, gazing in the direction of where the boy had been flung out.

 It was simply put, a contradiction

He observed the ordeal between the “newcomer” and Enoshima with fragments of interest. In the end, they were overcome by predictable disappointment, as expected. The child was overpowered splendidly however that was par for the course. One cannot ever hope to outplay a Straight flush without any proper cards of their own; such a miracle cannot occur. Not that they ever do.

But that was all it was, a Straight Flush and not a Royal Flush. Enoshima’s hand was not unbeatable (at least what she claims is her hand) therefore, he anticipated a miracle.

For in spite of the boy’s apparent mediocrity, the woman’s favor had not diminished one bit. Therein lied the contradiction and that was interesting.

“That you, Izzy?  Watcha’ doing standing around in the corner, big guy?”

A transparent farce.

While the talentless one had failed to notice his presence, much to his dissatisfaction, she should have from the moment they entered. She must have. That is the standard that must be held to someone who possesses the same ability as he.

She merely wished for him to acknowledge her first. Her eccentricities never ceased to amaze in their pointlessness.

“I wish to know why you really chose to appear in the classroom when he woke.  This is the first time you have done so.  And while I trust you do not need reminding, I will regardless – do not lie to me.” He stepped out of the shadows.

“That’s all? I thought it would be fun. I always wondered what it would be like to participate in that whole “protagonist wakes up and meets the groupies in a suspicious place” thing. Mukuro hogged all the fun last time, even if she hopelessly botched my personality. Oh well, sister dearest tried her best,”

“You’re not telling the complete truth.” He shot.

“So? All you told me was to not lie.” She deflected.

A fair point

“Very well but how will you explain your blatant affronts to his personal privacy. You are many things, Enoshima however I never took you for a sexual deviant. Not a legitimate one.”

“What’s this? What’s this? Are you jealous?” She squealed.

A ridiculous attempt at deflecting the subject. He merely responded with “The look”

“Okay chill. It's because he’s like totally squishy and stuff, plus his reactions are to die for. It was the same back when we were in school.” She crossed her arms and smirked shamelessly.

That…was the truth. “I regret asking.”

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, trust me.”

“I choose to abstain. Your fascination with the boy is as perplexing as ever. This is the 3rd iteration and he has demonstrated no qualities that warrant the praise you have given; at best, his skill at deduction is somewhat above average. His talent, while unpredictable unlike Komaeda’s, is far too erratic to be considered reliable. An ability one can’t master may as well be worthless. Am I to presume your word was merely lip service?”

“This again? For someone who was once called the Ultimate Hope, ye sure have little faith.” She waited for a reaction, he gave none. “Tough crowd.  Just give him a little time, he stumbled like crazy in my world too but when it counted…” The blond gave a rare show of genuine frustration.

“You would do best to be careful then. While I spoke ill of his skill, his performance this time outclassed the previous two. Certainly, the average detective provides considerable assistance but in the end, he was the one to root out that trash simply by gaining access to his memories on a subconscious level. Had he retained any worthwhile information on your rules, you may have lost and from what he (foolishly) told you about his dreams, that will become a reality very soon. I suggest you step up your efforts unless you want the next round to be a short one and bring a similarly abrupt end to our amusement.”

“I’ve already considered that…but my, are you sure you’re not the one exaggerating his ability now?” She said.

“I do not exaggerate anything. An exaggeration underlines falsehood and while it is well within my capacity to implement fabrications flawlessly, I do not care for them.”

“I’ve heard the whole truth spiel before, this is starting to sound like a lecture and you’re not an old guy.”

“If you’re aware then for what purpose do you continue to debase yourself with them? During your explanation, you uttered a lie…or rather, facilitated misunderstandings. That misconception was small enough for him to not (want to) notice the discrepancy in your words but vital enough that it would change everything if he did. When that truth comes to light…he will fall.”

“Oh? Was that based on your predictions…or are you speaking from experience, Haji-”

This time, she got a reaction.

The air tensed as matter around them slowly dissipated. In a matter of seconds, the formerly cluttered cafeteria had been clean out. Desks, tables, chairs all vanished to nothing.

Junko on the other hand remained unimpressed.

“You test my patience, Enoshima. We had a deal; you will never mention or allude to that in my presence ever again or else…”

“Yeah well, I feel like it’s been way too long since we did stuff together and besides…I like it rough.”

A poor excuse. He had prodded her insecurities and she wanted to lash out. Very well, he would indulge her.

Before they could go further, a melody passed through and filled the large and empty space. In addition, the furniture that Izuru had wiped clean returned to normal as if he had made no impact at all.

The Ultimate Hope and Ultimate Despair turned their attention to the ceiling detecting the source of the sound to come from above them.

“Interrupting…how boring.” He remarked

“Totally, what a buzzkill.” She agreed.

Their aggression faded as quickly as it came. As it always did, false emotions were dull in their fleeting relevance.

“Anyway, if you’re so interested Makoto then why don’t you go to the theatre and watch our past battles yourself.” She addressed him

“You say this even though you are the one who deterred me using your [Authority].” He argued back.

“Ha! Is that the excuse you’re going with? Its you we're talking about; you should be able to defy me at least a little.” She continued “ But we both know the real reason why you won't. You don’t want to know. What plebeian ruins the impact of a masterpiece by spoiling themselves early”

“Whether or not that can be considered anything remotely resembling a masterpiece is the argument in question.” He retorted

She sighed “I can’t win with you. Just give him some time…besides; I’d say he’s in capable hands. The next round should entertain even you.”

“...I look forward to it then."

He had heard all he needed and left the woman to do as she pleased until the boy was ready.

In the likely event he fails to meet expectations then that is inconsequential for there are enough elements present to provide him with long-term entertainment. Junko Enoshima...she is an interesting woman.  She possesses the same view as he yet she is able to defy it in ways he cannot. That is why he chooses to follow her, at least for the moment.  If a battle between them were to break out then mutual destruction would be the most probable conclusion…he may test that one day.

However, Enoshima is not the only object of interest. To say that Enoshima was the master of this world would not be an overstatement. It is simply a testament to that person’s ability to be worthy of comparison. In one way, they are a superior existence to Enoshima herself.

He directed his gaze to the ceiling.

He hoped that boy proved to be worthy of his interest after all, he might be a useful tool to disrupt the equilibrium of this world.

The words Enoshima had told the lucky student still remained fresh in his mind. A faint echo of emotion surged within but it was just that, an echo. He was no longer capable of such trifles anymore…still

“Even if a happy ending does not await any of us at the end of this story…I hope you do not disappoint me, Makoto Naegi.”

Hope…what an odd concept.

Notes:

While writing this, I realized you could cut the dramatic irony and foreboding in this chapter with a butter knife. This was one of the first scenes I had in mind when thinking of this fic hence the dream sequence in chapter 2.

Chapter 9: Partners in Crime

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Thanks for waiting, everyone. Now after a short break, Naegi’s mini-training arc finally begins!” An over-excited teacher proclaimed to the heavens.

“Chisa…who are you talking to?” A-less-than-enthusiastic-Makoto looked on, puzzled. He yawned, just having took a long nap. Honestly, it felt like he'd been asleep for months.

“None of your business…and that’s sensei to you!” Again with the finger pointing.

 “I thought you wanted me to call you Chisa.” She’s gone full Spartan…

“There is only sensei now.”

And here I finally got used to calling her that.

“Alright, sensei.” He conceded. To which Yukizome gave a satisfied nod.

“From what you’ve told me, Kuwata was quite the little troublemaker in the previous game. So devious and you didn’t expect a thing!”

“It wasn’t his fault, all of it was because Junko brainwashed him.” Or something…Makoto wasn’t really sure now that he thought about it

“Whether he’s responsible isn’t the problem. It’s how slow you were to catch onto him.” She said, clapping a ruler onto her palm.

“Had you suspected him before leaving the music venue, you would probably have won that game. Your plan to catch Kuwata off-guard near the funhouse was pretty clever but you lacked the fundamental pieces to make it work.”

“Pieces?”

Your friends. Had you ambushed him with more firepower on your side, there wouldn’t have been a problem.”

What she said made sense. After all, Leon’s plan revolved around getting the powerhouses out of the way…

“Maybe… but if Kyouko hadn’t been there, then forget being late – I probably wouldn’t have realized Leon’s scheme at all. Solving murders is too complex for me.” He once again ruminated over how an average high school student like himself could have found his way into this mess.

“Kirigiri huh? From what you’ve told me, she’s very smart…but you are too.”

He shook his head. “I was just holding her back. If I didn’t confuse her, she would have solved it ahead of time like Ryouko said, and she wouldn’t have…” He gave in to the impulsive urge to cry at the memory of the detective’s lifeless, burn-scarred body.

“Here you go.” Makoto’s gaze trailed towards Yukizome’s outstretched palm. She had offered him a pearl-white handkerchief, which he gladly accepted.

“Thanks.” He said, wiping the tears away. Afterwards, he examined the cloth and took notice of a golden clip on one of the edges…along with an insignia near it that had the initials K.M.

“Where did Leon even learn to do anything like that anyway? Stuff like that only happens in comic books.”

“Junko’s influence, undoubtedly. She can’t interfere with the living world directly so she tries to achieve her goals in roundabout ways. Junko can’t kill you or your friends on the island; however she can make her subjects do it for her. How exactly she’s managing to reach your friends is something even I don’t know.” Yukizome answered.

“Another dead end, huh?” He frowned.

“Maybe , maybe not. But that brings us to today’s lesson!” The instructor said, regaining her vigor.

“Lesson? What’s it on, Chisa?” He wondered

A knife was suddenly impaled right between his  hands on the desk.

Makoto’s expression was akin to that of a fish out of “W-What was that for!?”

“…You know why.”

“I’m sorry…sensei.”

Chisa brightened up and put the knife away.

Wait.

“No scratch that. Where did that knife even come from?”

“I used it to teach why you should listen to your elders - Bad things happen when you don’t.” She smiled, coyly/

“That didn’t answer my question.” He suppressed the urge to correct her on how she wasn’t much older than him. 21 at most, she could be his older sister at that age.

“Oh but I did. I brought it out because it was necessary to train you. And that’ll be how we start your Image training!” She smiled resolutely and spread her arms out wide.

They were enveloped in a gaudy, bright light that made Makoto brace himself in fear of going blind.

Once he reopened them he noticed they were… in the gymnasium?

“H-How did we get back to the first floor?” He wondered

Chisa shushed him and then pointed to the front of the large room. What he saw were…16 people arguing amidst a…is that a stuffed bear?

Makoto shook his head. Forget the toy, there were others here!

He ran over to them in an attempt to ask for their instance however, Chisa held him back.

“They can’t help you.” She said “Even from the distance, you should be able to see something off about them.”

Upon the teacher’s direction, Naegi did see something strange. Their clothes were normal and their hair distinguishable…but their bodies were a translucent blue color. What the heck is going on?

“They’re dolls I made that can’t see or hear you.”

“You made these?” The disbelief in his tone was clear.

“Yup. I created this entire scenario for your image training.” The gymnasium too then…but that wasn’t the issue here.

“Not that. I mean how!?”

“Naegi…I hope I’m wrong about this but I think you’re still doubting your position here.” Yukizome warned, in the same manner that a mother would “ask” a child if they pilfered cookies from the fridge.

“…” His silence was enough.

“That’s why this lesson will begin teaching you how to properly observe when it’s time  to trust and when it’s time to doubt.” The bubbly elder said.

“You’ve seen your friends achieve a number of inhuman feats and you saw Junko do so as well…what made you think I or the other residents here wouldn’t be capable of the same?”

 “What can you do then?” He inquired, timidly

“That’s a bit tough to answer.” She gave him a pensive look. “I can do just about anything as long as I believe it’s possible for me.”

Makoto blinked dumbly for a moment before he processed the  full ramifications of the woman’s statement .

“T-Then can’t you get us out of here!?” He shouted.

“Out of where?” Chisa stared at him.

What does she mean where? Obviously he meant…wherever…this place was?

All Junko had told him was this was some kind of nexus above the living plane but that was about as helpful a description of his location as being told he was currently outside of Japan!

 “I have never seen the outside of this place so I don’t even know where we are exactly or where we would end up if we left. I can’t imagine it therefore I can’t do it.” Yukizome continued.

“You can at least imagine beating Junko right. We can figure out the rest later.” He knew it was a futile question. If she could’ve done such a thing, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Impossible.”

“Why!?”

She gave no response. So she couldn’t explain that either…

“There is one more limitation that I’m ashamed to admit…and that would be my inability to do anything for myself.” Chisa frowned.

“Huh?”

“What I mean is that my ability doesn’t work whenever I desire to help myself. It has to be for the purpose of supporting others.  What I made here is a simulation of Hope’s Peak but it only happened because it was used for your benefit.”

In other words, even if she wanted to leave, she couldn’t have done it without relying on someone else who wanted to? What use is that?

“Personally, I think it represents my ideal as a teacher. All I ever did was attempt to raise up the ones I loved…”

Naegi felt like there was something unfinished in her tone but he decided against pushing it. He had said enough irresponsible things for one day.

“Alright. What do I do with these dolls?” He returned to the matter at hand and observed the dolls continued arguing.

“Chi-“ Makoto wasn’t given a response, he returned his attention to Chisa and found the teacher had vanished.

“…Sensei?” He called, anxiously.

He looked all around the gymnasium and found no sign of her.

…He had to learn how they did that one day. He stepped towards the dolls, who were now separated from each other and gazing around as tensely as he did when he first stepped foot in this place.

A beeping sound became more and more apparent as he moved closer, then a burly “man” suddenly grabbed the bear and tossed it into the air.

The next thing he knew, the toy…exploded!?

The dolls all made similar gestures of disbelief and fear. Naturally, they had no distinct facial expressions but he could deduce that much from all the screaming and loss of composure.

Chisa had said this was a simulation so there’s no way it could have hurt him…right?

He didn’t want to test it and kept his distance while maintaining hearing distance of the dolls. It was strange watching them panic over what he knew was largely inconsequential.

Oh, the bear showed up again on the podium.

“What the hell was that about!?” It shouted

The stuffed animal talked…

Is it wrong that this is the very closest to a normal experience he’s had all day? By comparison, this didn’t even register. Plus he knew everything was fake anyway.

What it said next was puzzling. In summary, the bear mentioned that it was sponsoring a killing school life where the “students” (he presumed the dolls) needed to kill each pther to leave the building. Afterwards, they needed to cover their tracks and not be ousted by the remaining student body.

Evidently, the scenario here was similar to his own however strange in its own way. Did that mean the ‘image training’ Chisa talked about meant he had to figure out who the killer was ahead of time? It made sense if he looked at it that way.

Still, that meant a murder would be assured. It was no problem for him…probably, although the dolls didn’t share his passivity. To them, their circumstances were as real as his.

Makoto was sympathetic , nevertheless that was all he  could do, his task just needed him to put up with it and learn. Was that cruel of him? It was a matter of perspective.  It was like watching characters act out in a video game or a drama; even though you might feel bad for them, you take comfort in the fact that their pain isn’t real.

Perhaps this was what it meant to look down on others from the viewpoint of God.  Personally, he thought it wasn’t a very pleasant mindset to have.

Not much progress had been made on their end. The strange panda-colored animal disappeared and left the students to their own devices. They had spent time brooding and accosting one another with profanities; mostly from a short blond one in a suit. Now they had moved towards the introductions, perhaps he could learn something by listening.

“…-ultimate gamer, Chiaki Nanami, nice to meet you~” Came a lazy greeting from the first.  She had confirmed as he expected, that the dolls were symbolic of HPA students. Still, this one was pretty lax given their circumstances.

“Then I shall go next. Please refer to me as Sonia Nevermind, the princess of Novoselic and it should be no surprise as to what my talent is.” A princess? That’s pretty impressive.  Even he could tell she had a powerful way of words that made anyone want to pay attention.

“I’m Kazuichi Souda, the ultimate mechanic. Pleased to meet you, Miss Sonia.” This one addressed only the princess. The Leon vibes were strong in this one.

“Ah, a fellow purveyor of loooove I see, then naturally, I shall follow.  I’m the ultimate chef, Teruteru Hanamura and don’t you forget it. Your stomachs certainly won’t and, if given the opportunity, neither will your loins.” Oooookaaaay, he didn’t need long to figure his personality out. Naegi blushed.

“Seriously, you’ve got to stop with that. You’re scaring the other ultimates.” Another interrupted “Ah, since I’ve already started talking, permit me to go next. I’m Nagito Komaeda and I’m the ultimate lucky student; not much of a talent, I know.” Eh?  Why would Chisa give this guy his talent? There was probably a clue here so I should watch out for him.

“Eeeew, it’s  creepy when you’re soooo polite Big bro Nagito. As for me, I’m Hiyoko Saionji and I’m the ultimate dancer.” A short girl replied next. She seemed like the type who’d bully him endlessly.

“A-A dancer? T-That must mean you’re c-coordinated right…not like me at all.” A girl with messy split ends addressed the dancer.

“Shut it, pig barf.” And was met with a brutal insult.

 He sweatdropped as the bandaged girl started crying from a child’s antics. How sensitive.

“Stop that! You have no right to bully her.” A redhead admonished Saionji, much to the pigtail’s dismay.

“T-Thank you for sticking up for me. My name is Mikan Tsumiki by the way…and I’m the ultimate nurse.”

“I’m Mahiru Koizumi, the ultimate photographer…And you could stand to be tougher.”  The type to have expectations of other people, huh.

“Hey Hey, enough with the noise already, I’m trying to not think here if you don’t mind.”  A bodacious one intruded next. “Oh right, the introduction thing. Name’s Akane owari, the ultimate gymnast.” She would probably get along with Hina and Sakura.

“AHAHAHA! You’re rather simple aren’t you and an athlete too!  I like that.” The large man who had thrown the bear earlier said gleefully…and with lightning coming out of his plastic eyes. “I’m Juzo Sakakura, the ult-.” The rest was blocked out as Naegi nearly choked on his own spit

WHAT?

On multiple levels, WHAT?

To begin with, Makoto had already met Sakakura. He was a brash and dark-skinned older man who exuded hostility to everyone but his boss. For that reason alone, what he had just heard was preposterous. Sakakura looked nothing like this guy and he definitely wasn’t so…happy!  

Secondly, why was that name even showing up here? Makoto had never mentioned Sakakura to Chisa…did that mean she knew him? If so, why not just use his actual appearance?

His head hurt just thinking about it

…Darn, he forgot to pay attention.

“Gundham, do you own wild animals as well?” Nevermind asked.

“I, the darklord Gundham Tanaka have tamed the mighty Cerberus itself! Mere hell-hounds are child’s play” The doll with a purple scarf replied in an incomprehensibly verbose manner.

“Stop dicking around, idiots. Can’t you see we’re in deep shit right now!?” The vulgar short one said.

“Chill Fuyuhiko, Ibuki will blow Monokuma way with the power of music!” Replied a female doll with colorful hair.

“Mioda, I believe my sword would be…somewhat more up to the task than your songs.” A braided woman with a wooden sword said. He didn’t need to hear her intro to know what their talents were..

“Indeed, we need to consider practical alternatives. Given the mastermind’s demands, I have little doubt that a use of force will be necessary to facilitate our escape.” A portly man in a silvery-white said. His appearance…was familiar but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Who died and made you the leader?” Hiyoko attacked

“Hmpf, it is only natural that someone of my esteemed status would take charge.” He folded his arms and declared “After all, my name is Kyousuke Munakata, the ultimate student council president.”

Makoto deadpanned.

He was going to have some serious questions for Chisa when this was all over.

“Looks like I’m the last.” A spiky haired doll with an ahoge similar to Naegi’s own began “My name is Hajime Hinata and I…don’t have a talent.”

Makoto looked on in mild surprise. This one didn’t have a talent at all…not that there was anything wrong with that. Talent wasn’t everything, but that ironically made Hinata stand out here as the only one without it.

“Ah, then you are as they say, an ordinary boy?” The princess addressed him.

“I…guess?” From the sound of his voice, he wasn’t comfortable with that designation. Naegi didn’t think there was anything wrong with being average (he was too, all things considered) however, he wasn’t insensitive enough to think that mindset applied to everyone.

“How amazing, you simply must tell me about yourself!” Miss. Nevermind was undoubtedly interested in him, much to Souda’s dismay.

Makoto chuckled at the scene before him. That was when the same obnoxious light that encompassed him earlier appeared.

When Makoto opened his eyes, he saw the princess and the average boy interacting around a showcase of items. Nevermind marveled at a glittery ornament in the shape of a sword while Hinata assured her it wasn’t real.

Given that it was just those two in the vicinity, Naegi presumed the larger group had split off into smaller ones. Furthermore, that the scenario only included the duo suggested they were the focus of this simulation.  For the next hour, he trailed after them like a ghost, smiling at the socialization.

It was a strange dynamic; Nevermind was clearly the dominant persona in the conversation but she was constantly deferring to Hinata’s expertise and making him take charge.  The boy’s embarrassed reactions were comically familiar.

It was a usual boy meets girl scenario until the bear (Monokuma , was it?) called them all to the computer lab.

Makoto frowned at being back “here” after his run-in with Junko. It appeared this wasn’t a pleasant experience for the other students either; just like earlier in the gymnasium, gasps, yelling and alike filled the room after seeing what was on the computer screen.

Makoto peered into Hinata’s and saw more blue-skinned dolls. Judging from his reaction though, they were his family.  The other students had something similar.

“If you would all excuse me, I must gather my bearings.” Nevermind uncharacteristically ran out of the room. Hinata followed almost immediately after.

Perhaps it was a momentary burst of courage that drove Hinata to hold the girl in his arms and declare he would protect her. Makoto couldn’t help but root for his fellow ahoge brother…but then he remembered that someone was probably going to be murdered.

The scene shifted again. Now Makoto stood inside Hinata’s room as the Novoselic princess accompanying him, suggested the two switch rooms for the night in lieu of her hearing strange knocking sounds on her door. Hinata agreed.

Makoto raised an eyebrow at this. Protecting Nevermind was the right call for sure… but now he’d be placing himself in harm’s way.  He remained there until Hinata left the room.

The surroundings changed again. This time he remained in the same spot however…the room…was…destroyed. The entire area was in chaos. Scrapes and shears everywhere.

No doubt a struggle had gone on in here. Wasting no time, Makoto surveyed every inch and corner of the room. All except one place- The bathroom.

He gulped as he pushed the door in and what he found was, as expected, the broken doll that was Sonia Nevermind.

A pink liquid dripped down as a knife was lodged into her side. He had never been more grateful for the fact that her appearance wasn’t that of a human’s else he might have vomited at the sight.

Not soon after, Hinata entered the room frantically. Perhaps he’d gotten a sign from someone but his reaction to seeing Nevermind in that state was crushing.

Naegi shut his ears in preparation for Hinata’s scream.

He just needed to remember none of this was real - It was just a game. The average boy fainted not long afterwards. Moments later, the others followed into the room and caught sight of the body.

Their reactions were no less severe.

They carried Hinata to the gymnasium where he woke up eventually. To no surprise, he became suspect #1 since the corpse was found in his room. Whatever little experience Naegi possessed foresaw that eventuality.

But was it true though? To begin with, the choice of target was strange. If the killer didn’t know Nevermind and Hinata had switched rooms then that would mean the latter had been the target. Possible as he was the only one without a talent, maybe they thought he’d be easy prey? Still, surely there were more optimal targets. Could it have been random? Unlikely.  A kill needs to be pre-meditated, you can’t just go up to someone and kill without a plan…besides, for it to have happened the night when the two so conveniently decided to switch rooms? Coincidences like that just don’t occur…unless you were really lucky.  Should he keep Komaeda in mind?

Either way, Hinata was the only one who knew Nevermind was in his room so logically, he’s the prime suspect…and that’s why he was anything but.

It was too simple. Hinata would have just given himself away by killing Nevermind in his room. It may not be easy for his associates to figure out but Naegi was looking down on them as a player in a game/ reader in a novel.

Moreover…Hinata seemed like a really nice guy. Everything he did felt genuine in an awkward way, certainly not the type to murder.

…Wasn’t that what he’d thought of Leon?

Makoto scratched his head

That…wasn’t his fault. The Leon he knew would never have killed anyone.

His mind returned to the investigation which had been spearheaded by the fake Munakata. Naegi had learned various things; the broken door knob leading to Hinata’s bathroom, the switched nameplates, the glittering sword, the knife, etc.

It was enough for him to have a vague understanding of what happened. And just in time too as Monokuma announced they all meet by an elevator that took them underground.

Now the dolls argued fiercely back and forth in a bizarre courtroom.

Naegi suddenly felt a pair of fingers tap his back and turned around sharply to see Chisa smiling down at him.

“Well, how’d it go~?” She commented, slyly.

“This…is awful.”

“I’m glad you think so. Even if these are just dolls, I’d be worried if you didn’t feel anything from this experience.”

“…Was it necessary to make them act this human?”

“It would defeat the point if they didn’t.” He had nothing to say to that. Instead, he focused on the most important detail.

“Nevermind orchestrated the murder but along the way, she was killed in turn. Hinata was meant to take the fall.” He said out of the blue.

“Full marks. How did you figure it out?” Chisa clapped.

 “Once you have all the information, it’s not that hard to solve. Nevermind’s motive is also clear; she is…was, the princess of a country and seeing her parents in that state would throw her into more chaos than the average person.

Chisa faced away momentarily and whispered under her breath ” I see…so this you thinks the trial should be easily overcome.”

 “Huh?” Makoto said, having not heard.

“It’s nothing. Let’s see if Hinata can figure it out as well.”

Hinata had the same information Makoto did. Surely he should have been able to figure the mystery out by now. However, he was just defending each accusation that came at him, rather than hinting at the big picture.

“Why doesn’t he realize he’s been tricked?” Makoto wondered .

“Why indeed.” was Chisa’s vague response.

The class trial continued, Hinata was getting closer and closer to the truth all the while…but it was still far too slow. He was certain that the dolls Komaeda, Nanami and the fake Munakata had already discovered the truth and were leading him down that route for his own good. Well, he couldn’t be certain about the first, Komaeda was…confusing to say the least.

The moment finally came when Hinata clued in on the abnormalities of the switched nameplates and from there, the evidence snowballed into the most likely conclusion. Sonia Nevermind had used him and planned a murder. The one she had intended to kill had been Kazuichi Souda, with Hinata left to take the fall.

Once the verdict was decided, the blinding light resurfaced and before Naegi knew it, he was sitting on a chair in a familiar classroom.

He was back on the third floor…and it was like nothing ever happened.

 “What was I supposed to learn from this?” He asked

“Hmmm, let’s start with this; why did Hinata take so long to solve the mystery and why did you figure it out almost immediately?”

“We had the same knowledge…was he in denial?”

“That was likely the case at the end, not the start. “

“…I don’t know.” He wasn’t a mind-reader.

“You can’t figure it out because you made a mistake on your premise. ‘We had the same knowledge’? That wasn’t true at all; you knew someone was going to kill, you knew it would likely involve them and most importantly, you have experienced that level of deceit before. A scenario like this was child’s play however Hinata knew none of that. Naegi, the abnormal one here is you, not him.”

 “I’m…not normal?”

“Not by the standard you’re using to judge, no and there’s nothing wrong with that. Rather you need to embrace that side of yourself!”  The teacher poked Naegi’s cheek aggressively with a finger.

“What I wanted to show you was the difference in awareness and perspective between you and the norm. It was appropriate for Hinata to believe Nevermind, just as it was for you to doubt her as quickly as you did. Your circumstances are comprehensibly different…Well, we’ve discussed Hinata’s situation but what about yours? I believe I gave two quizzes.”

“…It was easy. Once you narrow down the people who knew about the switched rooms, you only have Hinata and Nevermind.” He stopped himself “Then again,  Komaeda could have done it too…”

Yukizome faced away from Makoto, covered her mouth to prevent a fit of laughter.  No matter when or where, everyone always suspects poor Nagito.

“O..kay? Like I was saying, it had to be between those two and once the evidence started piling up, Nevermind became the more likely suspect. After that, it was just a matter of thinking about who she invited. Souda was a terrible liar and that became glaringly obvious in the trial.”

“Correct!” “Hmm, that was pretty good…for someone who claims to be incapable of doing anything without Kirigiri, don’t you think?” Chisa chastised him

“That’s because…” He felt obligated to defend his friend’s honor, even if there wasn’t any real need to.

“It was easy?” Chisa rolled her eyes. “To you maybe, but that doesn’t apply to everyone. It certainly didn’t to the dolls. Even the ones that weren’t taken in by Nevermind didn’t figure it all out until mid-way through the trial.”

“I think you’re overlooking a huge advantage, Naegi. Your memories…I’m not sure if they fully disappear.” She speculated.

“What gives?”

“From what you told me. Junko said you’ve played this game three times and you were plagued by memories and dreams of the previous games. Doesn’t that mean they’re still somewhere in your subconscious?”

That made sense. It was his headaches cleared up that he really started to distrust Leon.

“I’ve been thinking the whole time about if your memory might get better with time as you get used to shifting between this place and the living world. Eventually, I think you’ll stop forgetting completely.”

That was good news? From Chisa’s reluctance to divulge her hypothesis, he didn’t think so.

“Naegi, while you should obviously give it your all. I think a larger aspect of this game involves trial and error. Even if you don’t win, that doesn’t mean you’re losing. The circumstances on the island are mostly the same so you should try and learn as much as you can and use that information to help you next time.”

Makoto flinched. That wasn’t a bonus, that was a consolation. A poor one at that!

 “I’ll think about it.” A consolation to having to go through that again. No way, he didn’t want to die again. 

Chisa nodded

“Hey, why did you pick those personalities? Were those based on people you knew?”  He was curious,

“Hmm, something like that.”

“I knew it!” He slapped his hands onto the desk.

 So it was spite after all

“Naegi?” Chisa was taken aback by his newfound energy.

“Sure Sakakura might be a mean guy but you didn’t have to change his personality into that. It’s seriously creepy!”

“Naegi?” Chisa said again. This time, worlds more confused.

“And..And Mr.Munakata….WHAT? Did he do something to you? Did he steal your shoes? Or your underwear?”

“Naegi.”

“Mocking people like that and putting them into killing games, even as avatars, is horrible. You can’t just do that because you hate them!”

“Naegi!” The teacher stomped her foot down and made the smaller boy yelp.

Chisa took a deep breath and in a voice just as loudly as Makoto had spoken in...“What the heck are you talking about!? Hate them!? They’re my friends and…you…Know them!? How do YOU know them!?”

Oh, guess he was off the mark there.

“I met them on the island.” Yukizome gasped as he informed her.

“ They weren’t part of the killings, if they were I would have told you. Munakata and Sakakura left days before.” He shook his head

“…That’s good.” Chisa let out a relieved sigh

“What’s your relationship like?” There was that curiosity again.

“Hmm, friends I guess.”

He figured there was more to it than that.

“Naegi, about Nevermind…what did you think about her?” She changed the subject.

The killer? “In what way?”

“Her personality and how she treated Hinata. Did you think it was real or fake?”

“…I don’t think it was all fake; I’m sure a lot of their interactions were genuine, she seemed to have a lot of fun. That said, Nevermind also manipulated Hinata for sure, but she couldn’t really be faulted that much, I think. She’s only human.”

She nodded “Then one final question. Nevermind chose to murder in order to escape and betrayed her friend in order to ascertain her family’s safety?  Knowing that Nevermind still loved Hinata, why did she do it?”

Was that a trick question? “Because-“

“Stop right there!” A new voice resounded across the room

The duo’s eyes trailed to the source and found was a small monochrome-colored animal; too mechanical looking to be real but too animated in its gestures to be fake.

Monokuma…the bear that acted as the headmaster of that insane simulation.

“Uh…hi.  It’s dinner time!”  The bear said bashfully.

What was it still doing here?

He looked to Chisa for the answer.

“It’s not mine.” She shook her head.

“Damn straight!” Monokuma raised its paws.” Mono isn’t some shady two-timer/harem protagonist. Lady Junko is the only one for me.”

This was getting dumb.

“What was that about dinner?” His stomach growled.

“Naegi, you follow him. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.” She said hesitantly.            

"What about you? What'll you be doing?" A part of him hurt when he thought of Chisa being stuck here alone.

"I just need to have a talk with someone. I'll be fine, go have fun."               

Naegi hesitantly nodded and waved goodbye.

He followed the bear downstairs. It was an awkward walk down…and he’d never seen an animal like this so why not try to learn something.

“Uh…Monokuma” He started “Any idea what Chisa was going to ask me? You kind of interrupted…”

“You’ll stop thinking about that right now.” It turned to face him sharply and held both claws in the air. “Maid-tits was about to spoil Arc 3’s premise and we haven’t even started Arc 2 yet. Geez, some people have no respect for linear story progression.”

“I’m not really following.” He rubbed his forehead.

“I know, Hoodie. That was for our audience, and just like them, you’ll find out in about a dozen or so chapters.”

That was even more confusing but he felt compelled to submit by a powerful, universal, law.

They reached the cafeteria doors. Dread filled Naegi as he pushed through.  The memories of what happened in this place were still with him

“S-She’s not here, is she?” He asked a bit more fearfully than intended

“Who’s not here? She can mean a lot of people.”

It knew full well who he meant.

“Junko.”

“Lady Junko has more important things to do so she won’t be joining us.” The bear sighed and kicked at the floor.

Naegi on the other hand let out a sigh of relief he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Jeez, she messed with your head a little and you’ve got PTSD already!? How’d I get stuck with a sissy like this for a master?”  It spoke

“Master?” Makoto replied

“Yeah, unbelievable right? Even Hoodie #1 had more balls than you and let me tell ya, he was as spineless as they come. Screamed like a bitch too.” It grinned.

“Why am I your master?”

“Because I was ordered to be your escort…why else? Definitely not because of my own free will.” It…pouted.

“You have free-will? Aren’t you a robot?”

“Woah there, S’that Robo-racism I hear? Just because I’m evil doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate bigotry.” Monkuma pointed those sharp claws too closely for his liking

“So you are a robot then?”

“No, that was the old Monokuma. The new me is 100% flesh and blood though I can pull off a few neat tricks.” It said, rubbing its stomach.

“But…you can talk.” Naegi prodded, skeptically. A real talking bear? What idiot would come up with this concept.

“It’s magic, I ain’t  gotta explain shit.”

Makoto scratched his head in frustration. He was too hungry for this and the food sitting on the table looked too good to pass up.

 Luckily for him, it tasted as good too. All of it was enough for a feast. Weird how he was the only one here though.

“Who made this?” Naegi asked.

“I did.”

“I’m surprised you can cook…or reach the stove.”

“I damn sure can, these legs have got Supper elasticity.” He snickered at his terrible joke.

“But let me tell you about rags to riches story, hoodie. Truth to be told, I was born color-blind and I couldn’t tell the spices from the seasoning, from the salt, from the pepper.” He trailed on and on.

“One time I even threw in baking soda in a cake while thinking it was flour. Boy, was that embarrassing.”

He was surprised the bear hadn’t killed somebody with his cooking alone.

“There’s a point to this, right?”

“Rude! Long story short, I asked Lady Junko to get me an extra set of eyes that could actually see for shit. And can you believe it, she said yes. Now I’m a first-class chef!”

…What a dumb story.

 Naegi stared at the table and there was still quite a bit of food left. Certainly too much for one person to finish alone. “Is nobody else going to come down?”

“Nope, all of this is for you. Think of it as an apology after all this time and as a token of friendship.” 

Apology? Friendship? Nothing this bear said made sense.

”If we’re friends then you’ll get me out of here, right?” Makoto droned sarcastically.

“WRONG! My Job is to be your escort cuz I ain’t calling myself your butler.  What I will do is follow you places and other stuff. By stuff, I mean feed ya, give you some tips here and there that stop you from fucking up royally.”

Advice? From the enemy? It went without saying that he couldn’t trust this bear, he would just confuse him.
“Of course, I could also be lying so I guess it’s up to you to figure out which is what. Oh and I’ll be spying on you at all times for Lady Junko.”

“…At all times?”

“All.Of.Em”

“Even when-“

“Yes, even then!”

What happened to my personal privacy?

“Why’s Junko really doing this?” Naegi asked.

It sighed. “Why does She do anything:  for Le despair, kiddo.  Lady Junko thought it’d be fresh to get us handsome guys working together for once…but between you and me, I think she’s nutty as shit.”

Naegi raised an eyebrow at the bear’s dissention.

“You and I had the whole Batman (or is it boy wonda upupupu) and Joker gig going strong; the people love us and heck, they probably even ship us too.” Monokuma said.

“Why would we be on a ship?”

“Just because I’m nutty doesn’t mean I can understand a whole different kind of crazy.  But no joke, you bet your sweet butt a Monoegi fic exists somewhere.”

The bear’s jokes constantly flew over his head; maybe he could ask Chisa later.

“So, when will the next ‘game’ begin?” He was getting tired of this place.

“Whenever you’re ready.” That’s good…he’ll finish this with Junko as soon as possible. Let’s just hope she holds up her end of the deal.

“Got any advice for me on the next game?” Naegi asked the bear.

“…Are you serious?” It just…looked at him. Even with its warped animatronic features, he could tell Monokuma was dumbfounded as if Naegi’d just asked whether 2+2 was 5.

“…Upupupu. Oh man, She is going to eat your inattentive butt for dinner.” It laughed.

Having cleaned up his plate, Makoto stood up and let Monokuma drag him to the theater, which is where the game’s starting point took place, according to the bear.

Speaking of which, even if Monokuma probably couldn’t offer some real help, maybe Naegi could weasel it out of him.

 “Monokuma, do you know of any other way to get out of here?”

“Am I gonna have to make a rule that limits the amount of dumb questions you’re going to throw at me or what?”

“I thought you were supposed to be helping…”

“That is helping. If you stop saying stupid shit, you’ll stop thinking about em too. Maybe that way, you might actually stand a chance against them.”

Them?

“I’ll keep that it mind. Must be tough though, having to deal with a bunch of a teenagers day in and day out. She even made you into my butler. Even I never had something like that back in the real world.” Naegi scratched his chin

“Yeah yeah. I tell ya, I get no friggin respect around here. How’d Mono get demoted from headmaster to janitor?” It pulled off a sad expression pretty well in Makoto’s opinion.

 “I can see that kind of oppression from Junko for sure; in fact I already know more about Junko that I’d like to. What’s the other like? Must be just as bad, huh?” He prodded.

Monokuma nodded vigorously.

“You’re telling me! Izzy’s moody as shit and don’t even get me started on-” Monokuma’s functions stopped and then faced Naegi with a perplexed look on its face.

Which lasted all of a 5 seconds before Monokuma raised its paws to its mouth “Upupupu, reeeeaaal sneaky there, hoodie.”

Makoto sighed. It caught on to him, but he learned a little. There were at least two others.

“See, all I had to do was propose the rule and you’re already learning! If I told you too much, I’d stab ya on impulse.”

Naegi stepped back as Monokuma sharpened its claws.  Those things were dangerously sharp! It could easily…

Hold on. Isn’t there something he hasn’t been considering?

“What happens if I…die here?” Could he die here? He wondered.

“Huh? Figure it out yourself; there are knives in the kitchen if you want a go.”

“Just tell me!”

“Couldn’t even if I wanted to, kid. It’s physically impossible for me or anyone else here.” Makoto knew. It was the same haphazard response and tone Chisa often gave whenever he asked questions she wasn’t allowed to answer.

“Junko again? How the heck does she make you all do this!?”

Monokuma tilted its head again “Think about it. It should come to ya.”

Makoto dropped his hands and wracked his brain for the answer. Somehow, that witch was able to keep tabs on everyone inside the building at all times, and force them into obeying her stupid rules. All of this (supposedly) without blackmail or verbal coercion…

That was impossible for a single person to pull. There couldn’t be a logical explanation behind it…does that mean it’s something illogical? Why not? Absolutely nothing about the past several hours had made any kind of sense. If Makoto couldn’t rationalize Junko’s influence using logic then this has to be one of her weird powers.

“It’s an ability!” He said.

“I wonder. I wouldn’t bet against it in your shoes, kid.” Monokuma answered in a roundabout way.

That made three to four who could do impossible things, including the person on the upper floor the teacher had mentioned and “Izzy.”

“Does everyone here have powers?” He inquired

“t’s rude to speak for others without their permission and Mono is a good bear!”

“…That was an awful pun.” Naegi said flatly.

“Everyone’s a critic.” It frowned

At least it wasn't hurting him. “What’s your power?”

Monokuma pointed a claw to its face. “Me? I guess I don’t mind telling ya since it won’t change anything and I’m impressed you almost managed to trick me.”

Monokuma decided to give him a freebie, right before uttering the most outrageous phrase.

“I can’t die.”

“…Come again?”  Makoto was certain he misheard that.

“I mean that literally, I can’t die. Doesn’t matter if you blow me to bits or cut me to shreds, I’ll always come back. That’s because Mono is Despair’s cute and lovable mascot!” It rubbed its stomach and burst out into laughter.

“What does despair have to do with anything?”

“It means that as long as despair exists, I’ll never go away and I mean never. That’s why even my creator, with all that power, no longer has the ability to kill me either.” It cackled.

That…had frightening implications. But if what Monokuma said is true, that’s an incredible skill to have and Chisa’s wasn’t exactly a slouch either.

Then…maybe “What If I got that same power. Could I leave here?”

Monokuma thought pensively for a few moments.

“Theoretically, I can’t say the odds are impossible.” It concluded before continuing. “What’s it to ya though?”

They neared the giant red doors that led to the theater.

“How can I get one?” He asked, hopefully.

Monokuma stopped right in front of the doors.

“…You’re a riot, kid! I changed my mind. I think I like you better than him.” Monokuma crumpled onto the floor and smacked its paws against the ground. Fake tears leaking out of its eyes.

“How can you get one?” It looked up at him “What I’d like to know is, why would you want one? It totally defeats the point!”

Makoto waited for Monokuma to regain its composure.

“Listen good, hoodie. Anyone and everyone who has abilities in this place have one thing in common, no exceptions. And it ain’t because they’re dead neither. You don’t have that, rookie. There’s no chance of you developing anything special and if you did, it’d be no good to you at that point.”

It'd be useless?

“Though if you did get an ability, I think that would be beeeaaary interesting indeed~”  Monokuma’s paws pushed the doors open.

Makoto was re-invited to that gallant space and properly took in its appearance as he journeyed to a seat in the middle. Compared to everywhere he had been in this counterfeit school, the structure, décor and atmosphere of this theater trumped them all. If only he had actually good memories of this place.

“Yooooo, Makoto.” Said a revolting voice that came behind him.

He had no idea when or where she appeared but at this point, it didn’t even matter.

Naegi instinctively backed away from her. His body still responded to the earlier physiological and mental beatings she gave him.

He noticed she still had the eyes of a predator playing with its food.“That’s a good look for you. That scared face is to die for!” Junko Enoshima said.

“I’m not scared!” If he backed down now…

He needed to have courage. He would win this stupid game and never have to see this woman ever again.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said, resolutely.

Junko mockingly shook her head.

“Nice to see you’ve still got some spirit left. This would be boring otherwise.” She directed him to his proper chair in the theater. Naegi looked around for Monokuma and concluded the bear  was nowhere to be found.

How odd.

“You just have to look at the screen until you fall asleep and you’ll be back on the island.” Junko said, seated next to him, much to his discomfort.

“You’re not…going to do something weird to me, right?” He asked, dreadfully. He did NOT want to be asleep near this witch. Not when taking into account her tendencies to be…touchy.

“Hmm~, too bad, I wanted to draw on your sleeping face this time.” She pouted while twirling a black marker around her finger. Was that permanent marker?

 “Fine, I promise. You can always trust a witch.” The chesire grin she gave him couldn’t have made her appear any less trustworthy.

“Let’s get this over with.” He gazed at the large screen counting down.

16...3…2…1

He fell unconscious at 0


 

Monokuma rolled around on Naegi's bed, bored and all on his lonesome for the next little while.

"Maybe I should call it the Monokuma theater for next time. Not like he has a choice upupupu~" 

Notes:

Oh hey, we're back from hiatus on this story.

Chapter 10: L'antipasto / The Appetizer

Chapter Text

-[Juzo Sakakura]-

June 6th 2012

“Sakakura, is it?” said a man clad in a silvery-white suit that was only matched by his hair.

“Yo, Kyousuke, thought I’d give my report now; I searched the entire island again, thoroughly.” Juzo Sakakura replied.

The two had embarked on a luxury boat ready to set sail off Jabberwock island.

“And the results?” Kyousuke  Munakata prompted.

“Not a thing.”

“…You needn’t burden yourself over this. It was out of our hands.” What was? He didn’t know.

“This is bullshit. We scoured this damn resort for months and fucking nothing. How could Chisa and all of her brats just up and vanish without a trace!?” Had this not been an unreasonably expensive vehicle, Kyousuke was certain Sakakura would have smashed his fist against something.

Still, the boxer had brought forth a question Munakata had asked himself these past 2 years.

“To make matters worse, Hope’s Peak Academy has suppressed any and all information about the incident. Nobody even knows what happened, not even their families. Those corrupt assholes only give a shit about their reputation.” Sakakura continued.

Some time ago, Munakata would have lamented his friend’s short-sightedness…however there could be no doubt of Hope’s Peak’s corruption. The question now, was how far that corruption spread.

“Sakakura. You miss the point. Do you not find it something amiss anout how we were only given reprieve to search for the missing for just a few months? Covert operations could still be carried out, even during the resort’s openings…” Even rescue ops can take years before evidence was found and nothing suggested She had left the island.

“Yeah I know. Hell, the only reason we could be here was thanks to those brats shitting around the place without a care in the world.”

That was another issue. After a fiasco that could have brought the school to its knees. The Steering committee would send a new class to this island just a mere 2 years later? Strange was an understatement.

“And get this. One of them actually wanted to see you.”

“…What business would those children have with me? Did you question him?”

“Yeah, I asked what he wanted and wouldn’t you know it, he wasn’t even sure.”

“…Care to explain?”

“That was about as clear as I could make it. The kid said he just wandered in to the harbor to see you. He had an empty look that creeped me out too, like he was daydreaming or something.” Sakakura crossed his arms.

“…How odd.”

“S’what I said. That’s why I tried to turn him away.”

“Tried?”

“He wasn’t very cooperative. Not like he was talking back but more like he had trouble listening and didn’t budge from his spot. It was pain in the ass but I couldn’t just leave him there all dazed like that; I carried him over to the clinic and put him to bed. “

“I see. That explains your tardiness.”

Sakakura nodded. “I might’ve even stayed until he woke up because surprise-surprise, not a fucking nurse or doctor in sight. I swear, that’s the only time I’ve ever been thankful for old man Kizakura.”

Kizakura...would Kirigiri have sent his right-hand man to this island just to supervise some children?

“Thinking about it now, maybe I should have let you handle things personally.” Sakakura frowned

“You should have. Anything and everything out of the norm was worth investigating.” He was too kind, and that unfortunately led to crucial mistakes.

“What was his name?”

“Uh. I don’t remember. The bubbly brown-haired shorty. Wears a hoodie. Got a very punchable face.”

Makoto Naegi, if Kyousuke’s memory wasn’t failing him. The boy hadn’t expressed an interest in meeting him prior…what changed?

“No matter.  We can simply return here later and address him; their vacation should last until then.”

“What’s stopping us from turning around now? It wouldn’t take that long.”

“Tengan called while you were away.”

Sakakura eyes widened uncharacteristically

“The old man? He dropped off the face of the Earth years ago and nobody’s heard of him since.”

“Yes, not since the disappearance of class 77.”

“…You think there’s a relation?”

“I do not know however, for the headmaster of HPA to vanish at such a crucial period cannot help but raise suspicion.” Kyousuke hoped he was wrong…otherwise the incident might run even deeper than he thought.

“Wait…you said he called. We get signal on this island?”

“No.”

“Then how did the old man speak to you?”

“I do not know how that call came through. All I’m aware of is that Tengan requires my presence.”

“He requested you? Did he say why?” Sakakura inquired.

“Tengan wasn’t the one on the phone. It was his protégé who disappeared along with him.” Regardless, that made his claim of Tengan’s whereabouts credible.

“Protégé?”  Juzo looked deep in thought.

“….Ah I remember now; you’re talking about the dead-eyed freak with only murder on the brain. What was his name? Hiji-something?”  The boxer gave up on recalling what he presumed to be trivial details.

“I tell ya, Kyousuke. There’s something wrong with the heads of those old bastards when they think to invite psychopaths like that guy and Genocider Syo into a school.” Sakakura muttered in disgust for the institution’s shadier side.

Munakata thought it was a natural reaction for one who formerly operated as head of security.

“The message he delivered was rather peculiar; he said Tengan had offered me an executive position in a pet project of his. I am unaware as to the details, merely the name.”

“And that is?”

“…The Future Foundation.”

“…Tacky.” Sakakura commented.

“A title that grandiose couldn’t be considered anything else.” Munakata showed a rare glimpse of amusement…which faded almost instantly.

“…Unless the purpose of this Future Foundation matches its audacious namesake.” For someone with as many ambitions as Kyousuke, this was not an opportunity to pass up. She would have wanted it this way.

This matter required his full attention. Notably Tengan…and perhaps this Makoto Naegi later down the line.

He turned back to face the now distant Jabberwock Island

Hmm?

Kyousuke narrowed his eyes and focused on the distance. A large figure was visible in the fog; much too large to be human and it sailed on the sea… it had certainly been a ship of some kind. Kyousuke had blinked and by the time his eyes re-opened, the ship had vanished into thin air.

“Is something wrong?” His friend asked.

“Did you see a ship there?”

Juzo looked behind him and raised an eye brow.

“Uh, Kyousuke? Not sure how to put this but last I checked, my eyes and ears weren’t shot – if there was a ship around, I’d notice. “

Perhaps Sakakura was right and his eyes deceived him. It wasn’t uncommon to be susceptible to optical illusions in times of stress…and the mist was quite thick.

Perhaps even thick enough for something to hide in.


 

“Look who’s awake?” A voice greeted Makoto as he stirred from a deep sleep.

“Mister Kizakura…what am I doing here?”

“Beats me, all I know is what Juzo told me - that you were sleepwalking around the island. You could stand to be more careful.” The teacher took a sip out of his flask and leaned against his chair.

“But who’d have thought Juzo was such a wuss on the inside. The look on his face when I caught him was worth every second of having to babysit you.”

“Sleepwalking, that doesn’t sound like me.” He was more the type who’d have difficulty getting out of bed.

Kizakura shrugged “Like I said, beats me. Juzo could have been up to something shady or just mistook the situation.  Now why don’t you get out of bed before the others start worrying, my dear class mascot.”

The “class mascot” was an “affectionate” term Kizakura had given Naegi; the moniker was intended to symbolize his role as a centerpiece among class 78. Naegi wasn’t very fond of the name, as he wasn’t one to consider himself special either. On the other hand, Kizakura was an eccentric teacher who had no qualms picking favorites among students – his criteria usually involving who can amuse him most at a given time. For that reason, he, Kyouko and Hiro often scored at the top…although the latter definitely didn’t seem to mind.

“Now that you’re awake, I think I’ll be off. There’s gotta be something more fun to do around here.”

“W-wait, you don’t have to leave yet.” Makoyo spluttered

It wasn’t clear why he said that. Right now, his head was a mess of thoughts yet a powerful compulsion allowed those words to wade through the clutter and reach the surface.

The source of that urge…came from a gripping emotion the luckster couldn’t quite place. It was a void left by Kizakura’s absence that was triggered when the teacher suddenly announced his departure.

“Uh...kinda putting me on the spot here, Naegi. Even I’m not buying that you’re afraid to stay by yourself, you’re not that lame.”

“Or is there something dangerous about me leaving?” Kizakura lightly tipped his fedora and gazed at Naegi with an inexplicable gleam in his eye

 “I…don’t know.” Makoto said, lamely.

“Hmm, maybe Juzo might have been right to be worried. Let’s just hope you didn’t catch anything as the next best thing we have to a doctor here is Chihiro.” Kizakura said with  a finger across the chin.

“Tell you what. Try and get some sleep and I’ll send some of the others to visit you, real soon.”

Kizakura reached for the door handle. As soon as the knob turned, a group of curious students fell out onto the floor in a pile.

Kizakura stared at them blankly and then turned back to Naegi “…Well you can’t say I’m not a man of my word.”

He stepped over the pile of shamed teenagers and left the room.

“…What are you guys doing?” Naegi asked as the others scrambled off the floor.

“Nothing much.” “Ah well, you know.” “I followed everyone else here.” Were the varied excuses used until the majority, without verbal communication, unanimously settled on one.

“It was Hiro’s fault, so he’ll explain.” Makoto was almost impressed at their chorus’ synchronicity.

“Traitors!” The horrified fortune-teller exaggerated. To whom he referred were Hina, Touko, Sayaka and Celes

“Bah. I had a bad premonition about you in my crystal ball and though to check the clinic. The TRAITORS followed me here.” He emphasized the derogatory term for the others and glared at them.

“That’s your excuse for eavesdropping?” Makoto frowned

Celestia wiped the dirt off her skirt and showed a wry smile.

“Hufufu…I see right through you, Naegi. It’s adorable how you think you can hide your embarrassment behind faux disappointment. I wonder when you and Kizakura got so close.”

“We’re not!” The voice crack probably hadn’t made things convincing.

“Then what was your problem with his departure?” Celes pressed him.

“I...I don’t know. It just came out.”

“Hmm…you don’t appear to be lying.”

How she was able to tell when he lied creeped him out. A guy needs his secrets.

“D-Don’t joke around like that.” Touko addressed the gambler “There’s no way someone like Naegi could ever succeed at having an illicit affair with a teacher.

“Thanks, Touko…I think.”

“Besides, I-I’m sure ****’s more his speed.” The writer salivated as she locked herself up in her delusions.

Hina looked torn between agreeing with the author and not standing out whereas the others gazed upo  the entranced Touko with varying levels of disgust and exasperation; it wasn’t their first rodeo with the easily elated writer coming to wild conclusions.

“Well, I actually was joking…but thanks for taking it a mile further than intended.” Celes caressed her forehead.

“Seriously, we’re just friends. Sheesh, damn you’re creepy.”

“Don’t bully Touko, guys!” Hina interjected, never one to stand down when others were ganged up on.

“I-I don’t need you to defend me, B-Balloon bags.” And Touko was never one to accept kindness without being skeptic of ulterior motives…and yet it turns out the writer was even more disturbed when she was certain there weren’t any.

“ I was just trying to help.” Hina snapped.

The two started bickering before Sayaka separated them.

“Even if there’s nobody here…we’re still in a hospital.” Sayaka said.

“Nobody? What about shrimpy over there? We don’t even know what’s wrong with him.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Hiro agreed “Well, what’d you come down with, Naeggs? A fever?”

Sayaka made her way over to his bed and pressed her palm against forehead.

“Looks that way; his forehead is burning.” The idol frowned as she made her deductions.

The others were slightly frantic

“It’d be great if we had a cute nurse or something.”

“Most people who don’t think with their lower regions would consider a doctor to be more preferable.” Celes chided ****

“A hot lady doctor then.”

“Come on guys, you’re scaring him. And he doesn’t look that bad to me…a bit dazed maybe.” Hina intervened.

“Yeah, my thoughts are just a big foggy. I’m sure I’ll get over it once I get some sleep.” Makoto said.

“I’m not sure… you didn’t show any signs of being sick yesterday night but the fever is pretty bad.” Sayaka’s pensive expression didn’t let up. She knew a thing or two about medicine and how to avoid situations like this.

“And yet, there is nothing any of us can do. Rather than stir up worry, it would be best just to let him lie down and someone (other than me obviously) can bring Makoto his meals.” Celes advised.

Sayaka begrudgingly nodded.


Naegi opened his eyes. The fog and heaviness that clouded his head having diminished. Now they had been replaced by lethargy and strained bones.

He wanted to get up…

That was when Naegi noticed a surprising sight; the Togami heir sat cross-legged on a nearby chair, engrossed in the book he was reading.

“Togami?” He said, drawing the heir’s attention to him.

“Well Well Well, look who finally decided to grace me with his wake. You ought to relish this experience. A commoner like you was given the honor of being the third person Byakuya Togami has ever waited on.” Togami replied.

 “Were you watching over me?”

“Yes. Those miscreants told everyone of your condition, prompting Ishimaru to come up with the oh-so---brilliant idea of making us look after you in shifts – one hour for each of us.”

Oh…he’d have to thank Taka later.

“How long was I asleep?”

“I’m the 14th so take a wild guess; simple math shouldn’t be beyond you.” Togami said, dispassionately.

Then it was practically morning already…

“You should be honored to take up 55 minutes of my irreplaceable time. Some world-renowned CEOs wouldn’t even get half that much.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get in the way.” Taka must have forced him into this.

“Hmpf. Forget it, as impossible as it sounds, I could have spent my time even more wastefully today.” He said, returning to the novel he was reading

Naegi squinted to read the title “Gone Guy?”

“Hm?”  Togami raised an eyebrow and then looked back to his book when he caught onto the luckster’s outburst. “Oh…what of it?”

“Is it good?” Makoto asked curiously.

“Phlinn’s novel is passable.” He said before forming his signature smirk “In truth, I read this for the sole purpose of seeing how it compared to the classics…and as expected, The Accolades by Christine is far superior.”

Makoto sweatdropped and wondered if Togami realized how petty he sounded sometimes.

“Why the sudden curiosity in my hobbies? Don’t tell me you’re interested in reading. I’ve never taken you for the learned type.”

“Hey, I read too.” Naegi tried to defend himself

“Picture books and alike don’t count.” Togami countered splendidly

“Uh…not so much then…hehe” He finished lamely.

Togami sneered in abject disgust at his concession and then shook his head.

“Better you didn’t actually. If I started seeing signs of intellect and class from you, then I’d be forced to admit the others were right to be worried and you really do have one dire illness. Start quoting Nietzsche and I’ll be the one who needs to see a doctor.”

“It’s nothing bad. I feel much better already.” Naegi said.

“Perfect. That means I don’t have to stick around much longer.” He returned to his reading…and that’s when Naegi noticed

“Eh? Togami, what about your glasses?” The affluent progeny was rarely…actually, never seen without his glasses. Makoto believed they were essential to Togami’s sight.

“…What about them?”

“It’s just…you never take off your glasses, not even during PE. I kind of thought you needed them.” Yet here he was reading just fine without them.

“That’s on you for presuming to know anything of Byakuya Togami. We live in two different worlds, don’t you understand that yet?” He referred to himself in the third person

…It was a rather splendid way of dodging the question completely.

“I didn’t mean to pry. It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.” 

 “These glasses are merely for show…”

The door suddenly burst open, revealing a familiarly small frame.

“Uh, Togami. I’m here for my shift.” Chihiro said, looking like he’d run a marathon. “Eh, Makoto’s awake?”

“Indeed he is, and I was just leaving.”

The heir stood off the sole seat in the room and made his way to the exit.

Makoto and Chihiro watched him leave before turning their attention to one another.

To say the programmer looked exhausted was an understatement. He should be the one asleep right now.

“Chihiro…you’re last?”

“Y-yeah, sorry. I was really busy with project and I begged Taka to let me go last.” The boy stuttered

“Must be reaaaally important.” Makoto teased him.

“It is. The board told me that I-If I can complete it then that would fill my exams quota for the rest of the year and would give me full backing on any position I apply for when I graduate.” Chihiro evidently took it seriously.

“W-Wow, that sounds amazing. What’s the project on?”

“I can’t just tell you that. It’s supposed to be a secret. Not even Mister Kizakura’s allowed to know the details.”

“Come on, it’s me. I won’t tell anyone~”

Chihiro looked skeptical. Why? He could totally keep a secret.

“Too bad, since it’s apparently soooo impressive, I might just spend the whole night thinking about what it could be.” Makoto said, dramatically.

“Then I wouldn’t be able to get any sleep and my fever would get worse. Who knows? Maybe something even worse could happen~”

“I-I don’t want that!” Once again, Chihiro had taken him seriously.

“I was joking. I think I’m curious by nature.”

“Even so…I guess it couldn’t hurt to give you a hint. I told you about what the board promised me right?”

Makoto noticed.

“I went to take a look at ‘it’ today and I realized the technology I’m working with is very advanced.  I’ve seen some of the best computerized tech in the world but this was incredible even by comparison.  If I’m successful then it might even revolutionize the world.”

To be honest, he now had less of an idea of what the programmer could be up to than before.

 “Doesn’t that mean you’re getting ripped off? If it’s so world-class then you should get a lot more than a pass on your exams and recommendations.” Chihiro was brilliant in many ways but Makoto had a distinct feeling street-smarts weren’t the programmer’s forte. The last thing he wanted was to see Chihiro get ripped off by a bunch of stingy old guys.

“Disregarding whether they would try that, I don’t think that’s an issue. If anything, they might be a little generous. Even though I’m technically the one working on the project, I feels like I’m just putting the finishing touches on ‘it’.  Most of the work has already been done, which is why I think whoever created all that machinery has to be a genius.”

“If you think so then they have to be.” Makoto agreed. Strangely enough, Chihiro didn’t appear satisfied with his conclusion.

“…Don’t you think what I just said is a little weird?”

“Why?”

“Uh, I don’t mean to brag or anything…but whenever I make something, I feel a lot of pride in my achievement. So much that I wouldn’t want anyone complicating my creations until I’m sure it’s working efficiently. I’m really strict on that end.”

Understandable. Nobody wants their efforts to be wasted or succeeded by someone they’ve never even met.

“I think the creator must be different.  He’s made something that great but he’s not even here to supervise its completion, especially in the hands of someone who wasn’t even part of the initial development? How weird is that?”

“Maybe he got fired.” Makoto took a shot in the dark.

“Be serious, Naegi. If Hope’s Peak fired someone with that much talent then they’d be idiots.”

Chihiro was right…and besides, Hope’s Peak cared about talent more than anything else. That was a stupid suggestion on his part.

“I can’t really think of anything without jumping to conclusions.” There was one option he guessed but that was a bit morbid to think about.

“More importantly, are you alright staying there by yourself? What if you get injured? Maybe you should have Mondo go there with you.”

Chihrio looked to be considering Makoto’s proposition.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t do any heavy-lifting, just calibrating and working on computers; not much different than what I’d do here, really. Honestly, the worst part is the air over there.”

Makoto laughed “Yeah, the last island is kinda bad.” Considering all the industrial facilities, that much couldn’t be helped. Frankly, it was a testament to Jabberwock Island’s upkeep that the air wasn’t toxic.

“Hey Chi-“ A soft thud and heaviness on his legs cut him off

Makoto looked to his legs  and found Chihiro to be fast asleep.

The luckster chuckled

Wasn’t I the one who was supposed to be looked after?


 

Makoto traversed his way back to the first island. He doubted anyone else would be awake at this hour so maybe a walk would do him some good. If nothing else, he could grab a snack from the supermarket.

At least that was the intention until he was captivated by the sound of an alluring voice from the distance. That alone meant the owner wasn’t far away.

He followed the sound of the voice until he arrived at the clearing on the first island’s beach. It was the very first spot Makoto stepped on when the class got to the island.

 Ryouko stood in the middle of the beach, gazing at the moon and singing an unfamiliar tune. If he could have compared the sight to anything, it’d be a wandering traveler laying eyes on a beautiful siren.

He wanted to reveal himself…but he also feared that Ryouko might stop singing if he did. She really was that good.

Of course,  being the ultimate lucky student that he was, he stepped on a tree branch laying by the sand; the snap was loud enough to signal his presence.

As expected, the singing stopped immediately and Makoto looked up to see cold blue eyes staring back at his from the distance.

“Who’s there?” The amnesiac called to him in a voice devoid of emotion.

“M-Me. Makoto…Naegi” He announced, dumbly.

“Impossible. The Makoto I know wouldn’t creep on a girl in the night. You must be an imposter. Go on and admit it. I’ll even praise you for pulling off that stupid bed-head of his so nicely. ”

“It’s not stupid! And it’s not bed-head, I comb it every day!”

“…Ah, it is you. I can’t think of anyone else who could defend that hair and lie so blatantly about it.”

“You’re just messing with me…aren’t you?” Makoto frowned.

“Hehehe.” The analyst snickered, much to Makoto’s chagrin.

He wanted to change the topic as fast as possible.

 “I didn’t know you could sing. That was pretty good”

“Uh, thanks. Doesn’t mean I’ll drop you creeping on me.” Apparently, she wasn’t about to let him.

“I wasn’t!”

“Sure, sure.  Is it ok for you to be out of bed though?”

“Yeah, I left Chihiro there. He really looked like he needed the sleep…and I kind of didn’t.”

“Chihiro huh….say, let’s pull a prank on him while he’s sleeping. Like draw on his face or splash water on him.”

“Absolutely not.” Makoto vehemently refused “…Oi, you better not tell me you got any ideas like this when I was asleep.” Suddenly, he felt very self-conscious.

“Me? No way.” Her eyes didn’t meet his as she said that.

“…Look me in the eye when you say that.”

“Geez, what’s with these totally unwarranted accusations against me? I’m the picture of mild-mannered and goodness! Just ask Taka.”

“You think Taka will have your back?” He raised her eyebrow

Ryouko brought a hand to her chest as a gesture of pride. “Of course he will. Just earlier today, he complimented me on my selfless conduct.”

Selfless conduct…like hell was he buying that.

“You and selflessness mix like water and oil..”

“It’s true. Instead of everyone looking after you in shifts, I offered to watch over you all day!”

“Eh? R-really?” He stammered.

“Yup, but seeing as how you’re a total bully today. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.” She pouted

“But you all decided to work shifts anyway?”

“Not my fault. The others wanted a turn too…vultures always getting in the way.” She muttered.

Makoto laughed.

“What’re you smiling for?” Ryouko’s eyes narrowed.

“Nothing much…I’m just glad I have such caring friends…” He scratched his cheek.

The amnesiac gave him a disgusted expression not unlike Togami’s earlier one. Did he have a tendency to make people react this way?

Ryouko’s discontent soon gave way to a malicious smirk

“Weeell, I don’t know about the others but I read an interesting book a while back on hypnotic suggestion. If I’d been given the full day, I planned on whispering a few choice words into your ear and seeing if your thought patterns changed when you woke up. Too bad I only got an hour…now I can’t tell if it worked.” Her smirk widened

“Y-You’re joking right?” He reddened as he brought his hands to his both ears.

“You’re free to think that if ya want.” She smiled confidently.

“I knew it. Selfless, my butt!”  Makoto pointed at her.

“Serves you right.” She smiled in content and came towards him. To Makoto’s mild surprise, she didn’t stop and moved by him, heading to the way he came.

“Where are you going?” He asked

“Breakfast at the hotel.” Was the girl’s response.

“Hey wait up.” He ran to catch her.

“’I’m glad I have such caring friends?’Ugh, how can he say something so embarrassing out loud?” Ryouko muttered under her breath.

 

-[Byakuya Togami]-

 

At this rate, he would be forced to wander the entire island aimlessly.

Byakuya Togami sat, legs dangling on the edge of a cliff, where the roaring tides could be heard from meters below.  It was the farthest location on the 5th/final island, which was also happened to be the highest place on the island.

So much as a misstep from his position would send him falling to the sea and to a silent end.

He snickered

 The very notion of his mortality wasn’t even worth thinking about; only idiots spend the time they have alive ruminating over the possibility they could die tomorrow

That’s why Byakuya Togami wasn’t one to waste a second of his day, that way there are no regrets when that time comes.

Honestly, what a bothersome ordeal this was. He’d rather be somewhere more productive; lazing around like this was not his idea of a…vacation, was it?

Either way, Byakuya wasn’t lying when he told Naegi he could have spent his time even more wastefully.

Naegi huh.

 His thoughts reverted to the brief discussion he’d had with the lucky student.

Byakuya took off his glasses and delicately held them between his fingers

“Yes they are certainly for show…but they are also an important reminder for me.” Byakuya said to no one.

He merely tucked the glasses into his pocket and brought his gaze up to the full moon.

“Now then…what will I choose?”


 

“Taka…I need you to answer me honestly right now?” Makoto said, his formerly clean clothes now burnt after the ordeal. Ryouko was lying down next to him unconscious and in a similar state of dress.

The two stood outside the cottages and near the hotel, where a bright orange light could be seen from the upper floor building.

“What would you like to know, Makoto?”  The Ultimate Moral Compass addressed him casually and without a hint of regret of regret for his actions.

“…Why did you try to kill us?” Makoto glared at him.

Kiyotaka met his glare with a steely gaze. The two were frozen in that position for some time; standing off  against one another in silence.

And then…

“DON’T BE RIDICULOUS!” He yelled, pointing his finger at the luckster.  “Even if I may have made a few mistakes in my attempt at making breakfast, that’s no reason to charge me for attempted manslaughter.”

“A few mistakes!? We’re lucky the whole restaurant didn’t burn down! Even Ryouko passed out!” Makoto shot back.

Kiyotaka froze at the accusations made against him.

“I…must apologize; I overstepped my own capabilities.” He said.

“Understatement of the year! Why would you even cook anything when we already have meals prepared?” Makoto wasn’t done shouting just yet.

“Those have  preservatives, Makoto. They’re not healthy...although from observing your eating habits, you may not know much about healthy eating.” Taka rolled his eyes

“Don’t put this on me. My diet is just fine.” Yeah, chips and soda weren’t that bad for you…weekly…daily.

Taka looked unconvinced…

“Okay, you might have a point. I may not be the best eater but that’s not an excuse for this.” Makoto pointed to the restaurant

“Why did she faint anyway? “ The compass inquired. The two boys inspected Ryouko’s form and found her breathing regularly.

“She seems fine…I don’t think there was enough smoke to cause that kind of reaction; maybe she just doesn’t like fire.” Makoto deduced. Ryouko had poor resistance to just about anything because the girl always chose to avoid everything that might seem stressful or unsafe. It’s no wonder she’d react this way.

He sighed

Not like he had any medical expertise. It begged the question as to why there wasn’t any medical staff on this island. It didn’t sound very safe to him.

Makoto and Taka looked towards the upper floors from outside the building and found that smoke was no longer seeping out and the sprinklers had stopped running.

“Want to check it out?” Makoto asked. ‘It’ being the mess that was probably left there now.

“It would only be appropriate…but what shall we do with Ryouko?” Taka said, reluctantly.

Leaving her out here wasn’t in question and he didn’t feel right about returning the girl to her cottage. Taka likely thought the same which was why he didn’t suggest it himself. The moral compass was never one to discount the safety of others

“Ah, we can just take her to Ikusaba. That’s surely the proper way to handle things.” The compass clapped his hands together.

His own safety was evidently another story.

“Taka…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Is that so?”  “I thought it was a fabulous plan myself, where do you find fault?”

“Ikusaba is…very protective of Ryouko, you’ve seen it right?”

“Yes…I believe I’ve so.”

“Okaaay, now what do you think is going to happen if we bring Ryouko like that and tell her what happened?”

“I assume she wouldn’t take it very well…but what does that have to do with taking the proper course of action?”

Makoto sighed heavily.

“Ikusaba will kill you.” Not literally of course (probably) but Taka would be the one needing a hospital room if Makoto didn’t stop him.

“…Makoto, pardon me if I’ve misunderstood but…surely you’re not suggesting that I would abandon one of my classmates out of some trivial, private fear.”

As usual, Kiyotaka was never one to prioritize self preservation or common sense when it came to his philosophical views; that being to never stray off the ‘right’ path. To the ultimate moral compass, everything was as black and white as his appearance.

It was an admirable trait that the entire class couldn’t help but respect…however, Makoto had always felt Taka had let himself miss out on a lot because of his rigid values.

People weren’t built to do the right thing all the time. Take for example how humans often tell lies to protect their loved ones; those white lies aren’t good per say but the flexibility of knowing when they should be used is necessary.

You wouldn’t get anywhere thinking so narrow-mindedly and it was more likely he’d be taken advantage of.  If  Taka kept up like this then he would definitely live a life filled with adversity…and that was worrying.

However, was it right for him to challenge the beliefs Taka held so dearly, especially ones so righteous? The hall monitor undoubtedly had far greater convictions than something an average person like himself could dream of. There was no way Makoto could ever convince him otherwise, there wasn’t even a need to try.

That’s why everyone often had to circumvent Taka’s logic rather than confront it outright.

“Not exactly. I was just thinking that we probably shouldn’t stress Ikusaba out.”  He said. “All we need is for someone to look after Ryouko right? We’ll just bring her with us…it’s our fault for Ryouko fainting anyway. Don’t you always say we should take responsibility for our actions?”

“Er…but this is all my fault not ours. Doesn’t that mean the responsibility falls on my shoulders?”

“We’re sharing responsibility now.” Makoto stopped him. “Besides, you know what my life is like. Seeing as I got caught up in the (near) fire, the whole debacle could have been a result of my bad luck.”

“That’s something of a stretch…but I can see your point…and I am glad that you’d side with me on this.”

“No problem. Let’s bring her with us and see if we can clean up.”

He motioned and found the girl was surprisingly heavy. He could barely lift her off the ground. Makoto looked back to the moral compass and found him sporting an unimpressed expression.

 “…Don’t say it.” Makoto warned. His ire largely overshadowed by embarrassment.

“We’ll need to get you in the gym in addition to that diet.”

Makoto glared. He just hoped they’d be done before breakfast…or before anyone saw them.


 

Surprisingly, the upper floor of the hotel hadn’t been too bad. The sprinklers had mostly stopped the fire in the kitchen whereas the lunchroom was just wet. They had some spare cloths laying around so that didn’t take too much time. The kitchen itself on the other hand was a disaster.

The cleaning materials they had there wasn’t strong enough to remove the blacker stains and soot. Several items, utensils and supplies needed to be disposed of right out; most of those included actual food.

That alone had taken them roughly an hour.

“What are you guys doing?” Hina said, catching them in the middle of covering their mess.

“ Hina…um…spring cleaning?” Makoto lied.

“Was there a fire?” Sakura said, sniffing the air.

“There totally was, I’ve seen Yuuta nearly burn the house down lots of times and I know that smell anywhere.”

He shouldn’t have gotten out of bed…

Naegi and Ishimaru explained their circumstances. There wasn’t much to tell as the ordeal could be summed up in a few words: Neither of them had any cooking experience.

“You blockheads.” Hina yelled. “You could have at least waited for us before you went through with it. That was the plan, Taka.”

“Plan?” Makoto tilted his head.

“Well yeah. Since you got sick all of a sudden, Taka suggested we have healthier meals to strengthen our immune system. I was all for it but I didn’t think he’d start this soon and with no experience to boot!”

Really? They did that for him? The thought made him feel happy…and a bit guilty for yelling so much at Taka now…

“I agree with Hina. Why did you not wait for us, Kiyotaka?” Sakura interjected.

The accused folded his arms and sighed “I am ashamed to admit it…but I was bored and nobody else was awake. I thought I might as well get a head start.”

Well, he could understand the sentiment.

“So who here even knows how to cook?” Makoto asked. From the sounds of it, they were either below average or better at less healthier foods.

“I believe Togami to be the best in the class.” Sakura said.

The rest of them had a difficult time processing that interesting bit of information.

“Uh, Sakura. I trust you and all…but I really can’t picture that jerk stepping anywhere near a kitchen unless it’s to trash-talk the chef.” Hina commented.

“I don’t know if I’d put it that way but I would have to agree with Hina. Togami doing any sort of physical labor is very unlikely.” Kiyotaka added

Naegi would probably have joined their assumptions but he remembered Togami once saying he excelled in multiple fields outside of drowning in wealth. But it probably wouldn’t help Togami’s case if Makoto also told them the Progeny also referred to himself as “The Ultimate Perfection.”

“I speak the truth…although I’m not surprised you would doubt me. I may not have believed it myself had I not caught him one day in the Food and nutrition room back at the academy.”

“Alone? How suspicious.” Ishimaru said. The hall monitor knew he was the last person who should be talking right now, in Makoto’s honest opinion.

Hina nodded “Maybe he’s embarrassed. This could be good dirt, tell us  more Sakura!”

Makoto, Kiyotaka and Sakura gave the swimmer disappointed glances.

“I fear I may not approve of your intentions, Hina.” Taka admonished her.

“Don’t you start when we all know that jerk needs to be knocked down a peg.”  The tanned girl glared.

Sakura shook her head while Makoto scratched his. Hina was correct in the sense that Togami’s ego could be a bit overbearing at times. Togami’s pride had ticked a lot of them off at first (himself included), they now thought it was sort of the heir’s charm.

Hina was among the few left in the class who hadn’t moved past Togami’s put-downs which he thought was pretty strange given she  was only beaten by Hiro as the most easygoing person Makoto had ever met.

 “Be that as it may, I doubt Togami would be ashamed for any of you to learn of this detail…and if it was a secret that he would rather not be made public, I certainly would not have told a soul.” Sakura frowned at Hina’s conduct as she spoke, causing the swimmer to lower her head down, crestfallen.

“What makes you think Togami’s okay with us knowing?” Didn’t sound like a big deal to him.

“Hmm. From what I recall, the ordeal took place not long after our first meeting. I had just finished my daily training and was looking for supplements to consolidate muscle growth. That was when I happened upon Togami.”


 

“Who’s there?” A bespectacled youth spoke harshly.

“There is no cause for alarm.” Sakura introduced herself, puzzled at why this one would be alone here. Then again, he had given the impression of one who prefers isolation. What he was doing here, was another matter.

“Oh? I wasn’t under the impression skulking in the shadows fit your style, brute.”

“I shall make no excuses. However, I would say the same of you. Given your countenance, I would think making your own meals would be beneath someone of your status.”

“Hahaha, quite an amusing joke. And what would you know of status?” He smirked.

“While I know little in the way of finance, I am the heir to a martial arts dojo that has strived for centuries, undisturbed by flow of time.”

The affluent progeny frowned. “That’s all you have to compare with? Get lost. I’ve no time for you.”

…That was something she could not take lying down

“You would be wise not to challenge my credentials. An insult to my person is trivial, an insult to my succession or my art is spitting on the history marked by all who came before me.” The ogre let out a menacing aura “And I will not take that lightly, Togami.”

Upon hearing the figter’s proclamation, the blonde’s amused expression returned in full-force.

“So you would resort to violence, merely because I don’t agree with your views?” He mocked her

“No. Should you choose to step on the basis of my pride, my combat prowess... then I will be left with no choice but to make you acknowledge me using everything I have learned from it. I am sure you would do the same; were someone to accost the worth of your talent, how else would you counter but to crush those false beliefs under the weight of that which they wrongly disparaged?”

The heir was silent for a brief moment.

"Good answer. No, it was almost perfect; I'm quite pleased not all of you are purposeless garbage.  Although, you’re still off the mark. ”

Sakura raised an eyebrow

“You mock me by asserting I am on the same playing field as the rest of you. Prove them wrong with my talent, you say? Which talent would you be referring to?  Unlike the rest of you, I am not limited to a single spectrum of success for there is nothing in the world that Byakuya Togami does not excel at.”

It would appear there were no limits to his arrogance. Interesting, perhaps it would be a worthwhile venture to test just how much of Togami’s words could be backed.

“Then I’m sure you must have some physical skill. If your words are true then indulge me in a spar; I have been searching for a worthwhile partner thus far.” His personality could use work however if his actions were nearly as adept as his boasts then they would more than compensate.

“Play your game? No, I don’t think I have any intention of getting myself dirty right before a meeting I’m short on time so we’ll settle it with this.” Togami motioned to a plate by his side.

“Steak Tartare, is the name. You said cooking was unbefitting of my status. You’d be right, I have servants to do that for me and Aloysius would be most displeased if he were to find me lowering myself to their level.” He frowned.

“That’s why this should make a perfect test; to prove that something so out of my depth can be grasped with effort. Eat it.” He demanded

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t see an issue here. Judging from your state, I can only assume you just finished weight-training. An athlete like yourself will consider eating next to build muscle right? Consider yourself honored that I have chosen to lend a hand at this convenient time.”

Sakura shook her head. “I’m afraid I must decline.”

“Your reason?”

“You’ve caught me at a similarly bad time. I’ve recently decided to abstain from overly dense foods for the next while.”

“A lighter diet is it?” Togami clicked his tongue

“Wait here. I’ll only be a few minutes.” He declared, before rummaging through the kitchen supplies.

“Are you not busy?” Sakura inquired.

“That can wait. I am not one to pass up a chance to prove my superiority and that isn’t starting now.”

At the very least, he was dedicated. That was more than the martial artist could say for most.

The heir returned 30 minutes later with a new dish.

“Risotto cacciatore. Healthier and easier on digestion but should still be enough to soothe your palette.”

“I have never heard the name. Is it foreign?”

“To you, yes. But never mind that and please, help yourself.”

Sakura indulged herself on the plate and before she knew it, the contents were gone.

“Well what do you say?”

“Excellent.” She admitted. “I do not believe I’ve had such  an impressive meal as long as I can remember.”

He laughed and took a seat opposite from her “That’s what I like to hear.  And Aloysius tells me the culinary arts are a waste of time. That goes to show wisdom doesn’t always correlate with experience.”

“You’ve mentioned that name before; would this Aloysius happen to be your father.” Sakura could never imagine calling her father by his given name but her customs didn’t necessarily apply to others…

“Ha! He may as well be. As far as I’m concerned, Aloysius is worth more.” Togami turned his head in disdain.

“I take it you do not get along with them.”

“…I don’t know myself."


 

Italian cuisine?

“Ha! I bet he wanted to impress you by being all fancy.”  Hina said.

“No, that actually makes sense. Togami is half-Italian after all.” Taka clarified.

“Really?” I figured Togami was mixed-blood but I wouldn’t have guessed Italian, how did Taka know that?

“I don’t know that much about them but I am aware that the Togami practice breeding with foreigners. Togami’s school records have his biography. Actually, that’s about the only worthwhile information his records did contain. The Togami group is secretive; despite their repute, barely anything about them is known. As  theycan’t exactly hide their appearances, anyone would notice foreign genes - I’m guessing that’s why this particular detail wasn’t worth hiding in the first place” He finished.

“Y-You have access to our records?” Hina said frightened.

Why the exaggerated reaction? Makoto didn’t think that was out of the ordinary. He would have thought she’d be miffed at how there was barely any dirt on her proclaimed rival.

 “Of course! It’s my duty and obligation as the class representative to know which of my classmates are in need of guidance.”

“B-But-“

“Hina.” Sakura silenced the swimmer. “Kiyotaka, I would like to speak with you later about this matter. In private.” She addressed the moral compass, who nodded with a confused expression.

 “Uh guys, back to the problem?” He needed to get this train back on track “Sakura, did anything else happen with Togami? Anything that might give you the impression he’d help us out is fine.”

“Hmm, it would appear that cooking is a persistent hobby for him. The both of us came to an agreement that would meet  once a month. I would be treated to gourmet cuisine and serve as a taste-tester for him.”

Makoto really couldn’t picture the heir enjoying something like that. It just didn’t match his preconceptions.

“Every month!?” Hina yelled, apparently having greater difficulty at accepting Sakura’s words.

“Yes. Is that an issue?”

“Of course it is. You’ve been meeting with the enemy for who knows how long!”

Considering Sakura said this was shortly after their introduction to Hope’s Peak, she and Togami had been  in contact as long as the girls had known each other, If not longer.

Hina probably wouldn’t take that well so it was probably better to keep quiet about it.

“And worse, you’ve practically been at a free high-class buffet. How could you not invite your best friend?”

“…Because I knew you would react this way.” Sakura started “ Hina, I do not believe you and Togami are yet capable of civil conversation;  a verbal  dispute would ensue in minutes and Togami would simply leave. I planned to invite you at some point in the hopes that one day the two of you would reach an understanding…however…”

Yeah. Makoto didn’t see that happening any time soon either.

Hina crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. “Maybe if he wasn’t so mean all the time, I’d be a little nicer too.”

“…More to the point, I do not believe Togami would instruct either of us. He seemed adamant against it when I asked for pointers. If I recall, his exact words were...”

“Rejected. I have absolutely nothing to gain from teaching. If you want to improve then do what I did and read the world-class encyclopedia on the culinary arts. If you can afford one, that is.”

 “Not like we’d find something like that here…or in Japan. How much would that even cost?”

“I asked Chihiro to search it on the internet for me as I lack the skill. He told me, it cost a little over a million.” Sakura frowned.

“That’s my living expenses for like a year.” Hina interjected however Sakura shook her head.

“I think she means dollars, Hina. Not yen. That’s more than you’ll make in decades.” A voice said and Sakura nodded. The others quieted down, entrenched in their own stupefaction.

“That’s a bit much for a book…hehe.” Makoto scratched his chin before his eyes widened

“Wait, who said that?” He looked to find Ryouko yawning behind him.

 “Ryouko, you’re awake.” That was something to be thankful for.

“Yeah, just in time to be reminded of how hopeless Byakun is.”  She shrugged.

“Anyway, it doesn’t really matter if he has to teach you. We’ve barely got any food left thanks to somebody.” She pouted in Taka’s direction. The hall monitor averted his eyes.

“If Byakun doesn’t want to starve then he’ll have to cook.” That was sound logic. According to Sakura, Togami didn’t like teaching, not serving….okay that didn’t sound right either.

“And if he doesn’t. I’ll just help out.” She offered

“Eh? You know how to cook?” He couldn’t imagine that one bit. He was surprised Ryouko could even put on her own clothes. He didn’t want to say one of his best friends was an airhead…but she was pretty close.

“Not sure I approve of that tone…but yes. I mean, not like Muku can. If I let her anywhere near the kitchen, she’d probably poison the both of us.” Ryouko shuddered.

So they had two cooking experts. At least now he wouldn’t worry about starving.

“Let’s just be glad Taka didn’t burn the supermarket down too. Or else we’d be out of supplies too; can’t make anything out of nothin’, you know?”

 Makoto noticed Ryouko hadn’t stopped glaring at Taka.

“My apologies.” Taka bowed his head.

“Come on, Ryouko. It’s no good to hold a grudge.” Not like he was one to talk since he’d forced Taka into similar circumstances a few hours ago.

Ryouko smiled “Fiiiine. I’ll let it slide this time since you were only looking out for Makoto over here.”

 “Yeah, Makoto. You need to take better care of yourself.” “Agreed. It may be time for me to start enforcing a training regimen on you. You are far too thin for a boy your age.”

Hina  and Sakura jumped in

 “Don’t turn the situation over on me!” Makoto blushed. Now it felt like the kitchen burning down really was his fault.

“And it’s quite the situation indeed.” It was Celes who spoke and trailing behind her were … Hifumi (who looked like he was about to faint at the sight of the kitchen), Mondo, Ikusaba, Hiro, Sayaka, Kizakura, Touko…just about everyone else, excluding Kyouko, Chihiro and Togami.

 Oh crap. They didn’t finish cleaning up!

“Well, care to explain yourselves, kids?” Kizakura said harshly

“I can explain.” “Uh…see it all started like.” “This has nothing to do with me.” “We found them and the kitchen messed up, right Sakura?” “Indeed.”

Makoto, Ryouko, Asahina and Sakura gazed amongst each other before coming to an unspoken agreement.

“Taka’s fault.” They stated in unison.

“Traitors!”


 

“This is why your mothers told you not to play with the stove, idiots.” Kizakura addressed them all. Even the ones that had nothing to do with the fire.

“Yes, sir.” The students droned.

“I’ll at least give you 5 troublemakers credit on coming up with a solution quickly. Anyone who is confident in their skills, raise your hand.”

Ryouko, Sayaka and Hifumi raised their hands.

Ikusaba motioned to do the same until

“Sis, raise that hand up and I’ll cut it off.” Ryouko snarled.

Ikusaba frowned, turning her head to the side as she placed her hand back down

Ryouko was kind of harsh. Surely, Ikusaba couldn’t be that bad…and even if she was, a little instruction would help.

“That makes 3 then. Good enough for rotating shifts of breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Kizakura decided.

“Uh. I think that might be 4 since Togami can cook too, apparently.” Makoto said…and was met with dead silence.

“He’s kidding, right?” Kizakura doubted him, as did the other students who weren’t around for Sakura’s explanation.

“He probably still has a fever.”

 “D-Damn right he does; Master would never waste his time on something like that. And t-there’s  also no way Makoto could know more about my white knight t-than I do.” Touko agreed with ****

“Touko…” Makoto  muttered. Before he could finish, as footsteps came from the stairway.

He didn’t understand why his breath hitched as she came into view.

 “Is breakfast not ready?” Kyouko Kirigiri said, gazing at the group with mild confusion.

The others reacted aptly…and yet, he was overwhelmed by foreign sensations; a light headache, and heat flowed through his entire body.

Before he knew it, he’d already made his way over to Kyouko.

“Makoto, did you need something?” She said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. She was never one for being in close proximity with others and right now, Makoto was breaching the barriers of her personal face.

Those barriers were shattered when the luckster suddenly embraced her.

“!” The detective froze in his arms

Kizakura nearly choked on his alcohol flask

“Oh my.” Celestia said

“Woah!” Mondo shouted

“Has Mister Naegi finally awakened to his protagonist status!?” Hifumi commented.

“W-wait. Is he crying?” Sayaka said, worried

And she was right. He noticed as he pulled away from the unresponsive detective that tears had fell down his cheeks.

He didn’t know why. All he knew is that right now, he couldn’t look Kyouko or anyone else in the face

So he didn’t and stared at the ground

“S-sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” He breathed out.

Nobody replied…nor did the tense atmosphere dip in the slightest.

Makoto bit his lip and walked past Kyouko, his destination being…anywhere but there.

Not a soul motioned to stop him.

-[Mixed PoVs]-

 

“Should any of us go after him?” Hina finally broke the ice.

“Nah. I doubt he’d want us to after that. I didn’t think Makoto had the guts to be so forward.” Hiro added

“Gotta agree with Hiro. If Makoto’s a man, he’ll want to be alone right now.” Mondo nodded, convinced in his own conclusion.

“What does being a man have to do with anything? Makoto’s fairly timid by nature so a public display of affection is grossly out of character. What matters is why he did it.” Celes said, wearily.

“Well, Kirigiri. Any ideas?” Ikusaba addressed the detective.

Kyouko gave no indication of having a prepared answer nor had she said a word prior. She just sat by the corner in contemplation.

“I think Kyouko’s having some troubles of her own.”  Sayaka said.

Kizakura shook his head in amusement. “Leave him alone for now. However, I can’t deny our little mascot has done some rather uncharacteristic things, so I’ll ask some of you to keep an eye on him at your convenience.”

The group nodded

“He's definitely acting strange...and not just bear-hugging Kirigiri either. There’s something else that’s been bugging me since yesterday.” Ryouko said in a cold, calculating tone.

The Ultimate Analyst’s eyes were drawn to her red-head classmate “Leon, did you do something to anger Makoto?”

“Huh? Hell if I know. He was fine the day before yesterday.” The athlete replied.

"You're sure?" She pressed him

"Positive."

“Understood…then can you explain why he hasn’t acknowledged your existence since then?”

Chapter 11: Risentimento/Grudge

Notes:

Don't think I mentioned this before but the "regrets" section at the end of a chapter does have importance for the story. They will either be teases into a character's psyche or (in Leon's case at the end of chapter 3 and explored in chapter 6) be lines that will outright be said in the future.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Makoto Naegi crouched by the edge of the port, entranced by the sea.

He reached into his pocket to pick out a silky white handkerchief and wiped his eyes.

What was he thinking? Why would he do that to Kyouko of all people?  She’d never forgive him for embarrassing her like that.

Maybe he was sick.

Should he go back and apologize? ...Heck no. Nothing had changed, he wouldn’t even know what to say to anybody.

“Why am I so lame?” He placed his forehead into his palms

“…Eh?” He said, as he finally took in the soft yet foreign fabric in his hands.

Where did I get this?

He examined the handkerchief and was drawn to the inscribed initials “K.M”

This definitely didn’t belong to him so where did he get it?...Makoto had been told by Kizakura that he was sleepwalking…maybe that way?

He shook his head and placed the cloth back in his pocket. Regardless of whether he picked it up, there was a strong impulse within that suggested he keep it.

“I guess I should start thinking of what to say…and maybe Kyouko might need some time too.” He didn’t need to apologize immediately, that’d be awkward. Maybe tomorrow would be enough time.

Yeah, he’d just apologize tomorrow.

-[Multiple PoV]-

 

“What is this fool doing?” Byakuya Togami said as soon as he entered the restaurant.

The idiot in this instance referred to Leon but it could easily have been substituted for an ambiguous denominator for everyone in the room; each of them expressed some gloomy demeanor that irritated him on the spot. The orangutan was just particularly aggravating.

“Not in the mood, Toges.” Leon Kuwata brushed him off.

That was almost interesting. Togami turned to face the others, implicitly re-applying his earlier question.

“I wasn’t here either but from what they told me, Leon’s getting ignored by Makoto.” Fujisaki answered. At least someone could be counted on.

“Oh? So the buffoon is mad because the runt isn’t paying attention? That would almost be adorable if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

"Why’d you tell him, Chii?” Leon groaned “Listen here, rich pants. You wouldn’t know how it feels to angst over your best bud giving you the cold shoulder if it hit you in the face.  Not like you’d ever have to worry about that since you’ll never get one.”

“And yet you’re the one moping like a dog right now. No thanks if that’s what I’ll have to deal with.”Togami’s lips tightened ever so slightly before sitting by an empty table. He adorned a smirk as a certain detective crossed his vision. “Well, that explains the sports idiot, but what of you, Kirigiri? I have a hard time believing you’re bothered by Naegi ignoring him too.

The detective cast him a sidelong glance. Not a single emotion could be conveyed from her features.

That is, if you weren’t Byakuya Togami.

He snickered, catching the annoyed gazes of a few others “I can hazard a rather vague guess but I’d rather you spit it out.”

“Well now, that is quite the discerning eye, Togami. Even I might have had some trouble seeing through Kyouko…what tipped you off?” Celestia addressed him.

“It wasn’t just her expressions but also the reactions of a few choice people in the room; place Naegi at the center and…well, any moron could figure it out. I just picked Kirigiri because it would be more interesting that way.”

Said “choice people” glared at him and all but confirmed his suspicions.

“I wouldn’t have got that just from looking at a bunch of folks.” Hagakure said.

“Oh but Hagakure, you’re not just any moron. I assure you.”

“Putting the idiot aside, you seem to be in high spirits today. I wonder…would you indulge me in a game?” Celestia twirled a single playing card immaculately on her pinky.

“That depends on whether there are stakes.” Did she think he'd take that bait?

“It’s not really much of a gamble if there aren’t any.”

“Then I’ll have to decline.”

“Oh? Now isn’t that surprising. For the great Byakuya Togami to shy away from provocation.”

“It just goes to show how little you know. Making assumptions can be dangerous Celestia Ludenberg; someone in your trade should be aware of that more than anyone.”

“…Very well.”

“Now then. How long has this been going on?” He asked.

“About a few hours…” Yamada answered

“And you’ve all just sat here doing nothing?”

“We decided it would be best to give Naegi his space.” 

“…Nonsense..If you’ll excuse me, I’ll find something to eat.” He stood up and faced the kitchen.

“At the supermarket?” Sayaka interjected

“No, the kitchen…why would you expect me to walk all the way over there?” Togami looked at her puzzled.

“…Because your reaction will be funnier this way now.” She threw his earlier words back at him.

Togami raised his eyebrows at the idol’s intentionally ambiguous phrasing. He moved towards the kitchen and detected lingering fragrance of soot and smoke. Fearing the worst, he opened the kitchen door threatened to facepalm at what he saw

“Is there literally not a working brain cell among you?”                                         

Everyone else giggled and snickered at the heir.

“Anyway, its probably best if we leave Naegi to his own devices. He’ll come around soon.” Kizakura said

“How long is soon?” Leon moped

“A day, probablyy.”

“Is it safe to leave Naeggs alone for that long? The little dude’s a walking hazard.” Everyone agreed that Yasuhiro was probably right about that.

“He’ll be fine and while I can’t promise he won’t get lost. We still have those fashionable bracelets that’ll let me know exactly where you kids are.” Kizakura pointed to the bracelets. 

“But you guys should have more faith in the mascot. It’s only a day at most.”

 

-5 days later-

A brooding atmosphere filled the room.

“It appears I might have made an error in judgment.” Kizakura confessed. Judging by how things turned out, obviously he did.

“To be honest, even I didn’t anticipate things would turn out quite this grim.” Hifumi added

The Naegi dilemma as they’d termed it had taken a turn for the worse. The expectations were that everything would have been fine the coming day and thus nobody took the initiative to resolve the issue immediately. 

"Worst vacation ever!" Leon's frustration had reached their boiling point.

"Sure...if you discount the luxury hotels, rooms, the attractions and  being on a resort worth billions, then yeah, total bummer." Sarcasm dripped from Hiro's rep

For which Leon chose to ignore "Glad you agree."

"Why don't you just admit you fucked up somehow and apologize? You probably ragged on his hair again." Hiro rolled his eyes

"I'm telling you I didn't do jack." Leon countered

"Maybe he's telling the truth." Sayaka said.

"What? You believe him?" Hiro asked.

"I think so. Makoto isn't the type to get angry that easily. I mean, think about what Leon has done to him in the past and by that, I'm talking about the very first day here." He would have to agree with Sayaka's assessment. Naegi was one of the more composed members of the class. That said, he wasn't sure what the idol had been referring to.

 A resounding bout of giggles erupted across the room from so someone else did at least.

"Oh yea. You talkin about when Leon 'accidentally' gave the squirt the wrong directions." Mondo elaborated while clutching his sides

"Was that how he wandered off into the girl's change rooms?" Sakura inquired. Ah, even he'd heard this story.

Sayaka giggled "Yup..though I'm surprised you know about that. I didn't think you were there."

"Like she needed to be when a good bunch of the school heard about it. Heck, that was the first time the kid really got on my radar  I'll never forget the look on Jin's face when he got the news." Kizakura was amused. He wasn't sure why. Voyeurism was a serious crime. If he hadn't experienced Makoto's abysmal luck firsthand, he would consider the luckster in need of severe reformation.

"Can you believe Naeggs has never thanked me for that? I'm the reason he got famous. Plus I'm sure he got a great view too." Leon said.

The girls gazed at him in disgust.

"You also nearly got him expelled on the first day." Sayaka glared at him.

Leon shrugged "Either way. I've done nothing recently to get him mad at me. If he could handle that on the first day, no way I'm the one at fault now. Maybe he's going through an emo phase."

"Not helping your case, Leon." Hina shook her head."Look, even if you think you didn't do anything wrong, Makoto might have taken it that way. Just go say you're sorry already."

"But I've been trying. Every time I get close, he just acts all skittish and brushes me off. Sometimes I don't think he even notices I'm there."

Leon groaned and planted his head on the table.

"Heheh. T-Trouble in paradise?" Touko mocked.

The athlete didn't raise his head to spare a glance at the author and raised his middle finger; the gesture was unknown to him. He wasn't certain why Touko brought up those accusations either. Surely, Makoto would have better taste than that hoodlum even if he did have such inclinations.

"Forgetting Leon, we should probably do something." Asahina said, giving him the opening he'd been waiting for. 

"I have just the idea!" Kiyotaka shouted

"I thought you'd been quiet for a while now. Did you think of a solution?" Kizakura said

"Indeed I have." He'd spent all night thinking about it and now was the time to show it off.

"I propose we organize a Banquet Festival!"

The crowd went silent

"Cool idea and all, bro but haven't we been over the, 'only 3 of us has any fuckin idea how to cook?' Or are we going to make them do all the work?" Mondo replied.

"Have no fear, bro. That fact is essential to my solution." Taka advised.

"Taka wants to make this a bonding exercise while doubling as a learning venture." Sayaka said.

Everyone simultaneously stared at her, oddly.

"I'm not psychic, really."

"Er...she is right, regardless." Kiyotaka confirmed.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea. Though there'll need to be strict conditions, of course." Kizakura instructed. 

"Spit it out, teach." Leon said.

"You need an advisor at all times, it won't be me but get someone who has experience monitoring those that don't; that goes double...triple! for Hagakure - at no point do i want that idiot left to his own devices."

Everyone nodded.

Yes, everyone

"Hiro, you know he just insulted you right. Why are you agreeing with him?" Asahina said.

"Yeah but he's not wrong, ya know. There was this one time i tried cooking 'veggies' for a bunch of my old pals and man, things got real heated...if you catch my drift"

"I am not sure I understand." Kiyotaka asked, quizzically.

"Please don't make him elaborate. It'd be a real pain in the ass to turn one of my students into the police. In fact, new rule - Hagakure isn't allowed to touch anything." Kizakura was dead serious.

His proposition was met with unanimity.

"Okay, even if we settle that predicament, exactly who is going to be teaching? Ms.Maizono, Ms Otonashi myself would have our hands full with only a few of you."

"Not really sure on Ryouko helping..." Sayaka started.

"Of course she would, she already gave her consent days ago." Taka said.

"...Well, try your best." Sayaka sighed, thinking he'd figure it out himself.

"Eh, does anyone even know where Ryouko is?" Hina asked.

"Last I checked, she was with her creepy sister down at the beach." Leon said. Kiyotaka frowned at the poor word choice.

"Might you want to rephrase that off-handed comment on Ikusaba." Sakura cracked her knuckles

"Yes ma'am, pardon me ma'am." Leon nodded rapidly.

"...Idiot." Sayaka shook her head.


 

 

"Not interested. It doesn't concern me." Was Ryouko's immediate response to the Kiyotaka's suggestion. 

He couldn't understand the source of her disapproval however her mind didn't change despite his constant attempts.

"Odd, she seemed eager to lend a hand  the morning I burnt the kitchen." He said to himself as he walked aimlessly. Already his plan had met a major setback.

"What business did you have with Ryouko?" A familiar voice called out from behind. Kiyotaka turned around to find Mukuro Ikusaba.

"f you don't mind me asking. I was just curious." She continued.

"Ah, the class is planning on having a cooking festival and I needed her expertise. She turned me down, unfortunately."

"Expectedly. This is the first I'm hearing of this though." She said in a tone that he just couldn't pin down. Ikusaba was a complete mystery to him.

"That's because I thought of it today. The festival was supposed to be a way to bring us all closer. Especially after what happened to Naegi and Kirigiri." He muttered

"All of us...including me?" She said, pensive.

"Obviously. You are part of the class, why on Earth would I make you an exception." He assumed she wasn't willing to participate. Well twins were known to share preferences and dislikes.

Ikusaba was silent for a time.

"So this all started with Naegi then?" She said suddenly. Why Ikusaba zoned in on that detail was odd but before he could ask, she continued "I'm guessing you didn't mention that part to my sister."

"No. With her compliance a few days ago, I thought she wouldn't need any thorough convincing." 

"Naegi was there with you back then, wasn't he?"

"Uh...yes, but I don't think that's important."

"You'd be wrong." Ikusaba shrugged "Sis has something of a one track mindset. She'll only lift a finger for whatever or whoever she takes a significant interest in."

"That's rather harsh." Just what did Ryouko think of the rest of them? Kiyotaka personally thought he had redeemable traits at least.

"You shouldn't take it personally. Usually, Ryouko wouldn't even recognize the existence of most people; all of them may as well be faceless dolls who just happen to be capable of movement. That she interacts with the rest of you at all is miraculous and definitely means you're special...Naegi is just moreso, I guess."

She turned around. 

He couldn't understand the person in front of him nor did he know much about them. However...the way her hands clenched into a fist told him all that he needed to know.

"I'm almost envious, really. A long time ago, my sister wouldn't respond to anyone; not our parents and not even me. I tried hard to get her to recognize me...you couldn't even imagine." Ikusaba said.

"I don't suppose I can, not without knowing your circumstances. That said, I believe I may have gone through similar circumstances in my family; you may know about it as it was a very...public ordeal  ." This was getting a bit heavy. He'd prefer to end the topic there, if possible.

"it was lonely, wasn't it?" He spoke with caution, the worst he could here was appear insensitive.

The expressionless soldier briefly closed her eyes.

"Yes, it was." It was a response no less monotonous than all the others


 

Could he go to the amusement park? They had a bunch of fun stuff there.

Makoto laid on his bed, thinking of possible diversions.

No arcades but there were a bunch of attractions like the funhouse, the rollercoaster, the castle and...the casino.

All of those areas comprised the forth island wihch was probably the smallest of the bunch, save the first.

The funhouse was out of the question. His talent assured he'd get lost there forever or at least, until someone came for him. That would kind of defeat the point of looking for something fun to do alone.

You need at least two people to ride the rollercoasters so that was also unlikely.

The castle...well, there was nothing stopping him from exploring over there. The archaic texture and medieval artifacts within were pretty cool at least...but he always believed the castle was the least interesting attraction of the 4. There was just so little to do there  and the place wasn't that big; it just didn't fit with the scale of everything else.

Last but not least was the casino. Now this was a relatively new addition to the resort, what with high class business attendants and ventures coming in and out. Makoto figured the casino was somewhere they could entertain themselves by betting their finances against one another. It was certainly no place for a student...although that logic certainly didn't apply to Celes, who made it her number one priority to commandeer the area. If you couldn't find her with everyone else, then there she'd be there without question. 

He'd entertained the possibility of hanging out with her however,...that would definitely cost him and he meant that literally. In that environment, there's no way she'd resist the temptation to goad him into a gamble. Ever since Celes heard of his title, she'd wanted a crack at him...and well, she's the ultimate gambler! What idiot would willingly bet against her?

Not him. He thought...as he recalled tales of Celes winning numerous underground tournaments.

She was undoubtedly exceptional, and certainly too much for someone like him to compete against.

And yet Makoto couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps one day, would find out for himself exactly how exceptional she was personally.

...

Maybe Hiro's free.

The next moment, he found his door suddenly kicked open.

"Yo, shrimp." It was Leon.

"Did you need something?" Makoto addressed him

"Woah harsh...but yeah I guess."

Was he being harsh? He didn't think so but it was possible. Leon had approached him constantly in recent memory and often for no reason. It was becoming annoying  a little bothersome.

"Anyway, Taka's planning a party and you're invited."

Huh? Taka and party didn't mix so Leon must have failed to elaborate on the details. Still, it sounded interesting...then again, maybe not.

"That sounds like it'd be awkward for me. I'll pass."

"Man you need to get over this. Nobody cares that you went all PDA with Kyouko. Hell, I'd be congratulating you right now if you weren't having your period over it."

"I am not!" Makoto argued back "And she cares. Kyouko hates when others barge in on her privacy and she's scary when she's mad."

"Hmm...true, you're probably screwed. But let me tell you that avoiding her isn't helping any."

"I know that." He snapped.

:"Great so no objection then. Let's go." Leon forcefully grabbed his arm.

"Hey, wait!" He said, being dragged along by the athlete.


 

Everyone was gathered around central island. All of them facing Taka who stood in front of the statue.

"I'm glad everyone made it. I will now announce what I have planned for the next while." He said jovially

Makoto looked around and found the some as confused and anxious as he. He could only assume nobody knew the full extent of what it was Taka had in mind.

While scanning the area, his eyes widened as they met with Kyouko's. They stayed like that for what was probably a second yet felt much longer.

She broke eye contact first and returned her attention to Taka. Makoto let out a the breath he'd held in.

"I've decided we'll have a cooking showdown! All of us will be grouped into teams that will compete against each other one week from now. Each pair will have one supervisor who already has experience in the field and will help those less experienced grow."

It sounded simple enough

Leon raised his hand "What do we get if we win? Not much of a contest if the prize ain't worth, you know."

"Agreed, fellow classmate. Mr.Kizakura, if you will?"

"Sure. Winners get As on all subjects on their report card. You don't even have to show up to class, not that some of you ever do."

"That reward is unethical!" Taka dramatically pointed at the teacher

"Okay, buzzkill.  100 000 yen out of pocket, how does that sound?" Almost everyone gasped at the amount. Exactly how much did he get paid to wave around that kind of money?

"Don't be so surprised, the demerit for losing is severe. So to make sure none of you think you can half-ass this, there's a penalty for the team with the worst dish." Kizakura smile turned malicious.

Quite a few of them gulped.

"The loser gets one of their deepest secrets exposed to e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y." The fedora drew out a pair envelopes that had their names on it. Makoto tunnel-visioned in to his own

"Forget the grades. Now that can't be ethical! Why and how do you even know our secrets!?" Hina yelled.

Kizakura chuckled. "Don't know if you guys are aware? But I've got a talent too and that's the ultimate scout. This is Hope's Peak, you think I wouldn't thoroughly research your backgrounds before you got accepted into the school? No chance in hell."

"You've got to be joking." Hina said, dejectedly. She must really not want anyone to know about her secret...that went for everyone here. He wouldn't be happy for anyone to find out about his embarrassing past.

"Do not worry,Hina. I'm sure this is just a way to motivate us." Sakura placed a hand on the swimmer's shoulder.

"Yeah and it's just cooking. How hard can it be?" Mondo said

"You'd be wrong, bro." Ishimaru countered "The cooking aspect is merely one of the last stages. First you need to find the ingredients all over the island and use them in your recipe."

"WHAT?" Leon yelled. Guess he hadn't expected that. "Why not just get them from the supermarket?"

"Because that'd be boring, duh. I'll get the basic stuff like seasoning and red meat but you guys will need to come up with the rest. Anyone who thinks they can cheat and not get caught, loses automatically and gets their secrets  exposed. Not even joking." Kizakura warned.

This was getting serious.

"Um...what if some of the ingredients are poisonous?" Chihiro asked.

"Good question, Chihiro. That's why we have experts who will examine each ingredient before consumption." Taka answered

"Now onto our supervisors. They will consist of Sayaka, Hifumi and Ryouko."

...so 5 in each group. That seems like a lot of work.

"Ridiculous." An authoritative voice called out.

"Is there a problem Togami?"

"The game sounds interesting enough so I'll participate. I will not need a supervisor however and I'll be selecting my own team." The affluent progeny crossed his arms. "Fujisaki, you're with me."

Eh? That was an odd choice. Togami probably didn't have to worry about losing but he was the sort who'd win using the best tools at his disposal regardless. When had he thought so highly of Chihiro that he'd pick the programmer first?

"Can it, rich boy. Who made you king?" Mondo snarled.

However Chihiro was already standing besides Togami...

"S-seriously, Chi? You're fine working with that douche?" Mondo said, surprised.

"Uh...he's not so bad and I am happy someone picked me." Chihiro muttered shyly.

"W-Why, Master? H-How could you pick that runt over me!?" Touko cried. She was probably being dramatic on purpose. Hopefully.

"Be quiet, you're next." Togami responded and the author's despair practically vanished on the spot

"Oogami, you as well." He turned to face the martial artist

"Hell no!" Hina jumped between them. "Over my dead body you're taking Sakura away from me."

"Hina, you're exaggerating." Sakura chided her but the donut enthusiast refused to move.

"Pardon me. Togami but i would appear I must decline the invitation." Sakura refused

Togami nodded and trailed over to...

"Ikusaba, you'll do."

"Eh?" The soldier eyes widened slightly.

All eyes were now focused on her.

"Toges has some strange tastes." Leon said.

Makoto wanted to elbow him in the gut. Lightly, of course.

"Hmm...go for it, sis." Ryouko encouraged Ikusaba.

"My, you seem to be getting into this little game. Do you actually enjoy menial tasks?" Celes openly mocked him.

Togami met her with a similarly unimpressed look "Piece of advice, Celestia. Keep relying on others doing everything for you and you'll only have yourself to blame when you have nothing left to fall back on."

"Noted."  It didn't seem like she listened, really.

"Well, since Togami volunteered to pick his own team, that make things more balanced." Taka began.  "Let's see. Sayaka, you take Makoto, Leon and Kyouko."

The luckster;s eyes widened a the compass' declaration...but he also knew any objections he made here would definitely bite him in the ass. He  didn't even bother looking at the other two.

I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today.

"Glaaaaaaare." Ryouko interjected...glaring at Kiyotaka "I want to be with Makoto."

Taka frowned while Makoto sighed.

He really wanted to go back to his room.

"Sayaka, fight me for it." Ryouko pouted

"I'd really rather not. You can have that group if you'd like." Sayaka replied, not one to even entertain a spat.

"Awesome." Ryouko ran over and motioned for a high-five. Sayaka met the gesture with a giggle and then turned to the rest of the group.

"I guess I'll take...Hina, Sakura and Celes." 

 An all-girls group...Hina and Sakura would work together great but he didn't think the same could be said of Celes. Sayaka would have her work cut out for her.

"Another unexpected roadblock. There goes Plan A." Taka muttered to himself.

"Plan?" Makoto said, catching Taka's attention.

"Hmm? What plan?" Taka replied

"Huh? You just said-'

"-To continue this conversation later, first I must have a private meeting with each team advisor." Taka cut him off.

That made no sense. But if he was so bent on dodging the issue...

Kiyotaka left with Sayaka, Ryouko and Hifumi while Togami was busy with his own group.

As for himself...well...

"H-hey Kyou-" As he mentioned the her name, the detective was already walking away from him.

It was unlikely she hadn't heard him from the short distance that separated them...and that hurt. 

Naegi felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Leon standing over him with a pity look.

"You'll get her next time, buddy." He said.

Those were word of encouragement. They certainly were. Leon joked around a lot but he would never laugh at his expense in this sort of situation.

So why?

Why did Makoto feel like his supposed friend was mocking him? Nearly everything Leon did put him on the precipice of indignation. That was the truth he couldn't shy away from any longer.

Naegi smacked Leon's arm off his shoulder

"Woah, dude?" He almost sounded hurt

"Uh, sorry about that. I don't think I'm feeling well today. Tell Taka I'll hear the rest of the details tomorrow." Makoto answered with doubtful sincerity, made even more apparent by the fact that he didn't face Leon.

Before Leon could even respond, he was already heading back to his cottage.

Funny, it was an action not unlike what Kyouko had done moments before. Was this team going to be alright?

Leon hadn't done anything wrong...so the problem had to be his own. Was he still sick?

The throbbing headache that surged during his ruminations served as his answer.

He needed sleep.

He also knew it wouldn't help.

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

"What were you thinking?" He snapped at Ryouko

 "I wasn't!" She yelled back, comically.

"Evidently." Hifumi shook his head. "Ms.Otonashi. Mr Ishimaru's goal was to have Ms.Maizono lessen the friction between our fellow classmates. She has the social skills and is closer to them to make it work."

"Hey, I'm close too!"

"To Makoto yes. Leon and Kyouko? Not so much, in my opinion." Sayaka replied

"Leon's a perv and Kiks needs to smile more."

The others raised their eyebrow at Kyouko's new nickname.

"And why did you accept, Sayaka?" Kiyotaka wondered

The idol shrugged "Ryouko probably wouldn't work so well in other teams plus with a little guidance, I think she might be more effective than me in dealing with Makoto's problem."

"How do you figure?" 

"Uh. Her talent? Sorry but I can't compete with that kind of skill." Sayaka admitted.

They were all forced to recognize that as truth. Ryouko used her analytic abilities so rarely, they tended to forget how incredible it was. 

"Perhaps, the plan might still work out but you must direct their efforts into a unified one, Ryouko." Ishimaru said.

"You can count on me. I'll get those guys all buddy-buddy again in no time." Ryouko said, confidently.

"See. we can count on her." Sayaka agreed " What I'm more worried about is that little condition you added. Taka. Chihiro was right, some ingredients might be a little dangerous. I can spy some blatant ones but I'm not confident I can spot some lesser known toxic foods."

"No worries. Sis and I have got that covered too." Ryouko announced.

"Ikusaba? Are you sure?" Hifumi asked

"Duh! Why do you think Byakun picked her? Sis has all sorts of exp in the wild. She better after running from home for YEARS!" That was an interesting bit of information he wasn't aware of. Ikusaba had next to nothing on her documents. Nothing besides her fame in Fenrir but he could see the logic there.

"It's nice to have such capable friends." Sayaka smiled.

"Indeed. If there is nothing more, Mr.Ishimaru, we should group with Mr Hagakure and Oowada." Hifumi agreed

Kiyotaka nodded "Very well."

"Uh before that. Can me and Taka can have a chat?" Ryouko added

Sayaka and Hifumi looked between them confused and consented to the analyst's request. They left to meet their own teams.

"What did you say to Mukuro?" Ryouko demanded suddenly. It was unquestionably a demand. Her expression held no trace of amusement as cold blue eyes observed him like prey.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to. I merely requested she convince you to join." But he certainly wasn't one to kneel just in the face of intimidation...what kind of future prime minister would he be if he surrendered to...friendly questioning.

"No. There was more. What did you say to her specifically?"

"I told you; nothing. All that was said was for her to be sure both of you join us. That is all." Ah...perhaps Ikusaba really didn't wish to participate and was angry with him for making the event mandatory.

"Hmm. Did I anger your sister by including her? Should I have done otherwise?"

"Angry? I wouldn't care if she was. I just noticed she was acting differently and I narrowed the list of causes down to you." She said "But I might have an idea now. Thank you,"

"Er...you're welcome?" He wasn't sure what he did. The analyst's pace was all over the place.

"Ah, I'm serious about this. Thanks. Sis is always so gloomy but that time was different so I had to find out. Sis is pretty hopeless, if I don't watch out for her, I don't think anyone else will."

"Untrue!" He countered

"Huh?"

"What do you take us for? Paperweights? As classmates and friends, its our obligation and pleasure to look out for one another. Even if you didn't take care of your sister, we would."

 Ryouko's eyes widened slightly

"Pfft....ahahahahaha" The amnesiac's shoulders heaved as she laughed. A few seconds passed before she finally came to a stop

"Whew. I always thought you were a bit of a stiffy dork, Taka but I changed my mind. Well, you're still a dork but now...I think you're an interesting dork." She  smiled as she evaluated him.

That was a compliment, probably.

"Thank you. And I wish you good luck with Makoto and the others." He said.

"Don't worry. Leave those angsty teens to me." Ryouko answered him, boldly.

He truly felt he could. They were here to enjoy themselves and develop in a foreign and expansive environment. Surely that was the school's goal when they approved of the vacation conditions. 

Under his strict supervision, absolutely nothing could go wrong.

Notes:

Regrets #4

She had never been feminine.

As a child, she would go roughhousing with boys whereas other girls would play amongst each other with dolls.

She was unreserved and crude in her speech while they spoke immaculately and cutely.

She played sports all the time while they braided each other's hair.

She was different. She knew that. And she didn't hate herself for it. There was nothing wrong with being different.

The praise and sense of achievement she gained from using her athletic prowess, her talent, was there to remind her of that. No matter what sport she played, she received the highest marks without difficulty. She enjoyed playing of course but winning is what truly made it worthwhile.

It didn't matter if the girls disapproved behind her back or the guys called her a tomboy. She didn't need to think about any of that when that time could be better used to master her talent; She could be loved for that at least.

Compared to excelling at swimming, their scorn was insignificant. Everything was, just as long as she won.

Chapter 12: Fuoco Amico / Friendly Fire

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Makoto's eyes gingerly fluttered open. From his open window, he could tell that day had barely broke.

The time was 4:00 am in the morning and his head was pounding as a result of the nightmares that never ceased.

He was tired. He wanted nothing more than to lie in bed for the rest of the day...or two. Unfortunately, doing so would give his teammates a handicap at the onset of the contest. And with the threat of having their innermost secrets exposed, losing wasn't an option. They didn't necessarily have to win either but competing with a mindset of anything less was just asking for trouble.

His culinary experience was limited to mundane meals (noodles and rice) He wasn't terrible but he wasn't remotely good either. 

Leon was probably even worse to his knowledge. The athlete never made his own meals, or took care of his room, or did his own laundry or...just about anything really.

Kyouko was...a total mystery. She'd be the wild-card here...still, he couldn't imagine someone as Kyouko being anything but expedient at anything she did.

And last was Ryouko. He already knew she was probably an expert but was she reliable enough to teach? He couldn't be sure on that.

Sure enough, they were a rag-tag bunch of misfits scrapped together but they could make do. At least the other teams weren't all that better off.

Makoto shifted on his bed and closed his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.

Unfortunately, his door rudely slammed open as Ryouko shamelessly strutted in. 

"Morning!" He didn't pay one iota to her greeting for his attention was directed solely to her attire. Ryouko had ditched her regular school uniform for...hunting gear?  For reasons currently beyond understanding, Ryouko wore a round cap on her forehead, and camouflage jackets, shorts and long boots. Strangest of all was a long carrier bag strapped behind her. Similar to how someone would carry a guitar case on their backs.

...I have to start locking that door.

"A bit early for cosplay, isn't it?" If she said yes, that would be the simplest explanation he could possibly get, which is exactly why the real reason was going to be much more ridiculous.

"The early bird gets the treasure the and we've got some hunting to do." 

Is there really such an analogy?

He slowly stood out of bed. There was no hope for getting sleep. "Give me time to clean up."


 

"So where'd you get the gear?" Was the first thing he asked when they left his room. Admittedly, she made the outfit look good.

"The supermarket. Teach gave me the green light for these AND this bad-boy." She pulled on the bag's zipper and drew...out...a....hunting rifle?

"T-That's fake, right?"

"Want to try?" She smirked. No, he didn't want to test it out and moreover, he wanted no part of what she intended to use that for.

"Where would you even find that!?" He steadily backed away.

"I told you, the supermarket. Well, the mono-machine to be precise, I just placed a few coins and the whole package came out."

"You...found a rifle...in a vending machine." Skeptical would be quite the understatement used to describe Makoto's expression.

"Yeah." She replied without a shred of hesitation, so clearly she didn't pick up on it.

"...Sure, why not. Just put that thing away before you hurt someone." He didn't even have the energy to argue for prolonged periods. 

"Don't worry, big sis isn't the only one with a gun license.."

The two continued walking until they arrived by the Jabberwock statue.

"There you are. Could you be any slower?"  Leon was there waiting for them. As was Kyouko...

"You called for us and here we are. Now explain." Kyouko flicked a strand of hair, a tinge of irritation hidden in her words.

"First things first; let's start with a good ol' stretching." Ryouko proposed

"...That answer wasn't entirely out of my expectations." 

"Eh? Kyouko didn't even scowl at me? A-Am I getting predictable?" 

"No, I think we're all sleepy to argue." Himself included. Makoto found the nearest open space to sit down "So let's use whatever energy we have productively. We are here because of the contest right?" 

Ryouko puffed her cheeks "Well fine. I guess the plan's still on track if you're all tired anyway."

"So there is a reason we're all standing here this early?" Kyouko said

"Like Makoto said, this is all for that dumb contest Taka's cooked up. I thought it'd be a good idea to get a head start on everyone else."

"A head start to overcome our disadvantage, I presume?"

"Disadvantage? I'm not sure what you mean, Kyouko. Care to elaborate." A knowing smile crossed Ryouko's lips.  

"...Never mind." The detective withdrew.

"I don't really get it but fill us in on whatever you got planned, babe." Leon cut in with a yawn.

"I'll explain the basic steps we need to follow here. For phase one, we need to decide on a recipe. Then we scout for all the ingredients in phase two. Last will be the cooking stage. The final stage will be the most difficult, therefore I vote we should get the first two over with as early as possible."

"Sounds good. Let's get started." Leon was ready to go...but Kyouko apparently wasn't sold on the idea.

"Vote?" She raised a question.

"Yeah. I may be the advisor but leading and ordering people around...I'm terrible at that. We're a team, that's why we should base decisions on a democratic policy. If even one of us disagrees on a plan of action, we'll have to find an alternative until everyone's satisfied."

"Isn't that a tad inefficient? Wouldn't a majority approval work just as well?" Kyouko said

"Nope, this is all-or-nothing. What'd be unreasonable here would be a scenario where a group of four couldn't agree on a best course of action." Ryouko rolled her eyes.

"Before that...I have a question about the order in the itinerary." Makoto interrupted their spat.

"Yeah?"

"Uh well... how can we think of a recipe without first knowing what kind of ingredients are on the island?"

"If I remember right, Kizakura said he had the meat covered so I guess we're starting with everything except that. Like vegetarian shit?' Leon said.

"Those are good points. However, that would mean all the groups would have similar dishes at the fundamental level; there has to be a catch we're missing. A contest is no different than a game, there needs to be variety and accessibility, otherwise the game is a bust." Kyouko added

"Who's to say it won't be. Taka's the one organizing this thing and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he didn't get all the bugs checked out first."

"That's fair...however, Kizakura's backing him. I would think he'd have done his homework first on the island's resources...he certainly did his homework on us, wouldn't you agree?" Kyouko replied.

Leon shrugged in agreement.

"In that case, I say we make a compromise. We decide on a recipe that's flexible and can still resemble the original dish even with some parts altered. That way, even if we can't find some of the ingredients, we can still achieve a similar result. Although, I'd say we should stick to food that has a lot of vegetables, just to be on the safe side."

Everyone agreed with Ryouko's suggestion.

Although, their agreement didn't affect their inexperience. No matter how hard he thought, the highest quality cooking he could think of was maybe curry and, well, he'd prefer not getting laughed at.  Looking around, Leon was faring no better; the other boy's expression was one of resignation.

This was a complete defeat for the boys, something Ryouko caught as she spared them a condescending grin.

"Done already?" She smirked

"Tsk. This test just isn't my speed." Leon said.  Not that he excelled in any kind of test, if his grades were of any indication.

But who was he to talk when he was just as bad?

"Beef Bourguignon"

All heads turned towards Kyouko.

"Was that English!?" Leon flustered

"Leon, we're supposed to be Japanese." Makoto answered

"My grandfather travels all around the globe for his work. He took me on one of his trips to France once and I picked up the recipe on the way." Kyouko grudgingly elaborated, as she did whenever she was forced to reveal anything about herself.

"Way to go, Kyouko. I don't know what the hell that is but if you can make it then we've got this in the bag." Leon made a victorious gesture.

"B.B is French cuisine. The highlight is the meat itself so we wouldn't have to do too much searching for the rest. It could work...but we'll have to spice it up a bit to beat the others." Ryouko crossed her shoulders.

"French shit is supposed to be good food right? That means we should at least avoid getting last place; let's just kick back and relax." Leon said.

He's kidding, right?

"Wow Leon, you must really not care about having your dirtiest secrets exposed to the world." Ryouko was almost impressed.

Knowing Leon, that secret would probably involve Kanon and he definitely wouldn't want anyone to know...Who's Kanon? 

"He may be fine with it, but I certainly am not. We should aim for nothing less than first place." Kyouko sharp words broke Makoto's train of thought.

"Agreed. Although I don't really have a secret, I just want to see the look on Byakun's face when we own him." Ryouko chuckled darkly.

"Fiiine, we'll go crazy. That reward money's looking pretty good now that I think about it." Leon smiled to himself. 

Makoto nodded in agreement. "All we need to do now is search for the ingredients and we'll be 2/3rds complete. It shouldn't take us nearly a week at this rate."

"...Huh? What do you mean by that?" Ryouko was bewildered, unable to understand the conclusion he reached.

"You're the one who said the second phase out of the three was scavenging the required materials...." Makoto replied. He worried that he imagined Ryouko's words however, neither Kyouko nor Leon found anything wrong with his statement.

"Oh, that's what you were referring to. That wasn't quite the impression I wanted to give but...I guess you could put it that way. Fufufufu~" Ryouko wore a troll-ish grin.

He wasn't liking the sound of this.

"Don't worry, Makoto. I won't be forcing anyone to do what they don't want to - This is a democracy, remember~?" As if anticipating Makoto's internal frown, Ryouko continued...however, that untrustworthy smirk never left her face.

"If you say so...how should we begin then?" Makoto asked for the next step. He presumed that they find somewhere on the island that's bountiful with grass and perhaps even wildlife...though he was strongly doubting the latter.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We'll begin phase two right now..."Ryouko stretched her arms up in the air and then...faced the direction of the cottages.  "Alright, later. I'm going back to bed." 

...

"W-What?" He exclaimed. He had to have misheard that.

"She's kidding right? I'm about to drop dead because of lack of sleep right here." A stupefied Leon was unable to make heads or tails of the amnesiac's declaration.

"Go ahead. Nobody's stopping you." Ryouko yawned

"Says the nut who woke me in the middle of the night!" Leon flipped, and Makoto honestly couldn’t blame him. What was Ryouko thinking?

"...Where is the logic in this?" Makoto and Leon had lost their composure however, Kyouko remained as stoic as ever. "Regardless of how fickle you claim to be, I don't believe you're nearly this random. There is undoubtedly a purpose behind your actions, correct?"

"Who knows...ah screw it. I'll confess that Taka wanted me to have you all make up but that's boring, cliché and ineffective." Ryouko rolled her eyes.

"Although, I'm absolutely serious about Taka's little festivities; potentially, it could deliver some interesting results. At least, it could, if it wasn't for the fact that we're certain to lose."

"We won't know until we try." Makoto argued.

"Don't bother arguing, I've already done the math." She shot him down. "I want all of you to keep one thing in mind - - This contest is just a game...and much like any game, the objective is to immerse yourself, entertain yourself and, most importantly..."

"To win." Kyouko interjected 

"Exactly. Personally, I care most about winning but right now, that's just impossible because of all three of you. Why, you ask? You can thank that "handicap" Kyouko mentioned earlier. Truth is, most of the teams are about equal but we have by far the worst chemistry - I don't need my talent to know how this will turn out. And if there's no chance of winning, I don't even care to play."

"Then what exactly was all the planning we just did?" Leon said.

"My job. I'm the advisor, so I at least had to give you all some direction. Now you have an idea of what to do but just know it won't matter in the end unless you all clean up your act. I don't really care either way; I don't care about the prize and I'm not bothered one bit by the penalty.

"You're uninterested in the incentives behind this game yet you claim to care about winning?" Kyouko couldn't even hide her suspicion at this stage.

"I have my reasons." Ryouko smirked. 

"But don't get me wrong. You're all free to do whatever you want during this period and the way I see it, you have three options.  You can try to work things out between the three of you (but you probably won't) and I'll consider lending a hand. You can go in alone and work separately but I can confirm that's also a terrible idea. And lastly, you can do nothing. If there's nothing in it for you, there's no reason to put in any effort, right?"  The amnesiac rubbed her eyes. It looked like she was already about to fall asleep.

"Hey Hey, I don't know about anyone else here but I'm definitely not up for losing so option three is out." Leon said.

"Option two is equally pointless because without an advisor, there'd be nobody to teach in the cooking phase." Kyouko added.

"Isn't that a shame...Well no matter what you pick, I'll be going back to bed. I'm way too tired to do much of anything else. As for the rest of you...feel free to tell me if or whenever you decide to get along. There's noooo time limit~"

And with only that, Ryouko left, seemingly without a care in the world.

"No time-limit she says. Like it'd matter once we've reached the deadline." Leon scratched his hair.

Makoto was starting to understand...the proposition she offered was rigged. "She got us."

"It seems you've realized it too." Kyouko faced him. It was the first time she'd acknowledged him in days.

"Realized what?" Leon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Kyouko narrowed her eyes "As much as I hate to admit it, the truth is, that we can't do very much without Ryouko. Therefore, we're best off agreeing nearly all her decisions since she's the one with experience."

"And not just that. By creating an 'all-or-nothing system, even if all three of us agreed on a course of action, she could veto it with a simple disagreement." Makoto said.

"Hold it, hold it. I'm not following. What's the point? How is this any different from ditzy making all the rules and giving the rest of us the middle finger?"

"Because Ryouko's proposal conveys the illusion of choice and camaraderie." Kyouko scoffed at the hypocrisy.

Makoto frowned.

Democracy my butt, she'd be the worst kind of dictator; a successful one!

"Right, I think I got it....but so what?" Leon mused.

Now it was the duo's turn to be confused.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked

"Unless I heard wrong, all we have to do is get along. Actually, it should be a cinch since we're all friends here."

A shiver went down Makoto's spine...a sensation that scarily changed to bubbling anger. Makoto couldn't explain it but the words Leon spoke frustrated him. Not that there was anything wrong with the phrase itself but that it came from him.  The luckster felt like he was being mocked.

Only there was no reason why he should feel this way. Even if his heart was enraged, his head was clear enough to understand that he was behaving irrationally. That's why he kept from lashing out at Leon.

"It would appear that 'getting along' will be considerably more difficult that you presumed, Leon." 

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to find Kyouko staring at him with calculating eyes.

Kyouko had always called him an open-book and she often proved it with the ease of which she read his thoughts and anticipated his actions.

Makoto realized...he had probably given his emotions away to the detective.

"Why not?" But thankfully not to Leon, who appeared to still be in the dark.

"I don't believe I'm ready to bury the hatchet just yet." She looked at Makoto as she spoke "And all of us are quite tired. It would be best to carry on this conversation at a later date."

"W-When will that be?" Makoto had the courage to ask and deeply hoped it wouldn't backfire.

Kyouko didn't reply, which meant it had indeed. 

Makoto suddenly lost the minuscule amount of energy that remained "Later, Leon. Let's meet up in the afternoon if you're free."

"Sure." The athlete responded.

He didn't see anyone else from his group for the rest of that day. The moment he returned to his cottage, he dropped on the bed. Maybe Ryouko's nonsense had been a blessing in disguise; Makoto felt disgustingly exhausted. His breathing was shallow and the migraines had returned. He certainly would fainted had he worked under this condition.

It didn't take the luckster long before he almost forcefully fell into a deep sleep.


 

This time, Makoto woke up to the sunlight. The first thing he noticed was the sweating. The second was that he was the thirst. The last was the way his body ached. All were common signs of a oversleep. The question now was how long...

The time read 7:00 am.

It must be the very next day. He'd almost believed his clock was on the fritz however, the time on his bracelet matched. At this point, he was worried that there really was something wrong with his health. He'd rather not spend the rest of his vacation as an invalid and the deadline for the cooking contest was getting closer.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Makoto departed his chambers as soon as he was ready.

On the bright side, he was feeling better now than he had been in days. His thoughts were also somewhat clearer too., like a heavy fog was steadily fading away. If nothing else, he could use his rejuvenation to work as hard as possible today.

He recalled the 3 options Ryouko had suggested and, well, only one was even worth thinking about. Makoto would somehow patch things up with Leon and Kyouko and as fast as possible; when thinking about the situation rationally, their fallout has him at the center.

But the problem was how he was supposed to tackle the issue.

Kyouko was annoyed with him, for obvious reasons, so he needed to pacify her.

Leon's scenario was the exact opposite and therefore somewhat harder to deal with; Makoto was angry at him. With Kyouko, he could understand the origin but Makoto was stumped here. What had Leon even done wrong?

He thought over possible reasons for this strange animosity but could come up with nothing on his little walk. His ruminations offered a single solution however, and that was to have a serious talk with Leon.  

Perhaps he could ask for advice on what to say from the others. Sayaka, Hina and Sakura would be his best picks. No offense to the others...but they probably wouldn't be as much help.

"That is quite an alluring proposition..." He heard a voice other than his own. Makoto stopped shy of the diner and spotted Ryouko and Celes, entranced in a conversation.

That was an odd pair.

"I figured you'd see things my way. Doing 'this' we'll take care of your little problem and mine. Win-Win, I'd say." Ryouko made a confident gesture.

"Only if you ignore all the risks involved..." Celes said

"Admittedly, yeah. But this way was the most interesting, and it's hard to get motivated unless I go all out...sorry but that's the sort of pest I am."

"It's fortunate you're aware of that little fact; those who know themselves best are less liable to fall prey to their own weaknesses." Celes said."Who else have you told?"

"Not another soul. You'll be the only one to know."

"Then I'm the only witness...fufu. My, how crude of you to take advantage of Kiyotaka's good will like this. You realize the chaos your scheme will bring, yes?" 

Ryouko smirked "I would say the one you should really feel sorry for is Byakuya. After all, he's your target, right?"

Celes' scarlet eyes gleamed.

Makoto shuddered. He couldn't make out the context but this sounded like a conversation he definitely didn't want to get caught up in. He'd confront Ryouko later.

If Celes was still here then the rest of her team were probably on break nearby. True to his logic, he didn't search far before he found the remainder of the girls. All 3 were held up in the diner sitting across each other in a section of 4.

"Hey" Makoto announced himself with a light greeting. They all gave him weirdly surprised looks.

"Guys, Makoto's awake!" Hina welcomed him with exaggeratedly. Actually they all did. Sayaka and Sakura had sighs of relief too.

Then again, he slept the whole day. That would give anyone cause for concern.

"Yeah, think I'll be alright today." He took a seat next to Sayaka, who beamed at him. "How have you guys progressed with the contest?"

The girls glanced at each other worriedly.

"Uh, pretty good. About 3/4ths good." Hina explained.

3/4th..."Celes?"

They frowned and nodded.

"Her majesty won't even touch anything or go anywhere she thinks is 'unsanitary'" Hina said

"That's definitely Celes. But you guys should have expected that." Makoto laughed

"That's what I said. Why did you pick her, Sayaka?" The swimmer grumbled to the idol

"Because, Celes alone with the guys would be a terrible idea. Nobody expected Togami to take the initiative and roundup the others and if I had picked one of the boys then she'd be left with a group consisting of Mondo, Hifumi, Hiro and Taka and that is a worst case scenario. There'd be chaos on the first today" Was Sayaka's excuse.

"But then they'd lose for sure and we wouldn't have to worry about our secrets!" Hina argued

Sayaka sighed and put on a serious expression. "I know how you feel but winning and losing isn't everything, Hina. Not in this scenario, at least. Taka put on this contest for our benefits, to help all of us get along better. The reward and penalties are just incentives to promote genuine effort. I felt leaving Celes with the guys would go against the spirit of Taka's good will...and that's just unfair, in my opinion."

"I whole-heartedly agree. No matter the outcome, your decision was the correct one, Sayaka." Sakura added, feeling a sense of pride for her teammate.

"Thanks, Sakura." Sayaka said and then turned to Makoto "If you're feeling better, you should probably round your team up. They've just been lounging around."

"About that..." He explained his circumstances

"Wow...I feel a whole lot better about having Celes now. Thanks for the pick-me-up, Naegi." Hina said, pitying Makoto

"And you need us to give you advice?" Sayaka said.

"Something like that."

"In that case, let's get something out of the way first." Sayaka bent her index finger and released it between Naegi's eyes.

"Ow, what was that for?" He whined, clutching a red bruise on his head.

"To drive the point home that your problem is your fault to begin with."

"Yeah yeah, I know." He pouted

"If you say so. It sounds like you're on the right track already though. Kyouko won't ever want the teacher to expose her secrets so she'll definitely cave sooner or later. That said, it should definitely be sooner. Not just for the sake of the contest but because Kyouko won't really get over it if she's forced to fold because of time constraints. Secondly, YOU should have confronted her ages ago."

"Are we still on the blame game?" Makoto frowned.

"No, you dork. I'm trying to have you realize that Kyouko is intentionally going to make apologizing difficult because you waited too long." Sayaka finished. It was like lecturing her little brother...if she had one anyway.

Makoto tilted his head. He was probably just dense but he didn't follow this logic.

"That's contradictory." He said, simply.

"Nuh-uh." Hina refuted him with a mouth full of donuts. "She's playing hard to get to make you work for it. It's not fair to her otherwise."

"Okaaay, so how do I 'work for it'?"

"You have to be forceful. Show her that you're sincere." Sayaka raised a fist. She was really getting into this.

"Pfft, Makoto? Forceful? He couldn't hurt a fly." Hina laughed

Makoto glared at the swimmer...which probably ended up as yet another a cute pout instead. He'd show her. If Sayaka was right then Kyouko just wanted him to sacrifice something.

...That would be tough

"And? What about Leon?" He moved on. Sadly, the girls went silent.

"Sorry, got nothing to help you there. More of a guy thing." Sayaka said.

"Same." Hina agreed.

"Perhaps you maybe over thinking that matter." Sakura interjected "We've noticed that you and Leon haven't been on the best of terms lately and as you yourself acknowledge there is no reason for that animosity...doesn't that suggest the answer may not be obtainable?"

"If there's no answer, what am I supposed to do?"

"If there isn't a reason then perhaps the source is irrational. In that case, you merely need to settle things in an equally irrational manner."

 A thin smile graced the ogre's features "My family's dojo has an old saying; all matters of the heart can be settled by laying it bare in combat."

"So you mean we should fight it out?" Makoto certainly wasn't fond of hurting others...or seeing anyone get hurt, really. Although, he also couldn't deny the increasing urge to hit the baseball star either. If it’s for the purpose of saving their friendship before things got out of hand then he'd be willing to compromise this once.

"I'll consider it...but resorting to violence can become a habit. I hope I won't fall into that pattern." Makoto frowned, regretfully.

Sakura agreed.

*Cough*

Makoto's focus shifted to Hina, who was apparently choking on food. As soon as she scarfed the contents down, she resumed her laughter.

"What's so funny?" He said, blankly.

"You want Makoto to fight? With Leon? That's hilarious." The swimmer threw her head back

"I agree with Hina on this one. Sorry Makoto but I just can't see that ending well for you." Sayaka was little better and looked ready to burst into a fit of giggles.

Makoto turned red from embarrassment. Sure, he wasn't the strongest guy out there but they could have a little faith...

Sakura expressed disapproval in her teammates outbursts.

" The intention of the proverb is to release your inhibitions and convey your emotions through actions, holding nothing back. It is an outdated mode of communication nowadays but in my personal opinion, still very effective."  Sakura continued "I would rather you of all people not mock Makoto's efforts, Hina."

"Sorry." Asahina muttered, the joyful aura she previously exuded dipped drastically. Makoto didn't miss that discrepancy

"Hey...is there something going on between you two?" His eyes drifted back and forth between them.

"N-Nothing, Why?" Hina answered with a terrible lie. That only made him more curious.

"I kind of remember a similar conversation between you two back when Taka burnt the kitchen. If you're bothered by something, I'd be glad to help." He offered, subtly hinting that he hadn't bought the lie.

"Um...well..." Hina stuttered. It must've been quite an ordeal for the usually unreserved swimmer to have trouble talking about. Sakura made no move to stop or help Hina either.

"I'm not going to force you or anything; you can tell me when you're ready." Because she evidently wasn't ready to do so now.

"Thanks..." Hina looked genuinely grateful for the escape he'd given her. Now he was really curious...

"Good grief, that's exactly how you trip flags, Makoto." Sayaka sighed, sounding half-annoyed

Flags? "Did I say make a mistake?" He asked worriedly.

"I wonder if you have that kind of time...or are you intentionally procrastinating to avoid dealing with your own teammates?" She teased

Still, she had a point that he had other obligations.

"Have any of you seen Kyouko or Leon?"

"I saw Leon wandering the third island earlier." "Kyouko was on the first." Sayaka and Hina answered respectively.

"Thanks, I'll be going now."

"Ah, before you leave." Sayaka called out "Did you see Celes on the way over?"

"Yeah, she was with Ryouko, actually." He muttered, almost having forgotten that strange interaction.

The girls were just as confused as he was. "Why?"

"I don't know but it sounds like they're up to no good." He joked.

 

-[Third Island]-

 

Makoto wandered the island in search of Leon but to no avail. What he had noticed were puddles of water on the road. It must have rained while he slept.

Nevertheless, Makoto found Mondo and some of his team mates in his path. Makoto hadn't spoken to the biker in awhile. He should catch up and maybe even ask for tips.

The biker's advice had been simple and honest. "If any of my bros ever had beef, we'd settle it with our fists!" It wasn't much different than what Sakura had told him.

"What are you guys making?" Makoto inquired on their recipe.

"Um. Some spaghetti and veal shit. Hifumi came up with the name." Mondo said, before catching himself a bit too late. "Fuck, I don't think I was supposed to tell you that!"

"Probably not, but I won't tell anyone if it bothers you." Makoto offered a solution.

"For real? Thanks...and that's a man's promise." Mondo smirked. Bonds between men were iron-clad to the outlaw and breaking them was not act not easily forgiven. Not that Makoto had any intention of doing so.

Makoto's attention shifted from Mondo to the other members of the group.

Hifumi was watching over Hiro with great anxiety- Ah, just now, the doujin writer swiped a pair of leaves from the Clairvoyant's hands and stomped on them.

Seems just about every team has a handicap of their own. He thought grimly.

But he didn't fail to account for Taka not being among then. There's no way he'd shirk off his responsibilities.

"Where's Taka?"

"Huh? Oh right. That Ikusaba chick came and took him, said she needed help with checking some shit for poison. Not exactly too happy about him helping dat group." Mondo spat on the ground after the last bit. Makoto surmised he wasn't happy about Chihiro going over to Togami's side like that.

"Huh, Makoto s'that you?" It was Leon, who had just entered the scene.

Makoto took quick breaths and faced the athlete, smiling. "Yup, I came to see you."

"Really? Thought we were supposed to meet up before, but you never showed up." Leon said.

 The mood turned slightly awkward.

"Uh...about that..." He scratched his chin.

"It's cool. You were asleep the whole time, after all."

Come again..."Er, how do you know that?" Makoto's eyes widened slightly.

"J-just a guess, nobody saw you for the rest of the day and you've been sick for a while." The stutter he made was suspicious but it was a logical train of thought.

"Watcha talking about, Leon? You're the one who got busted into his room that night and got everyone panicking over how he wouldn't wake up." Mondo interjected

"Ixnay on the shutthefrigginhellup!" Leon growled at Mondo. The latter wasn't the least bit disturbed the glare sent his way.

"Eh?" Makoto

"You wouldn't budge when we tried to wake ya."

"That. That sounds scary, I don't remember any of that. Wait, how long was I asleep?" Makoto panicked.

" 2 days and you got that right. If you slept through today  too, then Kizakura would have called in the school and have them bring a ship to take you back."

...Two days!?...That explains Hina's overreaction.

"T-That bad...huh...And Leon found me?" Makoto sweated.

Mondo nodded "Yeah, he stayed with ya most of the night too. And even the next day."

Makoto looked towards Leon and found the athlete failing to meet his gaze.

"Thanks, Leon." A smile, an earnest one crossed Makoto's lips. "You want to give me a hand and get Kyouko to start talking to me again?"

"Fine, just this once, I'll be the wingman."

He was so stupid, what the heck had he been worrying over? Leon was his best friend and he'd never do anything to hurt him.


 

 

Makoto and Leon had split up in search of the detective. It was off the proper path and nature. If there was anywhere on the island to find any vegetables, this area would be the most suitable.  On that note, he thought it wise to scour the area for ingredients while looking for Kyouko and make up for lost time.

He found a thick patch of grass with beautifully colored vegetation.

He knelt down in front of a plant stood out among the rest; ah, this one had bright, green leaves and red berries growing from them. Now that he thought about it, the group hadn't really discussed fruit and it’s not like Taka or Kizakura ruled them out...

Makoto motioned to pluck the plant off the ground...only for a gloved hand to hold his firmly in place. Naegi whipped his head back to see Mukuro Ikusaba towering over him, looking disinterested as always.

"Not that one. Phytolacca are poisonous, very poisonous." The soldier advised

Makoto gulped and quickly got to his feet.

"Thanks for the warning, Ikusaba...So there are poisonous flowers here after all." Makoto said as Ikusaba freed his arm.

She nodded "Yes. Just yesterday, I spotted what looked like at least two others; Moonflowers and Suicide Trees."

"Wow. So what do these Pyto...thingies do?"

"You can call them Pokeweeds. And they do what you expect deadly poisons to; they give the target severe stomach pain, weakens the body, gives them delusions and, in some cases, you'd vomit blood. Death is more or less assured."

Makoto shuddered at the mental image of those symptoms

...Wait...Something about that phrasing didn't sound right.

"That's too bad. Those berries look tasty." Makoto pouted. He was getting hungry

"That appealing appearance is probably why they're poisonous. In a sense, plants are alive and they could have adopted toxic attributes as a way to survive against predators that wanted to eat them. Kind of like you."

"Eh?" Makoto blanched. A lot of scary things were being said today.

Ikusaba shrugged, not seeming to share his opinion. "Although, this is strange. I didn't think flowers like these could grow here..."

"They can't?"

Ikusaba shook her head "These flowers belong on different parts of the world and, to be honest, they don't look exactly like the plants I know of. Almost like they've been mixed or enhanced somehow;  Jabberwock island was an attraction famous all over the world. It isn't inconceivable that they'd mix exotic vegetation from near and far regions too.

"...You sure know your stuff." Makoto said curiously. Ikusaba never talked about herself...or said much of anything really, and as a result, he knew little about her. Maybe this was a good chance to find out her hobbies.

"Yeah. It wasn't uncommon to use poison on jobs." By "jobs" he assumed she was talking about missions from Fenrir. He couldn't even imagine what that was like but now he understood what bothered him about the way she described the poisonous plant.

She said target instead of victim...then does that mean..."Ikusaba, have you killed people using these?"

Makoto's tone was neither judgmental nor accusatory. Had it been anyone else, Mukuro may have felt scorn but the luckster's inquiry was honest and laced with an innocent curiosity that only he could pull off.

"Yes." She admitted. "I've used Moonflowers as well. Weapons aren't just the guns I bring with me, a good soldier will use even the land as a tool to eliminate their target. Does that bother you?"

He'd be lying if it didn't "A little but you did what you had to. I don't think I can judge."

"...I'm happy to hear that. I'm sure most would find it hard to understand a murderer like me."

"I don't think many soldiers have any choice but to kill in war but we don't discriminate against them. I'm not doing it to you either." Makoto argued

"There were times were I didn't need to kill but did it anyway." Ikusaba countered

"If there's anything in the world that I believe in; it's that If there's an obstacle to my objective, I wouldn't take chances..." Ikusaba expressed a thin smile "If someone's in your way then kill them without a second thought . You should try it sometime."

Ikusaba's proclamation was met with a thick and awkward silence.

Makoto couldn't even consider that advise, it was impossible for him. The thought of murder alone was dizzying.

"That was a joke." Ikusaba spoke. If she was telling the truth, he couldn't discern it based on her expression.

He wanted to change the subject to a lighter topic.

"That's right, I heard Taka was with you but I don't see him around," He wondered

"Ishimaru was chased off by Togami. He said I shouldn't be fraternizing with the enemy." Ikusaba said nonchalantly.

That definitely sounds like something the heir would say.

"I hope Togami's not too bad." He felt sorry for her.

"He's a slave driver" Ikusaba sighed. "Thankfully, I'm good at taking simple orders and he is efficient..."

"Makooootooo." A gruff voice called in the distance; Makoto recognized it immediately as Leon's. He probably found Kyouko.

"Uh sorry, Ikusaba. I have to get going."

The soldier nodded


 

 In hindsight, Leon and Kyoko weren't very far off. There wasn't a need to leave Ikusaba behind like that.

"Are you feeling well?" Kyouko took the initiative

"Yeah, better than ever." He exaggerated.

"I suppose sleeping multiple days in would revitalize just about anyone." She said

"Hehehe." He scratched his chin. "Um...Kyouko?"

"Yes?"

"About what happened at breakfast a while back...sorry." Makoto bowed. " I shouldn't have done that without permission and I know it'll take more than-"

"It's fine." The purple-clad girl cut him off.

"Eh?"

"I'm over it."

"Eeeeh?" He repeated "You don't need me to get on my knees or be your slave for a week?"

"...Are you making fun of me?" Kyouko narrowed her eyes at him.

"N-No. I just didn't think you'd let me off the hook so easy."

"I didn't think I would let you, either. But I'd rather let bygones be bygones than have that man expose my secrets. And even disregarding that...I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge on the ill. Honestly, I would have preferred if you slept a while longer. It would be better for your well-being if you had a real doctor take a look at you."...And there was none here - - Makoto figured was her train of thought.

"Uh, Kyouko? I was only a little exhausted, not a patient at a psychiatric ward. I'm good to go." He smiled.

"It does seem that way. Glad to have you back Makoto." She reciprocated the gesture.

"Holy crap, just start dating already." Leon's comment wiped the smile off their faces.

"Ah sorry about that. You guys were soooo adorable, I forgot I was supposed to be a good wingman and play the third wheel." Leon grinned

Makoto elbowed him in the gut, causing Leon to feign injury.

"My bad." Leon said, while laughing

Makoto couldn't help but laugh along with him and even Kyouko, looked at the scene amiably.

"Now we just need to find Ryouko and we're all set." Makoto suggested.

"Shouldn't be too hard, she's right behind you." Kyouko pointed over Makoto's head.

Makoto turned back to see Ryouko still dressed in cosplay.

"Way to ruin the surprise, Keeks. I was going to get the drop on him." Ryouko glared.

"What did she just call me?"  A dangerous glint shone in Kyouko's eyes.

"Ehehehe, let's not fight, okay."  Makoto tried to pacify the detective.

"Shrimp's right. We need to get to work." Leon suggest, uncharacteristically.

"What? You guys made up already!?" Ryouko said, surprised.

"Yeah, isn't that why you're here?" Leon asked

"Uh, no? I felt like messing with big sis and found you guys. I thought for sure you'd need at least another 2 days. Maybe even more since Makoto went full sleeping beauty!"

"Hmpf. Perhaps your analysis isn't as foolproof as you'd like to think." Kyouko sent a challenging smirk Ryouko's away.

The amnesiac gasped and then glared at Makoto, like this was somehow his fault.

"Don't get mad at me. I didn't do anything." He spoke in his defense.

"Tch, no biggie." Was her response but she sounded weary for some reason. "Time to start training you scrubs."

"Don't we have other ingredients to find? You kind of bailed on us before we could get going, remember?" Leon said

"Haaah? Do you know who you're talking to? I've already got all that junk."  The three of them were left confused by Ryouko's confidence. They wouldn't buy for a second that she did any sort of hard work without their notice unless they saw it.


 

Okay, so she wasn't lying. Tomatoes, berries, cooking, oil, mushrooms, vegetables and more had been neatly arranged on a table for them to see. In addition, Makoto caught sight of a large wine bottle on the side, along with a meat rack to hang the beef. This was much more than he expected from the girl.

Currently, they were using kitchen in the hospital. Why here? Because the more optimal spots had already been commandeered. The four groups occupied locations all over the island. Ryouko's group was on the third,  Togami's on the fifth, Hifumi's on the fourth and Sayaka's on the second island. The arrangement was made so teams could practice with their recipe on fair terms. Furthermore, each of them had been given a number of portable stoves from the market to practice on for convenience's sake; the downside was that the propane tanks powering them only had enough gas to last two hours, meaning each group only had a limited time to practice each day.

"Sorry for doubting you, Ryouko." Leon said

"No problem. I thought you guys would be angsting for a few more hours too so we're even."

"When do we inspect these for dangerous toxins?" Kyouko asked, examining the green on the table.

"We already did that, yesterday. Sayaka, big sis and me all looked over them together."

"...I'm worried we may be getting ahead of ourselves in this little game. Wouldn't it be more prudent to have every group present their items for checks at the same time?"

"Huh? If we did that, then everyone would have their starting times matched. That'd be unfair for the guys who finished their preparations early, don't you think?"

"This is exactly what I mean by getting ahead of ourselves. Our health is more important than some game."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about any incidences, Kyouko." Makoto stepped into the conversation

"See, Makoto trusts me." Ryouko grinned triumphantly.

"Um well no. It's just that I'm sure we can trust Ikusaba to spot any dangerous elements." Makoto elaborated.

"Eh? Are we talking about big sis, here? You're trusting her instead of me!?" Ryouko gasped

"Yeah, she was really dependable today." Makoto said, ignoring the analyst's incredulity.

"I-I've never been so insulted in my life." Ryouko moped "It's kind of refreshing though. Makoto's praising sis and she's not even here to see it. Ah, my hopeless big sis is both the best and the worst." She whispered to herself.

"You think that's enough?" Kyouko asked.

"We can compromise. How about we agree to having the other advisors make rounds inspecting everyone's food?" Makoto's proposed.

"That sounds like more work for me, can we refuse?" Ryouko said.

"Very well." Kyouko consented, also ignoring Ryouko.

"Fine screw you too, and we'll go with Makoto's dumb idea. But I'd have to let all the others know too. Aaaand we won't be meeting until tomorrow...AND that'll cause setbacks." Ryouko scrambled for anything that would deter them from making her work harder.

"We'll have plenty of time for practice and losing a day on vegetables, shouldn't stop the guys from learning the basics of cooking." Kyouko cast a disappointed look at Leon and Makoto

"True." Ryouko agreed

"Why do I get the feeling we're being looked down on?" Leon addressed Makoto.

"We'll show them we're just as good as they are." He was ever the optimist.

"Suuuure. Put your money where mouth is and hit the stoves." Ryouko issued a silent challenge.

The sprinklers came on 15 minutes later

 "How?" was all a drenched Ryouko could say. Kyouko had already left to find something to dry themselves with and Leon was busy freaking out over his hair. Apparently, water messed up his hair-dye.

"Uh...I'm not sure." Makoto explained lamely. His ahoge had miraculously remained upright.

"Explain your steps right from the beginning. It can't be that hard since we just put the beef in." Ryouko's eye twitched as she spoke.

"First, I warmed up the frying pan for 5 minutes like you asked and then I started cooking the beef."

"...What about the olive oil before you started heating the pan?"

"....Oh, I forgot that little detail....hehehe." He stammered, cheeks turning red.

Ryouko took deep breaths. "Okay, maybe cooking inside the hospital wasn't a good idea to train you guys. Help me move all this junk outside and let's hope it won't rain again."

25 minutes later

"What the hell!?" Makoto's ears grated at Ryouko screech. Thankfully, her anger wasn't directed at him this time. He peeked over to Leon's stove and caught Ryouko gazing at the contents of the frying pan in horror. 

"Yeah, I got nothing." Leon admitted while using a spatula to poke the charred piece of meat in the middle.

"Nothing doesn't turn meat to ashes." Ryouko wouldn't have batted an eye if the black substance scattered into the wind the very next moment. "What did you fry it with?"

"Uh, the oil. I wasn't about to make the same mistake right after Makoto did." Leon scratched his hair.

"...Which oil?"

"The one on-...huh?" Leon paused as he pointed to the bottle stationed behind him on the table.

"That's wine. Why are you pointing at wine? Why is it almost empty?"

"That wasn't there before! I swear, there was canola oil right there."

Uh oh

"Didn't you check when you picked it up!?"

"No. I mean, I didn't have to. I saw it when I started, grabbed it from behind and put it back. It was right there!"

"How are you not flambé right now, you scatterbrain!?"

Makoto watched as the two argued, hoping they wouldn't notice that he was the one who took the oil and forgot to return it. On the bright side, Leon might be more cautious next time....hehe

Makoto motioned back to his stove and then to the side, where he spotted Kyouko staring at him knowingly.

Ooops...she caught me.

20 minutes later

 Makoto frowned at the sight before him.

"I messed up." He said, poking the black meat just as Leon did minutes before.

"You overcooked it." Ryouko took it better than he expected. Maybe because he was making progress?

"Why though? I was watching you the whole time and you followed the proper steps." Makoto directed his eyes over to Kyouko and Leon's positions and found their food was still cooking on the stove. That indicated his stove must have had packed more heat.

"Maybe there's a malfunction." Makoto said, he was fairly sure.

"That's too unlikely, these stoves are all brand new. That by itself would make the chances of a malfunction quite small. To add to that, these were made for use at a state-of-the-art resort and there were dozens left even counting the stoves we're all using. The probability of you getting a broken stove is astronomically low."

"...Yeah, I think there's a malfunction, personally." Makoto repeated himself.

Ryouko raised her eyebrow

"Ultimate (un)Lucky Student, remember?" Makoto responded, without a trace of pride in his "talent".

The ultimate analyst shrugged in defeat. "Fine. I'll get you a new one tomorrow. For now, just watch me work and we'll hope you pick up some tips."

Makoto acted as requested and followed Ryouko to her station. He scanned the area and found that the girl had carefully selected the ingredients she needed from the main pile and kept it close to her.

Ryouko tied her hair into a ponytail and placed a large boiling pot filled with water on the stove. A timer was set immediately after.

After that...was a spectacle Makoto couldn't take his eyes off of. Ryouko daintily procured a cleaver, expertly sliced off a section of the beef on the rack and slid it onto an empty plate. The meat was promptly dipped into the pot and covered with the lid.

Leaving the beef to boil, she changed focus to the complimentary ingredients. With mechanical procession, Ryouko moved from dicing carrots, to onions, to garlic. Not a single movement was wasted on either task.

Afterwards, she split the tomatoes and threw them into a blender to make puree. The paste was then placed into a pot to serve as the base for the stew; the other ingredients Ryouko had tended to were mixed with the puree, stirred and then heated on the stove. She motioned towards lighting a  frying pan next and mixed wine and oil into it.

With preparations for the sauce complete, Ryouko took out the beef from the boiling pot and had it transition into the frying pan, just as the timer rung. For the next few minutes Ryouko tended to the beef and sauce simultaneously until their completion.

The finale was just a matter of setting the beef on the plate and marinating it with sauce.

Ryouko wiped her forehead, before taking notice of him after what felt like ages.

"So did you learn anything?" She asked

Makoto rapidly nodded his head. That was amazing!

"Great. Here." She shoved the plate into his hands.

"Eh? This was for me?"

"Yeah. I don't think you've eaten yet so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone."

"Thanks." Makoto grabbed a fork and took a bite. It was...."Delicious!"

"...Thanks. I'm not at my best right now so I was worried I made a lot of mistakes."

Strange because Makoto felt he was arguably more satisfied seeing Ryouko cook than eating the food, even though both were great. "Don't say that, It was like I just got a front row seat to watching a real chef at work."

"Thanks again. But you're exaggerating, even you could accomplish what I just did with a little practice." She replied. 

"I think you're the one exaggerating here..." Odd. Ryouko wasn't one to underestimate herself.

"Tell you what. I'll help you practice tomorrow, personally."

"Sounds great...but why not now?"

"Because If you'll excuse me, I'll be calling it quits for today." Ryouko said.

"...Are you tired?" Makoto wondered. She wasn't sounding her usual cheery self

"Yes, actually. Let's just say it's been a long day for me."

"Alright, see you at breakfast tomorrow?"

"See you then." Ryouko gave one last smile before departing.

"Should we pack up?" Makoto asked the others

"I'm out of gas, we might as well." Leon said. Kyouko followed suit. The three proceeded to clean up their respective mess and move the produce and other ingredients back into the hospital.

"Can't believe Ryouko bailed and left clean-up duty to us....Okay, maybe I can." Leon whined, washing the dishes and pans

"It's understandable. Ryouko must have worked hard to gather all the items we needed by herself, and in such a short time to boot." Kyouko replied, packaging items into the freezer.

"Fair, I guess. Hey, doesn't that mean she was bullshitting about doing nothing 2 days ago?"

"Seems that way. Now if only she could be that dedicated in matters that didn't involve pranks and alike."

"She means well...even...if...she's a little eccentric." Makoto tip-toed on a stool as he struggled to stow pots onto the upper cabinet. He couldn't quite make it.

"Understatement of the year...but whatever, she's hot so she's cool in my book." Leon stated...and then frowned after a short time passed.

"Oi, aren't you gonna make some witty comment, Kyouko?" Leon left the dishes and directed his attention at the detective

"I've come to realize being an idiot is intrinsic to your identity. It would be cruel of me to point it out when I know it’s impossible for you to change." Kyouko said, not bothering to look at the athlete

"Oh, thanks for the consideration...like hell I'd say that." Leon growled, but unlike before, their conversations felt natural and in jest.

"Pffft" Makoto giggled, still having difficulty with his task. "You guys are a rio-whoa!" He tripped over on the stool, stumbled and fell backwards.

This is going to hurt!

He closed his eyes, fully expecting to feel pain on both sides; from his back falling on the hard ground and the front where the pot was expected to fall on his head.

He felt neither, even the landing wasn't as hard as he thought. Actually it was kind of soft.

"Huh?" He blinked

"Nice scream there, buddy." Leon chuckled, holding the metallic container right above the luckster's head.

If Leon was in the front then...Makoto tilted his head back slightly.

Kyouko had caught him mid-fall from behind and collapsed with him.

"Could you get off me?" She sported an annoyed expression.

"S-Sorry." Makoto quickly scampered onto his feet

Kyouko did the same but in a far more composed manner. If Makoto had looked hard enough, he might have seen the red tint on her cheeks.

"You're hopeless, dude." Leon laughed at him.

"Am not." Makoto said, red from embarrassment

"No, I'm afraid he's right on that front." Kyouko agreed with the baseball star

Makoto grumbled to himself.

"Man, we'll finish clean-up tomorrow. Let's go somewhere fun." Leon brought up a suggestion.

"Like?" Kyouko raised an eyebrow

"Roller coasters, duh." Leon said, as if it was the most obvious conclusion

"I'm in." Makoto sighed.

"..." Kyouko sighed "Why not? I'll have less of a chance getting injured there than in the kitchen with you two."

"That's the spirit." Leon folded his arms behind his head.

They spent the rest of the evening goofing off as friends without a care in the world.

 

 

Notes:

Sorry for the long wait! And unfortunately, this is still a setup chapter (but there are still hints) for the next to come. On the bright side, that should updated a lot sooner.

Chapter 13: Peccato Mortale / Mortal Sin

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

*Knock*

Persistent knocking woke Makoto from his sleep. He twisted and turned on his bed, hoping whoever was at the door would take a hint and go away. That or open the door themselves and state their business.

The latter was the option most usually took anyway so what was stopping them this time?

*Knock*

Just break the door down, I didn't lock it - is what he wanted to say until he was awake enough to register that was an act of breaking and entering. And in most cases, he'd be the crazy one for expecting good law-abiding citizens (or just about anyone with common decency) to strut in like they owned the place. It was probably someone like Sakura, Chihiro or Taka. Okay, not nearly loud or persistent enough for it to be Taka but whoever was there was probably one of his more well-mannered classmates and he'd hate to keep them waiting.

He dragged himself out of bed. He opened the door to see...Ryouko.

Did he say well-mannered? Was he starting the day off being wrong as hell already?

"Hi." She said, skittishly.

"Uh....hello? Did you need something, Ryouko?" Makoto looked over the auburn haired girl and noticed she was back in her casual, more modest clothing (which he certainly wasn't disappointed about. Nope...ok maybe a little) and clutching her notebook.

 "U-Um...let's head out...?" She said...or was that a question?

"You mean breakfast. We still have a bit of time...but alright. Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

Ryouko smiled happily.


 

As expected, they'd arrived at the restaurant before anyone else. Much like the walk on the way here, the atmosphere was awkward to and their conversations felt disconnected. Could something be troubling her?

Makoto shook his head and tossed the suggestion out as quickly as it came to mind. Ryouko wouldn't know adversity if it slapped her in the face. She had a child-like perspective towards everything. If there was something she found bothersome, she would give up on the matter and not give it a second thought. If there was something she wanted, she'd go after it without considering mundane conventions or reservations.

Ryouko will have emotional dilemmas when Togami runs out of money.

Time passed and the restaurant slowly filled with more and more of his classmates. Makoto interacted with the ones he hadn't seen for a while. As far as he was concerned, everything except Ryouko was back to normal. Speaking of which, Makoto noticed Kyouko had glanced at the analyst's way several times.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with everyone." The detective started as soon as everyone was present.

"This is rare. Shoot, princess." Kizakura said.

Kyouko didn't spare him a glance and continued. "As a safety precaution, our team has proposed we have the advisors or anyone with the proper credentials to perform additional checks on any of the ingredients we hand picked from the wild."

"Again?" Togami replied, taking on his usual annoyed tone.

"I think Kyouko has the right idea. Its fine for us to have fun and all but we shouldn't neglect our safeties because of it." Makoto interjected

Kiyotaka entered into the discussion as well "It shouldn't be a pressing issue. We'll have Ikusasba, Ryouko, Sayaka and myself make checks on every group before the day is over."

"Why me?" Ryouko whispered in a low voice, but that didn't go unheard by Makoto.

"Thank you. Naturally, this also means today is the last day anyone can procure ingredients." Kyouko said.

"I-If you s-slacked so much that you still haven't gotten everything you needed for the recipe, t-then you deserve to lose at this point." Nobody objected to Touko's comment. Makoto took that as confirmation that everyone was already prepared.

"An excellent suggestion by Makoto and Kyouko." Celes spoke up and instantly became the center of attention. "But might I make one more?"

"And that is?" Kizakura smirked in amusement.

"Why don't we ante up the wager?" Celes said with a stone mask, while almost everyone else in the room tensed. Even her teammates appeared confused, indicating she hadn't not gone over this proposition with them.

 "Go on." The teacher's smug widened, as if fully anticipating this turn of events. That man had scary intuition.

"I would like to propose an alternative for the losing team's circumstance and an added privilege for the team with the best dish. Rather than infringe on the defeated's privacy, why not give them the option to submit to a more preferable punishment administered by the victors. Like acting as servants for a week, per instance."

"Per instance? Ain't that exactly what you want?" Hiro interrupted.

Celes glared at Hiro as if he were roadkill she wouldn't mind mutilating for good measure. The clairvoyant promptly kept his mouth shut.

"What does submitting to the winner entail?" Ikusaba asked

"Anything within reason and acceptable social parameters. But of course, this is still a penalty so the losers should fully expect to work hard at the whims of the victors." Celes explained

"What reason do any of us have to go along with all this?" Togami sounded as bored as his expression indicated.

"I believe I just explained that." Celes countered

"You misunderstand. Your explanation only works on the riff-raff who doubt their chances to at least come in second or third place. Such a proposition would only be made by the team that recognizes itself as the weakest, therefore why must the rest of us consent to giving them an out?"

"Well that's..." Celes began

"Get off your high-horse already." Hina stood up and jerked her finger at the heir. "Weak my butt. Our cooking will totally blow you out of the water."

The swimmer exuded an aura of absolute confidence in her ability yet Celes was not the slightest but impressed by her outburst.

"Hina..." Makoto heard Kyouko sigh at the donut lover.

"Is that so? Knowing you're too much of a dullard to lie, I'm certain your confidence is genuine, which brings up possibility number two" Togami snickered in a way that that made it seem possibility #2 had actually been #1 "Celes has brought up this proposal out of some yet-to-be-established assurance of victory and has ulterior motives as to what she intends to do with the losing team."

"Isn't that a bit far-fetched?" Chihiro asked

"I don't see how. The servant penalty was phrased in a way that made it seem like the lesser-of-two-evils but without defined boundaries, only an idiot/Hagakure would actually believe that."

"Hey!" Hiro shouted

Celes didn't so much as twitch at Togami's insinuation. Either the blond was off the mark or the Ultimate Gambler's poker face was truly something to behold.

"I will have to deny both of those claims, Togami. My only intention is to seek a way to avoid a punishment as crude as delving into one's humiliating past." Celes argued

Togami scoffed.

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so." Celes made a short glance towards Ryouko.

"Why is she looking at me?" The analyst asked nobody in particular. Her words were voiced in such a low tone that he doubted anyone but him heard it.

Celes coughed...and nothing else happened.

"Is there a cold being passed around or somethin?" Mondo said, referring to the illness that Makoto may or may not have.

"I don't know about that but now that I think about it, Jerkface might have a point." Hina said, her glare transitioned  from the heir to the gambler "Why are we supposed to listen to you anyways? Heck, why didn't you run this idea by us first?"

"I merely thought of it over night." Celes said.

"You'd be better off putting that effort into actually helping us cook. Newsflash, Celes, you haven't done anything since we started. What gives you the right to speak for us who've been working our butts off!?"

"Cease your squabbling!" Kiyotaka yelled and the room quieted down. "There will be no talks of dissent or resentment among us and especially not between teammates. This contest is meant to foster relations. If you have qualms with one another then come to an agreement in a peaceful and constructive manner. But know this: I will have nobody ostracized by their peers, no matter who they are or what others think they've done! We are all friends here so act like it!" Ishimaru said in a commanding tone that left no room for further argument.

"As for Celes' suggestion. I deem it acceptable. Though, I don't see much of an issue with the original condition, If the losing team is given a preferable alternative then of course there's no reason not to consider that as a solution. Besides, I'm sure Celes must have thought long and hard about this plan before bringing it to our attention. You should be proud of her, Hina." Ishimaru said.

Makoto thought his words odd however. Taka didn't consider his most embarrassing secrets exposed a big deal?

Hina huffed and said no more

"It appears my warning fell on deaf ears. No matter, losing is impossible for me in the first place." Togami shook his head and stood up from his seat. "Fujisaki, we're leaving. The rest of you can catch up once you're ready."  He said, referring to his team.

Chihiro nodded and followed Togami as he left.

"Tch" Mondo clicked his tongue.

How surprisingly obedient.

Celes simply smiled...although not before scowling in Ryouko's direction.

"...That was as fun as I thought it'd be." Kizakura commented, to everyone's displeasure.


 

The rest of breakfast went smoothly. After eating a nice meal, everyone split off into their respective teams, and with only a few days remaining, they didn't have much time to play around. In Makoto's case, he was beginning to feel like he was about to hit yet another setback.

"Shall we get started?" Kyouko addressed the other three in the hospital. The heavy rain that suddenly came down doomed any notions of practicing outside but thankfully, he and Leon now had enough skill not to make same mistakes as yesterday...hopefully.

Everyone moved towards their stations...which normally wasn't a problem but Ryouko was supposed to teach him today...

He moved closer to the girl and poked her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me...or did you change your mind?  Makoto observed her working space and found...nothing. She hadn't a single item ready to go. 

"Ah...sorry, that must have slipped my mind." Ryouko stuttered meekly.

Makoto tilted his head slightly in confusion

"You forgot already?"...forgot...could it be?

"Guys, I think Ryouko's feeling a little under the weather. I'm going to make sure she's alright." Makoto told Leon and Kyouko, who responded half-heartedly, both focused on their own tasks.

"But I'm not-" Ryouko began.

"Come with me for a second." Makoto grabbed the girl's hand and led her outside the door and to one of the hospital rooms.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Makoto said, while closing the door behind him.

"Huh? You're the one who brought me here. You explain." Ryouko gave a nervous reply.

"Alright, be that way. Then answer this: what's my name?" Makoto crossed his arms and looked at the girl skeptically.

"Makoto Naegi."

"What's the name of the resort?"

"...Jabberwock Island."

"What dish are we making?"

She answered that correctly too. Although Makoto noticed her responses were slightly slower to more complex questions.

"Before the morning when Taka burned down the kitchen, where did I meet you and what did we talk about?"

"..."

"Well?" He pressed.

"...I don't know. It was a while ago."

"Your talent gives you a photographic memory. Use it and remember."

"I...can't. I can't think of anything."

"Because you've already forgotten everything, haven't you?" He frowned.

Ryouko stared blankly, aving been caught in the act. Her strange behavior was already suspicious but the procession of questions and answers made it obvious; simple questions like his name could be easily retrieved or she could have overheard it. More arbitrary questions would require more effort and she'd have to user her talent to connect the dots. However, Ryouko already told Makoto she couldn't analyze his actions. And he found it unlikely Ryouko would forget an event that only happened a week ago.

"That was a mean trick." She pouted.

"Yeah well, you weren't going to admit it."

"...Are you going to tell the others?" She said, in a standoff-ish manner.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Don't...please..." She urged him

"Why? Are you afraid of their reactions?"

The amnesiac nodded.

 "This isn't the first time you've lost your memory, Ryouko. We're not going to treat you like an outcast or anything. You're our friend, whether you remember it or not." He didn't want to laugh at her almost cute behavior but Makoto smiled all the same.

"Really?"

"I mean it. We'll help you get right back in gear." Makoto offered the auburn-haired girl a hand

Ryouko examined it for a moment before shaking it and reciprocating the luckster's smile. "O-Okay, I'm in your capable hands."

Capable huh? That tune will probably change once she gets used to me. Too bad.

"Let's go re-introduce you to the others then." Makoto moved towards the door and opened it...and in a horribly cliche'd manner, Leon unceremoniously fell out of it.

Makoto's expression quickly changed from mild surprise to disdain (as much as Makoto could convey anyway) as he understood the athlete's intentions.

"What are you doing?" Makoto frowned.

"Is there anything I could say right now that wouldn't make me look like a creep?" Leon replied

"No"

Makoto reared his head outside the door, hoping to not find what he expected. Or rather, whom. Unfortunately he did. Kyouko was standing by the wall on the other side, arms folded.

"He dragged me along." She said, cooly.

"No I didn't-" Leon stopped halfway when Kyouko replicated Celes' earlier glare with frightening accuracy. "Yup, it was all me." Leon confessed.

A fit of giggles erupted behind Makoto.

"Y-You're all so weird." Ryouko said, trying to control her laughter.

She stopped as she noticed their gazes on her.

"Um...sorry."

"What's with her?" Even Leon could tell her behavior was off.

"She lost her memory." Kyouko said, succintly.

"For real!?"

Makoto gave her a strange look that expressed "How?"

"What I observed of her at breakfast was more than enough to come to that conclusion." The detective shrugged.

Seriously? And here he was secretly hoping he'd got the drop on Kyouko for once.

"So what do we do now?" Leon asked.

"Uh. Let's get to know each other again. You can start by introducing yourselves." Makoto advised.

"Good idea. Name's Leon Kuwata, the  Ultimate Baseball Star and the coolest guy you'll ever meet. Please, feel free to come to me for a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g." Leon winked.

"I'm Kyouko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. Don't expect me to be there for anything but if you're in trouble, you can count on me to lend a hand." Kyouko smiled.

"Thank you, I really appreciate your generosity. I'm Ryouko Otonashi, The Ultimate Analyst, and it's nice to meet all of you." Her introduction was completely un-befitting the girl they knew and caused the two to tense. Although not nearly as much as when the amnesiac drew them both into a hug.

Makoto looked at the scene with interest. Amusing himself with Kyouko's (very) perplexed reaction.

All the while, never considering the out of place contradiction. He'd cornered Ryouko based on the vulnerabilities of her talent...but when had Ryouko ever told him how her talent worked to begin with?


 

And so they returned to cooking. By memorizing Ryouko's actions the previous day and the directions she provided, Makoto was able to manage an average result on his first try.

"That's not bad, Makoto. And you were awful yesterday?" She repeated what he'd told her about his earlier attempts.

"Yeah. It's no big deal. I was just copying you and even then, the food wasn't nearly as good. I'm just adequately taking orders."

"Don't belittle yourself. Even progressing that much is an achievement worth being proud of." She ruffled his hair

"Well, I can see you're slowly getting back to normal." He replied, while making a futile attempt to straighten his perpetually messy hairstyle

"Just keep trying. I'm sure your next attempt will be even better." Ryouko encouraged. "Meanwhile, I'll go help Kyouko and Leon."

Makoto ruminated on possible mistakes he'd made in the formula while Ryouko went to the others. The problem was most likely a lack of culinary skill and experience. He was average at best at whatever he did, so he doubted cooking would be any different. Rather than matching Ryouko's movements, maybe he could try enhancing the recipe instead...

Easy to say but putting the idea to practice was a different story.

Makoto peeked across the room and spotted Ryouko with Kyouko.

"This is great!" The amnesiac complimented Kyouko's work as she tasted the sauce.

"It's nothing special."

Ryouko shook her head "The blend of the seasonings you used was perfect."

"Perhaps. I pinpointed the right selection of ingredients, as well as a balanced mix of them to bring out the best flavor." Kyouko said.

That matters?

Makoto had just blindly tossed in everything he could find into the stew. Next time, he would be more careful.

He shifted his focus to Leon, who was slowly dicing the carrots. The shapes were large and uneven, much like Makoto's own.

"Not like that." Ryouko advised

"Huh? I'm just cutting the damn things. I doubt there's any technique needed there."

"There is. Presentation is always important. Even if your food tastes good, nobody'll touch it if it doesn't look good too. If the others are serious about this contest then appearances will be one of the criteria used for judging." Ryouko wagged her finger at the athlete.

"Also, you're too slow." Ryouko grabbed the knife from the boy "Here, watch me."

Just like yesterday, Ryouko's movements were almost flawless; she quickly cut up the vegetables and carrots as if she'd practiced for years.

Strange. Even though Ryouko lost her memory, she's still that good?

"Now you try." Ryouko told Leon.

The rockstar enthusiast took the knife and emulated her movements. His efforts weren't up to par but...they were great. Maybe it was due to the baseball's star athletic prowess but with the direction the analyst had given him, the speed and accuracy of his cuts were leagues better than before. Makoto couldn't even compare.

He sighed. He'd be the runt of the pack if he couldn't figure out a method to stand out.

Think, Makoto.

A finger gently tapped his shoulder.

"Ryouko?" Makoto said

"Turns out they didn't need much help. Kyouko already knew what to do and Leon only needed a little push." She said

"In other words, I'm the only one still messing up." Makoto frowned.

"I don't know about before but I've yet to see any crucial mistakes from you. You just need practice." Ryouko rested her chin on her finger. "You might be thinking too hard; even though all four of us are cooking separate meals right now, that doesn't mean we'll do the same at the day of the contest."

"Huh? You never mentioned that." That was news to him.

 "I'm...not sure if i did. But logically, it' nonsensical to have a team competition and have multiple members make the same thing. Especially when there are even groupings of four. How would that even be judged properly?"

That...was a good point

"So why are we training like this?"

"I don't know what I was thinking but right now, I believe the idea was to get all of you acquainted with every facet of the dish. For example? Even though I think Kyouko should be the one working the sauce, knowing what the dish's outcome will be and all the ingredients that goes into the recipe will help her think of ways to compliment the beef portion."

"As for Leon, he'll be on shredding duty. He operates best on physical labor, I think."

"Then we're cooking the beef?"

"Yeah, so that's what you should focus on."

Only he wasn't really good at that either.

"Just go at your own pace, Makoto. You don't have to prove anything to anyone." Ryouko said "-Is what I'd like to say but I don't think anyone would be satisfied with an answer like that."

Makoto whipped his head up and recognized a familiar aura of mischief coming from the analyst.

"The beef is the most important part of the recipe, and consequently,  you have the most important job." No pressure or anything

"So, why not practice different tricks to spice up the taste?"

"Like?"

"Ever been an artsy guy?"

"Not...really?"

"But you've used paint and stuff right? You must have toiled away painting items with different colors as a kid. Everyone does it."

He nodded

"Then you've got experience. Be an artist...or a scientist. Splash around until you find something that works."

"That sounds disastrous." He laughed.

"It probably will be, but trial and error can be fun. This is a competition but that doesn't mean you can't have fun while doing it."

Hmm. She had said something like that before. Having fun was one of the three rules to follow, if he remembered correctly.

"It would defeat the point if I helped you too much but I can give you a few hints. Be sure to think outside the box but also keep in mind the components that enhance the taste. Try out Kyouko's sauce and ask her for a bit of advice on how she made it." Ryouko instructed. That sounded like more than a hint but he wouldn't complain.

"Thanks, Ryouko. I feel a lot better about what I have to do now."

"You're welcome."

"You're kind of like a teacher, honestly. You sure you don't have experience?" Makoto scratched his chin.

"Even if I was, how would I remember?" Ryouko asked.

"True enough. But then, f you didn't remember us, why'd you barge into my room?" He inquired.

"...That's because my gut told me to. Even if I don't remember your name, stuff like that feels natural to me." She clarified.

"So you went with a vague feeling then?"

"Yeah. If my head's too messed up to remember, then I'm better off going with what my instincts tell me, ya know?"

He'd heard about phenomenon of that nature before. Information isn't simply recorded in the mind, muscle memory and patterns the body has grown accustomed over lengthy periods of repetition are retained as well. 

"But still, you came to my room?" He repeated.

Why not one of the girls?

Ryouko nodded "I felt that was the most comfortable place to be."

"Uh...thanks." Makoto flushed. It was embarassing to hear how highly Ryouko thought of him.

Even though she acted like she looks down on me at times...

Makoto felt a pang in his heart. He was afraid to touch this topic. Ryouko was prone to episodes of amnesia and most of her previous memories would vanish without a trace. Even if she might subconsciously be able to retrieve other memories, that doesn't change the fact that she has no conscious recollection of the kind of life she led. If so...would that mean the girl he spoke to yesterday and so many days before that, had been replaced?

He was saddened at the possibility...for about a few seconds before any traces of melancholy dissipated at the arrival of Taka and Ikusaba.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I trust your preparations are going well?” Taka bellowed, earning the attention of everyone in the room. Makoto spotted Ikusaba trailing behind him and waved over. The girl shyly responded with a wave of her own. 

Although, Makoto’s hospitality wasn’t shared by all; Kyouko and Leon had taken standoff-ish positions to the others. He assumed because they didn’t want the recipe found out by the other teams. An assumption Leon confirms when the athlete called out Taka on the possibility of foul play. Naturally, Taka was outraged…and Makoto was skeptical to think that the moral compass had a single deceptive bone in his body. 

“Perhaps not you, Kiyotaka, but how can we sure Ikusaba will keep any information she sees here to herself?” Kyouko asked.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” The black-haired girl began. “I already know what you’re making.”

Everyone stared at her quizzically but she just smiled at her sister. “Ryouko told me from the start. She tells me everything.” Ikusaba spoke with honest affection.

The attention in the room diverted to the auburn haired girl and the others were not happy.

“I-I don’t know what she’s talking about!” She defended herself

“No shit. You wouldn’t remember even if you did.” Leon raised a point.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Taka inquired. Makoto explained that the analyst had relapsed and forgotten her memories once again. The compass was initially worried that this may serve as a handicap but Makoto convinced him the analyst would be fine given time.

“Very well.  After the inspection, I shall inform the others about Ryouko’s circumstances!” He yelled. “Now then, Ikusaba. If you please?”

The freckled girl went onto examining the ingredients…alone

“Taka, aren’t you going to help? You’re part of the investigation team too.”

The older male froze at Makoto’s question …why?

Kyouko poked him on the shoulder and whispered into his ear “He probably doesn’t know a thing about picking out toxins. Just humor him.”

Oh…why’d he sign up for it then?

Never mind, I guess you’re letting Ikusaba get some practice in by herself.” He really did humor the hall monitor

“Of course! It would be remiss of me not to allow Ikusaba to make use of her splendid talents.”

“Done. Everything checks out okay.” Ikusaba called.

“Perfect. That only leaves Togami’s group left. Pardon me, everyone but we must be going now.” Taka said.

“Yeah yeah, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Leon droned.

"Careful about the rain." Makoto warned. It couldn't be fun trekking to the fifth island in that.

The duo left in a hurry, once again reducing their numbers to four. Just before, the others returned to their assignments, Makoto called out to them.

“I’ve been thinking and I might know a way for us to win…or not lose anyway.” He fumbled with his hair “But it might take me a little bit longer to get down.  Just give me some time to catch up, okay?”

Leon and Kyouko shared a look between each other and then back to Makoto.

“You’re not exactly falling behind or anything…” Leon spoke first, not understanding Makoto’s meaning. But his words alone were enough to dissuade Makoto’s anxieties. Even if Leon wasn’t the brightest, he had talent for lightening the mood.

“It’s fine. Makoto’s never let us down before.” Kyouko said with a smile, Indicating  she fully grasped his implication, as he thought she would.

“True that…but he needs to work on that confidence. “ Leon patted Makoto’s head and flashed a grin “Forget ‘not losing’, we’re gonna win this thing, as a team.”

Makoto beamed in response.

Yeah, as long as they believed they could win, there was nothing stopping them…and so, he practiced arduously, with Ryouko’s close supervision.  The day of the contest approached when they’d put all their efforts to the test against their peers. Eager as he was to win, Makoto couldn’t forget the purpose behind the contest was a product of Taka’s goodwill and optimism. In that regard, even Ryouko had said an important facet of the game was to have fun…although that would be easier said than done for the loser.

For better or worse, everyone awaited that fateful day with anticipation…and yet, once the sun had set on that evening, he wished it never came.


 

The showdown took place at the Jabberwock statue.  The clearing had been decorated with props such as  tables and seats  taken from the restaurant and the stoves from the store

”We’ve finally reached this point. I hope you kids prepared well…because I’m going to be pissed if I have to eat slop.”  A relaxed Kizakura sat at the forefront, with a clear view of all the students spaced out n the terrain. “Buuut I’m sure won’t have to worry about that, given what’s on the line. To re-iterate, there are now two potential prizes for the winners. Not only do they get cash but in the event the biggest losers don’t feel like toughing it out with their secrets known, they have the option of being the winner’s slave for the week. ”

“You goin’ to be the only judge?” Mondo asked. 

“Got a problem with that? Not like the rest of you are impartial or anything.” Kizakura stated his reasoning. Makoto had a feeling that he was also trying to limit any possible casualties to himself alone. Not like something bad would happen…and really, he’d probably be overestimating the fedora’s sense of duty.

“Now then, if there are no more questions…go!”

Makoto put his training to the test. He moved through the procedures centered on the meat with adequate dexterity, incomparable to the person who started many fires days prior. Whenever he had the opportunity to relax, he turned his gaze towards his teammates and to no surprise, not a single one of them trailed behind him. 

Sparing a glance at the other groups and he could see they were working in unison too. Even Celes was uncharacteristically helping out Hina.

"Yo, Makoto." It was Hiro who marched up to him

"Need something, Hiro?"

"N-nothing much." He was acting suspicious. "Well, maybe I need a liiitle bit of help with my cooking and you were looking pretty good."

"I can't help you, Hiro. This is a contest." Makoto crossed his arms.

"Come ooooon, just this once." The disheveled haired man pleaded, one hand reaching behind his back.

Makoto wasn't one to refuse an earnest request for help and thus almost gave in before a ball of red flew past Makoto's head and hit the psychic square on the chest.

“Ow. What the heck, dude!?” Hiro yelled, trying to wipe off the red patch on his shirt.

Leon held another tomato in his hand, threateningly.

Makoto cocked his head in confusion, implicitly asking "What's going on?"

“Hiro was probably trying to mess with the food. Ain't that right, scumbag?” Leon accused.

"I would never!" Yasuhiro did not sound remotely convincing.

“No probably about it. He's definitely up to something." Kyouko mused

"Come on guys, Hiro's not that bad." Makoto defended him.

"I'm almost certain there's a box of salt hidden in the back of his sash. He planned on ruining the flavor and setting us back several minutes." The detective replied

Makoto looked to the clairvoyant for an explanation but before the latter could fail miserably to defend himself...

*clank*

The sound of metal falling over could be heard nearby. Everyone directed their eyes to the source of the commotion.

"Oh my. It would appear someone's slop nearly dirtied my clothes." Celes said, staring his way innocently. Oh, she wasn't staring at him, but the person next to him...because she was at Hiro's station.

"What the hell, Celes!? You totally screwed me over!" Hiro screamed dramatically.

"Enough, Yasuhiro. It was clearly an accident!" Taka rebuked him, not finding anything suspicious at all about Celes being there in the first place. "More importantly, you should have been watching the pot to make sure accidents didn't happen. Why are you fraternizing anyway?"

"I-was asking Makoto for help...hehe."

"That is against the rules!" Taka snapped "You're going on a timeout, right now!"

Hiro gasped, and then lazily walked to a chair out of the way.

"Bro, isnt dat' a bad idea? Hiro's a dumbass but if we don't get the sauce ready, we're fucked." Mondo questioned the efficacy of Kiyotaka's decision.

"Language!" Of course, that would be Taka's first priority "We'll have to make due with plan b, that's all."

"You're the boss." Mondo conceded.

Everyone else felt varying degrees of sympathy for the biker and sighed. Losing Hiro probably wasn't too big a setback but a handicap is a handicap and for Taka to place himself in that position in order to uphold his moral standards was nothing short of admirable...and worrying.

"Is Taka's group going to be alright?" Makoto asked.

"I don't think that's our problem." Ryouko answered. The sentiment was shared by the others.

The timer on his stove rang, signalling it was just about time to put his secret weapon to use. To his right laid a stack of alcohol bottles.


 

Four plates were neatly placed in front of Kizakura. The quality of most would make some high-ranking chefs green with envy; the food looked good enough to be served as a full course meal.

Furthest to the left was the product Ishimaru's group. The centerpiece of the dish was a massive pork roast that gave off an aroma that overpowered the rest. The meat glistened after thanks honey to the honey glaze and was surrounded by large potatoes. It wasn't the healthiest meal he'd ever seen but that wasn't likely to hurt their rating.

The next dish almost deliberately contrasted the first. On the plate laid a golden, crescent-shaped omelette, dressed with cheese and herbs on the outer layer. What captured Makoto's attention was the filling that sprouted out of the opening, along with the side of wine glass to compliment the meal. From appearances alone, Sayaka's group had a definite advantage and the fancy additions screamed Celes' handiwork.

The third plate belonged to his own group. Comparing the current version to before, some definite improvements had been made. Ryouko made sure the beef was tender enough for a fork to sink in effortlessly and deftly diced the meet into into smaller and evenly shaped cutlets. Leon handled the carrots with similar procession as well as being responsible for the round and mashed potatoes. All of which floated in harmony atop the bright orange sauce Kyouko created.

As for his contribution...that would be found in the taste.

Last was Togami's. As if seeking a balance between the first two, this dish was compact. On the side was salad touched with ranch dressing and in the middle was....wait, he didn't even know kind of meat that was. All he could say was that it leaked a gravy-colored sauce and had been layered with parsley and melted butter on top.

No seriously, what's with that meat?

As if sensing his confusion, Kyouko whispered. "It's Filet Mignon."

Makoto's confusion redoubled.

"High-quality steak." Kyouko brought a gloved hand to her forehead.

"We had steak!?" He whispered and yelled at the same time.

The lavender-haired girl responded with a half-glare and flicked his forehead.

"Ow." He whined, rubbing the spot she'd hit.

"Now then, time to get started." Kizakura clasped his hands.

For Makoto, he'd settle for having his mouth water at the sight and smell. After surveying the others' reactions, it appeared he wasn't the only one. Most of the guys (and Hina) looked ready to forget the contest and eat right away...but the repercussions for doing so were probably bad. 

So they were forced to stand there like dullards watching the drunkard of a teacher eat by himself. As much as Makoto hated to admit it, it kind of ticked him off

...

"Not bad, kids. All of these get a passing grade." Kizakura congratulated them after tasting all four dishes...and yet the tension in the air remained.

"But as you know, I still have to pick a loser. In order of best to worst..." The man lazily flipped a coin.

"Togami's group wins with a 100 points." The winner had been called.

"Yes, we did it!" Chihiro yelled ecstatically, causing everyone to look his way. The boy blushed and quieted down

That...may have been the most excited we'd ever seen him

Makoto would normally have thought his reaction adorable but this time, it was at his expense. They trained hard but it looked it wasn't enough in the end.

"As if there was ever any doubt of our victory." Togami sent a victorious smirk Celes' way.

The gambler didn't rise to the bait and averted her eyes.

"You sure about that, Togami?" Kizakura matched the heir's arrogant smile with one of his own.

"Of course. As if any of these louts could compare to me."

"Well boy, do I have news for you. Ryouko's group gets 98 points." The teacher stated.

"Woah!" Makoto's eyes widened. His surprise was shared by Leon and Ryouko. Kyouko didn't appear to be taken aback though. Because expressing large quantities of emotion wasn't something Kyouko Kirigiri did.

"What!? You're telling me Naegi was practically neck and neck with me?" While the seething Togami was speaking to Kizakura, he was glaring at Makoto.

...Why am I getting singled out here?

"Caught me by surprise but yeah, there was barely a difference. So I flipped a coin to pick the winner."

"So that was the meaning behind that pointless action? You're telling me we won on a fluke?" As if that fact only served to anger the heir further than a legitimate draw/loss.

"It'd have been a tie either way. Good on you for beating the lucky student at his own game." Kizakura smirked, clearly relishing Togami's indignation.

"Dude, how do the lucky student lose at a contest of luck?" Leon mocked.

"We both had a 50% chance of winning?" Makoto shrugged.

"Back to business. Third place goes to...." This was the moment of truth. Makoto's group was already in the clear...but the losers would have to be either Taka's or Sayaka's group. Neither of which, Makoto preferred but if he had to hazard a guess...third place would definitely be-

"Sayaka's group." Kizakura finalized.

"Alright! We're saved" Hina cheered. Sakura, Sayaka and even Celes let out a sigh of relief.

The same couldn't be said for Taka, Mondo, Hiro and Hifumi though.

"I shouldn't have to explain why you boys came in last. I couldn't help but feel that roast was unfinished." Kizakura explained his reasoning. 

If Makoto was a betting man, he would wager the reason for their loss lied with Hiro getting the boot. There was no way they'd be at maximum efficiency with just three people.

"I accept all the blame. It was my decision to give Yasuhiro a time-out. I had hoped the honey would compensate for the gravy." Taka said, downcast

"Indeed it was your fault." Togami entered the discussion. "The point of failure lies entirely on your shoulders for throwing away one of your pieces...even if it was one of questionable importance."

"Hey, don't knock Taka like that. It's Hiro's fault for being dishonest enough to cheat." Asahina pointed at him, and glared at Hiro.

"Yikes." Hiro yelped.

The heir rolled his eyes "Perhaps but that didn't stop Celes from capitalizing on Hiro's own stupid plan. And unless my memory fails me, Celes is part of your group, is she not?"

"That's enough. I will hear no more of anyone being accused of foul play!" Taka yelled.

"Oh? And what was wrong with sabotage?" Togami replied. "Was it stated anywhere that we couldn't interfere with other teams?"

"Togami's right, Kiyotaka. The only rule I set was that you guys couldn't get an easy way out with the ingredients. Any other forms of cheating was fair game. Honestly, I was hoping more of you would be desperate enough to try." Words that should never be uttered by a teacher or any adult of authoritative status, were indeed spoken.

"You can't be serious!" Taka said, repulsed by the insinuation.

"You're way too stiff, my boy. Instead of chastising Hiro for his mistakes, why didn't you try to cover for him? You did nobody any favors by putting him on 'time-out' which is ridiculous by the way, you're not actually kids anymore."

"But cheating is wrong!" Taka refuted.

"You're parroting a myth. The only thing more unsightly than a loser, is a loser who was too incompetent to do their utmost to win. Cheating is only a problem when you're too stupid to pull it off successfully." Togami said.

"Rather then punishing Hiro, you should have made use of his...'strengths'. And by that, I refer to taking advantage of his incompetence and called Celes out on her charade. But naturally, you would never consider the possibility that Celes would undermine you, and she knew that as well. Why else do you think she so blatantly sabotaged Hagakure for all to see?"

As much as Makoto didn't like it, Togami had a point. The last bit anyway, he thought cheating was wrong no matter what.

But, that didn't mean he was going to stand for it.

"That's going too far-" Makoto began

"What of it?" Kiyotaka's growl silenced them "Even if I'm doomed to fail, I will never approve dishonest tactics. The righteous path is the only road suited for one who hopes to become the prime minister."

The moral compass did not relent in the face of the heir's logic. Each of them stared down the other with fierce determination.

But...prime minister? That was Taka's dream?

"I applaud your will, Ishimaru. I really do." Celes interjected, clearly intending to saying more. "However, I wonder if you're even in the position to refuse Togami."

That's right, the penalty!

Kizakura whistled "So what'll it be, boys? Secrets out or slave duty?"

"I'm fine with having my secrets revealed." Taka admitted fearlessly.

"Whoa there, bro. I'm definitely not." Mondo called out.

"M-Me neither." Hifumi agreed. "I may not survive if my covert operations come to light."

"Ditto. You guys would never see me the same way again!"

Um...Hiro? I think we know more than enough about you already.

"I don't understand. What could you lot have done that would possibly make any of us think less of you? That would be worse than submiting yourselves to servitude at that?" Taka expressed profound confusion.

"Taka, I think it's wonderful that you think so highly of everyone but...we're not perfect. Each and everyone of us has made mistakes we don't want anyone else to know about." Sayaka spoke gently, without trying to hurt the moral compass' feelings or disillusion him too badly.

"I don't." Taka replied, still confused.

"Eh? Really?" Makoto thought

"Oh come now. This goody-two-shoes act of yours must have limits. You cannot honestly claim to have never done anything worth reprimanding. No matter how straightforward you claim to be, you are also human." Celes was skeptical.

"I'm well aware and I say there is nothing in my life to be ashamed of."

Celes scoffed.

"Here's an idea. If Ishmaru is so adamant about this, why don't we exclude him from the group punishment and let him have only his secrets read. If he has nothing to worry about then there should be no problem." Togami proposed.

"I'm down for that." Kizakura agreed. That amused expression had yet to fade. "What about you, Taka? You sure about this?"

"Absolutely." The uniform-clad man was adamant.

Kizakura picked out an envelope with Kiyotaka's name on it and ripped it open. Afterwards he flicked the white paper over to the middle of the group, where it settled down on the ground for Hiro to pick up.

The clairvoyant analyzed the paper in confusion. "Uh, teach. You screwed the pooch here; this paper's totally blank, dude."

"No. That's about right."

They all went silent. If Kizakura implied what Makoto thought he was...

"Eureka!" Hifumi said "I should have known all this talk about our deepest secrets was but a sham. An old cliche to motivate us."

"Nope." Kizakura refuted the notion. "I'm ashamed to admit it but Taka's piece is blank because I found nothing."

"You didn't try hard enough then." Celes snapped.

"No, for the third time. It is not that I didn't find anything, it's that what I was searching for didn't exist. Taka's record is spotless; there isn't so much as a blot that would rise to the level of humiliation."

"You can't be serious." "That's nonsense." Celes and Togami expressed disbelief.

"No it isn't. Like I've said, I've done nothing to be ashamed of." Ishimaru clarified...and yet he was still confused all the same. "And I thought the same went for everyone else here. I still do."

Nobody was able to meet his clear ruby-colored eyes.

"I can't believe that." Those words came from Asahina. "There's no way you can think we're like you. Y-You even read about me."

"You mean that fiasco in your middle school? I admit I first had doubts but after thinking about it, there's no proof you were culpable whatsoever and the Hina I've come to know would never stoop that low." Kiyotaka countered.

"What...the heck?" A stupefied Hina breathed lowly. 

Whatever she meant, Makoto didn't know.  And it seemed nobody else but Sakura did either.

"I don't care about whether anyone loses the bet here but you can't expect me to believe Ishimaru is some kind of sinless human, the very idea is contradictory. Rather, It would be more sensible to call your competence into question." Togami accused the instructor.

"I had a feeling you'd say that, Togami." Kizakura whipped out another envelope and threw at the heir. "That's for your eyes alone."

The bespectacled teen ripped open the envelope. What he saw inside darkened his mood greatly. His reaction alone served as a testament to Kizakura's ability.

"...Hmpf. Well, this has been an interesting diversion but I've had just about enough of it." He said and then turned to Chihiro.

"Fujisaki, we have more important matters to attend to."

As if the morning days ago repeated itself, the shorter boy recoiled and then sighed. "See you guys."

"Wait for me, m-master." Touko called after them.

"Follow me and I will file an official restraining order on you the first thing we get back to the mainland. I'm serious."

"Gah!" Touko froze, nearly brought to tears as she stared at the odd couple's retreating forms.

"I-It can't be. Does M-Master Byakuya a-actually like that runt more than me!?" The writer despaired.

"I think he likes anyone more than you, Toko." Hina sweatdropped.

"He's picking that dick over us again?" Mondo couldn't believe his eyes.

"Seriously when did Chi start liking moneybags enough to hang out with him?" Leon scratched his hair.

"Is the problem not a combination of both?" Kyouko said aloud. "Chihiro's subservience is abnormal...yet even more out of the ordinary, is Togami's sudden interest in him. What could Chihiro have to offer him?"

As usual, Kyouko was right...

Howevr before anyone could give the odd incidences any proper thought...

"Hey wait. Since Toges dipped, that mean we don't have to face the penalty?" An expectant Hiro asked, breaking the mood in the process.

Kizakura shrugged. "The mood here's kind of a bummer so we'll reschedule that. Insteaaad, I've decided to let you kids throw an afterparty."

"What do you mean?"

"I planned on having the winning group prepare meals for everyone here. Unfortunately, as Togami and Chihiro left, we'll let Ryouko's group will handle it." He suggested.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. I would love to partake in a meal that could rival Togami's best." Sakura approved, arms crossed.

"D-Doesn't that just mean we have to put in more work? Are we the ones getting punished?" Ryouko stammered

"Yeah yeah, this sounds like a rip off. What do we get out of it?" Leon inquired.

"Aw, don't be that way. We'll give you a hand." Sayaka offered

"When do we get started?" Leon gave Kizakura a thumbs up.

"I'll volunteer too, if you're fine with me." Ikusaba raised a hand

"Of course, we'd be glad to have you." Makoto accepted the soldier's offer with a smile. "Though it'll still a while to cook everything again, even with this many people."

"I'm out of energy. I'll come by later after buying some donuts from the store." Hina said.

"Heeey, that sounds great. Can I come with?" Ryouko wanted to go along with her.

"Is it alright for the team leader to abandon the team?" Celes asked

"Sure, they don't need me. Asahina and I won't be gone long either, we'd be back once you've made around 40% progress."

"...That's nearly half of the work right there. I suppose that kind of irresponsibility should be expected from you." Celes sighed.

Ryouko pouted...Her old personality was quickly coming back.

"if you want responsible then I'll make up the teams:

-Makoto, big sis,  Sakura, Hina and Celes

-Kyouko, Touko, Sakura, Hifumi.

-Myself, Leon, Taka, Sayaka and Mondo"

"That should have been expected of you from the start." Sakura commented.

"Fine. I won't go." Ryouko deflated.

"If you're that hungry, I'll go in your place and bring back your favorites." Ikusaba quelled Ryouko's rant.

"Sis, you're the only one who gets me!"  Ryouko pulled her twin into a hug

"There there. I'll always be on your side." The older sister patted the younger on the back.

Everyone else were slightly creeped out at what would ordinarily be a heartwarming the sight. They were the strangest pair of siblings ever...

Moving on, Makoto thought the teams were mostly even, given what they had to work with. Makoto, Ryouko, Kyouko and Leon all knew the recipe so they'd be the effective leaders in their groups.

"Ikusaba and I will grab drinks on the way over. Just so you can't call us lazy." Hina pumped her hands into the air.

"Good plan and now that we're in agreement, I say  good luck. I'm definitely looking forward to seconds." Kizakura drank from his flask, hell bent on doing absolutely nothing.

Makoto sighed. He returned to his position on the site and flicked his stove on again. Just once more...What could go wrong?


 

It was nighttime now. And just about everyone was cleaning up. Most anyway. Leon, Hiro and Mondo were playing around and throwing food at each other in the background.

Asahina and Ikusaba had made good on their word, bringing supplies and condiments with them on their way back. It was a comical sight, watching the slender swimmer easily dragging several large bags with one hand and eating donuts with the other.

He on the other hand, was busy spluttering instructions to the other four members of his team, much to his humiliation. Makoto wasn't very good at giving orders; something the others picked up very quickly and lightly made fun of him for. And yet, they still listened diligently. As a result, the fruit of their efforts came out surprisingly well done, in the opinions of the ones who tasted it.

"Makoto." Kizakura called him.

"Yeah?"

"What's your secret? For the food, I mean" The instructor inquired. He had been the first to taste all the food, presumably as a safety precaution. Despite his unreliability at times, this man truly had a sense of responsibility when it mattered.

"Huh? Is there a reason you're asking. W-Was it bad?" He answered with questions of his own.

"Far from it; the beef was great. Don't tell the others I said it but your group was probably the best of the bunch. I couldn't tell who was responsible the first time since you and the other three were working together. But this time, I'm sure it was your doing." The man praised.

"Ah. I'm really happy to hear that...but it wasn't just me. Everyone worked on it." Even though they were separated into groups, they weren't competing this time. If someone from the other side needed help or advice then they'd mix to lend a hand. It happened quite a few times.

"Sure sure. But about the secret, how'd you really make it taste so good?"

"Me and Ryouko came up with a technique. All I did was fuse alcohol brands to elevate the flavor. I'm not sure why it worked out so well but it does every time. Even Ryouko said her combinations weren't as good."

"I knew it!" Kizakura snapped his fingers, pleased with himself for some reason.

"Knew what?" He wondered

"Oh nothing. Just ecstatic that I can still pick out faint traces of a good drink with my eyes closed." He smiled, satisfied with the conclusion.

"Really? I wish I had been able to taste it." Kiyotaka said awkwardly, overhearing their conversation.

Kizakura shrugged and went on his merry way.

"Agreed." Sayaka conveyed similar disappointment.

Their group tasted Kyouko's dish. His tasted theirs and Kyouko's had his. I guess the expectation was that all the meals would taste relatively similar.

Makoto lifted the lid next to him, taking note of a smaller amount of food left than predicted.

"There isn't enough for the both of two." Makoto said. They must have eaten more than he thought.

"In that case, feel free to go ahead, Sayaka." Ishimaru gave way for the idol

"Not a chance. The only reason we're here is because of you Taka. I insist you take the plate." Sayaka rebutted.

"Urgh. That may be but as a man, I can't act so shamelessly."

That was definitely a Mondo line.

"Okay, then why don't we share what little is left over?" Sayaka suggested

"A wonderful idea. Makoto, if you please."

Makoto nodded and reached into the pot near him.

...Huh, it smells a bit different.

The luckster scooped out the contents with a spoon and placed it on two plates. Neither meal was enough for one but given this was just a taste test, the quantity should suffice.

Sayaka ate first and marveled at the taste.

Seeing her reaction, Taka was about to next...until...

"DODGE!" Leon's yell was heard.

A familiar red tomato crossed Makoto's line of sight and hit Taka on the arm. The shock caused the moral compass to stumble and drop the food onto the ground.

"Whoops...sorry." Leon apologized

The heartbroken Taka marched towards them angrily, just eager to give them the lecture of their lives.

"How'd it taste, Sayaka?"

"A little spicy but...amazing! I feel bad for Taka..." She praised. " 

"I'm glad. Looks like all that training paid off." He boasted a sense of accomplishment.

"It...seems that way. Although I'm...not sure how to feel about a guy being a better cook than me." Sayaka said in-between small pants.

"You're all overestimating me. I had lots of help." Makoto stressed.

Sayaka let out a giggle that cut off abruptly and transformed into a cough mid-way.

"What do you have to say for yourselves!?" Taka yelled.

Kneeling in front of him were Leon, Mondo and Hiro with their heads down. As apologetic as they appeared, Taka probably regretted the turn of events even more considering he was crying while admonishing them.

Note to self to make another round for him on a later date.

He felt dainty fingers shakily tugging on his sleeves.

"Those guys are too much, don't you think?" Makoto joked.

Without the expected reply, he faced the girl.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, eyebrows raised at her distressed form.

"I think it may have been too spicy after all." By "it", she referred to the food they made. "Are there a-any drinks left?"

Makoto took a gander around the site and spotted bottles nearby Ikusaba. He nodded to the idol and brought her over by the hand, taking notice of how it trembled.

The ever so passive Ikusaba caught sight of their approach and wordlessly handed Makoto a red water container at his request.  

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." The bluenette offered the two those soon to be ironic words of gratitude as Makoto passed the bottle over to her. Without wasting another moment, she hastily popped open the cap and drank from its contents.

...Makoto thought Sayaka was exaggerating. He tasted the food many times before, thus he knew from experience that it could not have been that spicy.

Yet Sayaka desperately and unbefittingly chugged the water, as if she was becoming thirstier in the process. With the sweat dripping from her forehead, that was arguably the truth.

"Um...are you okay?" Makoto asked worriedly. There was nothing remaining in the container...and yet she didn't stop.

Sayaka didn't reply. Instead she coughed even more harshly than before as the bottle dropped unceremoniously onto the floor. One arm went to her stomach and the other clawed at her throat.

"It...burns..." She wheezed

Makoto gazed at the scene with progressing terror. He wouldn't forget the sight of his friend pleading for help, tears streaming out of bloodshot eyes.

"Ma...ko..t-" Sayaka never finished uttering his name. A sizable volume of blood cascaded from her lips as she dropped to the ground.

Makoto's thoughts hadn't been able to process the sight before him.

*Cough*

Huh?

Like a machine slowly reactivating, Makoto mechanically turned to the dreaded noise and watched Ikusaba on her knees, clutching at her own throat as if trying to contain the life that was quickly leaving her.

"The...symptoms....too fast...can't be...How did?" Ikusaba choked out a thick red liquid.

Her eyes were bloodshot as Sayaka's were, however she emanated neither the degree of horror nor the tears the idol shed. Ikusaba was too strong for that. If Sayaka had been struck by an unseen force, Ikusaba had watched the world around her slowly crumble; there would be no hope of survival. It was a difference of awareness.

Neither strength nor awareness staved off fate. The Ultimate Soldier succumbed to a bloody demise all the same.

Notes:

Regrets #5

"Your grandfather's a goddamn disgrace." He couldn't remember how what age he'd been when those words first struck a chord in him. He'd heard the phrase many times before and he would hear it many times after -- Be it from peers, strangers who merely happened to know him, or even his own family, the stigma his grandfather left on him clung to him like an extra layer of skin. On his 6th birthday, he learned the reason as to why he was often ostracized. His grandfather had trusted the wrong people and strayed from justice. On that day, he promised to never replicate the failures of old.

He would wipe away the smear on his family name with sheer effort and pursue righteousness with unrelenting fervor. If his ancestor had been done wrong by his allies, he would surpass the man by bringing them all to light. Justice for himself wasn't enough, he would act as a guide to return all who deviated back to the proper path.

He'd held onto those beliefs from elementary through middle school and won the ire of many. He'd held no expectations that Hope's Peak Academy would be different and resigned himself to a fate of solitude. And yet, his arrogant presumptions of others had been crushed. Here, there were genuine individuals who respected him for who he was. Among these first of friends, there was not one he wouldn't dedicate his life to.

Toranosuke Ishimaru failed the entire country. He wouldn't fail his friends.

Chapter 14: Déjà Vu

Notes:

Things to note:

-Kyouko's PoV will be used quite a bit in this arc and she tends to be a lot faster and precise when it comes to dealing with evidence compared to Makoto. What appears obvious to her, may not be to everyone else.

-Some of the interactions and dialogue might seem familiar to that of the first three chapters but that's intentional. That's because this universe is parallel to the one of the previous arc's killing game with Leon, so there won't be too great of a divergence in how class 78 reacts. Except the murder circumstances of course - This time a certain someone is alive and quick to assume a leadership role.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

After a period of deafening silence, a chorus of screams emerged.

But not his. Makoto stood still, eyes locked on the fallen form of his friends. Neither of them died gracefully, neither died painlessly, yet they died all the same.

“Nobody move!” Kyouko said, authoritatively. The others did as instructed as froze in their respective spots. It was a standard procedure on Kyouko's part. If nobody moves then the crime scene can be preserved perfectly.

The detective searched through the corpses as if there would actually be signs of life present. There wouldn’t be, of course.  This was how Her twisted game worked.

“Makoto…what happened?” She asked. I know how She thinks. Despair is Her aim. But despair can sometimes be predictable...

 “Snap out of it!” Kyouko forcefully shook his shoulders.

“E-Eh? W-What happened?” The unintelligible question aside…what was he thinking about just…now!

An immensely painful shock flooded his brain. His fingers moved to claw at his brain in a futile measure to stem the pain.

“Makoto!” He couldn’t tell if she had yelled.

He blacked out.

-[Kyouko Kirigiri]-

Even before Makoto fell, he’d been barely conscious; his eyes were narrowed to slits. The shock must have been too much…and he wasn’t in the best of health to start with. Kyouko called on Sakura to help pick up the fallen lucky student and bring him to the hospital. In doing so, she had broken protocol by allowing a potential suspect freedom to move. However she…didn’t want to lay Makoto down next to those two. That would have been inhumane

Moving on, this case was most likely...homicide. Yes, her examinations had already decided as such. Murder cases were her specialty and she knew poison when she saw it. Ordinarily, deducing the mode of death without any physical trauma would take days or, if lucky, the information would be readily available to her if the coroners had already worked out the details. However, this time there was not even need for doubt. There is no illness in the world that can kill humans in minutes, and from the absolute picture of good health. The only alternative was severe poisoning.

Could it have been accidental? Impossible, for after glancing at her classmates, she acknowledged every last one of them appeared to be just fine and neither the idol nor soldier had intaken anything the rest of us didn’t.

That begs the question. What killed them? And just as importantly, were they the intended targets?

Without excess movement, Kyouko examined thedishes. This was the difficult part. She had no idea what amount of was safe to eat and what amount would prove fatal, therefore she couldn’t test the food. At least not without risking her life.

The next step? She recalled the groups were they in. Ikusaba was in Makoto’s group and Sayaka, in Ryouko’s.  Makoto’s (Ikusaba) group had been assigned to eat Ryouko’s food.  Ryouko’s (Sayaka) group had eaten from Kyouko’s own. And her team had Makoto’s. That means Ikusaba's poisoning would have been a result Ryouko’s food and Sayaka from hers. Where was the connection?

Kyouko had completed her analysis. While she couldn’t taste any of the food, she could still detect smells. Some poisons were odorless but if they weren’t, she would have noticed a difference. After all, she had spent days working on this recipe. There was no chance she would miss anything out of place.

And she found that element…in Makoto’s food. There was a distinct smell that had never been present prior.  Certainly, the primary suspects would be the cooks…in other words: Makoto Naegi, Mukuro Ikusaba, Sakura Oogami, Aoi Asahina and Celestia Ludenberg.

They were the five in the best position to have tampered with the food. She could remove Ikusaba from the equation and Makoto…no, he could still be a suspect.

She was regretting allowing Sakura to leave.

But this information raised questions of its own; neither of the victims had been in the position to eat food from that group…Was there a point when they’d had the same meal? There were no rules against doing so and there had been plenty of time…time…When had the food been poisoned? It couldn’t have been before the group had collectively indulged themselves. It had to have been more recent…but how did they know anyone would come for seconds…and more importantly…why use such a roundabout method?

Where was the motive in killing just those two and nobody else? That’s immensely sloppy for any reasonable killer.

There was also the issue of the drinks. She found bottles lying near the bodies of both girls but she wouldn’t be able to get anything from those items for now. Besides, judging from the smell, the cause was likely the food. That scent wasn't present in the water canisters.

…As I suspected, I won’t be able to solve this case without Makoto’s testimony.

“Kyouko…” Asahina whimpered. She abandoned her train of thought (for the moment) to focus on the others. Some were still wrought with tears, others with disbelief and a minute few with acceptance of their situation. All had one thing in common, they looked to her for answers.

That was a bit of a dilemma. It was typical for the culprit to try to be updated on the progress of the authorities; it was a slip-up that often cost them. A good detective knows how to find a balance with giving up just enough information and receiving so much more from the exchange.

Thunder struck for what seemed like the 50th time this week. It was always a signal for the rain about to fall. Kyouko made one last check and kept a photographic image of everyone’s positions in her mind.

“I expect it will rain soon. Let’s find shelter in the hospital and we’ll talk things over there.” Kyouko advised. They nodded their heads.

Good. With everyone together, she’ll be able to pick them apart and find potential weaknesses in their alibis.

“What do we do with them?” Mondo asked, hesitating at the final word. Assuming it wasn’t a façade, Mondo’s reaction was natural. Sayaka and Ikusaba would never move, speak or act again; thus, was there a difference between them and any other object?

…Togami would probably make such a crude comment at this point in time. She was almost pleased he wasn’t around...if it wasn’t for the fact that there was a possible killer on the lose.

“We’ll bring them with us and leave their bodies in the hospital.” No objections were raised, therefore she continue “We need someone to round up Togami and Chihiro.”

“I’ll handle that.” Kizakura raised his hand. As the teacher, that was his duty.

“The rest of you leave immediately. Mondo, grab the girls for me.” The fedora instructed and then made his way over to Kyouko. Once there, he whispered silently.

“Cases like these are your specialty, so I’ll leave you in charge of how to handle things from now on. Don’t keep them in the dark too much and don’t try to solve everything by yourself. Depend on others but don’t show weakness.” Kizakura advised with regret in his voice, and left before she said a word in response. His words were almost like a goodbye.

Her ‘specialty’ he says. There was no way Kizakura couldn’t have been aware that her specialty was homicide. He was leaving a hint…but he shouldn’t know nearly as much as she does without examining the crime scene. Not unless he the killer…but she hoped that wasn’t the case.

She wished that of all of them. If there was a chance of some other reason, she would gladly latch onto it. Provided that reason was true. Until then, she should believe they’re innocent…that’s what Makoto would want.

Either way, time will tell. She would make sure of that.

As per Kizakura's instructions, Mondo carried Ikusaba's lifeless form and motioned towards the idol's. 

"I'll take Sayaka." Kyouko addressed the delinquent. He looked ready to argue but Kyouko's gaze told him she wouldn't have any objects. Contrary to popular belief, Mondo Owada was a man who could read the mood.

Kyouko uttered a small word of thanks and then knelt before the bluenette. With a soft swipe of her glove, Kyouko wiped away the blood and tears on Sayaka's face and closed her eyes for the last time. Kyouko propped Sayaka's body onto her back and followed the others towards the hospital.

The aquatic fragrance originating from the idol's hair brushing against her skin brought forth a not-so-distant memory.

Sayaka sighed loudly in her dorm room.

"That talk felt great. I can't remember the last time I let loose like that." She stretched her arms out.

"You think so? I'm disappointed to find out you're not the saint the media portrays you to be. I feel sorry for your fans, they'd probably hang themselves if they realized your true nature." Kyouko droned sarcastically and sat with her arms folded and legs crossed on the bed.

"Then I'll make sure they never do." Sayaka joked and then planted herself right next to Kyouko. Close enough for the bluenette to rest her head on the lavender's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Kyouko deadpanned. Physical contact was...uncomfortable...though Kyouko didn't mind the fragrance from what she could assume was ocean-scented shampoo. 

"Bonding."

"Why?"

Pearl blue eyes stared into hers and were followed by a fit of giggles.

"Because we're best friends now, silly."

"Were you really so insecure that you'd find comfort in even my company?" The stoic asked aloud. She received no reply...not that she expected one.

Kyouko's eyes darkened as a metaphorical flame lit inside her. Nobody targets her friends and gets away with it.


 

“What in the nine realms is this?” As Hifumi so eloquently put it. When they arrived at the hospital, Sakura was there in waiting and looked even more disconcerted than before her departure. The ‘ogre’ led them to the source of her apprehension.

For all 10 of them to see, a large, grotesque crimson circle was fixed onto the wall in the main lobby.

Kyouko briefly considered the possibility that Sakura had drawn the circle. The odds weren’t high. Sakura wouldn’t have had the time to paint the wall before they arrived, and if the fighter did, she would have needed to rush. That would mean she’d also have to be careless, and traces of paint would find its way onto her body. Kyouko found no signs of coloring on Sakura’s skin (it helped that she didn’t dress in layers) or water, assuming she tried to wash it off.

That said, it was also possible the painting was made beforehand; anyone could have drawn it then.

“Kyouko, do you have any ideas?” Sakura asked.

The detective approached the wall and daintily swiped her finger across the marking. It came off quickly, suggesting only a short period of time had passed since the painting was made. As hot as it was on a tropical island, the liquid would have dried within a matter of hours. Now normally, she would have tasted to be certain of what the substance was but Kyouko couldn’t risk the liquid being poisoned. If the culprit knew Kyouko was the Ultimate Detective; that would make her a target and what better way for a criminal to rid themselves of their chasers by trapping the crime scene?

Either way, there were only a limited number of things the liquid could be. Paint, some kind of juice…or blood. The first was unlikely as Kizakura patrolled the store regularly to catch potential cheaters for the contest; that included night time. The culprit couldn’t have risked running into him…unless it is him. She would need to make a mental note of this. Juice could have been made of anything, they didn’t need to get it from the convenience store. Blood…would have been difficult to find of that quantity.

Kyouko reached another dead-end. Instead, the focus turned to the meaning behind this appalling view. The drawing was occult-ish in nature (she’d seen her fair share in past cases). Why? Were they implying Sayaka and Ikusaba’s murders were part of some ritual?

“That is a magic circle.” Celes said. Kyouko faced the gothic Lolita. That was more or less in line with her deductions. What was the point though?

“Ms.Celes…how do you know that?” Hifumi asked. “Perhaps you’re the one behind this?”

Kyouko arched an eyebrow. Did Hifumi even realize what he was saying? He was implicating Celes to be a culprit. Perhaps not the culprit for the murder but for the circle.  That conclusion wasn’t entirely off-base, as the gambler is known for her odd tastes and is currently among the primary suspects. The problem lied in Hifumi making any accusations at all and at a time like this.

She wondered if he realized, possibly subconsciously, that there was a killer on the loose. And if the doujin author had, no doubt the others would have growing paranoia as well.

That was good and bad. Good, because it meant everyone would be on their guard and without input from her. Bad, because the last thing they needed was a blind witch hunt.

“Behind what, Hifumi? This tacky design? Please, I have some standards.” Celes retorted

“That doesn’t prove anything. You could still have been behind it.” Hifumi countered

“I ask again. Behind what? Are you referring to the painting…or the murders?” 

The gates opened. All that's left was to wait for the flood.

Kyouko had no doubt that even a pin falling on the floor would have been heard clearly in the silence that now permeated the room.

She was going to have a lot of questions for the gambler.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Kyouko. You may not think me up to your intellectual standards but know that Celestia Ludenberg is not a fool. I realized it after seeing the painting. Someone is trying to send a message…and with the terribly (in)convenient timing of the death of our peers, I believe that message is clear. There is a murderer present.” Celes said.

If you’re intelligent enough to figure out the circumstances, then at least go further and apply some tact. Who knows what’ll happen now.

“Oi…what’s this chick talking about?” A stupefied Leon exclaimed. Though he blurted the question in the air, it was clear they were looking to Kyouko for answers again.

She sighed mentally. She didn’t like being at the forefront. Makoto was better at these things…oh well, Kyouko was never one to shy away from her duties.

“Celestia is correct. Our friend’s deaths were most likely intentional.” Kyouko answered their fears and the silence resumed.

“This…This shit ain’t right” Mondo recovered first, surprisingly. 

“You don’t pull this kind of shit on girls. There were guys, why the fuck didn’t they come after us!?” It was almost fascinating how Mondo was observably becoming angrier in the process of his speech. Kyouko should have taken his views towards women into account. She needs to stop him before he suggests-

“Let’s get out there and make them whoever the fuck is responsible wish someone poisoned them!” The biker finished…

Out there? Kyouko hadn’t entertained the idea of an outsider. It made no sense given such a person would have to sneak onto an open site and leave undetected by anyone. They would have a LOT more problems on their hands if someone that skilled existed. That isn't to say Mondo's words didn't have merit. Now that Kyouko thought clearly...this was a closed-room murder; the killer had planted poison in their midst and nobody noticed? 

“Chill out,  Mondo. Going on a rampage isn’t going to help anybody.”

Kyouko had to double-take. Those sensible words of advice didn’t come from her but…from Yasuhiro.

“You pussy, don’t tell me you’re scared of this sick fuck?” Mondo nearly reached for the clairvoyant before the shaggy haired man stepped back.

“Sheesh, you’ve got me all wrong.” He raised his hands defensively. “We don’t’ have to look for this dude…because I already know who she is.”

“…What?” Kyouko accidentally said out loud. To even contemplate the possibility of Yasuhiro discovering the killer’s identity before she did was mind-bendingly…offensive.

“Whoa, even you don’t know either, Kyouko? Man, maybe I’m some kinda Ultimate Ultimate Detective then.” The idiot bragged. Why did she even consider that he might have had something worthwhile to say…

“The killer’s identity is obviously the witch of Jabberwock Island.” He pointed exaggeratedly.

Kyouko deadpanned. She had forgotten all about that legend. She wasn’t exactly a believer…but that doesn’t mean others weren’t. In reality, the magic circle alluded to the occult and on this island, the biggest name in that respect was the witch.

Did the killer draw this circle to throw us off their scent? It would be a poor attempt if so as nobody would buy it, which was apparently the case as Kyouko observed her classmates chastising Hiro for his foolish assumptions. But Kyouko wasn’t too certain this time.

“We might as well consider the possibility.”  She said aloud, breaking off Yasuhiro's verbal beatdown.

“Why are you humoring this lout, Kyouko?” Celes asked.

“It’s an interesting thought to keep in mind. I’m betting he has no proof of a witch’s existence but at the same time, I doubt none of us can deny his theory either. So we’ll leave it up in the air for now and work with what evidence we do have.” That was how a proper detective should handle a case. Keep preconceptions out of their investigation.

Besides, even if there wasn’t a real witch. That didn’t mean there wasn’t something of a similar nature on the island; such as someone pretending to be this mysterious figure or perhaps the killer’s motives is tied to the legend in some way. She’d find out eventually.

Now before the witch hunt starts, she needs to make this an orderly procedure.

“Everyone, I’ll need to have you all accompany me into one of the washrooms, one at a time.” Kyouko proposed.

“Why?” Asahina asked.

“I want to get a proper picture of the events this past week, and for that I need everyone’s perspective.”

“In other words, our alibis.” Celes interjected. Was she intentionally trying to make my job difficult?

“No.” She lied. “I’m looking for anything out of the ordinary that might point to evidence. I also want the information to be as pure as possible so I’ll ask none of you to converse during this period. The last thing I need is for your testimonies to be confounded.” Memory was often unreliable that way. New information could overwrite genuine perception of events. Honestly, memory confabulations would probably happen anyway; that’s why she needs to isolate her questioning to no longer than a week.

“And what if you were the culprit?” Touko accused her out of the blue. How surprising that she would be the first to be singled out.

“You don’t believe that. Or else I’d question your intelligence for letting me tamper with the crime scene. But by all means, do try to resolve the situation without me. It would make me quite happy if you could.”

None replied. Of course they wouldn’t. Life is never that easy.

Kyouko looked to the time on her metallic monochrome bracelet; this was supposed to act as a safety precaution in case they went missing.

Kizakura had been gone for some time.


 

“I’ll need you to answer two questions: Did you pick up on anything strange over the past week and, if at all possible, I need to know exactly what you’ve been doing since yesterday morning.”

Touko Fukawa: W-What’s that supposed to mean? A-Are you suspecting me? Whatever. When I wasn’t cooking, I was watching over Master Byakuya and making sure that runt didn’t pull any weird tricks.  They can verify that when they get back. As for this morning, master Byakuya called on us first thing in the morning to make sure everything was perfect, that goes for the rest in my group, I think.

Hifumi Yamada: Miss. Kirigiri. I must first declare my case; under no circumstance am I involved in this crime. Oh, you weren’t suggesting that? Very well. The ruffians I dealt with didn’t know the first thing about cooking. Sir. Yasuhiro was the most skilled of the lot, can you believe that? Most of my time was spent on excess teaching. In my own time, I served Mistress Celestia at the casino at times. But as I said, my compatriots were grossly incompetent; I was scarcely with the mistress.

Mondo Oowada: Where I’ve been? Helping out with the guys. Hifumi was a decent teacher but most of that cooking shit just flew right past me. I had to work harder cuz of that with bro. When I needed to unwind, I called up Leon. This morning?  I was chilling with Hiro.

Yasuhiro Hagakure: Yeah I was with Mondo this morning...and I’ve seen a ton of suspicious activity. Like one night a while back, I heard an inhuman roar on the fifth island; must’ve been the witch training her demonic beasts. Huh? They're my delusions? I’m telling the truth though…bah, forget that then. I think I saw Chihiro moving out at night with Toges but that doesn’t sound…Touko ? She wasn’t with them.  I spent most of my free time on visions. Makoto’s to be precise; some hottie was getting real intimate with him. Think he has a girl on the side-…Kyouko? You look like you’re about to kill me.

Ishimaru Kiyotaka: Huh? My complexion? I’ll be alright. I’m not much of a cook so me and bro took lessons together after group training. Otherwise, I performed my investigative duties with-…them. All I remember was Sayaka asking to share the leftovers made by Makoto's group. I-I failed them…

Celestia Ludenberg: I do not care for the culinary arts, that should be left to the help. Of course I wouldn’t slave away like the others.  I occupied myself in the casino, Hifumi was often there as well. However, I’m also aware that leaves me without a strong alibi. The food? Myself, Makoto,  Sakura, Hina and the late Ikusaba were the cooks. I did little but taste test. I can assure you that there was nothing strange about the contents when the dish was finished. Kizakura can attest to that when he returns. He was the first to eat everyone’s food. Likely as a precautionary measure…lot of good that did.

Aoi Asahina: Sakura and I train a lot in the mornings and sometimes in the night. I didn’t notice anything suspicious in the group. Well, Celes was rarely there and just went off on her own at times…though she got weirdly productive after she made that servant rule. Before that though, Sayaka picked up most of the slack…Kyouko, is she really gone?

Sakura Oogami:  I did not sense a presence other than my own when I arrived at the hospital. Whoever painted that circle was long gone. Hina? Yes, she and I regularly practice together and she has become much stronger since we began. Why the sudden training regiment? I promised to help Hina overcome her strife… As to what problem I am referring to, I cannot say without Hina’s consent, however I can assure you that it has nothing to do with our current circumstances. Celes, you say…That is true, I noticed her leave often but that was typical behavior of her. I do not know where she went…but I believe Makoto once mentioned she was seen with Ryouko.

Leon Kuwata: Seriously, Kyouko? We were literally together for over a week. You know what I’ve been up to. The times when we were separate? Eh, I was hanging out with Makoto or Mondo.

Ryouko Otonashi: I don’t remember anything about Celes, she has nothing to do with me. I was mostly with you, Makoto and Leon. When I wasn’t? I’d room up with big sis, she gets lonely without me…or that’s what the notebook said. I…wonder how this happened. Huh? You’re sorry for my loss? Why? I’m just curious about how the killer pulled this crime off.

The questioning shed some much needed light; none was specific enough to rule anyone out as the killer but it was good thay most of their stories corrobarated. Save Yasuhiro's...questionable input. Based on present information, Celes was the most suspicious. Which might actually be a good thing for her; most intelligent criminals go out of their way to plant alibis whereas she's left herself wide open. The culprit might intend on using Celes as a scapegoat...or she's nowhere near as smart as either of them thought.

There were other trails to follow. Ryouko's lack of a reaction to her sister's death was worrying in a number of ways. Hina is blatantly hiding something and no offense to Sakura but she will be the one to decide what occurrence may be relevant to a case. Finally, Touko's alibi is somewat suspect...or Togami and Chihiro had snuck off out of her sight...but why?

Come to think of it, those two have been acting strangely for days. Mental note to look into that when they return. Although they're doubtfully involved given neither were at the crime scene.


 

The killings in the second round were silent. His friends had merely disappeared one by one. Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko and Kizakura had gone missing within the span of a few hours. Makoto and his friends searched high and low, unable to so much as contact the school without the teacher's assistance.

Togami's corpse was found in the library. They didn't know how it occurred but panicked all the same. Touko was hit the hardest...and disappeared the next. Her battered body was the next to be found. The others were presumed to be dead immediately after.

Hifumi was next to be discovered in a similar state as Touko. Similar in that his wounds were of the same nature but different in that unlike the writer, he lived, just long enough to name his assailant.

The killer was Sakura Oogami. 

The fighter had forced them into a killing game. An ultimate contest where only the fittest will survive...they weren't given a choice. They would either kill one another until one remained, all for the "privilege" of one free hit against her in combat. The alternative was to be killed right where they stood. She claimed this ultimatum was the decree of a higher power; The witch of Jabberwock Island.

They thought her insane, their assumptions were accurate. The unbecoming crimson eyes were a dead give-away that the martial artist was not in her right mind. Hina was the first to go; she argued against the use of violence to restrain Sakura and tried to calm the ogre down. It was almost impressive how cleanly her head was detached from her body.

Ikusaba retaliated. She did well and managed to wound Sakura...then died. 

The others opted to run soon after. Only Kiyotaka failed to do so after being stunned by the murders. Had he retained the composure needed for self-preservation, he might have lived a little longer. He didn't.

The survivors were quick to turn on each other, as Sakura proposed. Celestia was the main facilitator and poisoned their minds. The remainder of class 78 went into a frenzy, plotting one another's demise. Even Sayaka had tried to manipulate him and was thwarted by Kyouko. Only he and Kyouko had retained their sanity...and they were the only ones to survive.

Ryouko, Chihiro and Kizakura...he didn't know what became of them, but they were most likely killed as well.

Makoto and Kyouko had only each other. They would have starved to death before help arrived. Thus, the detective devised a plan to trap to take down Sakura while they still had the strength. 

Their trap seemingly worked against the wounded martial artist...or so they initially believed before the martial artist displayed strength that should not have been capable for the human body. Strength they believed not even she should have possessed.

Sakura boasted proudly of her invincibility, of how she had become the strongest human to have ever lived...if only temporarily. That power she wielded could only be attained against those who were originally weaker than herself, civilians who could never have reached the level of a challenge against her to begin with.

To Makoto, it sounded like nonsense. Sakura had always been a bastion of integrity and morality. She was strong, yet disapproved meaningless violence. Her life's goal was to become the strongest and trained her body through sparring. She loved nothing more than a challenge...yet right then, she claimed to achieve this by hunting the weak?

That was the first time he experienced death. Mere moments before the ogre's fists impacted his fragile body, Makoto could only wonder: Who was this person?

Whoever they were...he hated them.

The world faded to black...

Makoto was left alone, floating in empty space. Instinctively, he recognized this was a dream. He could never hate Sakura. He didn't hate anyone.

"...forgive" 

Makoto's eyes widened. He turned around to search for the disembodied voice and found it standing closely behind him.

The boy in front of him could only be described as a twisted reflection of himself. His face was downcast, thus Makoto couldn't see the eyes beneath his bangs. His patented hoodie and antenna-like hair were nowhere to be seen but those were trivial differences compared to everything else.

Blunt force trauma shaded the skin an unhealthy purple color; The mad warrior's relentless fists showed no mercy.

Harsh burn scars; The remnants of an explosion.

Vicious claw-like lacerations that tore through cloth and flesh; The mark of the beast.

Originating from the head, blood trickled down his face; Penetration via foreign object

A crystal blue fluid dripped through the opening of the mouth; A thin river of poison.

Deep indents circulating the neck; Strangulation's cruel embrace.

And the most flagrant of all, the perforation of his heart; The spear of Gungnir struck with perfect accuracy.

Makoto felt like he knew those injuries...and what caused them. But that shouldn't be. He'd never experienced any of this before.

Had this person been living then they would paradoxically be, without question, dead already...therefore this thing could not exist in the world.

"Who are you?" His question was mixed with worry, fear and revulsion. The urge to vomit at the horrid sight was not easily suppressed.

The aberration shifted and tilted its head slightly. Makoto was deeply unnerved. That was a reaction he instinctively used to express confusion...but coming from this oddity, in its wounded state only served to exaggerate his anxiety. It was as if the doppelganger intended to mock him and his question. If that was truly the intention, then it conveyed no satisfaction in its success. It didn't smile at all nor show any signs of pain from those horrible injuries.

The mirror image lifted its head and that's when Naegi saw it...from the one eye that could still open; jet-black sclera and a pupil that burned as crimson as the liquid that  streamed down from it. 

"I won't forgive them.It spoke.

Naegi realized then that he hadn't properly heard the voice the first time...because he couldn't have possibly mistaken that inhuman noise for his own. He was often told by his friends that he sounded boyishly innocent or at times strangely husky if they went out singing.

He would have branded them all liars if that grating vibration he heard was his own.

That cold, reverberating echo penetrated the void and carried with it a wholesale of negative emotion;  obsession, resignation, sadness and at the base of it all, a controlled yet pandemonic anger.

Ah, that is...despair?

He woke up with panting breathlessly. His hands hastily roamed all over his body and to his relief, he found nothing. 

Makoto inhaled a deep breath and sighed. Afterwards, he examined his surroundings and discovered he was in a hospital room...he must have fainted.

The hoodie wondered what happened during his sleep and he figured he could probably get the answers from Asahina, who was currently resting her head down on his lap.

He tapped the shoulders of the sleeping girl, stirring her awake in the process.

"Huh...Makoto, you're up!"

"Yeah. I didn't really have a choice after experiencing one heck of a nightmare." One he was readily willing to forget.

"...That wasn't a nightmare. They really died." Hina replied.

Makoto blinked in the haze of confusion. She'd mixed up the cause of his anxiety...but she wasn't any less correct. What happened this evening was in of itself a nightmare. His heart sunk upon acknowledging the gravity of Hina's grief. But he couldn't just sit here and cry, he needed to overcome this despair and find out exactly what happened. He owed his departed friends that much.

Makoto patted the crying Asahina on the head.

"We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure nobody else gets hurt." Although, Kyouko'll be doing most of the work, as usual.

Hina wiped away her tears and giggled softly.

"I don't think that was supposed to make you laugh." He scratched his cheek...and abruptly brought his arm away sharply when he was reminded of how that...monster in his dreams mimicked him.

"No, you're right. It's just that you're a stronger guy than I thought. I feel kind of pathetic crying all this time when you're already on top of things." The swimmer clapped the sides of her face. "If you can be dependable, then so can I! Moping around won't get me anywhere."

"...Thanks."  He smiled at the compliment, but only on the surface. On the inside, it made him feel anxious.

"I could leave you here if you're still feeling sick, but I think Kyouko would want to hear your side of the story. She was in the lobby, last I checked." Hina said. That's right, the detective would need everyone's perspective to get a grasp of Sayaka and Ikusaba's deaths.

He lifted himself off the bed.

"Did anything else happen while I was asleep?"

"Not really. We've all been waiting around in the hospital." Hina answered.

"...What about...those two?"

Hina shifted uncomfortably. "Do you want to see them?"

He said yes.

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

He was a failure.

For hours, these words had circulated the whole spectrum of Kiyotaka's thoughts. He'd been so wrapped in his ruminations that he'd barely made out the argument everyone had in the lobby. What he did remember was Kyouko postulating that Sayaka and Ikusaba were killed. Kiyotaka couldn't fathom why anyone would ever want to kill those innocent girls or what they would gain from doing so. 

Sayaka shined with more positivity than most. She was always on schedule for her appointments and never disrupted class. In his opinion, anyone who followed the proper methods to that extent was to be respected...but while Kiyotaka was ashamed to admit it, more than admiration, he had been jealous of her. The idol had achieved her goal at such a young age while he was still very far from achieving his own.

Then there was Ikusaba...the only time they had ever held a real conversation was by the beach some days ago. Looking back on it, he was sure the girl had some unresolved issues that plagued her. Problems he might have been able to solve...yet he had been so occupied with his own selfishness to notice and now it was too late.

Merely the thought of a monster so reprehensible, that they would steal those lives away, repulsed him to the core. 

He wanted to doubt that there could be such an existence, however Kyouko was among the most intelligent individuals Kiyotaka had ever met and he wished he'd possessed half her talent. If the detective believed murder was afoot then there must be solid ground. A murderer...likely existed.

Yes...he had forgotten monsters existed in the world. Thieves, swindlers and killers. Just like the men who stole from, manipulated and eventually killed his grandfather. They hadn't killed him directly but their actions certainly led to his death.

Whatever was the source of these murders was still an unresolved matter but what Kiyotaka knew for a fact, was that the responsibility of the girls' deaths rested on his shoulders. He had been the one to propose and organize the contest while knowing of the risks. He just believed that if they acted safely, nothing would go wrong.

Instead everything went wrong. Some villain had used his idea for their vile scheme.

At that moment of heightened indignation, Kiyotaka was through with wallowing in defeat. The moral compass would take responsibility but first, the truth of this crime would be brought to light-

That was when he heard and saw it. The first was the tapping on the window on the other side of the room. Kiyotaka was drawn to an obscure figure on the other side. He squinted his eyes but still couldn't make out their identity; their palm was outstretched on the window and he could at least tell they wore nails. Their hand changed position and now beckoned him to approach a motion of their finger.

Though he moved closer, he didn't rush in his pace out of fear of scaring them off. Even at this distance, he still couldn't see their face...but the figure and wavy hair was certainly that of a woman's. Kiyotaka was merely a few steps away. Just a few steps and their identity would have been revealed.

Unfortunately, it was a few steps too many. As if the weather itself sought to thwart him, lightning struck at the penultimate moment and the crash of lightning blinded Kiyotaka for an instant. Within that minute timeframe, the figure had vanished.

He ran over and opened the window. The rain hadn't fully subsided, thus it was not the sort of weather for anyone to frolic under. He turned in every direction and even outstretched his body, getting wet in the process. There was nobody there.

Had someone played a prank on him? At a time like this? Ridiculous, this wasn't the time for games.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru believed that through effort, he would become the future Prime Minister. How could he manage an entire nation if he couldn't even protect his friends? 

They should be cooperating now more than ever, and he would see to that personally.

 

 -[Kyouko Kirigiri]-

 

 Kyouko contemplated with her back against the wall. Inside he wide room with her were Yasuhiro,  Celes, Touko, Mondo and Ryouko. All of them doing little to aid their current situation...but honestly, she preferred it that way. The less involvement they have, the lower the risk of them getting in the way of the investigation.  Speaking of which, where was Kizakura? Surely, finding Togami and Chihiro couldn't have taken this long. Not unless he decided to search the whole island for them...or he ran into problems along the way...

She hadn't considered that possibility. In which case, some of their classmates may be in danger. She could trust Togami to handle himself...but Chihiro...his was a more discouraging case.

The doors flung open to show a rejuvenated Hina and...Makoto. That was good timing, maybe now she could get somewhere.

"He's awake, guys." Hina announced. The others responded with cheer below what would normally be expected. Not like anyone could blame them after what happened...and what they feared could still occur.

"How are you, Makoto?" Kyouko said. She had an idea just from his less dopey-looking appearance but it was common courtesy to ask.

"I'm doing alright." He smiled. She thought he'd have been more distraught than this. Then again, he was the optimistic type...

Kyouko looked to Hina, who corroborated Makoto's good health. 

Now she could interrogate him without having to go easy on the questioning. Kyouko grabbed Makoto's arm and brought him to what she now dubbed as the interrogation room. In reality, it was just a unisex bathroom stall.

"Um, Kyouko?" He asked, confused

"I need a recount of everything you've seen, especially what happened this evening."

"Oh, okay. I haven't noticed anything strange up until this morning and you, Leon and Ryouko were with me most of the time..." Kyouko listened on. It had merely been a whim that she started bringing Makoto with her on fairly harmless cases back at school. It had been a wise decision because of the way he'd be able to keep pace with her and without her needing to dumb down her intentions.

"Ah, there was something. Ryouko and Celes had this strange conversation a few days ago. I didn't overhear much but they were definitely up to no good." He sighed.

"When exactly was this?" She remembered Hina saying as such.

"Before Ryouko lost her memory. If they planned something, I don't think they'd have been able to go through with it and we know Ryouko's been behaving." Well not really. There was the possibility that her memory loss could be an act. A very good act.

"I did notice something about the food." He reached the focal point of the mystery. "Before I gave it to Taka and Sayaka, I think there was less of it then I remember and it smelled strange."

The latter detail aligned with what Kyouko knew but the former was new. Assuming Makoto's memory was reliable, then had someone eaten beforehand? Unfortunately, that could have been anyone.

"Taka didn't eat anything because Leon threw a tomato at the plate and propped it out out of his hands." Makoto said.

Kiyotaka was lucky to be alive then. Without Leon's interference, we would have one more dead among our ranks.

"Sayaka drank from the canister and...well you know the rest" He finished.

"You didn't see Ikusaba eating or drinking anything?"

"I don't remember...but I'm sure she drank from the bottles." He replied

Perhaps Ikusaba had been the unlucky one? Makoto couldn't confirm that the soldier hadn't taken from the contents of the pot...No, that was strange in of itself.  The poison is a constant factor and killed Sayaka frighteningly quickly. If Ikusaba ate first then she would have died and alerted us before, not after. Then could the water have been poisoned instead? That was also doubtful because from what she learned from Makoto's explanation, Sayaka was definitely poisoned by the cooking.

But assuming the water was the true murder weapon then the one with the easiest access would have been...Hina. She had been the one to suggest a trip to the store and brought the canisters back with her...but Kyouko couldn't imagine the swimmer was capable of committing such a crime...

"Thanks for the assistance. I've got a clearer picture of the situation now." Not entirely true. She was getting more questions than answers at this rate, but that was all part of the job.

"No problem." He smiled.

Kyouko arched an eyebrow at that

"...I'm sure it must have been painful to recall those memories so soon."

"Yeah...still, I think we need to solve this case. Mourning can come after that."

"I see, you can go rest now. I'll take things from here." Kyouko didn't miss the 'we' part of his sentence.

"Huh? You're not letting me help?" He asked, wide-eyed.

"You've already helped quite a bit." But anymore and he'd be a hindrance. Perhaps if his condition had been more stable, she might have reconsidered.

"You think I'll get in the way." His eyes narrowed, he saw through her tactic. Patronizing him used to work, but he'd apparently gotten wise to her mannerisms.

Kyouko sighed

"Yes." She said, simply. Much like how he'd grown accustomed to her quirks, she'd also learned just as much about him. Makoto was normally passive, except at times where he was pertinacious to a fault. This was probably going to be one of those times.

"I'll investigate by myself if you won't take me along." He stated, as expected.

...

"I have to wonder where that stubbornness of yours comes from." Kyouko smiled

"Eh? I wouldn't say I'm stubborn. Although if it came from anywhere...I think it's a lesson I learnt from a teacher in middle school. See, I was the type to get into trouble and eventually I even got the faculty office's attention; they blamed me whenever school property was damaged. I told them it was just bad luck but they didn't believe me." He said, crossed his arms. She could buy that. Makoto was a walking hazard, one so ridiculous that you'd need to see him in action to believe it.

"Elaborate." She said. This was probably a nonsense story, but it would be a welcome break from their current predicament.

"For what it's worth, the instructor I mentioned did believe me. She gave me some advice one day and said I needed to stick up for myself more." He narrated. That was a typical saying for a teacher.

"Well, to be precise, what she actually said was 'If there's something you really want, then go after it at full force. Right until you're too much of a pain in the ass for anyone else to even want to stop you from obtaining it.'' The luckster let out an awkward laugh. 

"Then what?" She asked. 

"Hm? I took her advice. That's all."

"...That's it? You just learned how to be obstinate one day because a teacher told you to?"

"Yup." He nodded.

A worthless story...but it cleared a few things up. In hindsight, Makoto had learned how to assist her in cases too quickly. For someone who claimed to be average, the rate at which he could be indoctrinated was outstanding. She needs to remember to keep him away from bad influences...like Yasuhiro.

Kyouko frowned. Rather than the future, she needs to be focusing on the present. The mini-break was nice but they were still in danger. 

"Makoto, we'll be going to look for Chihiro, Togami and Kizakura." Kyouko said.

"They're not here?" He asked.

"No. Kizakura went to look for the other two but he should have been back long ago."

Makoto was quick to understand "When are we leaving?"

"Now." 

"Alright...I already said my goodbyes anyway."

"To whom?" Kyouko looked puzzled. He couldn't mean...

"Sayaka and Mukuro." He said matter-of-factly.

She gasped lightly "You saw the bodies?" In his condition? When he'd fainted earlier? Sakura may have cleaned the bodies but those were still fresh corpses.

A lapse in judgement doesn't even begin to describe how irresponsible that was. What was Hina thinking letting him go through with that? He could have easily relapsed, or worse.

Or...could that have been the intention? It isn't uncommon for the culprit to try to incapacitate a key witness.

"I felt I had to, you know?" His expression was neutral.

Those were admirable words and Kyouko respected the resolve that came with them...though that didn't mean she liked it. Makoto was squeamish and easily rattled even on the best of days and that was how Kyouko preferred him. That was normal. As sick as he is now, the ease of his acceptance was disturbing. Kyouko had known the sight of dead bodies since she was a child; many of corpses had belonged to love ones, and so Kyouko was no stranger to loss. She was also no stranger to betrayal either. These incidences were mostly what tempered her emotionally detached disposition.

Then what was Makoto's excuse?

...

"Kyouko, we've got a problem!" Yasuhiro barged in to the room, just as she was about prod further. How does he consistently manage to time his arrivals so poorly?

"What?" She snapped

"The girls have lost it!" He screamed

Oh...that was faster than she thought.

The trio dashed out of the washroom and headed to the lobby. Kyouko couldn't hide her disappointment. Shifting blame in times of great stress was human nature but she hoped her classmates would have been strong enough to cope regardless. At least Makoto was with them now. Maybe he could calm those idiots down.

They reached the doors quickly and opened it with grim expectations.

"Stop fighting!" Makoto yelled. For which, he received many strange looks...from Mondo, Touko, Celes, Sakura, Hina, Kiyotaka, Leon and Ryouko. They all stood there...orderly.

Kyouko and Makoto replicated those bewildered stares and directed them at Yasuhiro; the detective being far more annoyed than the luckster.

"They...were fighting."

She would have words with this man when everything was said and done. For now, Kyouko focused on the others, where she found (a soaked) Kiyotaka had taken on a commanding presence in the center.

"Kyouko, Makoto. You've both arrived just in time." KIyotaka said in a loud voice.

"For?" Makoto asked.

"My declaration! From now on, I'll be taking charge and my first decree is that there will be no infighting in this school environment!"

Notes:

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it/weren't too mindfucked. I've been extremely busy with exams but those are done with now, so I'll be free to update this and other works very soon. That includes the final installment of the Transcience/Indolence series, which should be posted within the week.

Happy holidays and stay safe!

Chapter 15: Confessionale/Confessional

Notes:

From this chapter on I'm changing how I spell some of the character's name, because screw continuity.

Chapter Text

The group shared stupefied looks at Kiyotaka's proclamation. In this time of crisis, they needed a proper a leader.

"Uh...wasn't Kyoko the boss?" Hina made a valid point. Kiyotaka turned to the sleuth.

"I don't really care. Actually, feel free to take the reigns, my work will go smoother that way." Kyoko was ever the voice of the reason! As expected of one the more level headed people he'd ever met.

"With Kyoko's consent, I intend to dispel any and all uncertainties between us!" Just earlier, Kiyotaka had walked into his friends bickering pointlessly. And over equally pointless accusations. The prefect had given the current situation some thought and came to the rightful conclusion that not one of them could be the killer. They all lacked the capacity for malice. The others just needed to be made aware of that fact.

"How pray tell, will you manage that?" Celes was skeptical. He'd have to change that too! He couldn't fulfill his duties as leader without earning the absolute faith over those he led.

"Worse yet, It would appear I've already been branded a killer in the minds of some." The gambler glanced at Hina, who in turn glared back.

"You're the only one shady enough to pull off a sick crime like this." Hina snapped.

"Really? I do believe there might be a touch of bias in that accusation...considering we're in the midst of a veritable serial killer herself." And Celes passed the ball onto Toko.

"D-Don't look at me! I haven't killed anyone or turned into Syo in forever." Toko cowered from the gazes sent her way.

"That is going too far!" Kiyotaka bellowed, regaining control over the scenario "Both Toko and Genocider have been rehabilitated. We all saw to this personally, as a class!" It had come as quite a shock to learn of Toko Fukawa's split personality disorder. Togami had abruptly raised the issue one day, to the author's surprise. Kiyotaka was initially on board for handing Toko off to the police, however after hearing her side of the story, he couldn't help but pity the girl. She had little control over her other half, and Kiyotaka being the son of a police chief, knew full well how 'criminals' with her condition and murder record were treated. Toko would either be given the death penalty or sent to a mental ward. Whichever was worse, was up to the flip of a coin - Is what Takaaki Ishimaru once told him. Therefore, if he could assist Toko, then he'd go the extra-mile. Everyone in the class agreed, and decided this was a secret they'd take with them to the grave. 

"I-I don't need your help, so b-back off. I won't thank you!" Toko rambled, pointing at the prefect.

"While I'm not sure if Kiyotaka's reason holds water, the probability of Genocider being the culprit is not very high. Not only are the methods grossly inconsistent, but the choice of targets is equally nonsensical. Genocider goes after males...Sayaka and Ikusaba weren't." Kyoko stated what should have been apparently obvious to everyone.

"See, it has to be Celes." With the amount of venom Hina stocked into uttering the gambler's name, it was evident her crusade against the self-proclaimed queen of liars was far from over.

"Do you have any proof?" The gothic lolita kept a strong poker face, but even Kiyotaka could see she wasn't beyond exasperation. But that was his chance to step in.

"I do."  The Ultimate moral compass interjected, drawing a few raised eyebrows his way. "Ah, I mean I have proof that nobody here could be the culprit."

"Now this I gotta see." Leon commented, the whole time he'd made sure to stay faaar away from the girls and any sharp or dangerous objects.

With a big smile that didn't fit the situation, Kiyotaka pulled out a stack of envelopes "Remember these?"

"The envelopes with our secrets." Kyoko answered, giving Kiyotaka her utmost attention. "Where did you get those? Kizakura was supposed to have them."

"The instructor handed them off to me, saying he didn't have a use for them anymore." Kizakura also said they'd be better off in his hands, whatever that was supposed to mean.

"...I see. And am I to assume you plan to reveal them here?" The detective sounded like she knew exactly what he was planning.

"That is the idea." 

"Woah woah, I didn't sign up for this, dudes and dudettes." Hiro entered the fray. 

"Is there a problem?"

"If he doesn't have one, I do. What good will humiliating ourselves do here?" Celes said. Strange how the mere mention of the envelopes bothered her far more than any of Hina's accusations. On that note, Hina herself miraculously agreed.

"Calm down and think about my intentions clearly. We have a killer on the loose. According to Kyoko, our friends'...passing, was no accident and it certainly wasn't a case of self-defense. Is that right?" Kiyotaka asked the lavender-haired girl.

"Yes. This is first-degree murder. Most likely planned far ahead of time." She replied.

"Exactly. The killings were planned." Kiyotaka huffed. "Someone just doesn't start planning murders out of nowhere, this is real life. There are always signs and patterns. We've known each other for years. We have no motive to attack one another, and It's not like any of us have been acting differently recently."

Strange. He thought Kyoko agreed, but she expressed slight shock at his statement. Kiyotaka wasn't the most perceptive guy around, but Kyoko was, as his friends called her, an cold as ice. If she showed emotion, it stood out. And he could have sworn she glanced at Makoto, who seemed too deep in his own thoughts to notice.

"I don't get it. I mean, couldn't one of us just be really good at hiding shit? It's not impossible." Bro had objections too, but he was missing the point! Although thankfully, it appeared quite a few others understood his implications.

"I get it." Celes said, reluctantly. Very reluctantly.

"Mondo, I believe that is precisely what the envelopes are for. Our most hidden deeds are stashed there. If there are no records that suggests any of us are capable of murder, then we would be exempt from suspicion." Sakura explained

"Huh...so that's it. " Mondo looked downwards, unable to present an argument but wasn't all for his plan.

"W-Wait. How do we even know what's in those envelopes is legit?" Hina argued.

"...Instructor Kizakura scouted these. I would say they're as legitimate as it gets. You saw how Togami reacted, didn't you?" Kiyotaka said, trying to wrap his head around how Hina could miss such an obvious detail. 

"And you seem certain these secrets will prove our innocence. Am I to take it that you've read them?" Kyoko inquired. 

Kiyotaka shook his head. "Not at all. Doing so without group consensus would be the height of rudeness. But I'm sure there's nothing gravely incriminating in these envelopes. I believe in you all."

Kyoko looked him over, then shrugged, giving him the go ahead.

"Now then, let's start wi-"

"Me first!" Ryoko jumped, hands raised.

"You serious?" Yasuhiro scratched his hair.

"Hell yeah. Let's see if Teach really knows his stuff. Like, I don't even know what my secret is. " Ryoko's cheer elicited a resulting sigh from them all. She was the same as ever. It seemed some people never cracked under pressure. Although, Kiyotaka supposed that kind of mental fortitude was a much needed trait here.

"Alright." Kiyotaka said as he opened her letter first and read the contents aloud. "Ryoko Otonashi...has pictures of Makoto in compromising positions...for the intended purpose of...blackmail." Kiyotaka frowned.

All heads turned to the amnesiac, who innocuously hummed a tune with hands behind her back. Then they turned to Makoto, who they at least expected a reaction from, however he was still out of it. It was around this time that they thought for sure that he'd overreact and do...adorable Makoto things.

Kiyotaka wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't heard the confession at all.

"This is awkward. If that's true...then I'm a bit of a creep. Don't you think so, big sis?" The smiling Ryoko turned to her side, meeting only thin air.

A pregnant pause overtook the atmosphere, as everyone awkwardly turned away.

"Ah that's right...I'm feeling a little ditzy today. I'll go lie down for a bit." Ryoko bopped her head with a closed fist. Pragmatically, Kiyotaka felt it'd be wiser to have everyone in the same place, but he nor anyone else made a move to stop the analyst from leaving the room. Maybe Ryoko had cracked...in her own way.

"Anyone else want to volunteer?" Kiyotaka proposed. Nobody raised their hands. "Okay, random it is...Mondo Owada...oh this is about your role in your brother's death-"

"What!?" Said just about everyone.

"Mondo's the killer!?" Leon yelled, shell-shocked.

"Don't be silly!" Kiyotaka raised his voice. "Chihiro, Makoto and I already know about this. His brother's death was an accident but bro thinks it's his fault." 

Mondo rubbed the back of his neck, choosing not to defend himself. Even if others had forgiven him, he still hadn't been able to forgive himself.

"If anything, that makes him one of the least likely to kill. Especially girls." Kiyotaka continued

Kiyotaka's explanation sat right with most of them. Even on the odd happenstance that the biker was the culprit, he was the last person in the room that would assail women. Additionally, Mondo wasn't very subtle...poison is out of the question. He's exempt for the same reason Genocider is. Nonetheless, the man himself wasn't pleased about his secret being out in the open.

"Kyoko Kirigiri." Kiyotaka picked the next out. "..has initial distrust and dislike towards others after being betrayed by her friend and family."

Another awkward silence ensued, nevertheless Kyoko acted naturally.

"That's rough...we're cool though, right?" Leon tried to snake his arm across Kyoko's shoulder. Emphasis on 'tried'

"That arm touches me and you lose it." Kyoko retorted, as Leon's arm sharply froze in space. Appropriate considering how cold she sounded, despite appearances.

"Gotcha!" Leon backed off. "Makoto's a lot better at the pick-me-ups."

Said luckster was still off in his own world. Bro walked towards him with a clenched fist, hit Makoto on the head.

"Ow. What was that for?" He finally said something, clutching his head.

"What the hell are you spacing out for at a time like this? You're supposed to, ya know, do one of those feel-good speeches." Mondo yelled. If Kiyotaka didn't know any better, he'd be convinced his best friend was venting his anger out on the boy.

"I-I was listening...mostly." Makoto blatantly lied.

"Yeah? What'd Ryoko do to ya?"

"Um...come again?" Makoto searched for the analyst, who'd already announced her departure minutes before, then turned to the detective for answers

"Move...on." Kyoko ignored the boys and glared fiercely at Kiyotaka.

"Certainly." The prefect acquiesced as fast as possible, lest he be the next victim.

Next on the list was "Mukuro Ikusaba." This was quite the problem. It was one thing to expose his friends for the sake of placating suspicions, but Ikusaba couldn't be the culprit. And she was dead. Kiyotaka was visibly conflicted about the ethics of possibly shaming those no longer among them.

"I'll take a look. Hand me Sayaka's too." Kyoko walked towards him and snatched the letters out of his hands. She read the idol's first, looking through the contents with a passive expression. "I'm already aware of this. It's fine."  The next was Ikusaba's, which received a slight reaction. "...I suppose it's expected of a soldier. It has nothing to do with this case, however. Both are clean." 

She handed them back to Kiyotaka and walked back to her former position. Makoto stared at her, curious about what she found.

"Yasuhiro Hagakure had a near-perfect prediction accuracy as a child, but the rate mysteriously declined since then and he's afraid of losing his powers completely one day." Kiyotaka said.

"Really, Hiro?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah. I've tried a ton of ways to see if I could get my mojo back somehow but nothing sticks. I think my mom might know but she's real tight-lipped about it." Yasuhrio was despondent, an uncharacteristic display if the Moral compass had ever seen one.

"That sucks...but 'near-perfect accuracy'? That sounds like it'd be real handy here." 

"I could think of a few problems with that sort of foresight. But, are you sure you don't remember what happened, Yasuhiro?" Kyoko stared at the clairvoyant.

"Yup. Can't remember a thing. Why?"

"If your talent was going to suffer in the future, wouldn't your child self have seen that possibility coming and tried to prevent it?" Kyoko was placing an ample amount of faith in Yasuhiro's competence.

"Hmm, that's a good point. Though, I might not have been able to do anything even then. Fate's scary that way. The more you try to change it, the worse it can get." 

"That's some sage advice from someone who only gets fate right 30% of the time." Leon shook his head.

Seeing as there was no further discussion, Kiyotaka continued.

"Chihiro Fujisaki...hmm, do we need to open this one? I think we can all figure out what's in here." And not a soul in this room could ever conceive the notion that Chihiro could kill. Even a fly was out of the question.

"I'd like to wait for the kid, but it ain't really fair if we hold off on him after we already got the shaft." Yasuhiro folded his arms. While everyone wanted to disagree with scum, they acknowledged his point. He'd apologize to Chihiro afterwards.

"Very well...Chihiro is a boy."

"A truly shocking development." Celes rolled her eyes.

"Leon's next."

"Wait!" The athlete shouted.

"What now?"

"I need to prep, mentally." The red-head clasped his hands together in prayer...."Okay, lay it on me."

"In middle school, Leon cheated 3 girlfriends simultaneously...for a year."

Leon groaned, looking away from the glares emanating disgust in various degrees,.

"Not cool." Makoto frowned. 

"Lame as shit, bro." "You're the worst, Leon ol'buddy." Mondo and Hiro chastised the athlete...before giving him a thumbs up with smiles of approval.

"M-Men are repulsive." Toko said, looked between them.

"Uh...there's more." Kiyotaka said. In that instance, Leon winced, motioning to cover his ears. "The girl Leon stayed with longest was secretly...a cross-dresser?"

"I didn't know, goddammit!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"No way." Makoto breathed out.

"W-What? Leon. Our Leon. Has been with a dude?" Yasuhiro's shoulders started to shake.

"I'm telling you guys. She was super cute. Anyone would have fallen for that!"

"She? Don't you mean he?" Toko sported a perverted smirk

"You got trapped, for a year!?" Mondo broke into laughter.

"He...hehehe..hahahahaha!" Yasuhiro doubled over on the floor, while Makoto stifled a giggle

"How the hell does Kizakura even know that!?" Leon turned pale.

"If nothing else, I've wondered about how awfully close you've been with Makoto." Kyoko noted. Her completely serious expression only served to intensify the hilarity.

Makoto stopped laughing immediately, and gazed at Leon in trepidation, taking short steps back.

"She's full of shit, dude!" Leon countered, red in the face.

Leon's antics helped provide a temporary escape from the evening's harshness. Everyone was still in great pain...but we need to move past it. Kiyotaka always thought the athlete was spoiled, obnoxious and undependable, but he served as an incredible mood setter. Kiyotaka believed that unspoken talent of Leon's to be exactly what they needed right now. 

"Leon's flagrant homosexual tendencies aside..there's quite a bit more to go through." Kiyotaka said after a time of reprieve.

"Flagrant my ass!"

"Celestia Ludenberg..."

"No!" The gambler shouted, uncharacteristically. Well, they already knew she had a tendency to...flip out sometimes "I-I mean...I've changed my mind. I'm not going through with this." 

"Oh no, No way are you bailing on us. Everyone's having their guts spilled right here, lady." Leon growled. If the baseball star got his way, everyone would be as humiliated as he, by the end of the night.

"I think c-coming out of the closet w-would fit your case better." Toko mocked the athlete.

Leon pretended not to hear the remark.

"I agree. It would defeat the point, and it wouldn't be fair to the others who already had their turn. Did you forget we're trying to absolve ourselves from being suspected murderers?" Kiyotaka added

Celestia gritted her teeth, and with a heavy sigh, she spoke. "Alright, I admit it. I killed them."

...

Several gasps filled the room. Not one could believe what she'd just said.

"A-Are you serious?" Leon asked, flabbergasted.

 "Are you deaf? I said it was me. Now do what you will." Celestia said, calmly. Kiyotaka and just about everyone else was too stunned to move

"...Taka, read the letter." Everyone save Kyoko.

"Fuck that!" Celes shouted, giving the detective her metal encased middle finger. Noticing the strange looks she was getting, the gambler coughed and calmed down "I-I've already confessed, there is no need to drag this on any further."

"If you've already confessed, then there's no problem with him reading it aloud." Kyoko shot Celes a skeptic look.

"That's true." Kiyotaka nodded.

"I told you no, you fucking turd!" For the first time in Kiyotaka's...everyone's life, they had seen Celestia Ludenberg break into a sprint. Fortunately, Sakura grabbed and held her back before she could close in on the hall monitor. Afterwards, the gambler struggled in the fighter's grip, but to no avail. Instead, she settled for hurling vulgarities at the holder of her worst fears.

How dramatic. Whatever was in here must have been the real deal. However! He would read it anyway. "Celestia's real name is Taeko Yasuhiro and she...admired, believed in and emulated the occult until age 12."

As if her strings were cut, Celes-...Taeko dropped to the ground, free of Sakura's hold.

...

"Huh...that's kind of cute. In a super dorky, creepy, chuuni way." Leon snickered. But not without hiding next to the door, ready to run the hell away at a moment's notice.

"You lied about killing the others? Why did you lie?" Makoto was reasonably shocked. Celestia's secret was harmless, why go as far as lying?

"We all have different standards. I'm sure this was...in some incomprehensible way to us, a crushing blow to Celes' dignity." Sakura tried to be reasonable, but she was as bewildered as the rest of us.

"Forget that. Who'd have thought me and Celes had the same name? Oh, I guess we should call her Taeko now." Yasuhiro said with a pensive look.

Unbeknownst to them all, that laid-back comment broke the camel's back. "Fufu...fuhahahaha." The drill-tail rose to her feet, wiping away the dirt from her clothes as she stood before them, smiling angelically.

"...You okay over there?" Mondo asked, wearily.

"No. Far from it.  I'm so livid right now, I don't know what to do with myself. The concept of anger can't properly express my emotions." That was a resounding "no" to bro's question "But don't fret, I am now thoroughly motivated towards finding our friends' murderer."

"Assuming it isn't you?" Kyoko asked, reminding them of their current situation.

"Yes. Feel free to judge me, but I don't much care for anything else right now." 

Kiyotaka shuddered. It would appear that, to the gambler, she had nothing left to lose.

"Moving on. Sakura Oogami...is in fact, not the strongest fighter in the world. She was handed that title due to the previous owner's illness."

"Doesn't sound too bad." Yasuhiro commented. "Actually, that's a pretty lame secret. Some people get all the luck."

"Would you mind re-phrasing that, Hiro?" Sakura gazed at the psychic with a threatening eye.

"No ma'am."

Hmm, to think that there was someone even Sakura couldn't defeat was incredible. It was probably Kenshiro, as the class had met the sick man in the past.

Kiyotaka moved onto the next.

"Toko Fukawa...probably about Genocider, but as I revealed Chihiro's anyway, I'll do the same here-"...Kiyotaka halted as he re-read the contents of the envelope. Then he turned an embarrassed shade of red. He coughed aloud "Kyoko, would you mind reading this?"

The detective gave him a skeptical look before taking the letter. "Toko uses..." Kyoko's features momentarily mimicked Kiyotaka's before returning to their original pale color "I am not saying this out loud." 

Now the rest were curious. Makoto peered over to read as well. "W-Whaaaa?" He turned beet red, rapidly looking from the paper to the author.

"I...feel it safe to say her secret has nothing to do with the case. If you all want to read however, be my guest. Toko, it seems I'll have to speak with you as well on the matter of...violating our classmate's privacy." Kiyotaka stammered.

Surprisingly, everyone who hadn't read Toko's letter, refrained from doing so, even Leon despite his earlier protests. A wise decision, one Kiyotaka greatly envied. What he wouldn't give for a Forget-Me beam right about now.

"Hifumi Yamada...wait, where is Hifumi?" Kiyotaka realized he hadn't seen the doujin author at all.

"He went to use the washroom a while back. Could be there for hours, if you know what I mean." Leon said, earning a look of disgust from each of them. "Hey, don't hate, I'm just the messenger."

"Be that as it may, I'll be sure to take responsibility when informing him of our business, later. Is that fine with everyone else?" They nodded. "Before discovering doujins, Hifumi Yamada displayed...severe depression and extreme violent tendencies?"

"What!?" Said, nearly everyone in the room. That may have been the most surprisingly morbid yet. Celes wasn't perturbed by the detail, instead she merely frowned.

"I think...we should have waited for him, guys." Makoto said. Kiyotaka couldn't help but agree. This was a topic that absolutely shouldn't have been openly discussed without the targeted' individual's presence. However, this was the absurdity of their situation.

"Talk about depressing. Never figured the big guy for the type." Leon folded his arms, eyes closed. He would have to agree. Hifumi's preferences may have been a tad strange to the prefect, however he presented himself as a very fulfilled person.

"Only Hina, Togami and Makoto's left." Kiyotaka mentioned.

"Hina will go next." Sakura said, eyes closed. Hina, who stood next to the giantess, had her eyes to the ground.

"Whoa, I forgot you were still here. Everything alright, Hina?" Yasuhiro asked. The swimming pro hadn't said anything since his proposal.  

"I can't hide it anymore...huh?" Hina sounded nothing like her bubbly self. "I poisoned one of the contestants at a swim meet."

The secret written in the letter repeated the swimmer's statement almost verbatim. It wasn't too surprising since this was another secret Kiyotaka was already privy to thanks to HPA's records.

"Hina...ain't that like...cheating?" Yasuhiro muttered unintelligibly. Of course it was cheating!

"Well well." A bemused Celes remarked.

"So you're familiar with poison?" Kyoko posited, her full attention on the tanned girl.

"Not that kind...not really. " She sighed, sadly. "I don't even know where to begin." Thus Sakura started for her "Hina had...trouble making friends in the past."

"...We talking about the same Hina? She's like the friendliest chick here!" Leon interjected "What dumb bastard wouldn't give anything to get close to her?"

"Um...thanks, I think? But I wasn't all that friendly before." Asahina wore a melancholic expression "But it's no excuse that I wasn't well-liked, at least by the girls. Turns out that on the last swimming competition before the end of our middle-school year, one of the girls I was competing with mixed laxatives in my protein shake. It was probably the most important contest of my life."

"Turns out? You weren't sure?" Kyoko asked.

Hina shook her head. "Lucky for me, a friend warned me about the prank. But I was so mad that they'd think of humiliating me like that!"

"I think anyone would be." Makoto said. "What'd you do about it?"

"She reversed the situation." Kiyotaka frowned.

"Ah, an eye for an eye." Celestia said.

"...Yeah. That friend I was talking about, gave me their drinking water instead and told me to give them a taste of their own medicine. I listened to her every word. And, well, it worked. She, the girl who tried to poison me, had...quite the accident. She never came back to school afterwards. The girl's friends who were in on her scheme, had a feeling I was responsible and spread the rumor across the school. Nobody had solid evidence though...and I doubt the teachers would have done anything. They always gave me special treatment as their star." Hina explained. not looking any of them in the eye.

"It's alright, Hina. While I don't really agree with what you did, I won't judge you." Makoto approached the swimming pro and patted her on the back.

"Serves that bitch right, if you ask me. You don't mess with someone's career like that." As a man who shared a similar hobby, Hina's story hit home with Leon.

"Absolutely not! What Hina should have done was challenged her fairly." Kiyotaka reprimanded him "But I can understand her feelings. Hina worked hard to achieve her status. That woman had no right to sabotage her efforts."  

"...Is that the truth?" Kyoko spoke up, earning a surprised stare from the others. To answer the question written on their faces, she elaborated "People don't change so quickly. The Hina I know wouldn't have stooped to foul play just because they'd initiated it. she'd have been more satisfied beating them despite her disadvantages, as Kiyotaka suggested. Is there more to this than you're telling us?"

"I...no, that's about it." Hina replied.

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "I believe the problem was that this friend of Hina's was a bad influence. A true comrade wouldn't have advised Hina to seek revenge; doing so only endangered her position." 

"Come on, Sakura. Lisa was a bit weird sometimes, but that was probably because she was a foreigner. I depended on her a lot and I'd have gone crazy if she didn't have my back the whole time." Hina defended her old acquaintance.

"Damn, you sound like you were a completely different chick, Hina." Yasuhiro said, with one eye closed.

"Yeah, I changed a lot after middle school." Hina said, bashfully. "I guess you guys think less of me..."

"More like...we're hearing a new side of you for the first time. Don't be too hard on yourself, you're grown a lot from the sounds of it." Makoto cheered her on and received a quaint "thank you" from Asahina.

"Has she though?" Celes interrupted

"Pardon me?" Sakura replied, feeling unsettled by the gambler's words.

"Ah, I was just wondering how amusing it is for the person who's been accusing me of poisoning others, has experience in the same act herself.... and come to think of it...wasn't Hina the one who brought the water canisters over?" The gothic lolita said, sweetly. Her intentions were no mystery to anyone.

"I-I didn't poison anyone." Hina retaliated.

"I wonder. The story you just told was nice, I suppose...but we only have your perspective on the matter. The truth could well make for a completely different tale." Celes smiled.

"Why you!" Hina almost stalked up to Celes in outrage, if Sakura didn't block the path between them.

"There is no evidence to pin Hina to the crime. And if, on some chance there is, let us discuss it after we hear everyone's account." Sakura proposed.

"I was about to say the same." Kiyotaka was already in motion to reprimand the girls until Sakura usurped him. "Let's go with Makoto's next."

Everyone waited with anticipation.

The smaller boy groaned.

"Makoto Naegi...wet the bed until the 5th grade." 

Makoto buried his reddened face into his hands, expecting a chorus of laughter in the meanwhile. When none came, he lifted his face. Just about everyone had a blank, non-plussed expression.

"That's it!?" Leon recovered first. "That's lame sure, but it's tame as fuck."

"I demand a recount. This is Makoto we're talking about. There must be more." Celes felt no less cheated.

"Kizakura must have more incriminating evidence than incontinence. What kind of scam is this?" Even Kyoko was bizarrely disappointed, much to Makoto's dismay as he threw her, and the rest, a look of betrayal.

"You guys wanted me to be worse off?" Makoto sweated.

"""Yes""" They said, simultaneously and unabashedly.

"Bunch of jerks." 

Kiyotaka approved. He was glad to see Makoto had no more than a mediocre blemish on his record. Now onto the last...

"Togami's the final one."

"I've been waiting for this." Mondo snickered. Leon, Celes and Yasuhiro joined. Hina, still reeling from her turn formed a half smile. It seemed the affluent progeny wasn't very popular.

Kiyotaka coughed "Reminder that we are looking through these letters with a purpose, not to harass our classmates."

"Yeah yeah, just get to it already. I hope it blows everyone else's out of the water after Makoto's disappointment." Leon frowned.

Kiyotaka shook his head and went to business. The heir had already ripped his open earlier that day. "Hmm, this one's a lot longer than the others."

"The Togamis hold a succession battle once the oldest sibling in the current generation reaches the age of 25. Every sibling must fight for the title of future head of the family, regardless of age. Victory was to be the last standing, whereas the defeated are all to be wiped out without exception. Either through means of exile or...murder." Kiyotaka's eyes shot up.

"Uh...this might sound stupid but...isn't Toges the current heir?" Yasuhiro wondered, with wide-eyes.

"For once, you're not being an idiot. That would be correct." Celes had a thoughtful look on her features.

"S-Shut your trap, conman. M-Master Byakuya w-would never sully his hands with killing." Toko defended the blond, as expected.

"...Byakuya killed his older brother, Richard Togami. 14 siblings were killed in total, save Byakuya and his half-sister. It was the bloodiest succession in the family's history." Kiyotaka finished. The heaviest silence yet fell onto them. Each trying to process what they'd just heard. Kiyotaka himself, felt dizzy.

"There must be some mistake. Togami may act like a jerk some times, but he's not a murderer. Much less capable of fratricide." 

"I wonder. It might be dangerous to assume everyone shares your own perspective, Taka." Kyoko advised. "Don't get me wrong, I agree. But we don't know what the circumstances were like. It's not impossible for him to kill if the situation forced his hand."

"Uh yeah, like do-or-die, right?" Leon scratched his head.

"However, if he is able to kill his own family. Then it may not be so strange for Togami to have little reservations towards killing us either." Celes added.

"T-That's bullshit!" Toko snapped at the gambler. But before she could continue on her tirade...

"Why both?" Kiyotaka asked.

"Why did both siblings survive, you mean?" Kyoko appeared to have thought on the same lines

"If that document is accurate, and it appears to have been thus far, Togami should have been the only one left alive. Why is he the heir when the rules clearly state all but one must be eliminated 'without exception'?" Celes joined.

"They seemed pretty close...I think." Makoto spoke out of the blue. 

"They? You've met her?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah. Her name's Shinobu. We met back when I asked Togami to help us get money for the trip and she answered the door. I thought the proposal was going to be rejected, but she talked to Togami and he said yes...pretty easily now that I think about it." Makoto explained.

"Toges? Giving into someone's demand? Easily? Are you sure he wasn't an impostor?" Yasuhiro wore a face of disbelief.

"Positive. I don't think just anyone could insult me  quite like Togami could..." Makoto scratched his cheek.

"That's all well and good but it doesn't solve the riddle. Being 'close' as you put it, shouldn't be enough to over turn such a crude tradition. It's definitely suspicious." Celes said.

"I have to agree. If a custom that's equivalent to high-class equivalent of gladiator sport persevered this long, Togami would have needed an immense trump card to bypass the clause." Kyoko placed her gloved finger on her chin.  

"Kizakura's on some real fucking shit." Leon said in disbelief, changing the flow of the conversation "Forget how he found out any of this. I can't believe he'd reveal them just because of some contest. There's hardcore info in here."

"Yes, this seems a tad excessive." Celes agreed, and surprisingly, she wasn't just saying that because her secret was in there as well.

"Indeed. He takes his job seriously in the strangest of ways." Even Kiyotaka couldn't believe the instructor would go this far

"So what do we do? We now know at least one of us has killed in the past. And said person also happens to be the one who brought us here." Celes remarked, her agenda made clear.

"I don't think Toges could be behind anything. I mean...he kind of wasn't with us the whole time." Yasuhiro pondered

"Not personally, but he could have relegated the task to the oh-so-willing help." The gambler referred to Toko.

"I still don't buy it. Byakuya wouldn't try to harm us, he's not that kind of guy. And there's no motive." Makoto spoke his honest feelings.

"As far as we know." Celes countered.

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag for all of us. We get anywhere or are we still back at square one?" Hiro asked. Everyone looked towards Kyoko.

"There are a few leads, but nothing definitive." Kyoko answered vaguely. 

"Leads being Asahina and Togami, I bet." Celes said.

"Here we go again." Leon muttered.

"Pray tell who else among us, are suspicious enough to have committed the crime. Taka's sentiment was nice, but these new revelations have only bolstered the possibility that at least one of us are capable of murder. And to begin with, only one of us could be the culprit, for there is nobody else on this island."

"You forgetting someone?" Yasuhiro interjected

"Ah yes, that non-existent witch of yours."

"Could've fooled me. You believed in em for 12 years." Mondo added, feeling nothing for the gambler's murderous stare.

"Celes does have a point. There is nobody here but us." Kyoko stated.

"Not necessarily." Kiyotaka's statement, captured their attention.

"'What do you mean by that?" The detective blinked rapidly.

"Just earlier, I saw someone outside of the window...and I'm positive it was a woman. I don't know about a witch, but there may be someone else on the island."

"...Outside, in that rain?" Makoto cocked his head.

"Yes. That's how I know it can't be one of us. Nobody here is wet, and I don't see why they'd show themselves to me if they were the culprit." 

"When was this?" Kyoko demanded, raising her voice ever so slightly. "And why didn't you tell anyone?"

"A little over an hour ago. Right before I found the girls arguing in here. And I'm telling you right now."

"Nobody else is wet, and I was by the front door for a while and I definitely didn't see anyone come in." Leon said.

"It can't...really be a witch...right?" Fear was written all over the swimmer's face.

"I can't believe you're letting yourself get carried away by mere superstition." Celes rejected the notion.

From that point on, the students bickered over what Kiyotaka had seen, ever defying a proper conclusion. The minds of those who were properly grounded in reality couldn't accept the occult, whereas those with more imaginative minds were struck with fear. Seeing further argument as pointless, Kiyotaka called for armistice. They needed the break after everything that happened.


 

"Uh, Kyoko? Where are you going?" Makoto lost the detective in the interim of that strange turn of events, and later found her with hands on the front doorknob.

"Were you following me?" She turned to face him with an almost accusatory gaze.

"...No? I was passing by...are you going to look for the others?" He surmised

"Yes, Kizakura has taken far too long. And I'd like to investigate the islands."

"...Running off on your own could be dangerous."

"Are you volunteering?" Kyoko clued in on his meaning.

"I guess I am." He showed a small smile.

"Offer rejected. I think I'll be off on my own this time." Kyoko refused...a stark contrast to her earlier concession. She didn't even appear to mind the shock written on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Makoto asked, confused. Kyoko didn't reply, as if she herself wasn't certain.

"Trouble in paradise?" A voice from behind them interjected. Leon crossed his arms, shooting both a suspicious look. "You two sneaking off somewhere?"

"Yeah." "No." Makoto and Kyoko answered respectively.

"We're not letting her go off on her own."

"Since when did you hold sway over my life?"

Leon chuckled at the argument "Heh. Not all the time I see you two disagreeing. Gotta back Makoto on this though. I know you're the badass and all, Kyoko, but, we're all kind of in danger here. If you run off and something bad happens? The fuck do we do?" 

Seeing Kyoko take his words into consideration, Leon turned to Makoto "On the other hand...I don't think you're much backup, Makoto, no offense." Makoto took offense.

"Then what do you suggest?" She posed.

"Ain't it obvious? Yours truly will be your backup." Leon said, holding a bat overhead.

...

"Fine. Now let's go before the others notice. I doubt Taka will be eager to let us leave." Kyoko seemed to deliberate with herself for a moment but consented to Leon's terms..

The ease at which Kyoko gave in bothered Makoto. She wasn't one to demean her own skills or accept help unless she really needed it. And if so? Why did she deny his help? He and Kyoko already discussed partnering up a short while ago. What changed?

"...And can you stop hiding over there?" Kyoko said, abruptly. Makoto spoke a tiny "huh?" as he looked over Leon and spotted familiar auburn hair peeking out of the corridor.

"Busted...I think." Ryoko stepped out into the hall, with a slightly different appearance than Makoto remembered. Her hair was slightly damp, her previous attire replaced with a plain teal colored hospital gown.

"Definitely busted." Leon sweatdropped.

"You're wet..." Makoto said.

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep, I took a shower in one of the washrooms instead."  She explained. "You guys are heading off?"

"You want to come with?" Makoto proposed

"Four's a crowd." And Kyoko shot him down...again. 

"That's fine. I'll cover for you guys while you're out." Ryoko  didn't argue...let me reiterate, Ryoko.Did.Not.Argue.

"...You doing okay?" Makoto scratched his hair, worried for the girl. Ryoko had begun to acting like her old self over the past few days, but it appears her progress(?) had flipped a 180.

"Yes. I'm feeling under the weather, and Kyoko's right, no need for all of us to go. I'll be more useful over here." She smiled

"That's our leader." Leon gave her a thumbs up

The analyst's meekness didn't sit right with Makoto, but that should be expected after what happened to her sister. As he'd never seen Ryoko give in to any sort of pressure before, Makoto wasn't sure how she'd cope emotionally. He was almost happy to see she had such a normal reaction.

"When we get back...if you need someone to talk to, I'll be here to listen, okay?"

Ryoko nodded.


 

The team of three stopped by the first island. They investigated the restaurant for traces of evidence, finding none. Then Kyoko suggested they search the cottages.

"Fine by me but, uh...how are we getting in to everyone else's room?" Leon questioned the detective as they returned to the cottage grounds.

"I'll pick their locks. How else?" Kyoko gave him a condescending stare, before moving on ahead.

"...Makoto, she's the one who's nuts here, right?" Leon addressed him.

"...Kyoko's always been a little eccentric." He defended the girl.

They moved about at the rooms on Kyoko's command. Leon was really serious about the bodyguard deal, seeing as he did very little investigating and waited by the door, posing menacingly. Probably because he felt he'd mess up. Makoto's other companion made repeated glances his way, every so often. He hadn't called Kyoko out on it, in fear of angering her, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable.

...

The three found nothing of particular use until they arrived at Ikusaba's cottage. On her desk was a file, containing a list of poisonous plants in the area. Makoto surmised they were the same variety as the vegetation the soldier had informed him about during the hunt. Kyoko read through the girl's summaries. There were notations of how 'odd' the presence of the poisonous plants were on jabberwock island and how their appearance differed slightly from the ones she knew.

'Avoid at all costs. Make sure to check for sightings in the others' ingredients'

"This was what Ikusaba was using during her inventory check up. I occasionally saw her writing in it." Kyoko mentioned, narrowing her eyes at the contents."...Interesting."

"What is?"

"Some light has finally been shed on this case." She responded. Though what she meant by that, was unclear.

"Then...could those plants have been what killed her?" Makoto asked, reflecting on the painful irony. The one with the experience they needed and who worked to prevent fatalities from occurring, had ended up being one of the victims.

"Most likely. At least now we have plausible evidence for the murder weapon." Kyoko said succinctly. That was the only item of note in the soldier's room. Next to hers, was Ryoko's. Similarly, there was only one object of note...and it was quite the eye-opener. 

"...She still has this?" Makoto sighed at the large hunting rifle planted on the Analyst's wall. Kyoko moved towards it, inspecting the gun for bullets.

"It's still armed. Might be useful." Kyoko said, turning to face them with the barrel.

"Don't point that thing at me!" Leon scrambled away from the gun. Makoto dodged to the other side, feeling an identical amount of fear.

"...Pansies." Kyoko scoffed. "We're searching the library next."

"A 'little' eccentric huh?" Leon remarked, his voice off-tone.

"She's...rough around the edges?" Makoto clenched his rapidly beating heart. Damn that was scary.

...

And what they found when they arrived at their destination shook them to their core. The library, as far as they could see, was in it's normal state. No signs of a struggle, as they trudged through the isles. Nothing was out of place - Not that Makoto or Leon would have known. They'd never come within 5 feet of the library. Their footsteps came to a dead halt when they spotted. Togami and Chihiro, compromised on different ends of the room. The programmer laid unconscious on the floor, while the heir sat in a chair, slightly slumped over.

"Chi!" Leon called out. The boys went for Chihiro, shaking the diminutive boy with fear-gripped hearts. Eventually, Chihiro's body moved on its own, as a small moan left his lips.

"He's waking up." Makoto said, heaving a sigh of relief. That was way too close for comfort.

"Man, this whole island is freaking me out. Let's get back to the hospital and barricade ourselves there." Leon shivered getting ready to place the programmer on his back.

"Leon...Makoto...?" Chihiro woke prematurely.

"Hey there, Chihiro...what were you doing on the floor?" Makoto asked, taking care not to scare the other boy.

"The...floor..." As if snapping out of his trance, Chihiro's puzzled features transformed and was replaced by horror. "Ah...T-Togami, he..." 

At the mention of the blond's name, Makoto and Leon directed their attention towards the heir. There, they accounted for the number of oddities present: They saw Kyoko standing over him, perplexed with visible disbelief. Her gloved fingers touched Togami's neck. The bespectacled teen was unresponsive; one could say he looked more at peace than Makoto had ever seen him. The sole flaw with the picture was a thin, blue liquid dripped from the side of his mouth.

"...He's dead!" Chihiro wailed.

In lieu of the revelation, Makoto failed to notice Togami's glasses, placed neatly on the desk.

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

Kiyotaka did what he did best. Patrolled the halls for signs of disturbance. He found none...which was odd in of itself. The hospital felt bare, considering the number of people that were momentarily lodged in its confines.

'Where the devil is everyone?'

He hadn't seen Makoto, Kyoko, Leon and Hifumi in some time. On that note, he hadn't seen Hifumi in hours. He couldn't still be in the washrooms.

To make sure, Kiyotaka searched the stalls, and found not a soul.

"W-What are you doing?" Toko caught him amidst his investigation.

"Looking for the others, Hifumi in particular. Have you seen him?" Kiyotaka asked.

"T-That hack? No, why don't you ask C-Celes? Those two are practically stuck like glue." Toko passed him by. That was an awfully cold response to their situation...but Kiyotaka took her advice and sought out the gambler, who was thankfully easy to find. Celes was in the kitchen all by herself, and looking none too pleased.

"Where the hell is that tub of lard!?" She screeched, not noticing he was in the room.

"I was about to ask you that." He announced his presence. Celes perked up and resumed her natural composure. He didn't know why, they were all aware she threw fits like this all the time.

"You haven't seen Hifumi either. That is worrying." She said.

"You sound like you've been looking for him too."

"Don't be ridiculous. As if I would lift a finger for that oaf." Celes scoffed. "That said, he is in the hospital right?"

"I don't see where else he would have gone."

"Here's a weird combo." Yasuhiro walked in with Bro in tow.

"We're discussing Hifumi's whereabouts. Have any of you seen him?" Celes asked

"No...wait, you mean he still hasn't shown up?" Mondo retorted, shocked.

"Oh crap...he was spirited away!" Yasuhiro rambled, to Celes' annoyance.

"Makoto, Leon and Kyoko are missing too." Kiyotaka folded his arms.

"Oh?" "Now you're freaking me out, bro." "End of the world!"

"Silence, Yasuhiro...the male one." He could have sworn Celes' arm reached for a knife at his comment, but paid her no mind "This can be solved with a quick perimeter search."

"What's all the noise about? Search for who?" Hina and Sakura strutted in next. Kiyotaka explained the situation.

"Now we'll pair up in groups, and search each wing of the hospital. I saw Toko near the washrooms, The girls can go retrieve her. While we look for the others." Kiyotaka ordered them. Nobody raised any objections and split into their assigned groupings. Kiyotaka searched the hospital rooms..."Ryoko's not here either." Kiyotaka stated, once again, finding not a soul.

Eventually, they covered the upper floors and joined with Sakura and the others downstairs. Toko was in their company, at least. They could be thankful for that.

"We didn't find anyone else." Sakura relayed her discoveries.

"This is bad." Mondo fretted.

"...Everyone, grab your umbrellas. Let's search the outside." They all nodded, grabbing whatever they could find to prepare for their outside search.

To the surprise of all, they found the front door wide open.

"H-Holy crap." Yasuhiro tensed.

"Everyone, stay close. Mondo cover the rear while I move at the front." Sakura took command, and at this moment, Kiyotaka was very willing to let her. He cursed his own ineptitude as he froze up in fear. Everyone walked outside in small steps, umbrellas banging against each other.

"W-We should search around the hospital first." Kiyotaka suggested, shivering.

"And if we don't find them?" Celes asked, her tone wavering ever so slightly.

"...I don't know." 

Fortunately...(or was it unfortunate), they did not have to look long. The group trekked to the side of the hospital building, where, with only a few steps in, they spotted Ryoko. A wave of relief passed through the less perceptive members of the group (himself included). Unlike Sakura, Celes and Toko, who were stunned from the onset, the others needed a few more seconds to comprehend the sheer abnormality of the scene in front of them.

Ryoko's back was turned, she wore nothing more than a hospital gown...and he meant that very literally. The girl didn't bring an umbrella and thus, was drenched, nor did she wear shoes! But beyond all of that was the fallen figure that was mere feet away from the analyst. His body was large enough that Ryoko's form didn't obscure it.

They moved closer until they stood side by side Ryoko, almost in a straight line.

And the sight they bore witness to, was a bloodied Hifumi, back facing the hospital's outer walls. His open eyes were bloodshot, the mouth area a mess of blood.

Chapter 16: Diffidenza/Distrust

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-[Kyoko Kirigiri]-

 

Just as Kyoko finally made headway on this mystery, a new curve-ball was needed to be thrown in her face. Byakuya Togami was dead. And he shouldn't be. Not only for the usual reasons someone shouldn't be dead, but because it opened Pandora's Box and threw any leads on the culprit's identity into chaos. It couldn't have been anyone at the hospital and those were Kyoko's primary suspects.

Who was left? Chihiro? Kyoko perished the thought. Not only would it shatter every shred of faith in her ability to read people, but even if the programmer had murdered Togami, he couldn't physically have been responsible for the deaths of Ikusaba and Sayaka. That meant there were either killers in cohorts or we were dealing with someone who could move between locations instantaneously and simultaneously remain undetected amidst a crowd of associates. Or a witch...

Kyoko favored none. And the first option, while the most probable of the improbable three was...frightening. It would mean Kyoko could trust nobody.

Another alternative worthy of consideration was Kizakura's whereabouts...he was nowhere to be found. But why? In the event he was the culprit, what would be his motive? There was none, absolutely none. 

The detective had already searched Togami's body. No injuries, or signs of attack or blunt trauma. Just drool(?) leaking from the mouth. Kyoko dared not taste it, nor did she need to; it was poisoned. That posed yet another problem. Togami's eyes were fine, there was no sign of the visceral bleeding and hemorrhaging like with the others. The strain of poison was different, the effects too peaceful. Why go out of their way to change concoctions? Did they already run out of the previous formula, or was this a red herring?

Kyoko shook her head. If she focused on too many details, she'd end up with nothing. He who chases two hares will catch neither, as they say. The lavender haired girl turned to her (hopefully still) friends. Makoto looked to be on the verge of tears, Chihiro was past that point. Leon wasn't nearly so emotional but he was even more prone to panic.

"Chihiro. I need your account this instant." It took longer than Kyoko would have liked to soothe the programmer into speaking up.

"T-Togami and I were working on an experiment for Hope's Peak. He didn't stay long to supervise me, said he'd be going to the library and I should catch up once I was done. When I got here, h-he was like this."

Oh for the love of...the timeframe was too large and undefined. Anything could have happened.

"Did you meet Kizakura on the way?" Kyoko asked first.

"No. I didn't see him at all...why? Was he looking for us?"...That's right, he wasn't aware of what happened.

"You mentioned an experiment. What is that?"

"I...can't say." 

Half a minute passed by before Kyoko spoke again, briefly stunned by how incredulous it was for him to be withholding information at this stage. "I don't think you're aware of out situation. This is not the time to be keeping secrets."

"I can't. I'm under legal contract not to, and if I break it, the consequences are...very severe." Chihiro refused. Which was rare enough for Kyoko to understand the aforementioned severity.

"Chill out on the dude, Kyoko." Shut up, Leon.

"Maybe we should ask in another way." Makoto assumed the good cop role. "Can this experiment...poison other people?" A bit more direct than Kyoko would have phrased it, but not bad.

Chihiro quirked his brow. "Poison? I guess it's resistant to venom, but not like it'll secrete any just by biting you. Why?"

That wording...was Chihiro implying this was a living creature? "Could this project of yours go haywire or be lethal to anyone?" She asked.

"Maybe, but there's almost no chance of that. And well, if it did...you would know. We all would. It'd be gruesome."

That was satisfactory enough.

"You guys...what's going on? You're not even focused on Togami." The feminine male looked between the three of them.

"We'll tell you on the way back to the hospital." Kyoko answered

"What about Togami's...body?" Makoto stammered, suggesting he still hadn't recovered...but was it genuine?

"We're leaving it here."

"...We can't!" Chihiro yelled.

"We can and we will. We bring him back with us, and how do you think Toko would react? If anyone asks, tell them he's missing, got it?" Kyoko had them all swear to secrecy. "In fact, we're hiding the body. Put it somewhere nobody can find." Kyoko commanded them. They didn't move at first, but the gun was a very convincing tool, she just had to hold it to gain more authority than usual. That said, she did not need any more panic than necessary. Kyoko already had far too many problems to deal with it, and they were best finished quickly before more started piling on. All of them had the same concept at the core: trust. Who could she trust? The answer was easy. Nobody. Not even Makoto.

Kiyotaka had raised a very good point, but Kyoko doubted he realized the extent of his insight. 

"Someone just doesn't start planning murders out of nowhere, this is real life. There are always signs and patterns. We've known each other for years. We have no motive to attack one another, and It's not like any of us have been acting differently recently." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter Fifteen)

But that was wrong. There was someone whose behavior was strange. Makoto's. Ever since Kizakura found him sleep-walking (that by itself should have raised alarm bells!). He'd shown an irrational anger towards Leon, another gigantic red flag. Makoto was never angry, his tolerance level was nothing short of sagely. Yet that changed in a matter of hours. The second oddity was how he reacted to their friend's deaths, his expression was serene. Not in the sense that dictated calm. He was angry, but it was a controlled anger, and that was suspect and implied direction. Finally...he was the leader of his group, had access to the pot and interacted with Ikusaba. It wasn't out of the question for him to know what was or wasn't poisonous. The pieces fit nicely if Makoto was the culprit.

And that was the problem. Makoto, the culprit. It was an oxymoron. There was no motive, no correlation with his personality or identity. However, perhaps the reason itself could have been irrational? People acting against their own self-interest is not unheard of, and Makoto definitely seemed unstable as of late.

Kyoko was certain there was more than one killer. Furthermore as Celes brought up, two different killers, did not entail different agendas. Like she proposed with Togami and Toko (albeit clearly wrongly if the heir's corpse was of any indication), it could be that one mastermind could influence another. Makoto was fairly influential despite appearances. However, who would go along with the insane promise of murder? Makoto might have had some degree of charisma, but he was far from a hypnotist. None of us wou-

...There was Ryoko, maybe.

Kyoko shook her head. That train of thought was something to keep in mind, as insane as it was.

This night of insanity was far from finished with Kyoko. News of Hifumi's death when they returned to the hospital made sure of that. Kyoko had a sinking feeling of it when she met the ghostly pale faces of her friends(?). Hifumi was nowhere to be seen, and...well, process of elimination never failed under these circumstances. Kiyotaka didn't appear to have the energy to bombard them with questions of where they went or why Kyoko suddenly had a rifle. Chihiro and the others were besides themselves with grief. The cross-dresser had taken it especially hard, after very recently learning what happened to Sayaka and Ikusaba. 

At least they retained enough composure not to touch the crime scene...assuming someone hadn't anyway. Kyoko inspected as per duty. She learned almost nothing, save the murder weapon. Poison yet again, and this brand matched what killed the girls...why the hell was Togami different? He and Hifumi should have been killed at similar times-

Oh right...the timeline.  She couldn't allow herself to get confused now. She had no idea when Togami was killed. Hifumi? Could have happened from when Leon claimed to have seen him to when the body was discovered. If Kyoko was a betting woman? It was likely during or before the meeting when Kiyotaka took charge. That perfectly explains why Hifumi hadn't shown up; a much better explanation than Leon's tasteless jokes.

...That was a horrible thing to say.

Additionally, when she commented on how there was 'nothing' to be found in the crime scene...that in of itself was a clue. Hifumi is...was, a very big man. Carrying him out there could not have been easy. And there were no trails on the ground, with the rain and mud? Hiding those would be impossible, and the back of Hifumi's pants weren't dirty enough. In other words, chances are the doujin author was lured out. Why would he do something so stupid? Unless he thought it wasn't stupid - meaning he followed someone he thought he could trust. That would also explain why there were no signs of a struggle.

I suppose that puts an end to the occult theory, and all but confirms the killer was one of us. The question was who had that kind of authority? Celes was the prime suspect, but any of the girls could be too. Ishimaru was another. And so was, of course, Makoto. 

Oh, and Kizakura, wherever the hell he was. Assuming he was alive, that is.

Kyoko rubbed her temples in the room she stayed, isolated from the rest. She needed a notebook, her brain would fry before she solved this mystery. Or worse, she might overlook a crucial detail.

While she was on the topic of notebooks, the supposed holder of one, Ryoko, was said to have been the first to find Hifumi. Sakura informed Kyoko in detail of the amnesiac's inappropriate state of dress for the weather (without so much as shoes...). Furthermore, the team had found Hifumi by coincidence on a search for all of them (Kyoko's group included). Ryoko wasn't part of the search and was deemed missing, yet still found Hifumi.

That was far too convenient, not to mention she must have had a purpose. Naturally, Kyoko thoroughly interrogated Ryoko. Although to her displeasure, the sum of the information she gained amounted to "I've got a super-computer for a brain."

That was annoying. Kyoko couldn't understand how such a ridiculous ability worked, but she knew it did. In fact, Ryoko proved it when Kyoko asked her to find the others. Nobody had told her of Togami's death, but she reasoned it out. (Kyoko had to make her keep quiet about that too.) And not just that, she also predicted that Kyoko would hide the body, further adding to Kyoko's grief.

"If you were so good at tracking, why didn't you help us earlier?" Kyoko raised the question.

"...Nobody asked...and you said 4 was a crowd." Ryoko replied. Kyoko hated how robotic her common sense could be...but she was partly correct.

"Next question. Can you find the culprit?"

"His actions are too erratic. There's no logical flow or pattern to what they're doing." The analyst answered. That was good enough for Kyoko. She didn't expect an easy solution, but the information was helpful nonetheless. If Ryoko was to be believed (and Kyoko did, this once), the killer was not acting according to reason. Thus, they were among the insane and that meant Kyoko could excuse the contradictions brought on by a lack of motive, and previous behaviors/conduct.

Kyoko sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion take her. To add, Ryoko could have fallen back on losing her memories. Which happened inconveniently and sporadically enough for it to count as a valid excuse.

'Let me re-iterate, that was annoying, and it was cheating.'

Kyoko's suspicions of the girl didn't lessen though. Ryoko had no alibis for pivotal moments this night, and from what Kyoko remembered, she bailed out of the meeting early on. Then claimed to have hit the showers when Makoto called her out on being wet. Ryoko Otonashi had firmly moved up on Kyoko's list of suspects. As Ikusaba's sister, she too would've had access to the soldier's knowledge of toxins.

Makoto, Ryoko, Kizakura and Celes were the top suspects in that order. And they weren't necessarily unrelated.

Chihiro and Hina were suspicious, the latter moreso, but there was no hard evidence.

"I need to rest, if only a few minutes." At times like these, it was more productive to recover stamina than trudge on half-baked. Lavender made sure the door was locked, barricaded it and the windows for good measure. If so much as a rat sneaked in, she would know. 

Wolves had blended into this flock of sheep...Or had the sheep mutated into wolves?

'Makoto...' he was the person who brought Kyoko out her shell. If she couldn't trust him...then she couldn't trust anyone.  If he really was the culprit, what would happen after she caught him? He was in need of desperate medical attention. She couldn't force the blame on him, but he certainly would blame himself, forever, probably.

Kyoko rested her head on the desk and let sleep take her. If the gods were merciful (and if she believed in them), she would wake up to find this farce was just a nightmare.


 

Everyone had been drained of whatever energy they had left. Makoto was hit by a wave of depression after hearing what happened to Hifumi, Chihiro took it even worse; he collapsed into a mess and needed to be consoled by nearly everyone. The exceptions were Kyoko, who was morbidly eager to inspect the body...and Toko, who was adamant about knowing Togami's whereabouts. For very clear reasons, Makoto couldn't tell her that. Thankfully before he could open his mouth, Leon covered for him and gave - What Makoto hoped - was a convincing lie. Fortunately, since he couldn't lie to anyone to save his life, much less pull it off successfully in a situation like this. Toko backed off but her trust in the group had wavered substantially; the look she gave him was riddled with suspicion. And Makoto didn't think she was alone. With the group plagued by exhaustion and unable to feel safe, they organized a guard system. They'd rest in one room while 3 stood guard. Mondo, Sakura and Taka volunteered first. They were scattered across the hospital's main room. Makoto had his back to a wall, Chihiro falling asleep on his lap, Leon and Ryoko on both sides. Celes , Asahina (surprisingly) and Hiro were alone on separate corners. Taka was currently making  another attempt at consoling Toko. 

Kyoko...had barricaded herself elsewhere. Makoto insisted she joined them, only for the detective to, almost forcefully, insist she'd be left alone. She hadn't threatened with that gun yet but...Kyoko+gun is scary, end of story.

Makoto sighed 'So much for bonding' They were more divided now than ever, and the nail in the coffin manifested in the form of yet another headache. This one worse than the last. The luckster deftly maneuvered between his huddled friends, and approached the door. Mondo and the others were quick to let him pass after he informed them of his migraine. He had mixed feelings about that

"It's nice that they trust me so much...but is that a good idea? For all they knew, I could be the killer." Makoto muttered absent-mindedly. He trudged down the hallway, ignorant to how that line of reasoning contradicted his own stated view on companionship.

Makoto stopped by the room Kyoko resided in, hand half-way in the process of knocking before he retracted. "She doesn't seem to want me around right now." Sometimes he wished she could tone down the obstinance.

His destination was a little further ahead. The medicine cabinets to find...pretty much anything that could relieve his pain.

"This is where you were." Ryoko caught him in the middle of ingesting one of the pills.

"Yeah, I had a little bit of a headache. Did you come to find me?" He said after a drink of water.

"Feel bad about Hifumi?" Ryoko asked.

Did he ever? Unlike the girls' deaths which came as a complete shock nobody could have foreseen, Makoto felt Hifumi's was...totally avoidable, had they just paid proper attention. "...Yeah, I can't believe he was killed and we didn't notice. We could have done something."

"Doubt it, I'd say he died before you three left. Besides, I don't think we have any time to wallow on the past. What you intend to do in the future's more important, don't you think?" Ryoko argued in a voice removed of compassion.

"How are you so...Never mind." There was no use getting frustrated.

"Honestly, I'd be more worried about Kyoko." The amnesiac continued, making nothing of his half-hearted outburst.

"Who said I'm not?  I'm just hoping she won't run off solo...assuming she hasn't already."

"She's probably asleep...but that's not what I meant. Aren't you worried she'll start suspecting you?"

'What.'

"What? I haven't done anything wrong!" Makoto yelled?

Ryoko closed in and stared him straight in the eye. "Are you sure? You'll swear that you haven't killed anyone?"

"I haven't!" Makoto said, resolutely. He couldn't believe she'd inquire that.

"Alright I believe you. There's no way you can be the killer." Ryoko pulled back and beamed a smile as the earlier tension vanished. Makoto heaved a sigh of relief, thankful she wasn't actually serious with that accusation. "But it would make sense for Kyoko to think that way; she's methodical and that makes her easy to read. As far as I can see, logic isn't working here, and I can't do anything about that. Then, the answer could be that the killer is out of their minds."

"Then why suspect me?" He wasn't about to diss his friends, but he was the "normal" guy in the group. From talent straight to his mindset.

"That you can ask this despite recent behavior is the problem. There's no point explaining it to you and it wouldn't convince Kyoko even if you did understand." Ryoko shook her head. 

"You phrased that like I belonged in a mental asylum." Makoto drawled. 

"Did I? Sorry, wasn't my intention." He pouted, unsure of how genuine she really was. His doubts were dispelled when the girl ruffled his hair. "I told you, I'm 100% sure you're innocent." 

"How can you be so sure?" He mumbled, slowly removing her palm.

"Do I need one?" She cocked her head. "You're my best friend and I decided to believe in you." Those words were said with enough sincerity to catch Makoto off-guard.

"Thank...you." He said, lamely, clearly overwhelmed and remembered Ryoko could throw curveballs like this. It was daunting to be held in such high-esteem by a girl with as much brains and beauty as Ryoko. That went double when you considered her overly aloof and disinterested personality.

It wouldn't be unfounded to consider Ryoko arrogantly selfish and cruel. In fact, Makoto was sure she appeared that way to an un-informed observer, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought along similar lines when they first met. However, the wasn't quite true. Ryoko ego-centrism was...child-like; while she could be irresponsibly cruel, it was rarely anything more than playful teasing from her perspective. But, that was only if she became aware of you, otherwise she did nothing at all. The analyst had an under-developed view of the world and lived in a bubble much smaller and tougher than everyone else's. If you didn't assert yourself enough to penetrate that layer, then Ryoko would never notice you. It wasn't condescension, that meant acknowledgement.  And secretly, that bothered Makoto on two levels. The first was a deliberation on which perspective was worse: The conceit to look down on everyone or the ignorance that came with failing to realize anyone was there in the first place. The second issue was no less problematic. Ryoko was subdued by nature, like she was always holding back. If Makoto...or anyone didn't prompt the analyst, she wouldn't lift a finger. It was like conversing with a machine sometimes, and he had to admit that aspect of her character arguably irritated him the most, even as her friend.

Nevertheless, he appreciated her faith. "Ryoko...you're sort of dependable today."

"I try." She shrugged.

"That...wasn't supposed to be a compliment. You shouldn't push yourself; If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here to listen." 

"You're horrible." She punched him in the arm, focusing on the slight dig instead of what actually mattered.

"I'm serious. It must be awful to lose a sibling." He couldn't imagine what he'd do if something happened to Komaru.

He felt like she was looking straight through him. "Yes. It kind of hurts." Her words were shoddy and in-eloquent, but real nonetheless.

Makoto nodded in acceptance. Then a sudden thought sprung into his mind. "Ryoko...hypothetical question. What would you do if I did turn out to be the culprit?" 

Ryoko considered the question with a hum, then answered. "Like I said, I'm on your side."

Makoto wasn't sure how to respond to her implication.

...

"Found you."

More arrivals. Makoto and Ryoko met with Chihiro and Leon trailing after him. Makoto immediately noticed the unusually determined expression that adorned on Chihiro's features. Leon on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever. Looking between Makoto and Ryoko and sporting a suggestive grin.

"Makoto...I think I know how we can protect ourselves." Chihiro said out of the blue.

Makoto and Ryoko traded stares. "What kind of protection?"

"The experiment can be used as a weapon if I just tweak it a bit. We can use 'It' as a security measure...but, only on the condition that you never to say anything to anyone."

"I know you've told me that project is top secret but is it really worth keeping with our lives at risk?" Chihiro was kinder than anyone, and he often considered everyone before himself. Makoto had trouble accepting a minor punishment...or even a somewhat major one would prevent the programmer from doing his best to ensure their safety...unless the demerit was neither minor or 'somewhat' major at all. In that case...what the heck was Hope's Peak Academy making him promise?

"Does it matter? If Chi's afraid of telling us then he must have a good reason." Ryoko interjected. "Or is that not enough? Ah, unless you're saying Chi's not trustworthy..."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Makoto yelled Upon seeing Chihiro's horror-stricken face. Of course Makoto would trust Chihiro, the day the programmer became a prime suspect for murder was the day he'd become an international athlete. Never going to happen. "I trust you, Chihiro."

Makoto closed his eyes in thought..."But could this weapon sounds dangerous." The last thing they need was to have this weapon backfire. Kyoko's rifle alone gave him the creeps.

Chihiro shook his head "'It' was designed with a safety on. It won't be lethal to us."

"Okaaay, but do we really need this thing?" Leon scratched his chin.

"It'd be the ultimate security, even equipped with a tracking system. We might even be able to figure out what happened to the others." Chihiro replied.

"But if we bring...whatever this is, back with us...won't the others see it? No point in keeping it a secret then." Leon scowled.

"That's not a problem, it's got a cloaking device and shock absorbers, you won't  see anything or even hear a sound."

Makoto, Ryoko and Leon shared a dumbfounded look amongst each other. "...What the hell is this!?" The octave in Leon's voice rose. When did we go sci-fi?

"Didn't you tell Kyoko that we'd know if 'It' thing went loose?" Makoto pondered.

Chihiro nodded "Well, yeah. If the project was responsible for...killing the others, then they'd be in...a lot worse shape. The aftermath can't really be disguised. Plus those functions I mentioned aren't default settings and would need authorization to access."

"...I'll side with Leon here. What the hell is this?"

"Revolutionary tech...Um, I did tell you whoever made this must have been a genius. Specifically, a genius engineer."

"Oh...like some kind of Ultimate Mechanic." Ryoko added.

Leon remained skeptical "I still think this is a bad idea. Like, Kyoko's got a gun. That's a damn good deterrent if I've seen one."

'That's not enough.' - Makoto thought.

"We might as well consider it." Makoto interrupted, feeling a sharp sting in his head. "If Chihiro can control it then we should be fine."

"Dude, really?" Leon frowned.

"I don't see why not. We don't really know what we're up against here, and Chihiro worked up a lot of courage to tell us about it. We shouldn't just dismiss it."

Leon sighed. "Whatever. So how do we bring this toy of yours, here?"

"I just need to activate it on the fifth island...and someone to accompany me there." Chihiro said.

"What business would you lot have on the fifth island?" And...there was Taka

'Oh boy...'

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

"What are you four up to?" He'd seen Makoto wander off, then Ryoko and then the final two. Shouldn't they be more careful at a time like this?

"Um...we were-" The rest of Makoto's sentence was muffled out by Leon's palm, who answered instead "Nothing much. We were just trying to figure out how to get out of this mess."

Kiyotaka raised a skeptic eyebrow. "Wouldn't those ideas be best discussed with everyone?"

"I...don't think that's a good idea." Makoto said.

"Why?" Chihiro faced him.

"Because...it might be dangerous if the...traitor knows?" Makoto sounded like he was relaying those words off an un-memorized script. But Kiyotaka never imagined the day would come when even Makoto would openly call one of them a traitor. 

"If even you're saying that...guess it must be true." Leon shared the sentiment.

"It has to be. I might not fully get what's going on. But at least one of these murders need to have been committed by us. There's no other explanation." Ryoko explained

"Babe, can you not say that with a smile?" Leon's expression turned sour.

"One of us...I can't believe that." Chihiro frowned.

"I...want to keep trusting in everyone...but the circumstances aren't forgiving enough for that. The girls died right in front of us, and even Hifumi was killed easily, and we were just steps away." Tears threatened to fall from Kiyotaka's eyes. Some leader he was. Shortly after declaring he would see them all through this torturous night, there had already been another victim!

Makoto regretfully agreed, albeit choosing not to dwell on sorrow. "That's true. But we can't give up hope. What we have to do now is think about how the rest of us can survive, and I think Chihiro can help us with that. So, if we can have your permission...then-"

"I'll allow it." Kiyotaka cut him off.

"Eh? You haven't even heard about the plan."

"I'll trust in your judgement. But are you four alright with going alone? I suppose Leon has some muscle but..."

"Not you too. What am I, a twig?" Makoto pouted

"Maybe Mondo can come with us." Chihiro proposed.

"A wise choice. I can rest easy if bro goes with you. That will be one of my two conditions."

"What's the other?" Makoto asked.

"If any of you feels the slightest bit of danger. Run away." Kiyotaka warned. "I...don't want anyone else to die."

The others nodded. "We promise. All of us are coming back."

"Well said." He smiled.

"Good luck, everyone." Ryoko stood by his side and waved at the others, earning odd looks.

"Huh? Aren't you coming with us?" Makoto said, surprised.

"I'd be of more use here." She didn't elaborate on what she meant.

"What was that about staying by my side?" Makoto frowned. Kiyotaka didn't know what that meant either, but it better not be about illicit relationships. This is still a school environment!

"I meant in spirit." She smiled.

Kiyotaka shook his head, having lost track of the conversation. Instead  Kiyotaka rushed over to inform Mondo of their new plan...which the moral compass himself wasn't exactly sure of. But, Chihiro could fill Bro in on the way. Thankfully, he wasn't averse to joining the party and was was more excited by going on the offensive. As for the rest of them, with Sakura and Kyoko around, they were safe enough. Kiyotaka saw the four off, hoping he made the right decision.

He escorted Ryoko back to the main lobby where everyone else waited. However, he felt a cold wind blowing behind him. Kiyotaka turned around, there was a straight path leading to the exit the others went through.

...He saw nothing.


 

"Was it really a good idea to tell Taka about this? Glad we got that hard-ass' consent and all, but what happened to the less people who knew, the better?" Leon walked in front of the formation. Makoto and Chihiro were in the middle, with Mondo carrying the back.

"About that...I didn't want Taka to...uh, despair?" That was an odd way to phrase it, but it felt appropriate here.

"Despair?" Leon scrunched his face, hinting he agreed with the cheesy terminology.

Makoto nodded. "He looked like he'd hit his limit." It wasn't unsurprising given the older boy's tendency to assume responsibility over everything. Taka likely blamed himself for all the events that transpired...and that was bad. Makoto couldn't let him become one of them...

"...One of who?" Makoto whispered to himself. It was on the tip of his tongue...just a little more and he'd be able to remember.

"Taka's tougher than you guys think. There's nothing he hates more than letting anyone down and when his mind's set on something, he goes through with it. If he breaks, it'll be after everything's said and done and we get off this island." Mondo vouched for the moral compass. "Course, I ain't gonna let bro sulk alone either."

"You're right." Makoto smiled, forgetting his earlier train of thought. Mondo's presence was greatly reassuring, the delinquent leader was about as up-to-date as the rest of them, save for what happened to Togami. He was nonchalant towards Chihiro's explanation and left it at "I work with my fists. I'll leave the thinking to the rest of you."

Sometimes simple was best.

"Good thing the rain cleared up." Chihiro said. Makoto shifted his umbrella to the side, to feel nary a drop touching his head. The clouds were still gray, thus the chance for a resurgence of rainfall was likely.

"Walking out at night give me the creeps. How much longer till we get there, Chi?" Leon shivered.

"3 or four minutes." The small boy answered. "And uh, I'll need to ask you guys to wear blindfolds before we go in. You can take them off after the cloaking feature's turned on."

"Whatever. Just don't kill me when I'm not looking." They stopped and turned towards the baseball star with disappointment etched on their faces.

"It was a joke." Leon desperately needed to work on timing.

"We're here." Chihiro stated. The four stopped in front of a large tower, one of the tallest spires on the island.

"This gloomy tower's where you've been running to? Gives me the creeps." Leon's voice cracked. Makoto consented that he too, was disturbed by the tower. Really, the entire 5th island gave off the same baleful ambiance, like this one area was a singularity, sectioned off from the rest of Jabbberwock island.

"The place is wide open. The entrance one of those fancy automatic doors that come down like curtains?" Mondo asked.

"They're called hangar doors." Makoto corrected the biker...but he definitely wasn't right either way, because the entrance looked...broken. The hoodie motioned his head to the left of the expansive entrance, and a few meters away, he spotted an out of place door. Part of it.

"Uh...is that the door?" Leon pointed to the other side, where the second half laid on the ground. Did something bulldoze it's way out of here?

"Let's...go see." Chihiro stuttered, his legs shaking as he took steps into the building.

Makoto took a step forward and tripped over himself, his knee banging against the hard ground. "Ow."

"Watch your step, man." Leon jeered.

"It wasn't my fault. I think I tripped over something." Makoto stood up, searching for what he collided with. It felt like a thick rope...or wire of some kind...but there was nothing there.

The boy squinted his eyes, feeling something distorted about the ground near him. He stretched out his right arm for the ground.

"Oi, Makoto. Get over here before the rain starts. Chihiro's going on ahead too!" Leon called to him from inside the research facility.

Makoto frowned, retracting his arm and turning to follow the others. Soon, he disappeared into the entrance.

 

-[???]-

 

"H-he didn't spot me." Toko Fukawa, who had followed the boys to this area sighed in relief when Makoto entered the building. She believed the boy had caught onto her when he turned around and started looking for something. The author didn't know what they intended to do here, but it was beyond suspicious. "They're hiding something." She glared in their direction and followed after them, and not a moment too soon, for the storm resumed it's seemingly endless session of rain. Toko, too, entered tower.

...

A flicker of light shone near the area where the average boy had attempted to search - a distortion in space, he called it. Makoto attributed the sensation to a rope of some kind, but that was dizzyingly off-the mark. That coil lifted off the ground and rose to the air, forming an arc. No sooner, it slammed back onto the ground in a whip-like a motion. The emerging sound  befitted the weather; a crash as loud as thunder. The pavement was battered, the impact left a line-shaped deep indent 3 centimeters wide on the ground. A single swipe from Its tail would have been enough to cleanly detach the head from a human's body in an instant. 

The heavy rain parted against what appeared to be thin air...yet the rain revealed a beast-like shape of massive proportions; It's size was equal to a small house even while crouched like a sleeping lion. It's form circled the tower grounds as It keenly observed the children entering its depths. The creature's appearance couldn't be perceived by the eye....but for a moment, Its eyes could be perceived. Ruby-red pearls shone bright as It let out a suppressed growl.


 

It occurred to Makoto that Chihiro had completely forgotten about the blindfolds. The boys maneuvered their way in the hexagon-shaped tower - yes, maneuvered, for the place was completely trashed. It was fortunate that the floor centers were spacious, that way they didn't need to bump into anything. Makoto looked up to the ceiling, then spotted a sizable opening far off the other end of the room. the area may have been needlessly wide, it was like a warehouse. Chihiro didn't say a word the whole time, but they could hear the quickening of his abated breath. 

The shortest's anxieties proved warranted when they reached the middle floor via the staircases. They arrived at a hangar, and much like the rest of the building, it was all but destroyed. The flickering and sparks of electricity and broken machinery abound cemented it. Makoto searched around the area, seeing a few exits; some caved in, others accessible. There was also a large door on the other side of the room. Makoto presumed it connected to the one on the first floor.

"...It's gone." Chihiro's words were so low they came out as a breathless whisper. The light-brown haired boy staring only at the center of the room. There was a wide space there, that Makoto could only assume was meant to hold "something."

"It can't be gone...I didn't activate it." The programmer slowly walked to the center in a daze. He touched air with his short arms, but to Makoto's eyes, Chihiro was desperately searching for what he hoped was still there.

Makoto crossed eyes with Mondo and Leon, who were similarly at a loss. It seemed they were looking to him  to provide emotional support. But Makoto didn't even know what was going on. Anything he said would come out as half-baked at best.

"If the academy finds out, I'm done for."  Chihiro dropped onto his knees, seemingly losing all hope...

Makoto placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and knelt down with him. "I'm not really sure what it is you've lost, but it might still be here and we just overlooked it. Let's investigate a bit more.

"Overlooked?" Chihiro turned to him with an exasperated look; one that denoted Makoto as being completely off-base, and expectedly so. It was entirely uncharacteristic of him. "Makoto...you can't miss Jabberwock; It's 15 meters tall."

Makoto gulped. At least he finally received a name...and an imposing height description. In all likelihood, that was info Chihiro wasn't meant to divulge but he looked far from caring at this point. He sported a dejected expression, his skin pale with fright, and bright red rings around his eyes...huh?

"It's going to be alright, Chihiro. I'll help you look for it. We'll make sure everyone swears that they didn't see or hear a thing about Jabberwock, okay?" After they got out of their current mess, of course. Makoto pulled the smaller boy into a hug and caressed his hair. He heard a small consenting "okay"

"I don't have a choice anyway." Chihiro said.

Makoto pulled back. Chihiro didn't appear to have been fully convinced, but he seemed more positive than seconds before. Most importantly, the red in his eyes had...diminished somewhat. They were barely visible, but Makoto could still see the outlines. That color filled him with an innate sense of dread.

"So where'd this Jabberwock run off to? D'you accidentally leave it on?" Leon asked out of the blue.

"It was shutdown when I left and nobody could turn it back on. Only Togami and I have access." Chihiro answered, despondently.

"Well we can forget that. Togami kicked the bucket, remember?" Leon scratched his hair, completely oblivious to the monumentally stupid words he just uttered.

"What!?" Mondo yelled, visibly shocked. "When the fuck did Togami die!?"

Makoto groaned. "Not helping, Leon!"

"Whoops."

"He's telling the truth. We found Togami's body when we found Chihiro in the library." Makoto explained

"Chihiro was there too!?" 

"...I'm okay." Chihiro insisted. Makoto didn't buy it for a second. With how persistent Chihiro had been about this project, Makoto figured he'd be in a panic. thus the programmer's dispirited state was nothing short of abnormal. However for the sake of the atmosphere, Makoto didn't raise that point.

"Uh, let's not tell Kyoko about this. She'd probably shoot me." Leon tried to snake his way out of his blunder.

"Drama queen." Mondo spat, but Makoto felt Leon's fears were very on-point. "So...where'd you leave Togami?" Mondo felt very uncomfortable saying that. It was mystery to none that the two didn't get along in the least. To be fair, Togami got along with almost nobody, but his relationship with Hina and Mondo was particularly...abysmal. However, even Mondo didn't think the heir deserved to die. 

"In the library. But we stashed the body where nobody would find it easily. Can't have someone like Toko wandering in on it and snapping." 

"Leon!" Makoto smacked his forehead. 'Kyoko will bury him if she finds out!'

The baseball haphazardly let the next biggest secret slip. By no means was it intentional, but another accident born of his casual nature. Leon's relaxed disposition had been a great asset in this time of turmoil and stress; because of him, they could keep their nerves calm - Perhaps even retaining a sense of normality that had run dry like a well in the Sahara desert. And that effect was greatest upon the self-absorbed athlete. Indeed, it could be said that unless personally confronted, Leon's aptitude for despair was staggeringly low. However, much like a pendulum, the positive and negative effect of his behavior swung back and forth. Leon's personality had been a boon thus far...however, it was time for the pendulum to swing to the other side. Leon's callousness was about to cost him.

It would cost all of them.

"Stashed?""

Makoto felt like the voice send tremors down his body.

The boys looked back to the exitway, where Toko Fukawa stood. From a single glance, Makoto could see the infuriated author had not taken an umbrella with her. Although the rain had cleared, it hadn't dispersed, and it was certainly no place to be stalking around unprotected. That Toko did so meant she had been desperate. A number of possibilities ran through Makoto's mind in an instant, and none were too favorable.

"'Stashed him somewhere?'" She repeated, her tone no less sharp than prior. No-That wasn't quite right, it was calmer than before. "Like he was some piece of garbage you could dispose of when it was inconvenient?" It was an eerie calmness, not unlike the transient peace before the coming of the storm 

But Leon didn't appear to have picked up on that subtlety. He wouldn't have responded to what was clearly a rhetorical question otherwise. "I didn't mean it like that."

Makoto didn't care to tell Leon that he was only making things worse with his constant prattling. Instead, his focus was on solving the pieces of a metaphorical puzzle, and it was centered on the oh-so-out-of-place red color that burned from Toko's eyes, replacing her normal purple. Not at all dissimilar to Chihiro's current condition.

'What's wrong about this situation? It feels familiar...and wrong.'

"I knew it." Toko walked towards them ever so slowly. "Chihiro was by his side for weeks. They'd even left together, but Chihiro returned and he didn't? Something happened and I thought if I followed you, I'd find answers. Who's responsible"

'Who? Wasn't it Her?'

"Haa? It's the killer we've been looking for, who else?" Leon continued digging that hole. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, failing to even recognize that Toko was not slurring.

'It was always Her.'

"Killer? You mean one of us?" Toko continued.

"Uh...I don't really know about that. Though that's what Kyoko's saying. It might be true but...even then, we have no idea who." 

'The devil responsible for all of this; the bitch who forced us into this twisted game.'

"...Leave it to me. I can find out." Toko stopped in her tracks, all traces of purple vanished from her eyes.

"H-how...and you don't look so hot today, Toko. Your eyes I mean..." As dense as Leon was, self-preservation overcame all other senses. He felt it, just as they all did. An intensity that could never belong to the bespectacled girl.

"It's called trial and error. If I kill all of you, I'll get the right one eventually!" The personality known as Toko Fukawa corroded, as Syo's madness was brought to the surface.

'He would end this killing game.'

It was pure coincidence. Though the source of their grief was directly related, the chasm in the depths of their comprehension as vast as a canyon. Yet, for an instant, The Ultimate Lucky Student and The Ultimate Writing Prodigy's emotions resonated, the raw hatred in their hearts synergized and exploded outwards.

And so, Makoto remembered everything. He remembered Junko Enoshima.

 

-[Kyoko Kirigiri]-

 

Kyoko finally woke. She assessed her surroundings, and to her displeasure, found herself to be in the same place as when she drifted asleep. That meant the present situation was no trick of the mind, and she was very much awake. Many classmates had lost their lives, the killer was still on the loose, and she could count on her hands the people she could still trust. The time indicated she'd slept for no longer than 2 hours, but that was plenty enough to rejuvenate the detective. Additionally, her mind had not squandered time. While Kyoko still lacked the full picture, she had subconsciously made headway in her investigation. The killer was still elusive, however the weapon...the method for how the girls were killed. Kyoko could solve that now.

She unlocked the room door and stepped into the halls, where she passed Sakura on the way.

"I hope your sleep was pleasant." The fighter greeted.

"What makes you think I was resting?"

"Your complexion. There is a refreshed aura about you, and I pray you will use that to our advantage."

"I plan on it. Has anything happened in my absence?"

Sakura broke the news. "Makoto, Leon, Chihiro and Mondo absconded somewhere. Kiyotaka seems to know the details."

"...What?" What did she mean they've disappeared? Where could they have gone at a time like this...and to not take her with them!?

"Where's Kiyotaka?" Kyoko commanded.

Sakura pointed to the main lobby, but just before Kyoko left, the giant stopped her. "Kyoko, there is one matter I must discuss with you."

The detective arched an eyebrow, then caught sight of what laid in the fighter's hands. A cylinder Kyoko never wished to see again. "Is that...?"

"Yes. One of the empty canisters, not among the two that Ikusaba and Sayaka drank from."

"Where did you get it?"

"The room Makoto slept in."


 

"Why did you let them go?" Kyoko confronted Kiyotaka in front of the others . 

"It wasn't an easy decision, but they seemed confident that what they'll bring back would help. I know it's dangerous, but with Mondo there, they should be fine." The moral compass defended his actions.

"We don't even know who we're up against."

"Don't we? The culprit is crafty, to be sure, but they've overplayed their hand with Hifumi's death." Celes interjected. Kyoko knew what she was getting at, and was in agreement on that point alone. There were quite a few clues now. "They've resorted to the same tactic of poisoning our ranks when our guard was down. Does that not suggest they have no other means of harm? If they could simply overpower us, then they would have done so right from the start. Between those four, I don't believe they're in any danger."

"They would be even safer if they were with the group." Kyoko seethed.

"...I find this very hard to digest from the same girl that actively isolated herself from the rest of us...unless...I'm misunderstanding you?" Kyoko could see the gears start to turn in Celes' head. "Unless...you believe one of them is the danger." The gambler's eyes narrowed

"Impossible. Right, Kyoko?" Kiyotaka asked.

Kyoko said nothing. The lack of refutation itself was her answer.

"...You're kidding. That's Makoto, Chihiro, Mondo and Leon you're talking about. None of those four could be the culprit?"

"Why?" Kyoko asked, stunning the others. "Why couldn't it be them? Can you say for sure that not one of them is compromised? Are you really so arrogant that you believe you can know another so completely?"

"Um...well..." Kiyotaka relented "No! I still don't believe it. We'd have to discard everything we do know about them." 

"So?" Kyoko countered his argument-from-belief with cold hard logic. "Then discard it. Remove all preconceptions and the truth becomes so much easier to resolve."

"...Interesting. You're adamant that our culprit is among those 4." Celes' nonchalantly played with her nails, but Kyoko could see the fire in her eyes. She wanted a culprit as much as everyone else in the room.

"I have a question." Ryoko raised her hand. "Why do you guys keep saying 4? Are you forgetting Toko?"

'...What?'

"Where is she?" Kyoko asked.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her at all." Kiyotaka said. 

"D-Don't tell me they got her too!" Asahina panicked. 

"No...Toko went after the guys...You didn't notice, Taka?" Ryoko confirmed. This was getting ridiculous. Why couldn't they all stay in one place?

Kiyotaka vehemently denied the notion. "Of course not! I would have stopped her. Why didn't you!?"

"You weren't going out of your way, I thought that was fine." 

"I didn't see her. What a blunder!" Kiyotaka berated himself

"That's not so bad. Toko could've just joined the search, and hell, maybe they'd find Toges too. She's practically his bloodhound anyway." Yasuhiro brought up one possibility, at least it would be if Togami wasn't already dead. On a much worse note, Toko being near a poor liar like Makoto...it wasn't impossible that the details of the heir's demise might slip. The worst-case scenario here would involve Toko's mental instability and that could lead to...

...Yeah, with Makoto's luck, that would probably happen.  What is with these people? It's like they were actively sabotaging each other by making the most horrendous decisions at the worst possible time. "Everyone, get ready. We're going after them." In the meanwhile..."Ryoko, come with me." The detective forcefully grabbed the redhead's arm and brought her into a secluded room. Ryoko didn't struggle at all.

"Tell me everything you know, and I mean everything you've seen since I left. Don't leave a single line of dialogue unspoken." Kyoko snarled, not sparing not a moment getting down to business. One of the other benefits of clearing her head during sleep. Kyoko acknowledged that she'd made a fundamental mistake from the get-go; there was a reliable weapon that had been in front of her eyes from the start and she'd failed to fully exercise it. Kyoko had asked all the wrong questions. Ryoko was a database of information, but she'd never divulge it until they asked or it was too late. And recently? It was often a combination of both. Kyoko wouldn't trail behind anymore. 

"Sure. I've figured this mystery out a little while back anyway." She said

 Ryoko had mechanically provided Kyoko with a recount of the night's events in excruciating detail.

"I see." Kyoko said. The detective had caught her culprit. "Let's join the others and head to the fifth Island."

 

-[Mixed PoV]-

 

"Kyahahahaha! Me alone with 4 guys looking all hot and bothered. It's a dream come true!" Genocider's repulsive laughter filled the air...until she stopped abruptly. "Or that's what I'd like to say...but I'm feeling a bit different today. I can't put my finger on it." She said in a low voice

Toko and Syo didn't retain memories from the other's personal experiences...however, they still shared emotions. Not unlike how Makoto perceived Leon days ago, Syo would be overcome by emotions that she could neither place nor understand. In this case, she was feeling despair.

"...She didn't sneeze." Chihiro calmly analyzed, like the appearance of Genocider didn't phase him. "There wasn't any blood around either. How did Toko transform?" Instead he sounded almost scientifically curious. Makoto could theorize why. Toko had fallen to despair, her personality eroded, and in turn, she became Syo; the one person the skeptic feared and hated more than anyone else in the world, and she did it of her own will. Consequently, Makoto doubted this was a shift in personality like the previous instances but rather, Toko had melded into Genocider.

He lacked hard data to back his hypothesis, but this was a phenomenon impossible to prove with logic from the start. Manipulating others into acting out in the worst possible ways, counter to their own values. That was Enoshima's trap, and he'd fallen right into it. In Makoto's haste and ignorance, he overlooked the writing prodigy's obsession over the Togami heir. Toko was distrustful, overly anxious and paranoid by nature, making her highly vulnerable. How did he miss that!?

"Straaange, I'm feeling waaaay too unhinged right now, like I've finally been let off the leash. Why's that?" Genocider crossed her arms.

'If he doesn't do something, everyone will die just like last time!'

"And you boys...say, did you all dress up or something? I can't tell what it is but all 3 of you are looking oh-so-bangable today. Even you, Makkie!"

"...oh no." Makoto's eyes widened slowly as Genocider reached into the openings of her skirt. 

"But out of the four...little Chi over there turning me on the most!" Out from it was Genocider's patented scissor-blades. With fluidity and motion befitting a champion track-runner, she dashed towards them, arms outstretched, the scissor's tip aimed at Chihiro's throat.

However before she could reach. A strong grip latched onto Genocider's arm, no less than a second later, the serial killer found herself flung back.

"Shit's moving too fast for me to follow...but you're pretty dangerous, ain't ya?" Mondo Owada had been the deterrent. He scratched his unconventional hair, not knowing what to make of the bizarre turn of events. "Why don't you chill out for a sec."

"Kyahahahaha! Getting jealous, beefcake? Not bad, pretty boys are at the top of the list, but even I enjoy a strong, assertive man from time to time~" Genocider blushed, her attention focused entirely on the biker.

"You heard the wacko. Take Chihiro and leave her to us." Mondo advised with a confident grin.

Makoto nodded, and grabbed Chihiro by the arm. The luckster dashed towards the openings on the other side of the room, leaving Mondo and Leon to face-off against The Ultimate Murderous Fiend.

"W-What the hell do we do? I know that's Toko over there, but it's also a fucking serial killer!" Leon panicked. 

"Yeah so? You don't lead the Crazy Diamonds without tango'ing with sick fucks every now and then. Let's knock some sense into her and bring Toko back." In true stereotypical fashion, the delinquent cracked his knuckles, then smirked mockingly at Leon. "Or what, don't tell me you're chickening out and that bat's just for show."

"Like hell. Who do you think I am?" Leon put on a show of false bravado. He psyched himself up, just like a ritual before a big game.

Mondo chuckled, then turned to Genocider with a glare. "Yo, Syo. Before we get down to business, there's just one thing I gotta ask...D'you kill the others?"

"...Others? You mean someone died!?"

That was all Mondo needed to hear. Although his words seemed to trigger a reaction in the delusional killer. "There is it again...What's this feeling?...hahahaha." Genocider laughed in euphoria. "Hey, help me figure this out." She pointed her scissors at the two and unleashed a nauseating amount of killing intent.

"This..." Mondo wielded a broken pipe he to use as a weapon and met the sickening mass of bloodlust called Syo head-on "...is such a fucking waste of time!"

Two of Japan's most renowned criminals clashed, raising the curtain on the night's final act. 


 

"There another exit here, Chihiro?" Makoto asked the boy he was currently piggy-backing. Chihiro didn't seem inclined to run and left Makoto with no choice. 

"We can keep running until we find a staircase downwards and go around the building." Chihiro said. 

Makoto nodded and picked up the pace. His mind worked double time - He planned on escaping in the very truest sense. Not just from Genocider, but the horrors of the island in general. And to do that, he needed to rat out Enoshima's despair agent, the blackened of the third round.

"Makoto?"

And Makoto could do exactly that. He didn't know how, or why, but he knew who. There little evidence, because he hadn't properly investigated the murders. Still, he knew. He just had to think like Junko Enoshima. He didn't know that woman, nor did he want to. But mere minutes of standing in her presence was enough for Makoto to analogue the witch to a devil. One who spat on human values and tradition. She craved despair...so who would best elicit that outcome?

"Makoto..."

There was only one.

"Makoto, watch out."

"Huh." Makoto stuttered before impacting a wall and falling back on the floor along with the programmer.

He rubbed his reddened forehead. "You alright, Chihiro?"

"I think so...where were you looking?" Chihiro stood.

"I spaced out for a second."

'A wall huh'...Makoto noticed a red spot where his forehead collided with the wall.

"Makoto, you're bleeding..." Chihiro said.

He didn't need to caress his head again, he felt blood stream down his face and onto the ground. Bad, because he was injured. Worse, because it left a trail if Genocider came running after them.

"Just my luck."

"Hang on. We passed by a medical office a few doors back, we can get a first aid kit there." Chihiro's intimate familiarity with the building proved to be an asset. After making sure they weren't being followed, the two settled into the room and locked it behind them. Makoto scanned the space and found a first-aid kit strapped to the wall. He procured bandage wrappings and sat on a chair while Chihiro disinfected the wound and applied the aid. Meanwhile, Makoto took notice of the room's poor state. It wasn't nearly damaged to the same extent as the bottom floors, but it was a mess nonetheless.

"Did whatever...that destroyed this place really need to come here to?"

"No. It was like this from the start." Chihiro said, to Makoto's surprise. "Really, only the hangar circle where we left the others is actually being used. I don't think they bothered with upkeep for the rest of the building."

"...Isn't this a research facility?"

"It is. Research for one thing, "

"Jabberwock?"

Chihiro nodded. There wasn't a need for research staff, because the project could only be handled by a select few people...and if Jabberwock was responsible for decimating this building, then Makoto hoped to never meet it.

"I don't really get it. What's the point of the tower then?" He asked.

"Beats me-And we're done." Chihiro finished patching him up.

"Thanks." Makoto said. "Back to running for our lives." He said sarcastically. As he took one step up, the medical aid kit poorly fashioned to the wall came down, hitting the ground with an audible thud. Barring the noise potentially alerting anyone to their presence, something else caught Makoto's attention.

"Is that an envelope?" With a scrutinizing gaze, Makoto observed the bare section of the wall that was previously obscured by the box. An envelope was taped to the back. He looked to Chihiro, who didn't make a move to indicate he knew about this.

Makoto ripped it out from the wall, noting the aged sheet on his fingertips...and a dark red stain on the edges. A red liquid had long since dried. On the back read 'For the survivors.' His eyes widened and ripped the envelope open. Inside was a handwritten letter, with no address.

"If you've found this, then you must be pretty fortunate. Unfortunately, I don't really know who I'm addressing right now. If you're an offender, then  please hang this note back if you don't mind. You probably won't but who knows, maybe you're a mannerly guy/girl who happens to like killing. It couldn't hurt to ask. If you're one of the new Ultimates scrambling for your lives, then good news, this message is for you, and it might just improve your chances! That might be presumptuous of me to say, but I think the circumstances warrant a bit of help. Of course, this won't be for free. I need to test you to see if you've really got what it takes to win this killing game. I've already been disappointed before so I hope you'll be different. Go to the Final Dead Room and win the highest setting of Russian Roulette. Your reward is there."

Makoto deadpanned, stunned by a combination of sheer disbelief and the audacity the letter held within. 'What in the world was this?' It sounded like they knew exactly what was happening on this island, but the content was damn near incoherent - The writing itself was clearly rushed indicating the writer was in a panic, but the words were inappropriately casual. Not to speak of the placement, the letter was hidden in a completely obscure location, it would have been impossible to find for anyone who needed it!  Who the heck wrote this?...Oh, there's more.

"P.S. You're probably wondering how I knew somebody would find the letter in this remote area. Multiple reasons for that actually - It's embarrassing to say but I've got my back against the wall even now so I don't really have too many options. Serves trash like me right. Still, I'm sure someone will find this letter, because I'm lucky that way. You see, I'm..."

Makoto read the name aloud "Class 77-B's Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda."

 

Notes:

Yes! I haven't forgotten the 77th class.

Next chapter will end the arc, and it'll be the biggest twist since chapter 8...probably.

Chapter 17: Secondo Maestro / The Second Master

Notes:

Remember when this story was only about a bunch of teenagers vacationing/killing each other on an island? About that...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-[Kyosuke Munakata]-

 

Kyosuke Munakata and Juzo Sakakura docked on a remote island surrounded by the ocean waves. Weeks ago, they received a call from Kazuo Tengan; an old teacher who vanished off the face of the Earth years ago, when he was needed most. Kyosuke was here to get answers...although it appeared Tengan had other plans for him. Before the Ex-Student Council President stood an enormous tower that occupied 90% of the island's width. Unlike Jabberwock, this was clearly no resort, but an outpost.

'An outpost for what?' - Kyosuke thought. Not a single man or woman had been sighted on the outskirts of the massive tower.

"Be careful, Sakakura. This might be a trap." Kyosuke warned. One could never be too careful in uncharted territory. Sakakura didn't raise so much as a grunt in response for the boxer, Kyosuke's word was God's law. If the white-haired man decreed it, then it must have been true. Upon entering the facility, they were greeted by an unusual sight on the floor. 

A tick formed on Sakakura's head as he came across the unpleasant, yet familiar sight. Kyosuke hadn't even been given the time to ask his friend to wake the sleeper before Sakakura kicked him square on the sides.

"What was that for?" The boy let out a harsh grunt, waking immediately after the hit. Annoyance spread on his features until he recognized his assailant "...Ah...that makes sense. You're about the only person I know that'd kick a defenseless person for no reason."

"And there's only one dumbass I know that'd nap on the floor while on the job. You haven't changed one bit, Hijirihara." 

Takumi Hijirihara, Tengan's protégé and bodyguard. Surprising, given he was several years younger than both Kyosuke and Sakakura, even more so than those children on Jabberwock island. Despite the age gap, the boy had been a student at HPA around the same time, however Kyosuke used 'student' in the loosest sense possible. Hijirihara socialized with nobody, never attended classes, and wasn't even required to take practical exams. His existence in HPA was one of the well-kept mysteries among the students, one Kyosuke had never been able to solve. Not even Sakakura, who'd spied on HPA as head of security under Kyosuke's command. Even Genocider Syo's true identity (which Kyosuke fully intended on using as a bargaining chip later on) was within otherwise classified documents Sakakura obtained, yet nothing about Hijirihara's background could be located.

"Not going to say anything?" Sakakura asked the boy. Kyosuke was fine with letting his friend do the talking, the two were far more acquainted than he.

Hijirihara regarded them with lazy red eyes. "Take it easy on me...this is my first time seeing anyone from my school days. I don't really know what to do at reunions."

"...Take us to Tengan, idiot."

Recognition dawned on Hijirihara's face as he clapped his hands "Boss told me to escort you guys upstairs. Good on you for figuring that out, Juzo...might just be my imagination, but you seem smarter than I remember."

"Control yourself, Sakakura. We don't have time for bickering." Kyosuke inserted himself to the conversation, hoping to stop his friend's outburst...however. "Uh...Kyosuke? I didn't say anything." Sakakura was surprisingly calm.

Kyosuke cleared his throat. "...Forgive me. I expected you would rise to his provocation." 

Sakakura wore a lopsided grin. "With this guy? Not a chance, since he's not a smartass. You don't know because you never talked to him...or anyone really, but Hijirihara here's what you call a natural-born idiot."

"I'll ignore that." Hijirihara said. "Now, let's go. Tengan's waiting on the top floor." With that, the three marched into the elevator awaiting them.

"This is a pretty big place you got here. Where's your staff?" Sakakura asked- No. He interrogated...but such a direct method of questioning was unlikely to yield results.

"We don't have any. This research facility is mostly empty and won't be in use for some time."

'...Natural born idiot, was it?' Perhaps he would be wise to take a backseat to Sakakura this once.

"Research facility?" The boxer prodded.

He twirled his finger index finger into the air, continuing his explanation"I think we have quite a lot across the globe. Even on that island you visited. This one's among the largest though."

Kyosuke's eyes flashed with suspicion. Jabberwock Island is connected, just as he thought.

"Hey...could you fill me in on something?" Hijrihara asked.

"What?"  Sakakura replied.

"I might be remembering wrong, but didn't there used to be three of you? What happened to the hyper maid with the big ones?" He gestured towards his chest.

It took a considerable amount of self-restraint for Kyosuke not to retaliate, and even that may have proved insufficient if he said another word about Chisa.

"None of your damn business." Sakakura replied, then whispered low enough where only Kyosuke could hear. "Calm down, or I'll be the one who loses it."

Hijirihara half-shrugged. "We're here." With a dinging sound, the elevator door opened, revealing a long hallway. The two fell behind, keeping a notable distance from the boy.

"Well, what do you think?" Sakakura inquired.

"There has to be a relation. Whatever answers we need will be gotten from Tengan. Let's wait and see for now." Kyosuke said.

Hijirihara stopped at the large door. "Hmm...There’s something I'm forgetting."

"Just open it." The taller man bashed his knuckle against the teen's skull.

"That hurt." Hijirihara whined in a voice that could not have been further from pained. "Please refrain from violence." 

He opened the door. In an instant, Kyosuke measured the full breadth of the surroundings in front of his eyes. The room was of average-size, not much bigger than what he'd find conference. Decoration was similarly scarce, in fact, it was a little too minimalist. But design couldn't be farther from Kyosuke's mind. The only scene that required his absolute attention was the long rectangular table in the middle, and more importantly, the individuals who surrounded it.

Sitting in the chair furthest down and facing him was none other than his old mentor, Tengan. The man aged as long as Kyosuke'd known him...hadn't aged a day in the last 2 years ago. His form was as feeble as he remembered...however, the disposition and dignity the elder wielded had not diminished.

"It has been too long, Munakata." Tengan's expression was as that of a grandfather reuniting with their kin. He then gazed at Sakakura with a humorous smile, like someone who'd just been told an amusing but fully anticipated joke. "And you too, Sakakura. I am pleased to see you are both well."

"Wasn't Munakata the only one permitted to enter?" One of the men said. Kyosuke's eyebrows furrowed. 'That man...I know that face.' That short blond hair, large muscular frame  and kingly disposition...that man was Lucius Nevermind, the monarch of Novoselic Kingdom. He'd retreated into the shadows after rumors of the princess' death. What was he doing here?

Kyosuke's focused widened beyond Tengan and truly encompassed the room. Counting HPA's former headmaster, there were 14 seats. Among them, more familiar faces stood out. Kyosuke had never met any of them, but as one aspiring to climb the political ladder, he would never make the mistake of not keeping track of potential allies, rivals and competitors. The prime minister of Japan, Germany...CEOs of corporations of national or global influence like Tokuichi Towa and more, such men and women of high status were present here.

'What is going on here?'

"Well, Takumi? You were given very precise instructions, weren't you?" Tengan addressed the boy fondly. Likely aware that this very outcome would come about.

"My bad. I forgot." The idiot said plainly.

"...As punishment, you will be made to stand for the entire meeting." Tengan said.

'Stand?'...Kyosuke noticed the empty seats. Of the 14, 4 were absent. Hijirihara presumably occupied one (an absurdity in of itself for a child to sit among world leaders), the other 3 were missing. No...if Kyosuke's hunch was correct. One of those seats was meant for...himself?

As if to confirm his theory, another spoke. "So, this is the man to replace Fenrir? Not bad from appearances alone. He knows how to keep composure too." Kasumi Kuzuryu...the wife of the famed underworld boss...and a woman who'd also lost both her children. Standing behind her was a silver-haired man with red eyes veiled underneath rectangular spectacles. He wore a traditional black kimono and had a sword strapped to his hilt. A bodyguard, most likely.

'Nevermind...Kuzuryu. Those names belonged to the students missing from Chisa's class.'

"Unless I'm mistaken, I have yet to agree to replace anybody. Explain yourselves." At a pivotal moment like this, he couldn't afford to show weakness. It would appear Sakakura realized that as well, for he hadn't said a word since they arrived. Dialogue was not his place to intervene.

The figures once again turned to Hijirihara.

"Ah...I knew I forgot something else." The culprit averted his eyes, hands in pocket. 

Kyosuke arched an eyebrow.

Tengan chose to answer the unspoken question. "Takumi brings...a different kind of dynamic to the room. Never mind him. While it should be apparent, the reason I've called you hear today is to have you join the Future Foundation. Rejoice Kyosuke, the dream you've longed for, is finally within your grasp."

"My dream? What is this? Why are individuals of your status gathered here?"

An older woman giggled. "You are still a child, my boy. Sometimes you should let your imaginations run wild like one; children's eyes are much clearer than we adults, who often cram too much nonsense in our heads to understand even the simplest matters."

"We are all very busy people, certainly not the kind to take vacations from our offices without purpose. Use your head. Why would we be cramped in one room while the rest of the world believes us to be elsewhere?" Said the prime minister.

"You are all...collaborating?" This went beyond the realm of a childish prank.

"This some kind of Illuminati?" Sakakura spoke up

"More or less." Hijirihara answered. 

"I will leave that to your imagination. But do not hold doubts. My offer is genuine." Tengan stated his terms.

Kyosuke considered the options. What would he gain by accepting? Likely everything, if what they said was true. What reason would he have to refuse? The conditions were abrupt, he had no time to verify the validity of their claim.

"And were I to refuse?" He asked.

"I repeat. I leave that to your imagination." 

The implications were clear, he and Sakakura would be silenced. Sensible, and Kyosuke would have considered doing the same. In that case, logic dictates he should accept without hesitation.

However...

"Tengan, I don't know where you've been or what you've been doing all this time, but there are questions I need answered."

"And those questions take priority over the one I've proposed?"

Kyosuke closed his eyes. Chisa's memory sprung to mind, the images were fading with time. He could no longer recall the sound of her voice with perfect accuracy. He weighed the scales of the world or the childhood friend that gave her life for his ideals. It was clear as day which weight was heavier. "Absolutely."

Once he gave that reply, the conclusion was already foregone.

His answer earned a mixed reception among the directors of the future foundation. Most met him with scoff. Others with gestures of approval. But what mattered to Kyosuke was Tengan's reaction. The old man's expression was a fusion of the others'; both acknowledgement and disappointment mixed together.

"Very well, you have that right."

"What happened with the Classes of Hope's Peak Academy that vacationed on Jabberwock Island 2 years ago?" 

Kuzuryu and Nevermind's eyes darkened at the question. Lingering emotions remained, not directed at Kyosuke, but the reality of the event itself.

"What happened to Yukizome, you mean?" Tengan returned with a question of his own. Though he was absolutely right, Kyosuke didn't dignify it with a response.

"Search for them no longer, Munakata. They perished on that island." The elder answered. It was like  He'd known that was the truth for so long, but to hear it confirmed..."Who is responsible?"

Kyosuke felt as if his heart had been pierced straight through. Nevertheless, he wouldn't let it show. And beyond that anger, was a desire to learn the truth...and to get a name for the one responsible.

"I know what you're thinking, but you're not quite right. The deaths of those children were not my doing. That was the wish of another." Tengan pursed his lips and looked his student in the eye.

"You claim to be un-involved?"

"I choose my words carefully. I did not order anyone's deaths, and any direct involvement on my part was non-existent." The elder's hawk-like eyes narrowed in lament "If I am guilty of anything, it is using that person's goals for my own ends. Back then and now."

"As I thought. Whatever happened on that island is not over yet. What are you scheming?" Kyosuke's suspicions rose to th esurface.

"You presume too much. Whatever occurs on that island is not my will."

"But you can prevent a tragedy, if one were to occur. Yet you choose to do nothing." His voice rose.

"Do you care for those children? I don't believe there is a relation."

"'To overlook the suffering of others merely because you find it convenient to do so...is the mark of weakness.' I believe you taught me those words, Tengan." Munakata took his first steps towards the future foundation leader. In a show of dominance, he climbed onto the long table, marched towards Tengan and ignored the others.

Tengan lifted his head and locked eyes with Kyosuke.

"You call yourselves world leaders? I think you're all far too old to be playing such infantile games. What power can any of you claim to have when you can't even protect a handful of children?"

Kyosuke reached into his vest and pulled out a whip-like construct that transformed into a blade with a flick of the wrist. "I will save those children and see to it that you all face justice."

"Naive." Some scorned

"I thought he'd just be another bore, I like his guts." Others applauded

"However, it appears he stands against us."

"..." Nevermind and Kuzuryu were quiet.

Tengan sighed. It carried with it exasperation but also a hint of remorse "It would seem that way, regretfully. If you remember my teachings, Munakata then surely you must also recall my single most important lesson."

"'Bear the responsibility of your actions.' As if I know any other way to live." He brandished his sword

"Very good. Negotiations have broken down. Takumi, if you will."

"Kyosuke!" Sakakura called out to him. Kyosuke didn't bother to turn around and took both Tengan and his friend's words as a signal to dodge to the left, jumping over the empty seat. He looked to the space where he'd just occupied and saw Tengan's protégé staring down at him, knife in hand.

"You're fast." Hijirihara said.

 "Take this fight elsewhere. I do not care for bloodshed." Tengan ordered, not unlike how a parent would command a child to play with their newfound toy in their own rooms.

Kyosuke clicked his tongue and darted backwards as far as he could, regrouping with Sakakura where he first began.

"Munakata, I will concede one point. I am weak. A powerless old fool who has let far too many slip through his fingers...but no more. This time, I will grasp the future with my own hands. To that end, I will wield that demon's power as my own and allow those children to be sacrificed."

"What do you intend to do?" Kyosuke asked.

"To save all, of course."

For a fraction of a second, Kyosuke swore he witnessed Tengan's pupils turn red. He had no time to verify it...because the next instant, the ground caved where he and Sakakura stood, sending them falling to the floor down below.

The two had managed to land on their feet, but they doubtfully could return to the meeting room from where they stood; an ordinary desolate room. “What now, Kyosuke? We bail or we beat them by force?"

"There's no point running. They have enough influence to make that impossible, even if we count their individual powers. No, they're right where we want them." They should have had more common sense than to band together in one place, where they could be taken down in one fell swoop. And who could stop him?

The answer, Kyosuke supposed, came not a moment later. Hijirihara jumped in after them, ready to resume after their brief scuffle.

"Couldn't you have just said yes?" Hijirihara shook his head. "We aren't exactly the most unified bunch. The lot here are egocentrics, with their own individual goals. If you disagreed with our aims, you should have first gained power and conspired against us from the shadows. You can't be stupid enough to have not seen that far ahead."

"I am well aware."

"Then why?"

"Because I refuse to sink to your level." Kyosuke gripped his sword.

"...Pride then? I'll admit to having never felt the emotion, but so many of us seem to go for it. Interesting, let's see how far it gets you." Hijirihara acknowledged Kyosuke's answer, even if he couldn't understand it. 

The bodyguard plastered a smile on his face as he turned to Sakakura. "Ah, Juzo, you don't need to answer. I know the word foresight doesn't exist in your dictionary."

"Don't worry Kyosuke, I'll take care of this half-pint in a flash." Sakakura cracked his knuckles. "I've always wanted to kick his ass."

"Really? I thought we were friends. We hung out enough."

"That's only because you fell asleep fucking everywhere!"

Kyosuke watched the two engage in a struggle. All the while, he couldn't shake off the memory of that ominous glow from Tengan's eyes...and come to think of it, Hijirihara's were the same.

"Whatever is going on here, I'll surely get to the bottom of it." He pointed his sword at the child who miraculously managed to evade all of Sakakura's trained blows. "And I'll start with you." 

Upon making his declaration, Kyosuke circled the room as fast as he could to the other side of the room. The boy already had his hands full with The Ultimate Boxer alone. His stance was poor and told volumes of how little experience he had. Those factors were about to cost him.

"Huh?" Hijirihara grunted as he noticed Kyosuke snake his way behind him

"You should have picked your opponents better, boy." 

Naturally, Kyosuke had already swung before giving the warning.

  

-[Jabberwock Island]-

 

'Nagito Komaeda' That name reverberated in Makoto's mind, even after they'd left the office and trailed their way through the back of the building. Makoto had heard that name before, once he believed. It belonged to one of Chisa's dolls. She had used the name during training, and given the doll a very...enigmatic personality. The writer of the letter seemed like an eccentric themselves, to have written so casually despite the danger they were in. Needless to say, he'd have questions for the teacher once he-

...

What was he thinking? He was never setting foot in that place again! He needed to find Enoshima's agent and get off this island. But, if they were anything like Leon, they couldn't just be overpowered. He needed an advantage...and maybe he'd find it in that Final Dead Room Komaeda wrote about. With Chihiro in tow, the two finally managed to circle the building and returned to the outskirts of where they came. Makoto's plan was simple. They'd get the others, tell them about Genocider and come back to help Leon and Mondo, if they still needed it. Then Makoto would oust the traitor.

That was the plan...until Makoto sighted Genocider herself waiting for them.

"Hi, boys. Been a while~" She flirtatiously greeted them. 

"You've got to be kidding me." He gaped, she didn't have a scratch on her.

"W-Where's Mondo and Leon?" Makoto asked fearfully.

"Loved them. Killed them. Same thing." She gave a crooked...forced(?) smile.

"Killed...them?" Makoto curled his hands into fists, his teeth grinding against each other. However, in spite of his anger, he retained a sound mind. "Chihiro, run back into the building."

The programmer turned him for an explanation, a neutral expression on his features.

"I don't believe a word she said. Run and go check on the others. They might still be okay." It was the logical choice. Chihiro could bring help if they were okay. If they weren't, then he'd be away from Genocider while he held her off. Chihiro likely realized it, as he acquiesced without much of a fuss and departed back into the building. It was entirely out of character for the boy to not raise so much as a protest, but that was the very least of Makoto's worries. So long as Chihiro was docile, Makoto could handle him later.

"Who are you?" Genocider asked, arms crossed. Her smile fell as soon as Chihiro left.

"Makoto? We've met before." Makoto tensed. His mind ran through circles of details -The first springing to mind was why Syo bothered to incite a conversation. They had met a few times before (which was already far more than he'd like) but just once was enough to know that this girl didn't care for the basics of communication. Discussions were a two-way street, yet Syo would barely listen to anything that didn't interest her...and the only thing she had on the mind was murder or Togami. One of those was currently disposed of and the other didn't include discourse. For Syo, the end result was decided the moment she laid eyes on her victims.

Her forehead creased, "I know Big Mac, but you ain't him. Mac ain't this ballsy...and he definitely wouldn't make a face like the one you're giving me." 

"Sorry if I can't be the nicest guy in the world when you're threatening to kill me. Weren't we supposed to be friends?"

"...Really? Cause how I see it, you were friends with Toko." Genocider gnashed her teeth, spitting out Toko's name like a curse.

Makoto took a step back at the outrage, fearing Syo would attack him that very moment...instead she stood still, actually waiting for his answer. It appeared her curiosity was genuine.

More importantly...She called Toko by her first name. Syo doesn't do that. She's invented tons of derogatory names for the author but not once did he recall her calling her other self by name, much less with that much hatred. And there was the added confusion of how quick she was to anger - He thought her smile earlier seemed a bit crooked - and looking at the killer now, she was besides herself, muttering curses under her breath.

'She...is a bit too unhappy for someone who supposed finished with her favorite hobby.' Makoto ruminated. There was definitely something wrong with her, for such a change to have triggered in the minutes since they last met.

'...Hold on...that timeframe is too small.'

Another plan began formulating in Makoto's head. If he played his cards right, Genocider's uncertainty could be taken advantage of...or he could die. But at this rate, he'll die anyway. "But you share emotions, right? We're Toko friends, you shouldn't have a reason to kill any of us."

Genocider paused, the serial killer was just as aware of the dynamic she had with Toko as he was, and now he'd presented her with a contradiction. "You say that but I've got this unbearable urge to gut you, Mahkutie. Usually, it's the act of killing hotties that turns me on, but right now I just want to off you. It's like sex without the sex and skipping straight to orgasm! What the fuck is the point!?"

The needless use of innuendos aside, Genocider had just given some compelling information. One that made him doubt the serial killer's claims.

"Are you really Syo?" 

Her mouth formed a straight line. "Well yeah, scissors, murder and everything. Is this spite for earlier?"

"You don't sound too sure of yourself. And I'm thinking that if anyone's acting strange here, it's you. By that, I mean...why are you here? “He brought a finger to his chin.

Genocider clenched her jaw. "I'm wherever I want to be. What's it to you?"

"...I thought you killed Leon and Mondo. In that case, how did you get here so quickly?" Makoto took note of her body language

"Mad skillz." A blatant lie.

"Not my point. Let me clarify: How did you get here so fast after tying their bodies up and painting the scene?" There was no way she could have killed those two, crucified their bodies and returned here before they did.

Genocider stared at him with wide eyes as she let out an audible gasp. Was she herself not aware of it?

"Did you forget?" He continued. It was like watching a computer program that had stumbled onto an irreconcilable error and crashed. Makoto knew he'd hit the mark upon seeing her reaction.

"Adding onto that. You just said you wanted to kill me as quickly as possible, which isn't really how you operate." After all, Genocider herself remarked how strange it was that she wanted to skip right to the climax. "Are you really Genocider Syo?"

"....Shut up." She glared.

If Makoto was a betting man, he'd say the fiend was a lot more confused than she let on. And the reason was because that she's not Syo. Rather, she was probably just as much Toko as she was Syo. Otherwise, she wouldn't be deliberately going against the very qualities that defined her as Japan's infamous man hunter. In a sense, Makoto was talking to a new, more complete personality and she had no idea how to deal with it.

And he could use that to his advantage.

It was similar to how Makoto felt earlier with Leon. She's angry but she doesn't know how to channel anger. Her obsession with killing has just multiplied several-fold without reason as far as she was concerned. So what would happen if Makoto gave her that reason?

Makoto prepared himself as Genocider jumped him. There wasn't any point trying to run or dodge. The Ultimate Murderous Fiend was his physical better in every way. If he ran, he'd just get scissors in the back. Instead he chose to take it head-on. Syo pinned him to the ground and raised her scissors above his head. Just as she swung down, Makoto placed his palm in the weapon's path.

Blood spurted out as steel pierced his hand all the way to the other side. 

Genocider froze at the desperate act. Consequently, Syo was unprepared for Makoto to grip at her snake like tongue with his free arm, then use it as leverage to bring her head down to a level where he could speak into her ear.

"............"

"W-What!?" Genocider yelled, surprised. That was the second opening, one even wider than the first. Makoto seized the opportunity and planted his foot on Genocider's stomach, sending her reeling away a small distance. He quickly scurried to his feet and ran backwards to increase the space separating them.

He didn't think for a second she was harmed in anyway. But the same couldn't be said about himself. The scissors speared into his hand caused enough pain to nearly bring him to tears.

Once Genocider got back to her feet, she broke out into (fake) laughter "You're pulling some crazy shit, Mac#2." 

 "Mac 2?"

"Yeah, just like I thought. You're different. Mac would never pull a stunt like that; he'd either freeze and die or even luck out somehow. What you just did was none of that." She clutched her stomach, not out of pain but of derision. Makoto wondered if she was laughing at him or herself. "Who are you? Are you like me? Because that's the feeling I get when I look at you."

Makoto twitched. "I don't think you have any right to talk. Besides. Don't you think we have bigger things to worry about? Like catching who killed Togami?" He had also told her who killed him, but whether or not she'd believe that was up in the air.

"I heard the loving whisper in my ear, sweetie but I ain't buying it. Master wouldn't keel over that easily...He's invincible, you see." 

"You're lying." She didn't sound nearly as confident as she thought.

"Huh?" 

"Because I know Toko's still there and she knows I'm telling the truth." It was a gamble based on theory. The fact that Genocider's been acting so differently proves this transformation is different from the others.  Toko didn't sneeze into becoming Genocider, she transformed herself, so it was possible that the real Toko was buried under there. If he could just keep prodding at her directly then maybe he could reach the author. Makoto kept one thing in mind. Those who fell to despair or the "fallen", weren't necessarily on Enoshima's side.

"At least, that's how things start but you know...despair is contagious and spreads like wildfire. It'll be up to you to try to recover the infected if you can...or just kill them off, your choice.  And besides, the infected won't necessarily be on my side. After all, you did see Mondo and Sayaka turn on Leon, didn't you?" (Junko Enoshima, Chapter 8)

The fallen could also be recovered. Sayaka became one, but she could still be reasoned with. If Makoto could get Genocider on his side then their chances of survival would increase dramatically. But, that was looking like a far off dream.

"You're annoying. I was thinking about changing my mind and playing with you a bit, but I'm not feeling it anymore. Just die." Syo declared.

"You keep proving my point. You're not acting on your base instincts because you're not really Syo. Hurry up and snap out of it, Toko!"

Makoto could see the veins jerk in her neck as Syo's eyes glowed an even brighter red "Die." Syo raised one arm in the air. To Makoto, it clearly seemed like she was about to a perform a swiping motion...but that was strange. She wasn't all that close.

'What is she going to do from over there?'

He never got the chance to find out

-[Several minutes prior (Multiple PoVs)]-

 

"Bro. Starting to think this was a bad idea." Leon said

"Shut it, will ya?" Mondo breathed heavily. Ordinarily, they wouldn't have been given that small reprieve, injured as they were. Thankfully, their very own hunter was trapped in her own world, biting her fingers and staring off into the distance. Whatever she was thinking, Mondo knew he'd never be able to understand.

"I don't know what's bugging her, but I think we should run while we've got the chance!" The baseball star looked to his bat. The iron had received several lacerations and looked like it could fall apart at any moment. Leon could only be thankful that she had only scraped him with those scissors.

"Really think she'll just let us go?" Mondo replied, aggressively. The agitation wasn't towards Leon, but the do-or-die situation he was faced with. And from the looks of things, dying might just be his fate.

"Can the both of you shut the hell up!? I'm using my brain over here!" Genocider roared. The novelty had worn off; the bliss of being set free after all this time was a temporary illusion. For the fiend had come to recognize various emotions that were...out of place. Normally, when Miss. Fuck-proper-hygiene took a backseat, Genocider was mostly free to do whatever she wanted. Sure, some lingering emotions from the bookworm might affect Genocider's perspective, but only if she let it. Take for example, Master Byakuya was like prime rib, but Genocider had no intention of sinking her teeth into him! The reason was because stinky fell hard for him, so Syo acknowledged it. That didn't mean she would go easy on everyone else just because her other half had affections for em. In fact, if she really, really wanted it, not even Master would be an exception to Syo's expression of love. That would never happen though and even if she tried, Master was invincible. He'd figure something out...without fail.

A searing pain struck the killer's heart at that moment.

However...however. What the fuck was going on here!?

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Genocider dashed towards them without a thought in her mind. Or to be more precise, she acted because she wanted to stop thinking.

"Woah!" "Get out the way!" The boys dodged in opposite directions. Genocider chose to run after Mondo, not because he was a threat - Neither were - but because he was closer and slower. Right then, Syo conducted an orchestra; her scissors were the instruments, Mondo was the audience and the cuts she left on his makeshift weapon and body was the sweetest melody...or should have been.

"GRAAAAH!" Leon yelled, having returned to the fold and slammed Genocider's side, sending the girl to the ground with a thud.

"You okay? “Leon asked Mondo.

"Uh, yeah, mostly. This thing's done for though." Mondo referred to the pipe.

"What do you mean mostly? She just shredded you!" Leon said, eyes shifting back and forth between Mondo and the serial killer who had gotten back to her feet but otherwise stood still. This hadn't been the first time. It was the 4th exchange of this nature, where the psychotic bitch just froze out of nowhere after going on a rampage. It was probably the only reason they were still alive. Leon had half a mind to attack...if not for how the girl would potentially react. She was just unpredictable. Leon was far from a fighter, but even he could see that Genocider's moves were all over the place; sometimes she'd accelerate, then slow down, then pull back. 

"Yeah...but the cuts ain't deep. It was like she was stopping right before hitting me." Mondo muttered, directing a wavering glare towards Genocider. He had lacerations on his arms and torso, but they were minor cuts at best. Way too superficial for the wacko that was ripping apart iron like paper. "Didn't she say she wanted to kill us all? Ain't doing a very good job if you ask me." 

"Please don't encourage her." Leon shivered. "Can we run now?"

"It's been 3 minutes man. We don't know if the others have gotten out."

'There it was again!' - Syo thought. That irrepressible urge to kill Mondo on the spot surfaced again. That's not how this works! She wasn't some savage...and she certainly wasn't an amateur. To Genocider, killing was an expression, an art form. It wasn't something to be rushed without care for order and presentation. Syo wouldn't leave those calling cards after every kill if she thought otherwise. She loved her victims' screams, she loved the way their pretty boy faces contorted with pain, only to go numb as they neared death. But most of all, what sent the demented girl into an orgasmic high was the sensation of touch; the pleasurable feeling of live flesh shredded, carved out and indented by her scissors. Nothing beat that level of intimacy and that's why she strove to enjoy it as long as possible.  If the couldn't lose herself at feeling the weight of their lives on her fingertips, then there was no point.  And speeding to the conclusion wasn't Syo's modus operandi...meaning...something else was causing her to act this way? Or someone?

There could only ever be one. '...That little.'

Genocider Syo could not interfere with the life of Toko Fukawa and Toko Fukawa could not interfere with Genocider Syo. That was the rule, the balance of power that defined them as separate identities. Yet...Syo's composure and bloodlust desire to kill was surpassed by Miss Morose. It was a contradiction of the most asinine variety. She, Genocider Syo, the most fearsome killer in the nation, a split-personality that was defined by the release of her original's inhibitions to murder was being overwhelmed by that same woman's desire to kill!

Syo's eyes gradually widened at the slow but sure realization. That earlier euphoria Syo felt...it wasn't because she was free to kill...it was a reaction to Toko's murderous impulse. Toko had broken the boundaries...and was overwhelming her and that meant...that meant...

It was like putting together pieces of an absurd puzzle, and right before Syo reached the last step to solving it...she was blinded by red.

"I won't believe it!" Syo suddenly let out a feral scream.

"I...think she's lost it." "She never fucking had it!" Leon and Mondo tensed, preparing for Genocider's next charge. It was pointless, they could never have been ready for Syo...because they couldn't even see her move. Syo shot at them like a canon, without halt. At one moment the two stared at Genocider's initial position. The next they felt a gust of wind pass through the gap between them and a loud crash behind.

Mondo slowly creaked his neck backwards, where he saw Syo emerging from the pile of machinery she'd slammed into, her expression a complete blank.

Leon was equally stupefied. "Did you..." He shook his head, not bothering to ask. "This isn't real...this isn't some fighting game. Nope, not dealing with this. I'm going to wake up right fucking now!" 

"Why the fuck would I be in your nightmares!? Snap out of it or you're dead, dumbass!" Mondo was quicker to recover, wasting no time scurrying off.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Leon yelled, fearing he was being abandoned.

"Don't stay in one place, unless you think you can follow that chick!" Mondo yelled and Leon took the hint. No sooner than Mondo finished that sentence, he ran aimlessly to the side, hoping he'd be in one piece when...whatever the fuck was going to happen, happened!

Intoxicated by her own insanity, Genocider temporarily lost the ability to form speech. She slurred and moved yet again, even faster than before. She was able to stop herself before crashing this time, though she still stopped several meters farther than intended. Syo aimed for the area where Leon stood prior, only to miss completely thanks to the boy's preemptive dodge.

From Leon's perspective, a blink of an eye had Syo teleport locations. He heaved a sigh of relief, grateful for his persistent luck. Until he heard the sound of his jacket tearing.

"W...ha?" Leon was faced with another abnormality. His right shoulder had been cut clean open. The wound was insignificant. What was significant was that he was hit at all. "Did she hit me?"

"Shit!" He heard Mondo cry out on the other side of the room. The biker was clutching his left knee, and he saw blood.

'What the hell? Forget dodging. She couldn't have hit us both! Mondo wasn't even fucking near us'

A shiver crawled down the athlete's spine, prompting him to keep running. His eyes never left Genocider, who moved again, this time landing nowhere near the two...and yet.

"Gah!" Both boys cried out as their flesh was torn, each cut as small as the last.

Mondo and Leon's eyes met as they reached the same conclusion. It was an impossible conclusion that defied logic and common sense, yet it stood right before their eyes. Without even factoring that absurd speed...Genocider could hit them, without touching them...

As if to confirm the hypothesis, the murderous fiend did not move. Instead choosing to strike the air with her scissors twice in random directions. Not a second later, Mondo received a slice to his wrists and Leon to his cheek.

Their hearts had been gripped by fear, resignation and awe. What they witnessed was not even a fantastical skill like cutting with air pressure. She hadn't even swung in their directions. She somehow...hit them both.

They stood in silence, forgetting to even dodge,,,and Genocider took that chance. She turned towards Leon and slashed more times than the man could count. None of them landed of course...there was 7 meters of distance separating the two. Much like that sane, logical premise, Leon's body was cut to ribbons. Shears and scraped appeared all over his body, each no longer or deeper than a paper cut, but too many for that point to hold relevance. He fell gracelessly.

"Damn it!" Mondo yelled. Like Genocider, he didn't miss his chance. While she attacked Leon, he charged at her, pulling his fist back and launching it to hit her with everything he had.

A fatal error had caused the end result. Mondo Owada may have been defined as a thug, but he was also an old-fashioned man, with old-fashioned principles. Daiya had taught him many things and failed to teach him by an equal amount. Mondo was antagonistic child since birth; despite Daiya's attempts, Mondo had never learned to curb his fits of anger, they were instinctual urges that far exceeded his ability to suppress- However there was one exception. One instance where his rage could be subdued at all times, and it related to the number one of Daiya's principles: Under no circumstances was he permitted to directly harm a woman, no matter who they were. It would require an otherworldly power that perverted his very core to override this one oath. That law sealed his fate. Mondo's fists came to a crashing halt right before impact, to the surprise of both he and Genocider. However, the trained killer would never miss that opening. For reasons Mondo couldn't comprehend, the girl jumped back, then swung in an arc for which there was no resistance or contact. She'd struck air.

Mondo's neck slit open. Not nearly enough to cause a fatal injury, but it was enough to stagger the biker. Then, Genocider reenacted the same play she'd performed for Leon, but even faster and with more strikes. Mondo fell back into a forming pool of his own blood as lacerations scaled up his body.

Genocider stood impassively, looking between her fallen victims. Neither of them moved, so she considered her job done. Like fog clearing, Genocider felt what little remained of her sanity returning. Her mood however, was shot without hope of recovery.

"What a failure..." She said lowly. "I'll try again with Chihiro. I'll get it right the next time." Genocider left the area, looking for the entrance. After many years and many performances, Syo met her first blunder...and she was not pleased.

 

 

She forgot to hang the bodies.


 

He never got a chance to find out...the sound of gun fire and the scissors being shot out of Genocider's hand saw to that.

"You!" "Genocider Syo" cried out in pain as she turned to her assailant. Before she could even recover, Sakura Ogami dropped her shoulder on Syo's off-guard state and sent her to the ground. The fighter capitalized on the killer's fallen form and pinned the other girl down.

 Makoto turned towards his saviors, a jubilant smile on his features. Kyoko knelt down with the rifle poised at Syo while the others stood behind her.

"Kyok-" He stopped partway, as he took the odd stares they were giving him into consideration; some were neutral, others were wary. 'Why are they looking at me that way?’ His bewilderment multiplied several fold when Kyoko dismissed the murderous fiend and turned the barrel of the gun to him!

"Don't move." Kyoko ordered as she stood and handed the gun to Taka. "If he does, shoot him."

...

The moral compass' eyes grew wide at the command. He awkwardly positioned the weapon in the same direction as Kyoko had - with Makoto in its line of sight.

As for himself...he stood silent, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

"That's going a bit too far for a joke." Nobody laughed...or did much of anything. They just stared.

"I'm not so sure about that." Kyoko replied. He couldn't get a read at what was behind her frozen mask.

"You're the prime suspect for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba, Sayaka Maizono and Hifumi Yamada." Kyoko made another stunning insinuation. That could be taken literally, as Makoto had all but forgotten to breathe, much less convey his stupefaction articulately. Instead the luckster looked towards Ryoko for deeply needed assistance.

"I told them, but Kyoko insists I'm unreliable." Ryoko held out her tied together hands, seemingly not bothered by peculiarity of coming under suspicion "Apparently, I'm a potential accomplice."

It was then that Makoto realized Kyoko was very serious. His friends...really thought he was the killer? Why? He'd done nothing out of the ordinary...

"Hey, Kyoko." Ryoko said, staring off to the side. There was nothing but thin air in that direction, so what was she looking at?

"What?" Lilac answered.

"I understand you're impatient right now...but don't you think it'd be better if we took this...delicate conversation somewhere else? Like back at the hotel?"

"No. We're ending this here." Kyoko rejected the compromise.

"Suit yourself." Ryoko sighed, shaking her head in resignation, as if the detective had just made a fatal mistake.

"Uh...Kyoko? Are you sure Makoto's the killer? He looks pretty freaked out to me." Hiro spoke up. The detective spared him a glance. "That's what we're trying to find out." Then turned back to Makoto. "Well, there you have it. Anything to say in your defense?"

My defense...is that's how she wants to play it. Even if they suspect me, they don't have evidence...and they wouldn't get any.

He was still recovering from shell-shock. Kyoko was supposed to be his partner - the person he could depend on at all times, and now she's against him? He couldn't deny feeling bitter by the betrayal.

Fine...if she wanted a class trial, he'd give her one. 

 

-[Climax Reasoning: Initiate (Multiple PoV)]-

 

"There's no proof I'm guilty." Makoto began.

"You were in charge of the pot that poisoned the others. You would've had the easiest access." Kyoko retorted

"That's circumstantial evidence at best. Anybody could have tampered with the sauce when I wasn't looking."

"True...however, how do you explain this?" She tossed a canister to the ground. 

He looked at it strangely "I don't understand."

"This is the murder weapon." That only confused him further.

"You just accused me of poisoning the food. Wasn't that the instrument?"

"Yes...and so was this." She pointed to the can. "The murder weapon is both items together."

Yasuhiro whistled.

"It was a decent trick. The individual poisons lacked the potency to kill. Combine the two and they'd cause near instant fatalities. The killer used that deception to muddle the crime scene. Naturally, that case wasn't possible or necessary for Hifumi, so they used the full poison."

Makoto paused, thinking the possibility over. The memory was still fresh, he remembered Sayaka's abnormal thirst after eating the food...which only got worse when she drank out of the container. Ikusaba...could have eaten before...and the same happened to her.

Kyoko's conclusion made sense, however that didn't implicate-...

"You were the one who gave Sayaka the food...and you were the one who provided her with the drink."

"That's still not enough. It's a coincidence, anyone could have fallen for the same trick."

"Sakura found that can in your hospital room." Kyoko brushed his indignation off. "So what do you think, Makoto? One is a coincidence. The second instance, possibly. But all three times? When do the coincidences end?"

The room he slept in? That made no sense unless..."Someone's...trying to frame me." He'd accidentally stated that conclusion aloud. But once he did, there was no taking it back.

"A frame job? I considered the possibility, but they would have done a very poor job of it. Sakura found that container by accident, and they couldn't have planned all your actions tonight."

"Why would I leave incriminating evidence in the most obvious place?"

Kyoko pressed her gloved-finger against her chin. "Why would anyone frame one of the least likely culprits? By all accounts, your personality and history marks as you as an unlikely candidate for murder. However by your assumption, they went after you...instead of someone as overly suspicious as Celes."

The gambler in question huffed at the supposition. Kyoko ignored it. "And if on the chance that Celes was the killer, Hina would have been a better choice to frame."

He was being backed into a corner. Circumstantial evidence becomes a lot less "circumstantial" when numerous leads point to you. That's how most suspects get convicted - there might not be conclusive evidence that pins them to the crime, but enough evidence that makes it likely, sufficed. He couldn't defend himself in Sayaka and Ikusaba's cases...but Hifumi was clearly a different story.

"I couldn't have killed Hifumi, I've got an alibi!" He pointed to Asahina. "Hina was watching over me while I was asleep, and right after that, I was with you the whole time!"

"Not the whole time." Kyoko countered. "There was a brief period after Kiyotaka called a break...however, seeing as you've indirectly conceded to lacking a defense in the previous 2 deaths, I'll humor you here.” She said smoothly. "Let's assume what you're saying is the truth...nobody said you were the only one involved. It's entirely possible you had an accomplice."

"Who would help me!?"

"Over here. Accomplice, remember?" Ryoko was being very unhelpful at the moment.

"That makes even less sense. Her sister was one of the victims." He pointed out.

"Ryoko isn't exactly the most stable individual. She's impressionable and attached to you. It's not impossible that she could have aided you in the crime."

"That's not proof."

"It's a Devil's proof." Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"A...what?" Hina asked

"Probatio diabolica...or the diabolical proof, whichever you find suitable,  is an informal argument; an instance where you can shift the burden of proof to the other side. As an example, just as you can demand evidence supporting the devil's existence. One can counter that by demanding you usher evidence that the devil does not exist. “ Celes explained

"Whoa...so like, if I said aliens were real, nobody could argue with me?" Hiro added in.

"Technically speaking...that would be the case...but the devil's proof is a fool's argument that would be deemed inadmissible in modern times. It belongs to the era of ridiculous witch hunts." Celes elaborated.

"In this context...while there isn't evidence that proves Ryoko was in collusion with you...there's no evidence that disproves it either." Kyoko then pointed to the amnesiac. "However, there is evidence that suggests Ryoko could certainly have carried out the murder."

"You mean when I left the meeting? I could have lured Hifumi outside and killed him there, then made up the excuse of using the shower to hide why I'd gotten wet." Everyone gazed at Ryoko with exasperated stares. Even Syo, who'd given up on squirming from Sakura's iron grip.

"She just incriminated herself." Hina said, in disbelief.

"Be that as it may...yes, that's exactly right. In addition, Ryoko was privy to Ikusaba's notes, so she'd have access to a list of poisons. As would you, Makoto."

He nearly argued that she couldn't prove that either...but he knew she'd counter with another Devil's proof. In truth, Makoto couldn't prove that he didn't ever interact with Ikusaba and procure that information. Which he actually did. If he was caught in the act of lying then it was game over.

That said, the current situation was little better. He'd almost been checkmated.

"I have no motive for the crime." That was his last stop. If he couldn't win here, then...

"It all comes down to that in the end." Kyoko closed her eyes. "But I'm afraid it isn't necessary. The culprit doesn't have a motive to begin with."

People don't kill for no reason."

"They can...if they're psychotic." Kyoko said.

"The answer could be that the killer is out of their minds." (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter Sixteen)

"Then why suspect me?" (Makoto Naegi, Chapter Sixteen)

"W-What are you saying?" He stammered.

"That you can ask this despite recent behavior is the problem. There's no point explaining it to you and it wouldn't convince Kyoko even if you did understand." (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter Sixteen)

The way they all stared at him, it wasn't hate or even judgement. It was...pity. Like they were staring at a mental patient. "I'm...not crazy. Come on, guys."

"Little guy...that's kind of what a crazy person would say to being called crazy. Everytime." Hiro said, awkwardly.

"Makoto...do you remember what you did the day Munakata and Sakakura left the island?" Kyoko asked, eyes downcast.

"I...don't remember." What was the reason?

"You were caught sleepwalking and talking to Sakakura in a daze."

“Beats me, all I know is what Juzo told me - which you were sleepwalking around the island. You could stand to be more careful.” (Koichi Kizakura, Chapter 10)

"There was no warning or predictability in your actions. Didn't you find it strange?" She continued

He didn't. Not now when he knew the exact reason...but what was he going to say? Tell them that he was off in another world getting harassed by a witch in combat heels? He'd damn himself on the spot!

"And uh...you were kind of pissed at Leon for no reason. You came to speak with us about it...remember?" Hina said. Why was that coming to bit him in the ass now of all times?

"Don't forget when he jumped Kyoko in front of all of us. That was a little too bold for Naeggs." Hiro said, a thoughtful expression was present on his face...for someone who just said something incredibly thoughtless.

"I'm telling the truth. I'm on your side here." He pleaded

"I believe you." Celes cut in, surprising everyone.

"You do?" His words came out as a soft whine.

"Yes. I'm certain every word you've said is the truth thus far...or should I say, what you think is true." Celes scrutinized every inch of his form. "Do remember that I am the Queen of Liars. If you had uttered a single falsehood throughout this entire ordeal, I would have ripped your argument apart. For that reason, I find this turn of events regrettable."  

"The matter appears to have been settled. I never would have expected Makoto would be the killer." Taka said, who'd pointed the gun towards the ground. 

"You all...really think I've lost it? That I killed everyone?" They weren't even going to reason why his actions were nonsensical. They'd dismiss it all under the umbrella of insanity. 

Could he prove that he wasn't insane?

What Kyoko said was true, though (he thought) there was a good reason for that. But...what if that reason was just his delusion? He'd just considered that Enoshima and the theater were a concept that only someone who'd lost their grip on reality would conceive. 

To begin with, how could he prove anything he'd experienced was real? When does the truth begin and when do the lies end?

'If he couldn't even prove his experiences to himself, how could he hope to convince anyone else?'

"Well, do you admit it?" Kyoko pressed. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he evaded her piercing eyes.

 "I...I don't know." His mouth moved on it's own.

"Ha? What do you mean you don't know?" The owner of that crass voice grabbed everyone's attention. Slowly coming out of the entrance was...

"Leon!" Makoto cried out, happily. Syo was lying.

 "I leave you alone for 5 minutes and you're already a mess." He said, limping and using Chihiro as a crutch. The athlete had minor cuts all over but none of them appeared fatal. He threw a dirty glance at Genocider, who glowered back.

"Where's Mondo?" Kyoko asked.

"The big guy's in the back...but he's in pretty bad shape thanks to SOMEBODY!" He yelled at the culprit.

"Alright! I'll get Mondo." Ryoko offered, stretching her arm out

"You think I'll just let you go?" Kyoko said with raised brows.

"There anyone else that knows how to treat wounds on the spot?" Ryoko asked, eyes drifting towards Makoto's form. Particular the bandages on his head. "There's at least medical supplies in the building. I can use those."

"...Fine. But take someone else with you." Kyoko consented.

...She let her go just like that? Wasn't Ryoko just as guilty in her eyes as he was?

"I'll come along." Hina said.

"Nah, you're better off here. Um...Hiro can come with me. You don't need him." Ryoko replied. "Besides, his mom works at a hospital. "

"I'm down." Hiro nodded, then motioned to untie Ryoko's hands.

"Now, let's go!" Ryoko strode over and stopped by Makoto, whispering into his ear. "A minor misunderstanding like this...isn't nearly enough to push you to your limit."

"Huh?"

The girl giggled, satisfied by his confused expression.

"I can stand on my own. You can show them the way, Chi. If they don't hurry, Mondo really might bite it.” Leon detached himself from the smaller, still despondent, boy. 

Chihiro, Yasuhiro and Ryoko ran back into the entrance. The last of which turned back towards them, with an almost saddened look as she waved.

"You know, I heard some strange shit on my way here...though it might just have been my imagination. But, if it wasn't..." Leon drew his next words out. "Can someone explain the hell you guys are smoking? Did Hiro break out the stash?"

"Makoto's the suspect." Kyoko said, curtly.

"I repeat. What are you smoking, girl? How could you ever get the idea that Makoto, of all people, would be the killer?"

"That's what the evidence points to." She closed her eyes.

"Fuck the evidence! Goddamn, you might be the smartest chick I've ever met, but you're also stupid as shit sometimes." Leon stabbed a finger at her.

"Care to try that again?" Kyoko's expression hardened.

Leon placed a firm hand on Makoto's shoulder, while still glaring at Kyoko. "Am I wrong? You, Makoto, Ryoko and I spent weeks as a unit. Remember how hard he tried keeping up with us? Or fucking everything we've done together up until now this week? You're telling me, you'll throw all that away just cuz of some random evidence?" The athlete's anger flared as he rebuked the detective. In truth, his words were likely meant for everyone in the vicinity.

"Look at him and tell me that's the face of someone putting knives in our backs." Leon directed their attention to Makoto's grief-stricken features. "If you can then you're either one stone cold bitch or off your rocker."

After a moment, Kyoko spoke again. "So you'll believe in him blindly? Nothing else save catching him in the act will satisfy you?"

"Even then, there'd need to be a trick to it." Leon wouldn't relent, he was iron-clad in his conviction.

The two stared each other down.  Meanwhile, Makoto was filled with a mix of emotions. The crushing sadness of being distrusted by his friends. The embarrassment stemming from his own helplessness, to the point where he was nearly brought to tears. And finally, the happiness that came with Leon standing up for him against the odds. It felt...nice to be thought of so highly. In that case, he owed it to them to have faith in himself.

Makoto reached into his pocket to see if that was still there.

"Very well." Kyoko backed off, giving him a half-shrug "But you do understand that we're left without any more suspects. There's nobody other than Makoto who could have committed the crime...unless you want to throw our suspicions on a folk tale."

"Oh? So we're back to blaming our problems on superstitions then?" Celes mocked, overtly displaying her distaste for the turn of events.

"I...wouldn't knock that if I were you, Celes." Leon argued. His face went pale as he slowly inched his head towards the restrained Syo, as if fearing he could be struck down at any time, from anywhere.

Celes didn't fail to pick up on Leon's abject fear, he stared at the detained killer like she could still be a threat while pinned down by Sakura. Naturally, Makoto didn't miss it either.

"Then who do you suppose is guilty, if not Makoto? Although Togami was first on my list with Toko as his accomplice, that's unlikely now. Right, Leon?" Celes giggled darkly. Her singsong voice implied they'd hidden nothing from her.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He replied

"A poor lie."

"That's right!" Aoi exclaimed "Togami's still missing. Shouldn't we be looking? I mean he's a total jerk but being gone this long is bad news."

"...You are a fool." Celes wore a sardonic smile that grew more sadistic by the moment. "Then again...maybe we're the ones being played for fools. After all, you were also in the position to commit the crime. Remind me...who was it that went to fetch the drinks in the first place?"

"You're pinning this on me!? You're the one with the creepy occult fixation!"

"I'm sure that's very relevant, dear." Celes said with a distinct twitch of an eye.

"You two, don't fight!" Taka ordered

"No, that's exactly what we should be doing. Go on, Celes." Kyoko smirked, stunning everyone in the area.

"...What are you up to?" Celes asked, never one to be toyed with.

"Since we've tossed out the most plausible lead, what other recourse do we have? If we won't use logic, then we'll play by emotion. We've all had a very tiresome day...and now, I'm saying we should vent. Call out anyone you think is suspicious and state your case." Kyoko explained.

A brief silence ensued after the insane proposition. That pause was broken when Hina continued her verbal assault "Then it's Celes! She's the one who was obsessed with witches, and we all heard what Hifumi said about the killings on this island years ago. We saw the circles on the wall." She continued her hateful tirade without missing a beat. "Hifumi called Celes out on the connection and she got rid of him! There's nobody shadier than Celes here...or should I say Taeko!"

Leon and Sakura gaped, while Makoto and Kyoko took her words into consideration.

"Are...you finished?" Celes' shoulders shook as she desperately tried to contain her outrage. "Because you're one to talk about shady. It’s already been proving that you're not above poison. And from what Kyoko's told us, the container that was used on Hifumi was found in Makoto's room. My memory may be slipping a bit, but...weren't you also there supposedly watching him?"

Hina clenched her fists. The gambler's insinuations were as clear as day. "I'm not a murderer."

With a blank stare, Celes dissected even the minutest detail of Hina's movements as the swimmer gave her ineffectual defense. The gothic-lolita frowned as she came up with nothing. Hina gave none of her usual tells to indicate she lied. Celes' talent for detecting lies was far from perfect. Lies were harder to pin down when the opponent was calm and composed like Kyoko, and worse for Ikusaba's ilk who arguably only had a single neutral expression. There were cases like Ryoko were they were just too eccentric to begin with. Hina fit neither class, the donut enthusiast couldn't mount a satisfactory lie to save her life. It should have been impossible for Hina to retain any level of calm after killing another; there would be tells everywhere.

However, there was one instance where she definitely lied. "Is that so? Then why did you lie back at the meeting? When Kyoko asked if there was more to that little incident, you denied it. That was a lie."

Hina let out a small squeak.

"I would have to agree. You are hiding something from us, Hina. Given you went out of your way to tell us about drugging someone. Whatever you went out of your way to omit must have been even worse." Kyoko deduced.

"Exactly." Celes smiled. "Now I wonder what could go beyond the very arguable crime of poisoning."

"The killer is Hina?" Taka posed.

"Impossible!" Sakura nearly left her post to mount her friend's defense, but stopped, recognizing the one beneath her was still a threat.

Her assistance was unnecessary, regardless.

"Stop. Hina isn't the killer." Makoto spoke up, wiping his eyes with a white handkerchief. The item served as proof that he wasn't insane, because he'd gotten it from Chisa. That was another thing he'd need to be grateful to the teacher for.

Syo reared her head up at the line. Sakura's relaxed muscles allowed her to do that much, as even the martial artist had been taken by Makoto's sudden declaration.

"Does that mean you know who is?" Kyoko hid her face behind gloves as she stared Makoto down. The others waited with abated breath.

Makoto wasn't sure how to feel about Kyoko at the moment, but standing off against her was counterproductive. There were more important matters...and on that note, he was once again reminded of how nauseating Enoshima's malice was. But without understanding that aspect of her character, Makoto wouldn't have reached the answer. What happened with Toko served to reinforce Makoto's beliefs; Enoshima wanted nothing more than to bring out the very worst in people, twisting their own values to the extreme until they represented the exact opposite of what the person in question intended.

Ironically, the evidence Kyoko presented against him only helped Makoto get his story straight. At first Makoto might have believed the uttered contradictions in their speech was an accidental slip of the tongue, but that wasn't the case at all.

He remembered Chisa's teachings. He may have been down here with the rest of them, but he wasn't like them. He couldn't let himself think like the others, or he'd never win. What he knew about Enoshima changed the game completely.

"What I wanted to show you was the difference in awareness and perspective between you and the norm. It was appropriate for Hinata to believe Nevermind, just as it was for you to doubt her as quickly as you did. Your circumstances are comprehensibly different" (Chisa Yukizome, Chapter 9)

In a way, he still believed Kyoko was amazing. Makoto knew that right from the start, but she'd gone above even the standards he set for her. Even without his knowledge, she'd come to the correct answer...She just regretfully picked the wrong target.

The final piece of the puzzle was the hint Monokuma gave him. Makoto realized it now, and wanted to scream at how stupid he was for not figuring it out earlier. The damn bear wasn't even subtle about it. Even their color scheme was the same.

“But let me tell you about rags to riches story, hoodie. Truth to be told, I was born color-blind and I couldn’t tell the spices from the seasoning, from the salt, from the pepper.”

“One time I even threw in baking soda in a cake while thinking it was flour. Boy, was that embarrassing.”

“Rude! Long story short, I asked Lady Junko to get me an extra set of eyes that could actually see for shit. And can you believe it, she said yes. Now I’m a first-class chef!” (Monokuma, Chapter 9)

"The culprit is you, isn't it?" Makoto pointed at his target. The one best in position to fulfill Enoshima's demented cravings and transform an act of good will unto utter chaos. The one who'd planned this whole farce from the start...and the killer who didn't know he was the killer "Isn't that right, Taka!"

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

"Huh?" Was the only response Kiyotaka could manage as everyone’s eyes landed on him? On the bright side, they were equally as puzzled as he was...save Kyoko who looked the same as ever.

"Um...Makoto. Could you repeat that?" Surely, they must have heard wrong.

"You're the one responsible for all the murders tonight."

"W-What. I would never do such a thing!" Makoto must be confused.

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru...hmm. Now there's an interesting suspect." Celes snickered.

"Taka? The killer? That's crazy. He couldn't swat a fly without apologizing to it for hours!" He'd have to agree with Hina, but the phrasing could use a bit of work.

"I don't see what the problem is." Kyoko cut in. " Makoto's the same way and we still accused him. Now then, Makoto. What's your case? Taka has almost no connection to the crime." Kyoko raised a strong point in his defense. Nothing pinned him to the murders...so why was she smiling like that?

"I'll start right from the beginning. Taka was the one who set this charade up. We've all been to focused on the killing method and forgot who created the opportunity for the poison to be used in the first place. The contest was all Taka's idea." 

'That's why he's accusing me?'

"Outrageous! I had nothing but honest intentions; the contest was an idea I came up with to increase our bonds."

"Why did it have to be about cooking?" Makoto asked, his accusatory glare hadn't faltered.

"Because it was convenient, after our supply of food had taken hit...”

"That's right...the scheme began there, didn't it? The contest was convenient because the kitchen burnt down. Then tell me, Taka..." Makoto turned the tables. "Who was responsible for that?"

“…Why did you try to kill us?"

“DON’T BE RIDICULOUS! Even if I may have made a few mistakes in my attempt at making breakfast, that’s no reason to charge me for attempted manslaughter.”

"“A few mistakes!? We’re lucky the whole restaurant didn’t burn down! " (Makoto Naegi and Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 10)

Kiyotaka gulped, having realized his poor word choice. He hadn't done anything wrong, he knew that...but they didn't. "I was trying to make you a meal while you were sick."

Makoto flinched.

"Yeah. You can't just spit on all of Taka's good will, Makoto. Even if it's you, I won't stand for it!" Hina supported him. At least he still had some on his side, thankfully. Now if only they could get Makoto to see reason.

"No...I won't let you guilt me into stopping." Was Makoto's retort. Although Kiyotaka intended nothing of the sort. "You didn't explain why the kitchen burnt down."

"I...didn't have much experience cooking at the time."

"Then why didn't you ask for help?" Makoto narrowed his eyes "This is you we're talking about. I've never met anyone more responsible than you, Taka. Cooking is dangerous. If you had no experience, why didn't you ask someone who did?"

"He did." Hina countered. "I and Sakura were going to help him."

"Then why start without you?"

Hina stopped, thinking over his words.

Kiyotaka was just overzealous to begin...right? No, of course that's right. It was one mistake, everybody makes them.

"Taka thought of everything, and had the layout of the island. If he needed toxins, he could find them...considering that Ikusaba was his inspection partner. He'd easily have access to her notes!"

"Fufufufu. This is quite the entertaining sideshow. It might even make for an interesting novel...but I believe we're searching for a rogue assassin, not a mastermind." Celes interrupted. "You have yet to present any tangible evidence pinning Kiyotaka to the crime. You on the other hand, have plenty against you. As Kyoko so dearly pointed out."

"You've got that wrong." Makoto said, smoothly. “There is evidence that links Kiyotaka to the murder...Hifumi's murder, to be exact."

"...Come again?" The gambler's passive mask faltered.

"...When do you think Hifumi was killed?" Makoto asked.

"During the meeting, of course. That would have been the best time for it." Celes rolled her eyes.

"Again...you've got that wrong. Hifumi wasn't killed during the meeting, it was-"

"Before, right?" Kyoko finished in his stead, still wearing a knowing smile. It was the triumphant grin of a detective who'd found her culprit at last...and it was directed towards Kiyotaka.

"Y-Yeah." Makoto stuttered, half-surprised and the other wary that he was falling into a trap. Not that Kiyotaka could blame him on this front. Kyoko was all over the place. "How'd you know?"

"I have my reasons...but first, I think we should point out the particularly incriminating evidence." 'We' she said...then she was on his side? After nearly condemning him moments before?

Makoto nodded begrudgingly "Al...right. The proof is the state of Taka's clothes when the meeting started."

"What was wrong?" Hina asked.

"They were soaked, that's what." Kyoko frowned. "I could see traces of wet patches on his clothing. That meant he'd wandered outside some time ago."

"Oh that!" Kiyotaka chuckled awkwardly. "I already explained it at the meeting. I saw a strange woman outside and opened the window to check." Come to think of it, he never did pursue that trail.

"Yeah, I remembered that too. See, there's the explanation." Hina said.

"...Prove it." Makoto pointed. "How do we know you're telling us the truth?”

"Yeah. Uh. I was near the door but I didn’t see anyone come out." Leon, who'd been quiet the longest, spoke. The athlete was having trouble just standing. "Don't think Taka could have managed that."

"Were you there the whole time? And when did you see Hifumi last?" Kyoko interrogated.

"Not really. I think it was about half an hour. And I saw Hifumi say he went to use the washroom before that."

"Then that's plenty of time for Taka to have lured Hifumi out."

"You're wrong!" Kiyotaka fought back.

"Lured? You think Hifumi's so stupid that he'd have gone with Kiyotaka outside? Alone?" Celes argued incredulously. Nobody could be sure if she spiteful, defending Kiyotaka...or Hifumi.

"Yeah, only Leon's dumb enough to run off and meet someone solo in a secluded place where anyone could be a killer." Hina said. Admittedly, she was right. Something like that probably would happen.

"I resent that. You're on, Hina." The baseball star feebly stood against the swimmer.

Kyoko sighed. "This is about expected. Let's tear their argument apart, Makoto."

"Huh? Oh...yeah." The small boy aquiesced "Taka could have lured Hifumi out and we'll prove it with this!"

 

-Scrum Debate (Makoto Naegi)-

 

Left side (The meeting couldn't have taken place): Kiyotaka Ishimaru / Celestia Ludenberg / Aoi Asahina

Right Side (Kiyotaka lured Hifumi outside): Makoto Naegi/ Kyoko Kirigiri / Leon Kuwata

 

Debate Start!

 

Aoi: Hifumi would never have gone to meet someone alone. It's totally suspicious!

'Leon!'

Leon: Why the heck not? Kiz confirmed that Taka's got a spotless record; anyone would have trusted him.

Celestia: Even supposing that were true, there was no time to pull the crime off before the meeting.

'Kyoko!'

Kyoko: Really? I seem to recall Taka himself saying he supposedly saw this woman more than a full hour prior. He has no alibi for that timeframe.

Kiyotaka: I'm innocent! The culprit could have been anyone!

'I've got this!'

Makoto: It couldn't have been. Nobody else was wet.

Aoi: Ryoko was! She had all the time in the world and Hifumi would totally go for her!

'Leon!'

Leon: Babe, what you're saying would apply to any straight man for sure...but Hifumi's only into 2D. He was even doubting Celes, you said it yourself.

Celestia: Don't you think eyewitnesses are a problem? Even if he left with Hifumi, how would he guarantee getting back in without being caught? Leon could have found him by the door and ruined his entire scheme.

'I've got this!'

Makoto: There were windows he could use to sneak back in. He'd just need to open one.

Kiyotaka: Why? Why are you all so insistent that I'm the killer!?

[FULL COUNTER]

'This is our answer!'

Makoto/Kyoko/Leon: Because you've been contradicting yourself this whole time!

 

BREAK!

 

-[Kyoko Kirigiri]-

 

Kyoko and Makoto turned to Leon, who'd answered with them. "You...caught on?" She asked

"Nah, I was just going with the flow." He shot a cheesy grin at them. An expression that came out somewhat pained, no thanks to his injuries.

'What an idiot, but his timing was excellent.'

"Explain." Celes said.

"Taka has contradicted himself several times on this night alone, and one that directly points to him being at the crime scene." Kyoko elaborated.

"W-What?" The moral compass was starting to turn pale, exhaustion brimming on his features. Kyoko couldn't tell if that was a sign that he was cracking under pressure of his guilt...or that he mind's what was breaking down. She wasn't sure which was worse.

"I had Ryoko tell me about every conversation she'd come across in my absence, and I came across one very interesting line."

"I...want to keep trusting in everyone...but the circumstances aren't forgiving enough for that. The girls died right in front of us, and even Hifumi was killed easily, and we were just steps away." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 16)

"Notice anything?" Kyoko said, repeating what Ryoko had told her.

"How would Taka have known Hifumi put up no resistance?" Makoto answered.

"He could have checked, duh!" Hina retorted.

"I wasn't aware Taka was skilled at investigation. Because to know Hifumi died easily would have required a thorough search of his body to ascertain there were no wounds. I imagined that would be difficult with eyesight alone, considering Hifumi was already covered in blood, mind you." Kyoko countered.

"And I'll just say right now that Taka somehow clueing into Hifumi's state isn't the worst of that statement." Makoto chimed in "What really makes no sense is the context of what he told Chihiro."

"Huh...wait. He said he couldn't keep trusting everyone. Ain't Taka the one that's been telling us to keep the faith? The fuck is up with that, man?" Leon clued in.

Celes' eyes narrowed to slits. Kyoko expected that information would be most relevant to the queen of liars...because it meant her pride in her talent was compromised.

"I don't remember saying that." Kiyotaka crossed his arms. Was he going to deny it at this stage?

"Bro. Me, Makoto, Chihiro, and Ryoko were right there!"

"And you're all in Makoto's camp. How do we know you're not falsifying testimonies?" Celes argued, though she didn't sounded nearly as invested as before. Right now, she sounded like she wanted nothing more than confirmation.

"We don't need to. Because you've heard it for yourself, Celes. Taka said the same thing to us." Kyoko said.

"Um...well...No! I still don't believe it. We'd have to discard everything we do know about them." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 16)

"His own words. Now what did he say when we nearly threw the book at Makoto?"

'"The matter appears to have been settled. I never would have expected Makoto would be the killer."

"Some fucking belief you've got. Why'd I have to be the one putting my foot down and having faith in my best friend again?" Leon glared daggers at the red-eyed prefect.

Celes took their replies in stride. "Kyoko...from the sounds of it...you were leading Kiyotaka into a trap."

"Yes. Because Taka has been my prime suspect from the very start." The detective declared, pointing at the killer.

"Then why were you attacking Makoto?" Leon said, shocked. "Fuck, you are crazy!"

"I was trying to get Taka to slip up, and if you'd appeared a second early, I might have lost that window of opportunity." Kyoko flicked a strand of hair. "Incidentally, the container Sakura found in Makoto's room could have been planted by anyone. Taka searched the rooms, so he had all the time in the world."

"Kyoko?" Makoto asked, skittishly. "You...didn't doubt me?"

She sighed. "No. I can't say that either. Before Ryoko's testimony, I was certain you were the culprit. Afterwards...it was about 60/40 split, working in your favor."

"Where'd the extra set of faith come from...if I may ask?" Kyoko frowned at his reservation towards her. She...really hurt him, didn't she?

 A malicious smile crept it's way onto her features. "You, Leon, Ryoko and I spent weeks as a unit. Remember how hard you tried keeping up with us? Or fuc-?" The blatant display of mockery was cut off by Leon.

"Okay. Okay! No need to rub it in." Leon closed his ears, a red tint on his cheek.

"You're wrong!" A voice suddenly cut in. Kiyotaka stood angrily. "I can't be the culprit. I would never put any of you in that kind of danger! Believe me!"

The prefect was on the verge of tears...and it seemed genuine. Honestly, this was all too strange. Kiyotaka had none of the prerequisites of a murderer and the motive is non-existent. She may not have been able to read him, but Kyoko could tell there wasn't an ounce of falsehood in his words.

Yet he was, without a doubt, a killer. What was going on?

"Liar."

Everyone turned to the new intruder into the conversation. The last person to weigh her word in on the discussion.

"What are you referring to, Syo?"

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

Liar? He'd been telling nothing but the truth. Why was everyone turning against him? Sure, the evidence strangely incriminated him, but they worked as well against Makoto. Not that he believed the lucky student could be capable of such a thing.

"I get it. So you used me...son of a bitch." Genocider struggled under Sakura's grip. The ogre looked to them for instructions.

"Don't let that nutjob go." Was Leon's frightened opinion.

"Keep her restrained...but let her talk." Kyoko said.

Sakura nodded. Gripping Syo's arm and pulling her up. The serial killer was otherwise disarmed. However, the hateful glare she aimed his way seemed a plenty a weapon in his opinion.

"Would never put anyone in harm's way? What a load of crap. Weren't you the one who told me those four were up to something and that I should tail them?" Kiyotaka hadn't had many meetings with Syo, but he didn't recall her being so...subdued.

"That was your fault!?" Leon raged at him. Makoto had to hold the athlete by the waist to keep him in place. An attempt he'd never have succeeded at if Leon wasn't already injured.

"I believe you said you hadn't seen Toko." Celes addressed him.

"No...Toko went after the guys...You didn't notice, Taka?" (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter Sixteen)

"Of course not! I would have stopped her. Why didn't you!?" (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter Sixteen)

"You weren't going out of your way, I thought that was fine."  (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter Sixteen)

"In hindsight, Ryoko seemed very sure that you had crossed eyes with her." Celes continued.

"I didn't. I haven't spoken with her at all."

Whatever trust Celes had in Kiyotaka vanished that instant. Meanwhile, Sakura mimicked Makoto's actions and further restrained Syo from lashing out at being indirectly called a liar.

"Wait. I thought Syo didn't keep Toko's memories." Hina cocked her head.

"That's...not really Syo." Makoto said. "I'll explain later, but right now, there are more important things..."

"Like picking out Taka's lie." Sakura growled.

"More or less. I saw you speaking with Toko while we were all in the main lobby." Makoto said.

"Yes...we all did." Celes agreed, tilting her head to the side. "Right this moment...you lied, rather blatantly might I add...and you did so without any tells. How intriguing."

"When was it that you became such a good liar, Taka?" Kyoko said sarcastically. Makoto on the other hand, had a pained expression on his face.

They were going to brand him a liar and a traitor.

Again. Another Ishimaru made a fraud...

(So you'll give up?) -  Someone called out to him. The voice sounded familiar, like he'd heard it all his life.

Kiyotaka creased his brow as the ridicule from his misguided classmates slowed and came to a halt. The world around him turned a dull gray, as if everything else had been frozen in time. 

Kiyotaka turned his head to the side. Standing next to him was a mirror-like image of himself, only with pure white hair and an eyes with a strange, ghostly aura.

'...Pardon me?' He asked, perplexed.

(Why should we have to admit defeat? We're not criminals. We're not liars. And most of all, We are not our grandfather.)

The doppelganger's voice was commanding and his words, reassuring. It went without saying. He was entirely unlike Toranosuke Ishimaru. Kiyotaka had never given into temptation and sullied himself with illegalities. 

(Exactly. There is nobody else that has walked the thorny path of righteousness more than we have. Even HPA recognizes our talent!)

'You're right. I'm...The Ultimate Moral Compass'

(And what does that title stand for?)

'It represents my steadfast beliefs...to act as a model and a guide of morality.'

(That's not all!)

Kiyotaka flinched from the loud yell.

(We're not merely a guide, we are meant to lead! Everyone else is meant to follow; lest they find themselves astray. We don't want that, do we?)

'No...' He felt emboldened.

(Then act. Do what Toranosuke couldn't. Prove our innocence. If you are truly the arbitrator of good...then anything you do will become justice!)

'...Anything.' Like the ocean waves, the sentiment rippled throughout the expanse of Kiyotaka's mind.

 (Anything and everything.)

That begged the question. 'Then...why don't my friends believe that?'

(Isn't it because of him?)

Kiyotaka let out yet another confused gesture.

The reason was because the voice in his thoughts underwent a drastic evolution. It no longer bore that deep and assertive connotation, nor was it in any way familiar. Instead, it was replaced by a honeyed, sultry tone. One belonging to a woman, yet far more hypnotizing than any man's.

His double had vanished and its place was an unidentifiable figure. Kiyotaka couldn't make out the hazy form, like a thick veil blanketed his eyes. Still, he abnormally, could not bring himself to doubt. She was his ally, nothing else was relevant in the face of that truth.

'Makoto?' Was the one the shade alluded to.

(That beguilingly hopeful face of his, even in the midst of your despair...doesn't it infuriate you?)

'Huh...no. I would never think that of my friends.' Makoto might be wrong, but that wasn't his fault. Not necessarily, anyway.

(Then what of the men who betrayed your grandfather? Were they his friends?)

Kiyotaka gasped.

(He's the one accusing you, the one who's been manipulating your friends. Take a very good look)

Kiyotaka heeded the amused shadow and what he found was Makoto; his face contorted into a mocking, triumphant smile and his dull green eyes turned red. '...Why is he smiling like that?'

(It's not his fault. A dreadful woman made him a pawn in her scheme, and now Makoto's is just as much a victim as anyone else...and he intends to everyone else just like him. Assuming he allows them to live, naturally.)

'Makoto's been brainwashed? That would explain everything!'

(That's why you have to fight. Expose his schemes. That is the only way for you to save your friends.)

 ...

'I know what I must do. I have to fight!'

Kiyotaka steeled his resolve, his vision blind to the enchantress' cruel smile.

And so the world moved again

...

"You've proved nothing!" He screamed. 

"I...don't think there's anything left to discuss." Asahina backed away.

"No. I suppose there is one point of contention we haven't cleared up. How he committed the crime." Kyoko said.

"Exactly, even if you think I killed Hifumi, there's no explanation for everything else!" He began his counterattack. He needed to regain the trust of his comrades, or else we're all going to pay the price.

"I don't see how that matters. If all other possibilities are erased, the one that remains, must be certainty. Nobody else reeks of guilt as much as you..." Celes judged.

"You couldn't be further from the truth. Makoto's the only culprit here!"

"Me?" The accused cowered.

"Interesting. You sound sure of yourself, therefore I expect you can prove it beyond a doubt." Kyoko said.

"Yes. I'll expose the truth right here!"

 "Makoto Naegi is the culprit, and his accomplice was Ryoko Otonashi. The drawings on the wall could have been painted before the contest. Makoto had the formula and knowledge of the poison. He carefully contaminated the pot with less dosage than what was required to instantly kill the victim. To ensure their demise, he had Ryoko manipulate her sister into getting the drinks along with Hina. Then Ikusaba made sure to douse the drinks with poison. However, she was double-crossed and ended up falling victim herself to their schemes. I would have died as well had I not been saved by Leon's ball. Afterwards, he and Ryoko acted in concert. While he drew attention, she snuck out to poison Hifumi and Togami, disgusting her damp appearance with an excuse. All the while, Makoto planned on using his sociable personality to manipulate and turn us against each other. That is the truth of this case!"

He breathed heavily. "Well?"

Makoto, Leon, Kyoko, Celes, Hina, Sakura and even Syo gave him the strangest looks yet this night.

"Indeed. It would appear you truly have exposed the truth." Celes twirled her drill tails. "If I had the slightest bit of doubt that you were the murderer...they were gone the second you opened your mouth."

"...Woman, did you listen to a word I said?" That wasn't the reaction he expected.

"Talk about shooting yourself in the foot." Leon muttered.

"You've overextended yourself, Kiyotaka. Specifically, you said too much. Some of that is information only the killer would know. Such as...how you were aware and so confident that Togami had died? Much less that he died through poisoning?" Kyoko voiced their suspicions.

"Not even getting into the Ikusaba part. How did you even come up with that?" Hina asked, not sure what to think.

 


Makoto was getting tired of all of this. "I'll prove it."

Kiyotaka made a confused grunt.

"I'll prove you could have pulled off the murders...using that same logic."

"You mean to say I have an accomplice? Who?" Kiyotaka snarled.

"Who else? It's someone nobody's mentioned yet." He was well aware the words that came forth were lies, but it was a lie only he could use. This person could not have been an accomplice, because Enoshima said there was only one agent. However, he was convenient right now.

 

-Perjury!-

 

"Your accomplice was Koichi Kizakura." Makoto began. "The both of you were colluding from the beginning. While Kizakura disappeared, he was able to run all over the island unchecked, he could have killed anyone at any time. The secrets that told our pasts in excruciating detail was part of your plot to cause discord among us. Also...your blank letter was probably a fake. Kizakura presented you as not having a secret so we'd place more trust in your morality than anyone else's. That is the truth of this case. Everything is explained with Kizakura as the accomplice."

It wasn't, but for his purposes it would suffice. Makoto dared not meet Celes' eyes as he concluded his lie.

"Taka trying to eat the meal I made for Sayaka as well, was part of his plan. It'd be better if he was poisoned too so we'd have less of a reason to suspect him. But he'd still live because the poison wasn't fatal." Maybe Leon's blunder when he threw the tomato at Taka's plate was good luck after all.

"And with that, it's over." Kyoko backed him.

 

-[Climax Reasoning: Complete]-

 

"Grr...Can't you all see he's trying to trick us!?" Kiyotaka barked.

"To your credit, I do believe Makoto has been...suspicious as of late, and I personally do not dare hold faith in him." Celes looked him over with a fake smile. She...had probably seen through his lie. He'd almost feared she would expose him...had she not elaborated. "However, compared to you, Kiyotaka, Makoto's an open-book. I would prefer siding standing with a threat I can predict than the one I can't."

To put it in another words. Taka was far more suspicious. Good enough for him.

"Kiyotaka...I believe it is time for you to come with us and lie down. You are clearly unwell...in more ways than one." Sakura now recognized him as a threat. Her eyes glancing at the rifle in his hand.

"I say we take him down." Leon cracked his knuckles

 

-[Kiyotaka Ishimaru]-

 

'What do I do? It didn't work!?' He frantically squeezed against his temples.

(I never said it would be easy. However...isn't there a simple way to settle this?)

'Tell...me'

(The answer is in your hand.)

'The...rifle? What would I do with this?'

(...Shoot him.)

Kiyotaka's thoughts came to a screeching halt as the shadow uttered the impossible.

'Why...would I ever do such a thing!?'

(To save him, of course)

'By killing him!?'

(Killing is unjust, you're incapable of it)

'You're not making any sense!'

(If you're the one pulling the trigger, then it cannot be murder. It is salvation.)

Kiyotaka's face warped with despair. He wanted an answer. Anything, he would accept anything!

( The Ultimate Moral compass only walks the path of righteousness. There are infinite roads that lead to degeneracy and decay...but there is only one way to live justly. Now...what paths lie before you?)

'I...' His choices...did he even have any?

(You do. You can let them capture you and brand you a murderer. If that is your choice, then it would be the correct one)

'No!...I've done nothing wrong. Why do I have to be slandered for a crime I didn't commit?' Was...was this his family's fate? To be doubted and scorned at every turn? No. He wouldn't accept it!

(In that case, you really should listen more closely. There is only one correct path...and if there is only one option left, then...naturally...)

'It is...righteous!'

(Splendid!) Kiyotaka's double returned, gazing at him with mirth and approval (You understand. Now let us liberate our classmates from evil. Just as we followed instructions and liberated Sayaka, Mukuro and Hifumi!)

"Nobody move!" Kiyotaka screamed, aiming his gun at them. Each one tensed as they realized he was serious. "I see. I understand. It's not just Makoto."

"What?" Hina asked.

"You're all accomplices!" He should have known. Why else would anyone suspect him? Makoto must have gotten to them first and brainwashed the lot! These weren't his friends. They were...the enemy. They were enemies of justice, who'd strayed from the proper path, and it was his duty to reign them back in. To save them from whatever is contaminating their minds

Through any means necessary...

(...Now, show me what justice is capable of.)  The woman gently placed her arm over his and steadied gun alongside him. The weapon felt light as a feather.

Kiyotaka's barrel had Makoto's form in his sights...all that remained was to pull the trigger.

...

So he did.


 

Makoto froze in place when Taka fired. He believed that would have been the decisive blow but... 

"What is it now!?" Kiyotaka yelled in a voice un-befitting him.  "Did it jam!?"

"I believe I said that you were primary suspect." Kyoko's explained. "What on Earth possessed you to think I would have left you with a loaded gun? I took out all except one emergency bullet...which I happened to use on Syo."

"This is a checkmate, if I've ever seen one. Time to fold, Kiyotaka." Celes stated.

"Shut up. I didn't kill anyone. You're all full of shit!"

Makoto didn't imagine he would ever Taka utter anything remotely resembling a curse. He never imagined the prefect would kill their friends either and then try to gun him down. Then again, Taka probably still doesn't realize what's happening to him.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru as he was right now, was a perversion of his true self. Makoto didn't know what kind of [Despair] he had, but it was nothing like Leon's, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to put up with the mock trial. Compared to Makoto's previous experiences....Kiyotaka didn't feel threatening at all.

He was...weak. Pathetically so. That was probably the point. Taka values justice and goodwill to a fault...and Enoshima's showing them how worthless those beliefs really are. Assuming each despair had a single ability...then all Kiyotaka could do was delude himself into thinking he was in the right.

Kiyotaka crumpled onto his knees, un-moving -A signal of his defeat.

Victory had never felt so appalling. Makoto took quick glances at the others and found all of them gazing at Kiyotaka with scorn at best and raw hatred at worst.

It was awful. Taka was innocent, he knew that. He also knew that Taka murdered the others. Nobody would believe him once they returned to the mainland, and once word got out...his whole life would be ruined.  And none of it was his fault.

Was this alright? Could he leave things like this? He could still-

A shiver crawled up Makoto's spine as his thoughts bordered on a taboo. An act that went against the very nature of self-preservation.

'What...was I thinking just now? I don't want anything to do with Junko Enoshima!' Everything about that girl unnerved him. The way she could cause so much pain like it was as easy as breathing, and thought nothing of it. He couldn't have been in that HPA replica long, but the nature of that place repulsed him to the core.

He could never return there. But if he did...could he save the others? If he left the island now...that would be the end, they wouldn't come back.

"We're going inside to check on Ryoko and the rest. Someone bind Kiyotaka." Kyoko instructed.

"Seeing as handcuffs are beyond us, my bandages are sturdy enough to substitute is applied tightly." Sakura said, unwrapping the white fabric from her arms. All the while, she never took her eyes of Syo.

Hina accepted the white bandages and approached Kiyotaka.

Makoto struggled with the choice of living with what remained of his class. Or dying and recovering them all.

'What should I do?'

"Stick out your hands." Hina said.

Kiyotaka did as ordered, his will to fight as empty as the rifle's stock of bullets.

'Someone, tell me what to do." He whispered. 

And something did answer. It made his choice for him.

 "What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me you're still up to something." Makoto heard Hina's puzzled tone. His eyes met a peculiar sight. Taka's arms were definitely sticking out but...only one was facing Hina's direction. The right arm was outstretched into the air.

"My...arm. It...moved on its own." Taka muttered. "It...hurts." The man himself didn't sound convincing.

"Stop fooling around. You don't think I'll believe a word you-"

"W-What in the world?" Kyoko voiced her surprise. Makoto could see why after looking closely. The fabric of Taka's clothes was pushed in, like something coiled its way around his arm. Red blotches began to form from the inside, staining the white cloth on the arm.

Fear of the unknown welled up inside of Makoto. Fear that immediately became warranted by what occurred the very next moment. The arm...detached itself from the prefect's shoulder with a sickening squelch, as if it was ripped apart by some invisible force. Bone and all. Taka's blood  curdling scream was second to the torrent of blood that sprouted from the opening.

"Hina, back away!" Sakura finally left her post, rushing to Hina's aid, leaving Syo left unchecked...but that was a needless worry to begin with. The man-hunter didn't even try to move. She was every bit as stunned as the rest of them. We could only watch stupefied as Taka's dismembered arm floated several meters in the air. Flailing in front of two...large red pearls.

"I...what is this?" Kyoko used a tone Makoto never expected to hear from the detective. It was the natural response one would make when faced with the unknown. Surprise, curiosity, denial and fear. All mixed together.

As if the heavens sought to answer Kyoko's inquiry, thunder struck, and with it, the rain fell again. Makoto's eyes widened to the extreme. The rain bent and spread out in the air, revealing a giant shape; one that towered over the trees.

The air distorted and the shape began to consolidate. What wrapped around Taka's arm was...a tail. But what captured Makoto's attention most were those impossibly sharp fangs, already dried with blood. And each and every one of them were in range of Its vision.

Strangely enough, Makoto's shoulders relaxed upon taking the beast's form in full. It was easier when you knew the game was over.

"This...isn't fair." He muttered, weakly.

The beast opened its mouth and a deafening roar could have been heard from everywhere on the fifth island.

 

-[Future Foundation Island]-

 

*Yawn*

"You really must get over your bad habit of dozing off everywhere. You might catch a cold." Kazuo Tengan approached him.

"Can I get off without a scolding today? I kind of had my work cut out for me." The boy lied down in the middle of a wreckage that could once have been called an office..

"Quite the mess you made." Tengan remarked. His eyes drifted off to the bodies of his guests. "I'm surprised those two were able to push you this far."

"Doesn't matter in the end. They were more or less normal, without despair of any kind." Takumi responded with indifference 

Tengan made a skeptical grunt.

"Okay, I was grandstanding. They were a pain." Takumi stood dusting off his shoulders, clicking his tongue at the torn suit, bruises and cuts. "Cain's more suited to fights...where is he anyway? He wasn't at the meeting."

"His mission with the Neverminds takes priority. If all goes well, he may be able to retrieve Jabberwock on the island." Tengan rubbed his chin. "Why do you ask? Did you want to go in his stead?"

"Right...changed my mind. I'm better off babysitting here." He relented. He didn't want to go near that thing.

"Place those two in the cryogenic chambers." Tengan referred to Munakata and Juzo

"Haaa? Do you know how much work that is?...And why?" He asked

"I will give them a proper funeral and put them to rest alongside Yukizome. Ready the preparations." Tengan spoke softly. 

"Will do." Takumi sighed, then to escape the tedious chore for a moment, he inquired on an important topic of discussion. His tone turned serious for a brief moment "Is there a point to all this? I mean, none of it will matter if that Naegi guy doesn't win."

"Takumi, my boy. There is a lesson you need to learn." Tengan replied with an equally determined expression. "Miracles only happen because someone brings them about. Even if Makoto Naegi does succeed in defeating Junko Enoshima, it won't matter if we on Earth don't put in the effort."

"Do you really believe in him that much?"

 "You forgot that too?"

Takumi tilted his head. "I don't think so. What am I forgetting?"

Tengan paused at the question, then made a self-derisive chuckle. "It would appear I am the one at fault this time. I forgot to inform the you of this world that he has defeated Enoshima in the past. I have little doubt he can do it again. In fact, he has no choice but to win"

Tengan formed a grin "At the very least, he must try. This tedious battle royale between us will not advance if he doesn't."

 

 

CHAPTER 2: BLACK AND WHITE MORALITY

SURVIVORS: 3

BAD END 

 

 

It was a meeting long passed. An elderly man at the end of his life and in stark contrast, a boy who had only touched the realm of  adolescence

"Kiyotaka." 

"Grandfather. You're...speaking again?" The boy addressed his grandfather with reproach. He believed the older man to have been the source of great discord in his life...but one that still ought to have been shown proper respect.

"Yes...It has been some time."

"A lot of people...are saying bad things about us." It was nothing short of strange that they were only now having this conversation. But there had never been a chance before. The elder had shut himself off from everyone.

"Because of me."

That went without saying.

"Was there really a scandal?"

"Yes and No. The world is a cruel and chaotic place. I strayed from the right path...but it wasn't nearly as farcical as the drivel fed to the public. I was punished, because I chose to disobey that group. Rising to the heights of the political world was why I chose to run for prime minister. How could I have known I'd end up just another puppet once I attained that seat?"

"I don't understand." His words made little sense to the boy. What group would the (former) prime minister need to serve?

"I hope you never do."

...

"Why are you here? Should I bring father?"

"No. I have come to say goodbye...to the future of the Ishimarus." 

The conversation grew more confusing with each passing moment, yet he understood that the topic was no light matter. Regardless of his personal feelings, he had to be receptive and positive. In a man of his grandfather's position, suicide would not be out of the question. He'd certainly heard enough of the  cruel and irresponsible jeers demanding it of his grandfather. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I must. For my family's future. For you."

There it was again. What did he mean by our future?

"Kiyotaka...would you listen to an old fool's ramblings?"

He nodded.

"1) Do not rely on fortune. Despise it. If you desire something, work towards it with your own abilities."

He...didn't need to be told that. His grandfather's infamy served as a very reminder. He must have known that....

"2) Know yourself better than anyone can know you. So long as you understand and are honest to your true nature, you can never be manipulated."

That shift in atmosphere was all to noticeable.

"And three?"

"...What do you think of friendship?" His grandfather asked. It was a sensitive topic, and in no small part the elder's fault.

"Friends are...people you care a lot for, and can expect the same kindness in return" Not like he had much experience. He may as well have gotten that description of a textbook.

"And what is the most essential element in that relationship?"

"Trust." There were many others, such as empathy, dependability, and support, however, trust stood out most to him. "If they're someone I can place my faith in,  then they should have all the qualities I want in a companion. "

His grandfather stayed silent. He wasn't sure what to think but he didn't believe he'd answered wrongly. The question thrown at him was one with a universal and stable answer. Even a child could answer it correctly.

"Trust, is it?"  The senior narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that may be more than I knew at the time. Sadly, I made the critical mistake of confusing trust for dependence." He sighed. "However, you are wrong, Kiyotaka."

"How?" Sure he'd never had many friends, but trust was important in any relationship. Nothing could be built without it!

"Be they companions, acquaintances or even temporary allies, the most essential component of a partnership...is equality."  Toranosuke Ishimaru faced him with a stern and resolute countenance "Friendship is about give and take, and do not ever make the mistake of taking more than you are able to give."

...If he didn't know better, his grandfather made it sound like having friends was like..." A power struggle?"

"Do not hold such a narrow view on the world. Power is not necessarily the same as violence, coercion or even competition." The old man shook his head. "Power takes many forms; the means to create, the capacity to understand...and  the ability to bring about an end. So long as you have equal power and both sides recognize it, you will never succumb to dependence. You will never have to fear betrayal."

He stood silent. His mind in the middle of assessing whether that philosophy meshed with his own.

"It's shameful to admit, but that is a lesson I was taught recently." To his surprise, his grandfather chuckled. 

"...Are you laughing?" He gaped, incapable of recalling the last time his grandfather so much as smiled. 

"Yes...today is a very good day. For the first time since my reputation was destroyed." He spoke of such grand humiliation as if it were a mildly unpleasant memory. It grated him, for that memory was still a stain in the present.

"I...want to run for prime minister." He said out of the blue.

"Like I did?"

"No. I''ll run and manage this country honestly, without relying on shady prospects." 

"You will certainly no small amount of resistance carrying my name."

"I don't care. I'll prove to the whole country that I'm my own man. I won't let your stigma follow me for the rest of my life." He declared, unashamed of his arrogance. This was one aspect of his life that he would never deny, not for anyone. His dreams meant the world to him.

Toranosuke let out a hefty laughter. For the second time, he witnessed a miracle.

"My idiocy knows no limit. To think I had nearly gone through an entire life of easy-gotten riches...yet failed to notice there was a rare treasure under my own nose all this time. Or...was my talent precisely the reason I remained ignorant?" Those words weren't meant for him. His grandfather basked in his own self reflection. "How frightening, every last word she told me was the truth. In that event, it is the very least I can do to plant the seeds for your success, Kiyotaka."

Plant the seeds? "What are you talking about?"

Toranosuke ruffled his descendant's hair "It's nothing for you to worry about." It was an affectionate gesture. One that he felt wasn't entirely welcomed. Years of bitterness couldn't be wiped away so easily, even if he wished it.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't try.  "Then...what about you? People still haven't forgotten, you know? You'll have to stand up for yourself eventually." His grandfather needed to stop cowering away. If he made the effort to redeem himself in the eyes of the people, then he maybe he could get over his shame.

But it wasn't to be.  "No. I do not care for their slander anymore. As far as I'm concerned, their scorn is for a dead man. A naive fool who coasted through life on his half-baked talent. I have changed."

That part was certainly true. He had never been close to his grandfather, but he definitely didn't remember him being like this before. He was carefree to the point that his head was stuck in the clouds. That was likely the reason he failed to see his administration collapsing from under him. However right now, Toranosuke appeared very down to Earth,  yet every bit as relaxed. "Where is all this coming from?"

"Someone came to me. A golden-haired child, not much older than you but incomparable all the same. Truthfully, I do not care about her nature and I doubt I could understand how that family operates - what she left me with is what matters."

"What's that?"

"The courage to surpass myself." Toranosuke Ishimaru smiled widely at this grandson  "For the first time in ages...I am alive."

 ....

Makoto found himself on a bed when he woke; a quick glance around showed he was in his dorm room. He slid off the bed, taking note of his pajamas, which was...pretty normal. "Was it all a dream?" He sure hoped so. But he wouldn't even be able to tell which part. Take for example...why did he dream about being Taka? The fantasy was so vivid in Makoto's mind that he felt like he'd lived that moment. Weird, since he'd never seen what the ex-prime minister looked like, he'd only heard about the scandal from his parents or gossip.

"Maybe I should ask Taka about in class." He muttered...nah, he'd just think I was crazy. The others would probably laugh at him for having a dream about another guy anyway...

Makoto motioned to his closet, where slid open the door and pulled out a set of his favorite hoodie combination. There was only one pair. Where'd the others go? He closed the door and turned to the side...where his vision was suddenly blocked by a black suit.

"Huh?" The puzzled lucky student...raising his head upwards to come face-face with a slightly older, but so much taller boy. Makoto's heart nearly stopped.

The brown-haired boy wouldn't consider himself an expert judge of character, but he'd met more than enough eccentrics and top class people at Hope's Peak to recognize the extraordinary when he saw it. And this guy stood out even then, and he wasn't talking about the ridiculously long hair.

His impassive features were thoroughly unreadable - a poker face that would make the queen of liars herself green with envy. Piercing scarlet irises stared down at Makoto, instantly reminding him of his first days with Kyoko, who anatomized his every move to unravel what lay beneath the surface. This person evidently didn't need nearly as long, for his gaze quickly left Makoto.

The intruder walked around the room as if it was his own, exuding confidence reminiscent of Togami. It was the sort of arrogance and control that made one doubt the wind could even blow a strand of hair on his head without being first granted permission. No small wonder Makoto hadn't heard a single step. His head turned to the door and gulped when he saw it was still closed.

'Or had he been here the whole time?'  He almost dismissed the notion. As silent as this person was, his presence was equally as imposing. Not unlike Sayaka, where they drew in attention like a black hole just by remaining in the vicinity. How on Earth would Makoto have missed him? 

He stopped by a desk and stared at Makoto once more and finally spoke. "You are surprisingly calm, all things considered." His voice was sleek and tempered as it was robotic. A feat he'd only known Ikusaba to replicate. 

"Have you grown desensitized already? I find that unlikely, but that might be an interesting development in its own way." Makoto would have thought that a whimsical joke if not for his countenance suggesting he was capable of anything but.

"Answer." A single utterance carrying equal weight to a deluge of commands from Kiyotaka.

Makoto couldn't speak. He was more confused than he was frightened. That was to be expected given the peculiar situation. As a result, Makoto reflexively did what he always did when happening upon an unfamiliar face. "Uh...Hi there. I'm Makoto. You are?" He waved awkwardly.

The unknown person studied him, like an adult contemplating whether it was necessary to respond to the unconcerted splutters of a child.

"I will not call it a reward for your performance, as you lost. Nevertheless, in deference to miraculously making Enoshima keep her promise to entertain me with a cliche, but decent act, I will tell you."

...Enoshima. Ah, so it was real after all. 

"Izuru Kamukura."

I'm back here again...

Notes:

Probably the longest chapter, content wise. Seriously, think I dumped 9 chapters worth of plot points prematurely here. Additionally, this chapter has shown, mentioned, or alluded to every relevant character in this fic in some shape or form.

On another note, It probably goes without saying at this stage, but Junko is not the sole antagonist; It's a free-for-all of several and Junko may or may not even be the final one. However, she is the most central to Naegi's development.

For the chapter itself. I experimented with some of V3's features and thought they'd make a nice addition (given this arc originally started as a team building exercise specifically for Makoto/Kyoko/Leon. I'd appreciate getting some feedback on how it played out so I know whether to keep them in for future arcs or polish anything.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 18: Interlude II: Sonia Nevermind

Summary:

The next 3 chapters will be a flashback arc mainly from Sonia's PoV and extending to school life at HPA with the other members of Class 77. That also includes previews of what happened on Jabberwock Island.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-6 years ago-

 

Sonia Nevermind was groomed to be Queen from birth. She had never known want or mediocrity, anything and everything she desired was readily prepared – the many attendants of the royal line saw to that. But the same was true even outside the castle walls. The people of Novoselic showed her unparalleled kindness and respect; grown men bent the knee to a child like herself.

One day, she deigned to ask why before her father, King Lucius Nevermind.

The king let out a hearty laugh at her inquiry, shaking the throne he sat on. “That is only natural, Sonia. They are your future subjects, both to lead and to protect. This world is built upon equality and reciprocity. For centuries, our family has given them hope and they, in turn, have rewarded us with reverence.” The monarch left his royal seat and approached his daughter, resting his palm gently on her soft hair.

“Never forget your place, Sonia. You are the princess of Novoselic first and foremost. Your duty is always to our people, regardless of where you are or whom you become.”

“Yes, father.”

For many years, Sonia adhered to that ignorant lifestyle. She never complained, never desired more, nor did she find her royal treatment out of the ordinary. A fish who only knew the ocean waves, should not contemplate what laid outside the ocean’s boundaries. But Sonia was a girl afflicted by boundless, almost unnatural curiosity. She dreamed of the outside world she had never seen and the scope of her interests were vast, extending the customs and thought processes of the morally disinclined.

Mere days before her 14th birthday; a national holiday to be celebrated by the entire nation at that. Festivities were set to occur for the whole week. The preparations that went into the ceremony were stressing. She was glad to have been granted a break from her instructors, even for a few minutes. Sonia wandered off to the outskirts of the castle for fresh air and found him there. He was too old to be called a child, but not old enough that society would consider him a man. His features were striking; pale skin, ashen-blonde hair, a black military trench coat, and – upon directing his gaze towards her – steely black eyes. He…did not give off the aura of a civilian, nor had she ever seen him in the castle before.

Sonia briefly considered that he might have been a kidnapper (she would rather not go through such tedious ordeals again.), but that thought was shot down after he turned away, paying her no further attention.

“An auspicious day, isn’t it?” Sonia cordially greeted the older male.

“…No different from all the others.” The stranger’s voice was rough and elicited disinterest.

“…It is mere days my birth week.” Sonia stated matter-of-factly, as if a revering connotation should naturally follow suit. However, the boy gave her look that said, ‘So what?’

“Are you…not from here?” The Nevermind princess asked, confused

“No. I was born here. Though I haven’t stepped foot on this soil in a long time.”

“But you must know who I am.” Sonia didn’t give immediately her name. It was a matter of a matter of principle.

“…Sonia Nevermind.” He said. “I don’t know what you want but if you’re itching to play master and servant, go find your actual servants. You haven’t done a thing to earn my subordination.”

He exuded a staggering amount of hostility for someone he’d never met. Additionally, there was a misconception that Sonia felt be corrected. “You were born here, were you not? By that token alone, you are my subject.”

“Novoselic is just the land I was conceived on, it doesn’t define me.” With little more than a condescending glare, the boy walked away.

Sonia flinched at the remark. By all account, he had the appearance of a commoner…yet she could feel a suppressed dignity coming from him. Nevertheless, hat detail was irrelevant to her current state of mind.

That level of disrespect was unfounded in her experience. Nobles from all around Novoselic would give up fortunes just to get in her good graces. Even her previous captors treated her as one would an esteemed (albeit unwilling) guest. In lieu of their deference, even in insurrection, some were granted pardons or a stay of execution. However, this boorish stranger dared to spit on her lineage. Was that not the same as trampling on the dignity of Novoselic itself?

The princess was consumed by a quiet anger. She was a lady and even more, she was royalty. Sonia would not allow her actions to be ruled by base emotions, thus her indignation was easily suppressed...That would normally be the case, however Sonia was led by another force this time. It was an unmistakable emotion that drove every child, regardless of status or gender. Curiosity, that is to say: a thirst for adventure and to perceive the unknown.

‘By my family’s name, I will make him reconsider his words, then grant him a suitable punishment.’ Sonia let that excuse carry her into the expansive woods as she trailed behind the man in secret.


 

“Do you really have this much time on your hands?”  The older boy asked.

“I demand you apologize for your rudeness.” Sonia huffed.

 “…What do you really want? If you cared so much about your pride, then you would have gone to your father already. He’s the one with any real power.”

“You believe Sonia Nevermind to be no more than a weak child?” She fumed

…With an exasperated look, he proceeded “Why don’t you take a look at yourself before talking.”

Sonia pouted, acknowledging that she may have made some minor error along the way. She tailed the boorish individual to a shoddy looking house. The small residence was out in the middle of nowhere. With the amount of decay, she wondered if anyone’d lived there in months, if not years. The inside did little to change Sonia’s opinion, a gust of dirt led to her breaking out into a series of coughs. Which in turn resulted in her capture. A blow to the head rendered her unconscious and when she awoke, her hands and legs had already been tied with rope.

“If I untie you, will you finally leave?” His tone was almost pleading.

“Not until you apologize.”

“…I suppose this is my punishment opening my mouth.” He sighed.

Sonia’s curious eyes were drawn towards to a nearby wall. There was a rack stationed there. One that held an assortment of rifles, guns and grenades. Certainly not items to be left carelessly in one’s home. “So many weapons. Are you, by chance, a terrorist?” Sonia marveled at the arsenal all the same.

The boy frowned. “That’s not something you question with a smile. And if I were a terrorist, wouldn’t that make you my prime target?”

“You do have a point.” Sonia ruminated over his words, but ultimately decided they mattered little. “No matter, I would merely find a way to escape, then direct the army towards you.”

“…Is this a sovereign’s confidence?”

Sonia shook her head. “A sovereign's experience. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been held captive…and arguably may not be the last.”

The gloomy male observed her in momentary silence. A pause that gave way when he reached into his pocket to pull out a knife. With it, he cut her bonds. “Leave. You’ve wasted enough of my energy today and I’d prefer not to be inconvenienced further with the label of kidnapper.”

Sonia rubbed her wrists, pleased to see there were no indents or anything that might give away injury.

“Just a moment.” She paused as he stopped in his tracks. “I have given my name. It is only courteous that you give yours.”

“Cain Reich art.”

Sonia went back home without much of a fuss and received no reprimand for her absence. It was her right to move wherever she wanted to on the lands, so long as father never forbade it.


 

 “Excellent, my lady.” Her instructor praised her for a marvelous dance. It was preparation for the ball that would take place on her birthday. “The word graceful does your steps no justice. Your growth brings me to tears, so much better than when you were a novice.”

“You mean to say I initially lacked promise?” She distinctly recalled receiving praise from the man back then.

“O-of course not. You were perfect even then.”

‘But perfection would leave no room for improvement. Why compliment her earlier then?’ The instructor excused himself, leaving Sonia to practice alone. Without strict tutoring, her mind was given leeway to wonder.

“He only denied being a terrorist. What were all those guns for?” She only noticed that oddity after she left his home.

Sonia eventually grew weary of dancing and sought out her father, in hopes of relieving tedium. Unfortunately, the king was preoccupied. She stood outside his room peering from the opening in the door.

“This scheme of yours sounds like a gamble…very well, I’ll leave it to you. I hope to be read of these pesky rebels once and for all.”

Father was discussing security matters. It was one of those unavoidable scenarios, she supposed. Uprisings had been happening frequently as of rate. Mostly small-scale incidences, but Sonia worried they were building up to something larger.

In that case, then she should do her best to scout potential dangers. Those wayward thoughts led her back to Cain’s shack. Deep down, she was aware her was just a way to assuage her boredom and let loose a bit of stress. This castle at this time of year had a smothering atmosphere.

As nobody replied to Sonia’s knocking, she saw herself in. The door had no lock and was barely held in the place. After a quick search through, she deduced that Cain wasn’t home. And she had come all this way…

Sonia stopped by the weapons rack, reaching from one of the items. This was not her first time holding an assault rifle, it was almost customary that she’d be trained with one at a young age, but the brand was unfamiliar.

*Whistle*

Sonia twisted her body, foisting the gun’s barrel at the new intruder. Her eyes locked onto a boy of medium height, with fiery blond hair beneath a strange hat. His attire was…strange to say the least; a brown garb and spurs attached to his boots.

His features were boyish and his smile, mischievous

“Goddamn! If you were a few years older, this’d be such a turn-on.” He snickered.

“Who are you? I do not believe you belong here.” Sonia’s eyes narrowed. The weapon in her hands invoked a buried intensity.

“Ho?” He drawled out an amused tone “This is your place then? Weird, because I could have sworn it was ours.”

Ours… “Are you Cain’s relative?”

“Fraternal twins, to be exact. But now that we’ve established that this is my home, and the intruder is you. Shouldn’t I be the one doing the interrogating?”

“The interrogator is usually the one with the advantage. Do you claim to exceed me in that regard?”

He didn't so much as flinch at the weapon pointed his way. “You kidding? This is Tuesday for me.”

She lessened her grip and lowered the rifle. “But it is Wednesday.” The boy’s response drove Sonia into a state of confusion.

He blinked “…It was a figure of speech.”

“What is the reference?” Sonia asked.

He shook his head. “Wasn’t important anyway. What’s with you though? A little girl dressed up all fancy, playing with guns in a dump like this? It’s an image that’d make any mother cry.”

“My mother passed away years ago.”

“What a surprise, so did mine! Now that we’ve broken the ice, how about we introduce ourselves? You first.” She didn't detect an ounce of sympathy in his tone.

“Sonia Nevermind.” She said.

“…. Bullshit. You got any proof?”

“You desire evidence…Just a moment, you commented on my dressing. Surely it’s enough to know I am not a commoner.” She pointed to the jewels embroidered on her dress.

“Smart one. Yeah, I was messing around, your highness.” He gave a bow.

A weirdo, this one. “And yours?”

“Abel. It isn’t my real name, but it’s not like I remember that. Call me whatever you like.”

“That shall not stand! A name is one of the most important gifts you could receive. I demand you treat it with greater care.” Sonia planted her hand in front. For one with a history as rich as her own, she couldn’t fathom how he could disregard his as if it were garbage.

“Why…did I feel like getting on my knees just then?” He wondered.

“You’re both noisy.” Cain entered the room.

“Mucho tiempo sin verte, mi hermano.” Abel tossed his hat over to Cain. The other male paid it no mind and let it drop to the floor. Spanish was one of the languages Sonia spoke fluently, thus she understood that Abel designated Cain as his brother. Looking between the two, she could see some resemblance, but their personalities couldn’t be farther apart.

“…Who are you?” Cain replied with a deadpanned expression.

“You’re fucking horrible.” Abel laughed. “We haven’t met in a year and that’s my welcome?”

“What in the world are you wearing?”

“I had a job in Mexico and you know the saying; when in Rome, grab a poncho.”

“. I have never seen such garments before…and we are in Novoselic, not Mexico.” Abel had a funny way of speaking. Perhaps he was one of those mentally disabled?

Abel faced her. “How sheltered are you?”

“Didn’t you get the message last time? I don’t want anything to do with you.” Cain threw her an annoyed look.

“Hmmm~. What’s this I’m hearing? You and the little miss had an outing before?” Abel’s eyes shifted between the two as he smirked suggestively.

“I do not believe I am much younger than you.” Sonia grew tired of being treated like a child.

“Aren’t you 14 soon? That’s almost a 4-year difference right there.”

“Brats calling each other brats. And this day started off so well.” Cain said.

“Defending her already? Sheesh, when’s the wedding?” The blonde jester whistled.

“...I get a headache every time you open your mouth.”

“I try.”

“We are certainly not in that sort of relationship.” Sonia addressed Abel. “I returned to make your brother apologize properly for insulting the crown.”

Abel snorted with amusement. "Pffft. Is picking on girls your new hobby? We sure I’m not the older twin?”

“Both of you, get out.” Cain seethed.

“I am not finished- “Sonia was cut off by Abel’s hand on her wrists.

“Let’s go, Sonia. Bro here can’t handle a conversation for more than 5 minutes. Guys with no stamina are pathetic right?”  He joked

...

“Where shall we go? To town?” Sonia asked as they wandered through the woods.

Abel looked at her, slack jawed. “You nuts? No way am I going to be seen around you in public.”

‘Nuts? I am not very fond of them.’ She furrowed her brow at the thought. “Is there a problem with us socializing?”

“You see, I’m what productive society calls a delinquent. The kind of guy mommy and daddy tells nice, cute girls like you to stay away from.”

“You do appear quite dangerous.”

“You’re awful! Don’t you know not to judge a book by its cover?”

“I was not. You give off the impression of a savage beast. This ‘delinquent’ term, as you put it, appears accurate.”

 “Aren’t you a heart-breaker. And here the great me was about to take you hunting.”

“Hunting?” Sonia asked, thinly-veiled interest seeping through her.

“Yeah, we’re trapping rabbits.” He showed off a toothy grin.

“See, easy. Ain’t it adorable?” Abel held a white rabbit by its ears. The poor creature’s legs moved but to no avail. Sonia was amazed at how fast the boy was to catch it, and how he’d accurately predicted the rabbit’s movements.

“Very much so. What shall you do with it?”

“Hm…fry and eat it, I guess.”

Sonia gave him a dead-panned stare. “I…see. I’ve heard rabbit-meat is a delicacy in some countries.”

“It was a joke! What do you take me for?” He freed the rabbit and watched it scurry away. “That was practice, for keeping in shape. Rabbit meat tastes like crap, I’ll never go back to it.”

Then he had eaten it before. Sonia surmised their financial situation were likely unpleasant, if that house was anything to go by.

“Huh? In the past sure, but now we should have plenty of cash. We just like it there.”

“In that…house?” She put it as politely as possible.

“Yeah. A bit of a dump, but it’s home and we like it that way.” He shrugged. “Though I wouldn’t mind if someone cleaned up once in a while.”

Sonia had seen her maids clean her room many times, yet she had never done it herself. “May I try?”

The boy seemed to consider it. “Maybe next time. Shouldn’t you be hurrying on home?” He looked to the setting sun, lighting the forest an orange hue.

Sonia gasped. She had forgotten all about her lessons, did not tell anyone she had left the castle…but, she did not want to return quite yet.

“Why the hesitation? Don’t tell me you actually like hanging out with us bozos.” Abel scratched his hair.

“Is that a problem? Your words are alien to me, but they sound very fun.” Sonia clasped her hands together.

“Lingo huh? No problem, just stick with me and I’ll show you the ropes. You’ll be as cool as me in no time.” He patted her head.

“In that case, shall I bring a sweater?”

“…Don’t...hold me to the ‘no time’ part.” He dusted his back. “So, what about the other one?”

The other being Cain. “I wish to know if all men outside Novoselic have such poor manners.”

“That bad?” He laughed.

“Had I been in a worse mood, I would have ordered him sent to the gallows.”

“Public execution eh? That’d be a fun sight.” His smile dangled on the corner of his lips “Funny, since he usually keeps to himself whenever I’m not around. If he said enough to piss you off so badly, then you must have struck a nerve yourself.”

“I do not believe I spoke out of turn, or out of the ordinary.”

“A matter of perspective. The one who takes offense is the receiving party, so they’ll be the ones deciding if you got under their skin. From the sounds of it, you both started off on the wrong foot either way." Abel asked.

“I was so frustrated that I wished to ascertain if your brother was a threat to Novoselic and apprehend him if so.” Sonia puffed her chest with pride.

“And…you came by yourself?” He asked with raised brows, it was a rhetorical question obviously.  “What the heck happened to those dainty princess stereotypes?”

“Do not worry. As mentioned, I would not have Cain executed. Instead, I planned on thoroughly re-educating him on courtesy, beginning by making him my butler.”

The orange- blonde clutched his stomach as he howled in laughter “Holy shit. You’re killing me.”

Sonia presumed that was another ‘figure of speech’ as Abel called it.

“You’re a cool broad, Sonia. Feel free to come back any time you like.”


 

Sonia took Abel on his invitation the next day.

“What are we doing over here?” She asked Abel.

“I asked my brother to meet us over there.”

“Why there?” Sonia pointed to an area in the distance.

“You’ll see when he shows up…. ah right on time.”

Sonia peered over to see Cain walking towards Abel’s designated location. The boy wore no smiles and tucked his hands in his pockets. It was a normal sight, right up until he took the next step. Suddenly the ground he walked on burst into flames as a condensed explosion rocked the ground.

Sonia gaped in horror at the sight. Any attempt at screams would have been drowned out by the laughter of the boy next to her.

“You…what have you done?” She whispered.

Abel sat on the ground, gazing at her humorously. “A little prank. Picked up some incendiary mines and thought I’d lay a trap for him.”

 “Then you believe he survived that?"

“Not really. But it’d be cute if that was enough to kill him. Realistically, he dodged at the last second.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Sonia didn’t quite understand, but the boy’s tone suggested this display was nothing out of the ordinary. “Is this a form of play between brothers?”

“No, I think that’s just us-…. woah!” Abel dodged a rock that flew straight toward his head in a weird way. The self-proclaimed delinquent fell into the ground. Before he could stand, a shadow loomed over him.

Sonia blinked at how quickly Cain had reached them. He zoomed even faster then Abel chasing the rabbit the previous day.

“Grit your teeth.” The older brother said.

“Are you sure about this? I could have a bomb wrapped under my vest. You could set it off, you know?” They younger sounded confident, but the beads of sweat rolling down his face told a different tale.

“If that means you die, then I’ll gladly pay the price.”

“…Aw come on. I was just testing if the blasted things worked for our next job…” Abel cut himself short, sensing the futility of his excuse. “…Not the face.” He said just before a fist impacted his jaw.

Sonia giggled. “It must be nice to have siblings.”

Cain stopped in the middle of yet another punch, scrunching his face at Sonia’s observation. He shook his head and released his grip from Abel’s collar. “I don’t see what’s nice about putting up with this idiot.”

Abel picked himself up, wincing as he touched his right cheek. “What, you’re an only child? I thought the royal family would have pumped out tons of babies to preserve the line.” He addressed Sonia with a lopsided grin. She began to realize that cockiness was the boy’s default expression.

“That is not always the case. A number of potential successors may lead to in-fighting in the family.” She corrected him.

He rubbed his chin, then looked at Cain. “Makes sense. Hey, don’t we know someone who’s been though that?”

The ashen-blonde closed his eyes. “Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

She continued. “In my circumstances however, I believe it is because my father refuses to remarry, thus I have no siblings.”

“D’aww, guess Old King Lucy really liked your mom. How nice.” Something about Abel’s tone was worrying…cold even.

“Why did you call me here? If it was for that little joke you pulled earlier, I’m getting back to punching.” Cain.

“Calm down, you muscle-brained gorilla. We’re having a picnic.”

“A picnic?” Sonia asked, then looked to a bag Abel brought with him.

“It’s an outing among friends and family. You can have one pretty much anywhere, as long as it’s far from home. It’s all about the sights and unfamiliarity, you see.” Abel explained.

“Although, there’s usually food involved.” Cain elaborated.

“What? You hungry? Go catch a rabbit.” Abel teased.

“We are friends?” Sonia nervously fiddled with her fingers, catching onto the implications behind Abel’s remark.

“Yup, and I’ve decided to hold a celebration to commemorate that.”  He brought out box containing sandwiches underneath and passed one off to Sonia.

She looked at it for a second before eating.

“You’ll really eat that? What would you do if it was poisoned?” Cain cast her a disappointed look.

 “It tastes normal.” Sonia said.

Just normal? I put my heart and soul into that meal.” Sonia ignored the younger brother’s feigned grief to focus on Cain, who hadn’t so much as looked at his own portion.

“Will you not eat?” She asked.

“It’s poisoned.” He replied

“Did we not already confirm otherwise?”

“Yours might be clean, but mine isn't.” Cain replied, with assurance.

“See what I have to put up with, Sonia. This machine can’t appreciate a damn thing I do for him.” Abel pouted.

“It’s because I acknowledge your talents that I’m certain this is another one of your warped attempts at teasing.”

“Eh? Prove it.”

“Fine. If you want to relieve my worries…eat it first.” Cain glared at Abel.

“Woah, you’d take another guy’s sloppy seconds?”

“It wouldn’t be any different from what we did as kids.”

“It’s poison.” He gave up.

“Pest.”

“Is it really?” Sonia said, taken aback.

Abel scratched his hair. “Yeah, there were toxic berries in the woods that I mixed into his.”

“You must be aware how dangerous your actions are, and the same for the explosion earlier. Why are you trying to kill him?”

The target in question snorted. “If I get done in by this clown, then I deserved to die.”

“There you have it. He doesn’t mind one bit, and it’s a fun pastime for me.” Abel shrugged.

“I am not sure I approve…but I understand that you both must place an extraordinary amount of faith and confidence in one another.”

"I'd rather not think that." "Disgusting." 


 

“What are your travels like?” The next day, Sonia inquired about the boys’ hobbies.

“Adventure’s one of life’s great joys. Great people, great food and gorgeous sights. You interested?”  Abel, being the most socially inclined of the three was quick to answer. “It’s all about breaking your preconceptions. Just when you think you’ve got a grip on how the world works, move a few hundred kilometers and it’s like you stepped foot on Mars, or whatever dirtball’s out in space. Us humans are versatile. Go to New Zealand and I’m treated like a second cousin to strangers. Then enter parts of Russia and suddenly I’ve become a menace.”

“Rather than hostility, I’d say that’s an intelligible assessment on their part.” Cain made a backhanded comment.

The point is that I’m never bored thanks to all the customs out there, and I wouldn’t say any’s objectively better than the other. Gotta have the pain with the pleasure, else the experience isn’t worth jack. Not to Every new country lets me feel like I’ve gained a new identity. Like I can be anyone.”

Cain scoffed. “Isn’t that a convenient philosophy; doesn’t that mean you’re just dissatisfied with your current self?”

“And you’re not?” Abel returned the chiding comment. The elder twin didn’t reply.

“And you, Cain?” Sonia asked. She reasoned he too was a traveler from their first meeting.

“I have no interest.”

Sonia sighed. “That is something of a waste.”

“For him, you’re talking about a superfluous part of the job. All he cares about is following orders like a good little dog.” Abel spoke with an inflection in his voice. If there was some scorn directed towards Cain, the latter failed to pick up on it.

 Sonia internally ruminated on what sort of occupation could children like themselves undertake that would allow them to move around the world. She chose not to question, instead opting to inquire on a matter closer to her heart.

“What of Novoselic?” She wished to hear Abel’s opinion, as the older sibling had already voiced his universal thoughts.

“Novoselic is…home.” That was his uncharacteristically monotonous reply. It was a vague response, holding a microcosm of emotions, but Sonia leaned to a positive interpretation. Her decision couldn’t be faulted. It was a matter of nationalist pride, and on an even simpler basis, the belief that nowhere one would call home could be hated.

Despite their lower status, these brothers did not hold an ounce of reverence for the Nevermind princess. They treated Sonia as an equal, if not inferior in some regards. Cain’s cold and pessimistic attitude belayed wisdom beyond his years. Abel was wild and crude, however mistaking him for a fool would only reveal yourself to be such.

To them, Sonia was a regular girl. Most surprising of all…was that she preferred it that way.


 

For Sonia, not even a dust mite would be overlooked in the castle. The maids worked gracefully and tirelessly to maintain the standard of pristine quality. Therefore, the clutter in the boys’ home was unacceptable, and certainly had nothing to do with her wanting to try cleaning for herself. Currently, Sonia was preoccupied with sweeping the floors, using an old broom that felt like it would break if she applied any more force on the handle.

“What are you doing?” Cain asked, watching Sonia hold onto the broom.

“Cleaning.” She stated the obvious.

“I’ll rephrase.  Why do you keep coming here?”

“You are my friends.”

Cain cocked his head. “I’m painfully dull and my twin is a reckless goon, not likely to live a long life. Why involve yourself with either of us? Or are you deluded enough to think the grass is greener on a salted field?”

“I can not deny I feel some - perhaps unwarranted - envy towards your lifestyle, but you are incorrect at one point. You both possess rather unbecoming traits, and I have not completely forgiven your earlier transgressions against me.”

“Get to the point.” Cain said.

“As Abel put it, one must take the pain with the pleasure.”

“And the pleasure is?”

“You are both very interesting to me, and much different than what I am used to. Call it a selfish whim if you like, but I wish to impose upon you.”

“In other words, you’ll inevitably tire once you’ve learned everything you need to. I can live with that.”  Cain assessed her form and continued “I take it you’ve never touched a broom in your life?”

“How could you tell?”

“Your sloppy movements and the fact that you’ve missed too many spots to count.” He pointed to the many untouched spaces of dirt. “Hand it over, I’m not shameless enough to let a guest tidy up my own home.”

“No, I insist upon this task.”

“Give it.”

“No. I demand you stand down.” Sonia planted her hand in front.

“…” The boy raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she was doing.

Sonia coughed. “Usually, most would obey immediately after I assume that post. With my father being the only exception.”

“And what would the king do if he found out you were delegated to menial tasks in the home of strangers?”

“Your heads would doubtlessly roll.” She probably wouldn’t be able to persuade her father otherwise either.

“If that’s all, then no problems.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“I’ll show you the ropes. As banal as this is, I doubt I’ll be able to change your mind. At the very least, you should be productive.”

“Am I really doing such a bad job?”

“If I ever came across undisciplined in my unit, I’d give them quite the hard time. Simply put, you’re terrible enough to solidify that you’ve never done anything for yourself.”

Sonia bit back a snappy comeback, recognizing there was some truth to his statement. “Very well. I welcome your tutelage, Cain.”

“Sir.”

Sonia blinked. “Pardon me?”

“You’ll address me as ‘Sir’, understand?”

Sonia assumed Cain’s newfound enthusiasm was a form of roleplay, or something to get into the mood. The coming hours served to prove that she had never been so wrong in her life.

“First, you’re Goldilocks, now you’re Snow-white. You did clean up right?” Abel said, as if her exhausted form and dirt-ridden clothes weren’t evidence enough.

“Yes, sir.”

The orange-blonde froze. “…What?”

“My apologies. I haven’t broken out of the mindset quite yet. I requested your brother’s assistance and he…well…” How would she put it?

Abel touched his chin. “Went full drill-sergeant on you?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Even my military trainer did not push me quite so hard. I wasn’t aware cleaning was such a frightening ordeal.”

“What do you know? He’s taken a liking to you after all.”

Sonia was skeptical at the implication “That was a show of affection?”

“Yeah, bro’s a total war geek. It’s about the only thing that can get him going, and you know what they say: showing off your hobbies is what friends do.”

“Ah, you mean to say he emulates soldiers as his hobby.” Sonia placed a finger against her lips, then beamed brightly. “In that case, I am grateful to have experienced that side of him.”

“Emulating…not how I’d put it. Either way, hope he wasn’t too hard on you.”

She would say yes but that would be rude. “His instructions were excellent. My efficiency tripled near the end.” And it showed. The insides of the house were thoroughly cleaned and dusted.

“Glad you had fun, and glad I don’t have to keep living in a dump.” He smiled. Though she reflected on why neither of them had bothered to maintain upkeep.

“Say, what was that about having a military instructor?”

Sonia explained that it was required of her and many others to undergo military training. Sonia was not simply meant to be a figurehead, but a future queen that would command Novoselic’s forces.

Abel was seemingly impressed by that information. “Then you know your way around a gun. Man, if you were a few years older, and someone completely different, I’d be head over heels.”

That, in no way, felt like a compliment. “Is that the only reason you asked.”

“Nah. You’ve given me an idea for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow…that would be one day before the ceremony. She would barely have time. “I should leave for home.”

“Really? I was just about to make dinner.”

Sonia laughed awkwardly, not really in a daring mood to try one of his...’recipes.’

….

“Sonia.”

“Yes, father?”

“The servants informed me that you were…less than clean when you returned. What happened?”

She told the truth. “I’m sorry for appearing in such a shoddy state, but I contracted dirt on an outing with my friends.”

The king’s eyes widened a notable fraction. Understandably, as Sonia never mentioned her friends around him. Mainly because she had none. She had acquaintances at school, but they all kept their distance. Not physically. The other students engaged her quite frequently, however in the hearts, they had already created by themselves, a chasm between them and herself. Royalty couldn’t mingle so frivolously with the commoners.

“Wonderful news. Just be more careful next time. You must maintain your dignity at all times.”

Sonia expressed mild surprise at her father’s dismissal of the news. “You won’t ask who they are?”

“You’re capable of choosing your own friends.”


 

Getting out of the castle was more difficult the following day. She’d promised to only be gone for no longer than 2 hours. Sonia wasn’t expecting to be dragged out of the brothers’ homes almost as soon as she arrived. After elaborating on her time constraints, Abel had grabbed her by the hand and ran out the door. Cain followed from behind with a bag strapped to his shoulders.

“What are we doing here?” Sonia inquired. The three had moved a good distance away from the shack and were stationed on a small cliff. Abel used his binoculars to stare far off into the distance; a plain where antelopes frolicked about.

Cain opened the bag and procured a hunting rifle with a scope attached to it. “Hunting.” He said.

That…would be a first. “I may have experience with fire arms, but I have never shot at a person.”

“That’s why you’ll be shooting animals first.” Abel said, jovially.

…She might need to have a very lengthy talk with the boy about ethics on a later date, but right now…did he not utter something out of place? “First?” Sonia asked, puzzled.

“Yeah. You know. Practicing for self-defence. I’ll even let you take shots at me.”

“I do not feel comfortable with that at all.”

“You shouldn’t be so hasty. Shooting at this clown is good for relieving stress. Although hitting him is a different story.” Cain added.

Abel stuck his tongue out at the other male. “Now, let’s start.” Abel decided to make the game a competition, to see who could secure a kill the fastest.

Sonia gingerly held the rifle, feeling the soft leather on his fingertips. These weapons were not inexpensive – She thought. Through the rifle’s scope, she viewed the deer and antelopes chewing on grass, completely unaware that they were about to become prey.

“3…2…1.” Abel’s countdown began…and at zero, gunfire rang through the air, and the herd of wildlife scattered. All but 2, who were shot down instantly.

“I hit my target.” Cain spoke first.

“As did I.” Sonia was next, not very pleased by that fact. Though that meant the one who lost was…

“Bullshit. You stole my kill.” Abel snapped at her.

“After all that bravado, she turned out to be the better shot. You’re pathetic.” Cain chastised him.

“It was a fluke. One more round!” Abel whined

“But the animals are gone.” Sonia noted.

“We’ll wait for the next batch.”

“Those are…cheetah?” A single one to be exact, towering over the carcass of the dead antelopes.

“Perfect. Oi, you stay out of this. This is between me and the half-pint.”

“Don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Shut up. Let’s go, Sonia. 3…2…1…”

Then… “We both missed?” What happened next struck Sonia with fear. The cheetah spotted them…was running towards their direction at breakneck speeds.

“Oi, I think its piiiised.” “Looks that way.” The boys observed what should have been a life-threatening incident in the making, with indifference.

 “Now then, it’s kind of fast. What should we do?” Abel asked.

“Carry on what you’ve been doing. Shoot it.”

“How!?” Sonia panicked

“Calm down. Just take aim.” Cain drew a pistol from his jacket, knelt besides her and placed his arms over her own, where he made her assume the proper shooting stance. “In a fight for survival, there are three important rules to follow.

“First. You must decide whether or not it is appropriate to obey a fight or flight response. Letting the adrenaline from panic rush over you might improve your chances at times. However, that only applies to scenarios you could solve with physical ability. On the battlefield, you’ll find that sort of reliance will get you killed for even a child armed with a gun could kill a body builder. Always retain your composure.”

Battlefield?  This was an inappropriate scenario for his roleplay habits, was it not? Sonia’s breath quickened as the sprinting animal drew closer. Yet Cain continued.

“Second. If your opponent is difficult to overcome, you must consider why, before planning your next phase of attack. The faster you react and adapt, the higher your chances of survival.”

“Third. If you feel there is no hope for victory, then retreat.”

“Now then, Nevermind. Are you powerless here?”

Sonia reflected on those words. She could feel his slow heartbeat, and gradually relegated her own to normal levels as she took deep breaths. The brothers showed no fear in the face of impending danger, so why should she?

She was the princess of Novoselic. She could not allow herself to be outdone quite so easily! It was embarrassing to think she’d be so easily rattled.

“I…am not powerless.”

She fired. The bullet flew and impacted the feline’s shoulder, sending it tripping to the side in an awkward fashion. However, it recovered in no time. The animal’s speed and dexterity had dropped, but it was no less enraged, and no less lethal.

Sonia gasped, once again falling to a panicked state. Just as the cheetah bridged a distance of exactly 12 meters, an explosion engulfed the predator. Sonia heard its pitiful cries as it slumped down. Even from where she stood, she could tell there would be nothing more than charred remains once the flames settled.

“What…. happened?” She breathed out and turned towards Abel. For a moment - and she meant as strongly as possible – for a fleeting moment, Sonia witnessed a crimson glow fading from the younger brother’s eyes. She blinked and his iris returned to their normal color.

‘Was that…a hallucination?’

“Looks like the trap worked. I planted a bomb there just in case one of those critters had any bad ideas. It was the same one I used on big bro the other day.” He chuckled.

“I…wish you had told me you’d taken insurance.” She supposed that explained their relaxed behavior. They were never in any danger in the first place.

“If not for your foresight…my failure may well have doomed us.”

“No way, you did great.” Abel praised.

“It was adequate, given you had all but 11 seconds to learn.” Cain added.

“Thank you.”

“Whelp let’s head home. What about you, Sonia?” Abel asked.

“I…shall go back home as well. This ordeal has left me a little tired.”

“To be expected.”

On the retreat to their respective homes, Sonia inquired upon a matter that reasonably bothered her. “Do either of you have hunting licenses?”

 

Notes:

Thanks for reading! Exams are over so I'll probably have more time to churn out more chapters. The next will be up the following week.

Chapter 19: Interlude III: Sonia Nevermind (2)

Chapter Text

-October 13th 2006-

 

The day of celebration was at hand. Sonia dolled up in her finest white dress, adorned in diamonds and other fine gems. She was to look her very best for the ceremony that raking place inside the castle walls, where their esteemed guests would arrive from all around Novoselic or perhaps even abroad. Lucius Nevermind sat on the throne on the furthest end, while Sonia met and took the hands of all those who stepped forward to announce themselves. The father and daughter’s position symbolized the roles they would play this evening; she was to be at the forefront this evening.

The preparations aside, the actual event was something Sonia greatly looked forward to. Be you a commoner or a celebrity, to have so many waiting in line to celebrate your special day filled her with an indescribable feeling.

"You look great, Sonia." Said a blue-haired boy, roughly her age.

“You look dashing as well, Nagisa.” Sonia replied. The complement came from Nagisa Shingetsu, the scion of a wealthy Japanese family, and an acquaintance of several years. Although they had never met under less formal circumstances, Sonia thought of him favorably. She had no qualms giving him the honor of a dance at the event’s peak. Although, many would be clamoring for that opportunity as well.

It almost made Sonia forget the political agenda some of these nobles needed met. Almost anyway…she wouldn't readily make herself available to suit their needs. The initial gathering lasted for about an hour before the guests began mingling with each other.  Sonia distanced herself from the crowd to catch a small breather, she wouldn't be allowed to leave the spotlight for long. All had made timely arrivals, for courtesy was yet another one of the attributes of aristocracy.

All save one.

“...Finally got the right door. What moron builds a castle this big? It's a miracle anything gets done." Sonia was close enough to the entrance to hear the grumbling of complaints.  A girl with golden hair tied into a thin, high-pony tail and physically no older than herself, stepped through the opened door. She wore a black tuxedo with a cross tie overtop a white vest. Sonia glanced from the side of the new arrival, whose eyes met her own; they were were colorful - yet dull - blue orbs that refused to reflect light.

"This'll be embarrassing if I've got the wrong person, but you are Sonia Nevermind, correct?” 

"Yes I am. Are you here for the celebration?" Sonia answered.

"If you don't buy me being fashionably late, I've got an excuse ready." She was brimming with self-satisfaction.

Sonia smiled. "There is no need. I am glad you could make it Miss..."

"Whew, dodged a bullet there." The other girl muttered under her breath, then took a bow. "I'm Shinobu Togami, the representative of the Togami corporation. The pleasure is all mine, Princess Nevermind." 

Bouts of poorly hushed whispers emanated across the room at the utterance of the name. Turning her head slightly, Sonia counted a number of the guests staring at them, or to be precise Shinobu, with unease.

'The survivor.'  'The aberrant.' ‘The mage.’  All sorts of fatuous names were spoken aloud…though the target herself ignored them completely.

The Togamis...she had some faint knowledge on them. Her father mentioned them from time to time; a family of great repute, if she recalled. "Sonia is fine and I am grateful to have you here. It is not every day that I get to speak with a girl my age." Sonia greeted.

"Why?" Shinobu stared. "It's embarrassing to admit as a girl, but I totally fell for you at first sight. Maybe I should be your prince on a white horse."

Sonia flushed red slight from the candidness. "You exaggerate. You are not lacking in graces yourself." She returned the compliment

"I'm well aware but by comparison, I don't match. Permit me to be honest; I'm seething with envy on the inside."

“I…” Sonia stuttered, not able to find the words to counter.

Shinobu smiled impishly. "It was a joke. Please laugh or I really will get self-conscious."

Sonia stood silent a moment before a genuine giggle escaped her lips. She had recently come to know the joys of properly interacting with peers who treated her informally.

*Cough* Sonia’s head whipped to the side to see her father glowering at them.

"King Lucius, it's a pleasure to see you again. You get more handsome every time we meet. It's true that dandy is the new fad." Shinobu bowed.

“Our last meeting was little over a month ago. I doubt I could have changed much” He sighed. "I trust not to take your tardiness as an insult?"

Shinobu cocked her head to the side. "Only if I feel like you've done something worth the insult. Have you?" Her tone rang playfully.

Sonia nearly gasped. It was one thing to take up a casual tone with her, but a show of disrespect to her father was another matter entirely…Yet the man paid the snide remark no mind. Instead he moved onto another topic. "I was expecting the proper heir."

‘Proper heir?’

Shinobu’s lips thinned. "Last minute changes were made, and well...Byakuya couldn't make it."

"What could be more important than my daughter's birthday?" Lucius glared. It was a sensible indignation. One Sonia wondered if she should share. Though she could not bring herself to feel personal involvement with a woman she had never met, Sonia was still royalty. Just like with Cain, if presented with what she felt was an offense to her dignity, she would not take it lightly.

For that reason, Shinobu’s awaited answer was nothing short of baffling. "It’s a school night. I made Byakuya stay home."

‘…Was that another joke?’ Sonia earnestly thought. While education was universally important…this is an extreme case to use it as a defense.

"And you believe that is no insult to us?" The king raised his brow, whereas the Togami girl appeared confused by the question.

"Doesn’t that go without saying? Byakuya misses a day of class and he’ll have to make it up on spare time that could be used productively. He’ll never catch up for the rest of his life.” Shinobu raised her finger and took on an admonishing tone. “But I also see how poorly it would reflect the Togami corp, and we’re nothing if not about saving face. Sooo, I took it upon myself to hurry here as fast I could in my brother’s stead.” Shinobu’s reply was straight-laced…but her words did not very sound sensible at all. Her rationale was off, but even more than that…did she imply she came alone?

“I don’t see an escort. How did you arrive here?” Sonia inquired. In timely fashion, one of her father’s men interrupted the conversation to bring a disturbing bit of news. “Sir, half an hour ago, a foreign aircraft entered our airspace and landed on the helipad. Should we be on alert?”

“That’s mine. I did say I was in a hurry.” Shinobu raised her hand, with no regard for how many potential laws were breached. The three gazed at her with confounded expressions.

“…Leave it.” The king instructed the subordinate, who promptly departed. Shinobu watched him leave with a discerning eye.

“Don’t mean to pry, but that is one of your men, correct?”

“Yes, he’s been my aid for decades.”

“You must place a lot of faith in him. Servants who have remained by you through the years are an invaluable treasure…Reminds me. I should pick up a souvenir for Aloysius.” She trailed off into her own thoughts, leaving the father and daughter pair to stew in confusion. Sonia couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something more to the girl’s words.

 “Now, there is an urgent matter I wish to speak with you of, King Lucius. It’s related to my presence here.” Shinobu said, turning serious.

“Sonia, excuse us.”

She nodded and distanced herself from the conversation.

Sonia’s first of impressions of Shinobu defied the concrete: A frivolous disposition, one the princess first thought to compare Shinobu to Abel, but ultimately dismissed it. The younger twin had no regard for appearances, whereas this person had the countenance of nobility. The Togami affiliate had a melodious voice, carrying an undertone of mischief and sarcasm. A smile - so permanently fixated onto her features - that Sonia wondered if it would ever waver, regardless of the circumstance.

If the party before the Togami’s arrival had been a hegemony of pale color, quite a colorful personality had slithered in.

While Sonia didn’t know of the origin behind the names Shinobu had been called, she couldn’t help but feel those words were not inaccurate.


 

Sonia returned to the center of the room, conversing with the many groups that came her way, however the blonde’s attention drifted towards her most eccentric visitor, time and again. Most of the time, Shinobu stood by the corner alone, evading the public eye. Occasionally – much like right now – others approached her and, despite earlier gossip, the interactions appeared pleasant from a distance. A woman, least a decade older, in a black dress addressed Shinobu with a hearty smile, offering words of gratitude, not unlike the few that came before her.

“Excuse me.” Sonia approached the woman, who once left on her own, walked to the balcony, a lighter and cigarette in hand. “Sae Yozuru, was it?”

“Princess Sonia. You don’t mind, do you?” She pointed to the cigarette.

Sonia shook her head. “So long as it’s done outside, I do not think anyone will be bothered.”

“I’ll reserve this spot then.” She said in a sultry voice. “Now, how may I be of service?”

“If I may be so bold, I wish to know what your relationship is with the girl you spoke to earlier.”

“…Ah.” Sae inhaled the cigar and exhaled facing towards the outside of the castle. “I owe her a great debt as my benefactor. My late husband left the company was in dire straits some years ago. Little Shinobu sent me a life rope; a few loans here, advice there, and I was back in business.”

“A few years ago. Would she not have been a child at the time?” Or was Shinobu older than her appearance suffested?

“I believe she is only a few months ahead of you. It’d be a funny joke otherwise… if there was some spell that could keep her looking so young, then maybe I should quit my job and become her apprentice.” Sonia assumed the older woman was playing to the label of ‘magician’ she’d heard before. “Have you really never heard of her?” Sae continued.

“Pardon my ignorance.”

“Let’s not go that far. That knowledge’s more for the business world...Never thought I’d be saying that a few years ago” She said bitterly. Sae did not seem like a very happy woman, despite her documented wealth. “If you’re fishing for information, I could tell you what I know.”

“I would be very pleased, and your assistance would not be forgotten.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear.” Sae accepted what was an unofficial business transaction. “Shinobu Togami is an odd girl, plain and simple.”

Sonia waited for an elaboration.

“She’s mostly harmless, as far as I know. But she’s also not playing with a full deck. You need a lot of patience to deal with her.”

“Do her feats warrant such praise?” Sonia made a thoughtful expression. There wasn’t much one could accomplish at that age.

“That depends on what you mean. Shinobu’s a helper for sure, but that’s not where the infamy comes from…Have you ever heard of the Togami succession ceremony?”

“I cannot say I have.”

Sae looked to the ceiling, a repulsed look crossed her features. “The heir of the family isn’t selected by age. It’s won in a free-for-all between siblings the moment the eldest reaches 25. The age of the youngest is irrelevant, even a toddler could be forced to participate.”

Sonia frowned at the implications “That is very unfair.”

“A sick joke, if you ask me, but I hear the point of the stipulation is that life itself is unfair. I believe Shinobu was around…10 when it ended; the odds were stacked against her as one of the weakest prospects.”

Prospects… “What were the rules of the contest?”

Sae bit her cigarette. “None. ‘Use whatever means you can to subdue the other siblings’ – is the only rule, and there can be only one winner.”

“Any means? Then even…” The blond furrowed her brow…

“Yeah, kill the others if you want, as long as you win. Naturally, you can’t get caught. Anything is possible with money though, even keeping cops quiet.”

“I see, such an archaic custom is…intriguing, but I can’t imagine it would come to that. They are family after all.”

Sae slowly shook his head. “I wish you were right, but like I said, life isn’t fair. There were 16 siblings to start with. Only 2 are alive this very day.”

Sonia's brows creased, an audible gasp escaping her lips.

“I knew a few of them myself. Richard was the oldest and most expected to win; a good guy, a friend and had the best business sense you could find across the seven seas; I met him in university, and he introduced me to my husband. The second was Filia, an angel that one, both in looks and personality. Put her behind a piano and she could bring even the coldest man to tears. Pity what happened to them.”

“Shinobu…killed them?”

“Not quite. She lost too. The winner was Byakuya - the runt of the family - who nobody backed. Shows what they know since he topped them all. He definitely killed Richard, you could take that to the bank.” The dark-haired beauty let out another sigh of regret.

“Could a child really have killed his siblings?”

“Your guess is as good as most, but some believe it. In the history of the Togami family, the runt has never won. In fact, they’re always the first to drop out.”

That made sense. A child wouldn’t…couldn’t be expected to win, much less participate. Sonia imagined they would surrender immediately. Naturally, the younger the age, the less experience and social connections. Winning was out of the question…unless they were exceptionally talented. A veritable genius.

“Byakuya was not a genius. I met the two myself years ago; they were cute things. He was skittish, but a hard-worker. I could tell the potential was there, but it would never be realized in time. Shinobu was much the same…if not less talented. Then again, she barely said a word or reacted to much of anything. Now that I think about it…I met them together.”

Sonia didn’t think there was anything out of the ordinary with siblings staying in close proximity…but these circumstances were fairly extreme.

“It’s no secret to the children that they were rivals for the throne. Normally, they wouldn’t interact; can’t risk revealing secrets. These two were different. Most likely Filia’s doing. She doted on them like an older sister should.” Yet she was one of the fallen.

“I met Byakuya again, shortly after his victory. He was a completely different person. Cold, arrogant, and…very much a genius. A fitting personality for a high and mighty cog of corporate society” Sae rolled her eyes.

 “…I believe you said there could only be one victor. Why-”

“Is Shinobu still a Togami?” Sae cut her off, having expected the question. “Nobody knows. The tradition was overturned and she kept rights to the family. That little mystery she pulled off is her greatest magic trick.”

“It’s in poor taste to mock someone on the basis of survival.” Sonia scowled. At times adults could be more immature than toddlers.

“…The rumor is that Shinobu was responsible for the murder of her siblings. While the younger brother was a pawn...”

“Is there proof?” Sonia’s questioned.

Sae tossed her smoke out of the balcony, without care for where it landed. The older woman wore an indiscernible expression, not unlike the faces of the crowd when first glancing upon the Togami girl. “I can’t say what she made me do to keep my fortune, but there were sacrifices made that I did not think I was capable of…and I would never do it again. Never.”  Sae trembled. A dark shadow cast across her face. “If you asked me if Shinobu could have killed them to become the heir, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. If you asked did she…I’d call bullshit.” Within moments, another cigar was lit. This time, not for luxury, but a way to calm he nerves. “That girl doesn’t have a shred of ambition.”

“I do not know if many children are ambitious.” To the extent that they would orchestrate the demise of their family members to reach their goals anyway.

"That's not quite what I meant. That girl doesn't want anything. For all the help Shinobu offered, she could have snatch my fortune right from under me, but she asked for almost nothing in return. It might as well have been charity.” And in the business world, there was nothing that turned heads quite like unconditional generosity. "Instead of desiring anything for herself, she's like a wish-granting machine, only you get much more than what you bargained for. For example...the idea that Shinobu killed her siblings out of personal gain is far-fetched, but...If, on the chance, that someone like Byakuya had mustered the courage to say 'I want to win' to his sister...she could do it. I would not doubt it."

"You make her sound like a monkey's paw." 

Sae laughed “I don’t know the facts though, so feel free to take my words with a grain of salt. traditions that last hundreds of years are difficult to break and are followed almost fanatically. Heir or not, those two were children. From what I learned of the Togamis, deaths happen "but no more than 3 or perhaps 4 ever die. And that’s only in the case of close races. But 14? It was unthinkable. The family’s history dates back centuries. What could have been different this time?”

 “Thank you…you have been most helpful.” Sonia walked away. Her spirits had dampened somewhat because of the morose news, but what else was to blame, if not her persistent curiosity?

"Princess Sonia." Sae called, just before Sonia left. "I don't know why you asked me about Shinobu, but allow me a few words of friendly advice."

Sonia turned back to meet Sae Yozuru. The older woman suddenly seemed significantly older to the princess. A depressed woman drowning in her own self-loathing, her features marred with fatigue and eyes filled with regret. "Tread carefully if you intend to get involved with that girl, otherwise you'll be swallowed whole by your own wish." It was a premonition of a curse, a prophecy of the future to come.

Sonia nodded in understanding, then left.

“It is a rumor, no?” She said to herself. Nobody could prove anything, all they could do was speculate. Still, at least she understood the nature of their aversion. The reactions to Shinobu upon her arrival. They were of fear.

“Princess Sonia.” A man called, wearing the guard’s uniform. “It is almost time for the ballroom dance.”

Sonia looked at the clock, it was nearing 11 pm “So it is. Thank you for reminding me…” Hold on…what was his name? “Are you new?”

“Yes. His majesty hired me recently.”

“I see.”

Sonia followed him.


 

“Aren’t you making a big deal out of this?”

“Aren’t you a woman? To dance with the princess yourself is inappropriate.”

Shinobu and Nagusa stood off against each other. Both entering into an argument of who would receive the honor of Sonia’s first dance. This wasn’t particularly unheard of and similar skirmishes occurred a few times in the past. As proof of that, the adults watched over the argument with amusement and anticipation. This was not simply a child’s scuffle, but a proxy war of familial influence. Usually the “competitors” ended with one shoving their parents’ superior wealth and status in the other’s face. It was a simple game decided by an equally simple measuring stick. The loser’s family would be shamed, so in cases of overwhelming differences in class, few would rise to the challenge. Nagisa family was among the wealthiest she knew and he’d already won the most times…

However, this time was a little different.

“Hey, isn’t that gender discrimination?” The bewildered Togami said.

“I’ve heard about you, Togami. I’m not backing down to a figurehead.” Nagisa seethed.

“Why would I argue against you using assets I didn’t earn? My own merits should suffice.” Therein was the problem. Shinobu was not abiding by the “rules”.

“Enough.” King Lucius’ voice boomed from the throne. “This is an auspicious occasion. One I don’t wish to taint with fighting.”

“Then…why don’t we make a game of it? This is a celebration, after all.”

“What do you propose?” Nagisa narrowed his eyes.

“We both get a dance. Whichever combination the crowd is most pleased with will be the winner.”

“…Deal.”

Shinobu clapped her hands. “Great. If possible, I’d like to dance with you as well. Cute boys with a transparent jealousy streak like yourself are adorable.”

Nagisa flushed, a red tint on his cheeks contrasting his blue hair. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I got shot down.” Shinobu frowned.

“Who will go first?”  The king asked

“I’m used to being second.” Shinobu’s gesture was innocuous…to anyone unaware of her circumstances. For those who did (much like Sonia currently) …it was nothing short of menacing. What did Abel call these? A dark joke?


 

Sonia took Nagisa’s hand in the first dance. The floor being left bare for the two of them. The blonde glanced around the room, and found Shinobu staring off to the side, looking away from the dance.

“Sorry.” Nagisa apologized out of the blue, drawing her attention back to him.

“For what?” Sonia said, matching his pace.

“Making a scene like that. I know it must be embarrassing…and I don’t think of you like a trophy or anything.”

Sonia giggled. “I know that wasn’t your intention. It can’t be helped, tradition is hard to break.”

‘That wasn’t to say I am accepting of it’– Sonia thought bitterly. The pains of being born into royalty ran deep.

“Another reason is…I didn’t want her near you. I don’t know if you’ve heard rumors but she’s dangerous.”

“Is that so?” Sonia feigned ignorance. “If she is, I doubt she would try anything in the middle of all these people.”

“That’s true…”

“Shouldn’t that have been obvious?”

He pouted. “I’ve also heard she’s a huge womanizer.”

And there was the real reason. If Shinobu was right about one thing… it was that jealousy could be a very charming point.

As the music switched to a softer note, Sonia slipped one hand onto the Nagisa’s shoulder and another onto his chest, gently turning the two around as to not disrupt the rhythm. She trusted he wouldn’t fumble over the simple action and smiled when he lived up to her expectations. Afterwards, he resumed the lead, guiding Sonia.

It helped that past experience had taught them both how to anticipate the other’s movements. By that advantage alone, Sonia was sure Nagisa would prevail over his rival. It was evident that he’d practiced as much as she. Their dynamic wasn’t only organic, but their steps didn’t tangle once in spite the intimacy of the dance. The warmth and closeness were something she tried keeping out of mind, lest she accidentally remember they were in a room full of people watching them. Either way, she savored their time together, before the song hit its final note.

Resounding applause met them as they separated from one another. A sense of achievement welling up in both of their chests. Regardless of who won, that was definitely fun.

“That was incredible.” Shinobu stepped towards them, clapping all the while.

“You’ll admit defeat.” Nagisa smirked, slightly out of breath.

“Nothing like that, but I’ll admit you put on an excellent show, with the way you exercised your talents to their utmost. I feel nothing but admiration towards those that give their best…however-” She stressed, eyes overflowing with amusement. “-that is all.”

“What are you talking about?” The boy scrunched his face in confusion.

“See for yourself. Are you ready, Sonia? I will need you at your best.”

“Of course. A single dance isn’t enough to exhaust me.” At the time, Sonia failed to recognize that those words had only served to prove Togami’s point.

Nagisa moved back to the crowd and observed them with crossed arms.

Shinobu intertwined her fingers with Sonia’s and slid her other arm onto Sonia’s back and reeled her in closely. The sudden contact and closeness made Sonia blush. It was an odd thing to say about another woman, Sonia did not embellish the truth in her earlier assessment – Shinobu was breathtakingly beautiful. Perhaps it was because of Sonia scanning Shinobu’s features, that she didn’t fail to notice the suited girl’s eyes looking towards the crowd at times, while as they glided through the dance floor.

She was aggressive, much more than Nagisa. Thankfully, not so intense that Sonia couldn’t easily follow her movements.

It was an exhilarating experience, but Shinobu would never win like this. As if the eccentric had read the princess’ mind, she turned the tables immediately after that thought. “That was fun. You can take the lead now.” Shinobu chirped.

“E-Excuse me?” The surprise almost made Sonia come to a halt. Lead? Sonia had practiced dominant roles before, but that was merely formality. She would never be the one to take charge during the actual dance. Her instructor would faint!

“You lead, and I’ll support you. Don’t worry, be as fast and aggressive as you want. I’ll match you.”

Was she in her right mind? This was their very first time as dance partners, they knew nothing of each other’s mannerisms or patterns. How could she keep up?

“Aren’t you the future queen?” The conceit in her voice was unmistakable “I don’t have very high hopes for this country’s future if their next ruler is submissive enough to let an outsider walk into their home and dominate them.” If her words were not enough, that arrogant smirk on the Togami’s lips would suffice to provoke anyone.

Sonia’s heels loudly clacked as they made contact with the floor. She gazed at Shinobu with eyes cold as steel, yet her heart burned with ferocity matching that of her first meeting with Cain.

“That is an overwhelming degree of confidence. I trust you won’t disappoint me?” Nevermind returned Togami’s with all of her dignity. This was no longer a contest between Nagisa and Shinobu, if it ever was. The victor would be Sonia herself. She would see to that.

“There’s nothing wrong with confidence, when you can back it up.” Shinobu relaxed her grip on Sonia, giving the latter the signal to initiate her own pace. Sonia reversed their positions, their bodies swayed intimately. Sonia’s waltz had powerful steps and a hint of harshness to them.

She tuned out the many gasps from the crowd. They weren’t important right now – All that mattered at this moment was subduing her all-too-confident partner. If Shinobu embarrassed herself, then that was her own doing. However, it appears the other blonde wasn’t one to be outdone. So far, she was keeping her word. Shinobu was smug, unperturbed by the increasingly fast pace.  Even the song changed on the fly to match the new tempo.

Shinobu’s steps were smooth and her elegant strides synched with Sonia’s, but in a very different way from her dance with the boy. Here, there was no unison. Instead the girls were elevating each other to new levels. Sonia wasn’t just basking in the warmth of her partner but emanating her own at an even greater intensity.

From afar, the two could have been mistaken for sisters, one adorned in white and the other veiled in black. It was an elegant yet passionate display. One that left all who gazed speechless in awe, even several moments after the dance finally ended. In fact, only a few particular guests retained their composure; including the king and Sae Yozuru. It wasn’t because the dance had left them unimpressed, but rather they knew right from the start that it would end up this way.

Thunder in the form of applause filled the room as the inhabitants slowly recovered from their stupefaction. Some even forgot themselves and sang praises for the Nevermind princess, who had completely stolen the show and captured their hearts.

Sonia bowed. Both out of gratitude for their applause and because her body felt like it would give out. Not even Cain’s ruthless training had left her this fatigued despite lasting hours longer. She checked to see how the other girl fared. Though Shinobu stood, beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

“Good thing the song ended when it did. I almost lost balance.” She breathed out.

“My…apologies.” Sonia said, catching her breath. She wasn’t sure what came over her, but she clearly went too far.

“No problem. I asked for it after all.” The blonde flipped a strand of hair. To Sonia, it seemed like a way to distract Shinobu’s heavy breaths. “Even though I’ve taken dance lessons since childhood, I still hit my limit. I guess this is what it means to have genuine talent. Excuse me for a bit.” The billionaire moved away from Sonia without waiting for a response, leaving the girl in question puzzled, before she was flooded by admiring guests.

“It’s my loss.” Nagisa scowled from where he stood “I never knew Sonia could dance like that.”

“Do you know why you lost, boy?” Sae stood near him.

Nagisa boy shook his head.

 “It’s no lie that you’ve got moves…but isn’t our little princess the star of this play?” Sae flipped her hair “You might have forgotten…or maybe you’re too young to realize, but the two of you are just props. Shinobu knew that, played to the crowd and made the star they wished to see, shine as brightly as it could. Even if it meant Shinobu herself be nothing more than a footnote in the act.”

Indeed. The crowd’s focus had been almost entirely on Sonia, himself included. He didn't even know where her dancer partner fled to. It was a defeat on the most fundamental level. Even if both performed on an equal level, Shinobu would still have been the victor because she emphasized the Novoselic royal; the one everyone desired to appraise from the very start.


 

“Not much of a cake eater, but I think I’d regret passing up this time.” Shinobu said, standing with Sonia in front of a mountainous pastry.

“Yes, we had the best chefs in Novoselic attend to it.”

 “Don’t mind if I help myself.” And she did, cutting a slice with a large knife and taking a bite. “Delicious. I should share with your boyfriend. Now where’d he go? Not sulking, I hope.” Her head swayed in all directions, searching for the blue-haired boy. Their dance took place half-an hour ago, and the clock was nearing 12.

“Huh?” Boyfriend. Where would she get such an odd idea? “I’m not permitted to be in a relationship.”

“Oh? Your dad forbade it?”

“Not explicitly, but it is common sense.”

That mention of ‘common sense’ did not appear to impress the humming Togami. “Hm? A princess before a girl, is it? Which was the one I had the pleasure of dancing with earlier I wonder.”

Sonia felt like she was read like an open-book. "What of you?" She bashfully changed the subject.

"I have a lot of freedom in my life. My father doesn’t care about me, nobody does really."

Sonia blinked at the mood killer, though Shinobu did not appear to feel awkward at all "I can’t believe a father wouldn’t be proud to be blessed with a talented daughter. Even I am not equipped to pilot a helicopter."

"If I were actually talented, I wouldn't have been late to the party." Shinobu refused to accept the compliment. “Your impressions’ a little off, I’m not a genius. My family has this really unfair competition between siblings. I’m the second youngest so if I didn’t accumulate an assortment of skills as quickly as possible, I’d have been left behind.”

That was in line with Sae’s information. Sonia’s upbringing was far from ordinary either, but she never once felt she’d been unduly treated.

Shinobu continued. “Byakuya’s the one with real talent; I took my eyes off him for a little while, when on vacation with my oldest brother. By the time I saw Byakuya again, he’d already learned how to work the stock market.” She laughed, speaking of her family fondly. Had Sonia remained ignorant to Shinobu’s upbringing, she would have interpreted the other girl’s words as a trivial game amongst brothers and sisters.

Sonia’s train of thought was disrupted by a finger sliding off her cheek.

“You had frosting on the side.” Shinobu said, before stuffing the cream in her mouth.

Womanizer, was it? "You are…surprisingly manly."

"…Now listen here..." Her voice fell dangerously low.

"No no. I-I meant that you are behave dashingly, male-like."

"Fair enough…I think." Shinobu muttered

“I did not mean to offend.”

The older blonde giggled. “You didn’t…This is fun, it was a good break for me, after all.”

“You are very busy?”

“Dad’s health hasn’t been the best, lately. I’ve had to manage the company. in his absence. I’m been doing it for over a year now and I want it to be over already.” Shinobu sighed. “Though some would say I’ve been running the family for longer…”

“Then I too am happy to be of service.”

“Thank you.” Shinobu smiled solemnly. Upon, catching the saddened, tired expression, Sonia decided to put any negative thoughts about the girl behind her. Rumors were often exaggerated, the more sensational the topic was. Both girls lived in similar circumstances, but Shinobu was more experienced in the ways of the world. That fact brewed admiration in the princess’ heart.

Shinobu’s gazed moved past Sonia’s, eyebrows ticking upwards. “…Miss Sonia, may I borrow the knife?”

“Please do, it’s right behind you.” Sonia answered, presuming Togami planned on eating more cake. Being the inquisitive girl, she was, her eyes were drawn to the direction Shinobu peered to earlier. Her father was in line of sight, surrounded by guests. The time was a minute before 12 am.

“Huh?” She stumbled onto a peculiar sight. It was that new recruit among the guards, his movements were eerily anxious, particularly around the area of his arm….!

Sonia’s eyes widened, a gun laid in the man’s hand and it was poised at her father, whose back was turned. Nobody else was aware.

Sonia motioned to scream as the man reached for the trigger. However, before either took place, a large kitchen knife shot through the air like an arrow, narrowly missing the blonde's face. A sickening squelch was heard next as the knife lodged itself into the back of the man’s skull. He fell to the floor gracelessly.

Sonia turned back to see Shinobu’s arm outstretched, a blank expression on her face. “We should get out now.” Her action signaled the start of the Chaos that would descend that night; other ‘guards’ raised their guns against one another. Sonia recognized some, and completely failed to deduce others.

"Yes. His majesty hired me recently.” – It was an utter lie. One that she had foolishly believed. Her father would never hire new help on such notice.

“Princess, I advise we leave.” Shinobu tugged Sonia’s arm, prompting her to follow as they crawled out of the room, leaving through an open door away from the anarchy and gunfire.


 

“Where are we going?” Sonia asked, sticking to the walls as they snuck around.

“Someplace to hide. I was hoping you’d give directions.” Shinobu answered from the front.

“What about my father and the guests?”

“You’re a lot more useful with me than staying there, and things should quiet down faster. On another note…I don’t recall inviting you.” Togami looked back to meet Nagisa on the rear.

“Like I could leave Sonia in danger.” The boy glared.

“She won’t be, I’m here.” Shinobu replied.

“Who do you think I meant?” He snarled lowly. “You’re the one who started that mess by k-killing that guy.” He stuttered

“Shinobu saved my father. That man was going to attack him.” Sonia interfered.

“And how did she know that? Nobody else was able to act but her.” Nagisa argued.

“I sense a severe lack of faith.” The accused said, sarcastically.

“How can you joke around at a time like this?” Nagisa raised his eyebrow.

“This isn’t my first rodeo. If anything, I think the two of you are blindingly intense and it’s starting to affect me too. Calm down a little.”

“Our lives are in danger! How could we be calm!?”

The blonde cocked her head. “You’ll be fine. So long as I’m here, neither of you are going to die, so relax. No point in getting excited at a time like this.”

Nagisa backed off at the remark. There was an assurance imbued in those words that they couldn’t deny, nor would they want to.

Shinobu nodded, pleased at their compliance. “At least you’re asking the right questions. Yes, I did know there were rebels there.”

‘Rebels.’ Sonia thought as much, this served to confirm those suspicions.

“These belligerents aren’t worth much in the end, really. It’s a numbers game. The palace guards outnumber them 5:1 in total. There’s twice as many in the hall alone. If you’d stayed, they might have used you as leverage. That’s why I needed to get you out.” Shinobu addressed Sonia.

“That’s the strangest thing you’ve said yet, how would you be able to count how many there were?” Nagisa gripped Sonia’s arm, pulling her further away from the older girl.

 “Remember how I arrived a little late? There was actually nobody there to meet me when I entered the castle. I thought that was a bit off so I did some snooping.”

“You…prowled inside my home?” Sonia commented on the uncomfortable remark. “Why not just come straight to the party and ask my father?”

Shinobu stopped walking, giving no reply.

“…I remember you saying something along the lines of finally getting the right door, when you arrived. Would that be the reason?” Sonia realized.

“Right door?” Nagisa parroted, then settled on a mocking grin. “You got lost? Lame, even a kid could find their way through this place.”

“…I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation.” Shinobu answered, more monotonously than usual.

“…I suppose the castle is rather large.” Sonia said apologetically.

 “If you say so.” The amused boy added.

“Where was I…right. I happened to stumble onto the bodies, stripped of their clothing in a washroom while I was looking for the- never mind.” A bit late for that. “I had an idea of what was going after that and counted them. First thing I did was draw your father’s attention and inform him.” That explained their earlier talk.

“Why didn’t the king say anything?” Nagisa inquired.

“We weighed the benefits and the costs. At the time, we didn’t know how many infiltrators there were or what they wanted. Couldn’t risk it. Of course, we couldn’t allow anyone to leave either, or that would draw suspicion.”

“Then what did you do instead of lying around until the literal last minute?”

 “I was given a list containing the faces of the guards that should have been in the hall. All I needed to do was count off the men that weren’t on that list. Those would be the rebels.”

“And you did not give yourself away?” Sonia entered the conversation. These men should have been alert enough to notice someone counting them off.

“No way. I did It in plain sight. When we were dancing, that gave me the perfect vantage point to scope out the entire room. Afterwards, I gave your father an estimation that coincided with the body count and it was enough that we could overpower them. Rebels tend to be on the weaker side, glad to see this situation was no different.”

“During the dance? Is that why you were so stubborn back then?” The blue-haired boy’s eyes widened. That she’d used the opportunity for strategic purposes on top of beating him was nothing short of humiliating.

“I don’t like the way you phrased that that.  if anyone is stubborn, I’d say it was you. So stubborn that King Lucius had to step in and salvage the situation.” She sent the boy a teasing smirk.

“You and my father have been collaborating quite a bit.” That left Sonia feeling inadequate; she was completely uninformed of the situation, yet her father was more trusting of a relative stranger.

If Shinobu picked up on her feelings, she didn’t show it. Not like any of her emotions slipped through that mask of unassailable affability. “I told the king that I’d be your bodyguard if things went south, and he left It all to me. Now we’re caught up.”

“I hate to admit it, but you’re fairly capable.” Nagisa pouted.

“I only made the best out of an already terrible situation…About that hiding spot. Preferably somewhere with weapons stored. Knives are cool and all, but if I’m in front of a gun, I’ll die before using one.” Shinobu twirled the knife in hand.

“There is the armory, but it is locked.” Sonia replied.

“Even if it wasn’t, we shouldn’t go near there. If anyone with a functioning brain planned this operation, then the first placed they’d secure is the where the artillery is located. Any other ideas?” Nagisa said.

“My room. I have a pistol in my drawer.” Sonia said.

“Might be dangerous, but it’s worth a shot.”

The odd trio reached the corner leading to the princess’ chambers but stopped just short of it due to an expected obstacle. “Like I thought, it’s guarded. They must have really done their homework. Any ideas on how to get him to leave?” Shinobu turned back to the two.

“I could act as a distraction.” Sonia proposed after a time.

““Out of the question.”” The other two said, simultaneously, shutting her down.

“…I wouldn’t want to risk losing the Queen.” Shinobu said.

“I am not a queen yet.”

“It’s a figure of speech…chess.”  Nagisa shook her head, whispering so they wouldn’t be heard. “He’d probably call in backup before doing anything and that’s the last thing we need.”

“A distraction may not be a bad idea after all." Shinobu observed the boy with a calculating gaze. "Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be equipped with an assault rifle.”

“Is that a big deal?” Nagisa asked. Sonia took it upon herself to reply.

“Well yes, that is why I suggested it. With a handgun, the number of rounds that can be fired consecutively is significantly more manageable for us than against assault rifle.”

Shinobu added onto her explanation. “So, let’s divvy up the roles. Only 2 of us are necessary. One to dash towards and stab him with this knife, and the other to act as a distraction. His attention will be split between both, creating an opening…but I shouldn’t have to say which of us will be in greater danger.” The one moving for the kill will be seen as the greater priority, and we don’t have ranged weapons. This was a reckless strategy.

“Would it not be safer to abandon the gun and leave?”

“At this rate, we will run into the enemy eventually. Without any means to defend ourselves, we’re finished.” Shinobu countered “Naturally. I am the oldest, and also the only one with experience with killing a man. I do not believe either of you are currently up to the task.”

“We’re not dead weight. I could take him out, no problem.” Nagisa boasted

“Earlier, you had problems just uttering the word ‘kill’. Sorry if I’m skeptical.” The oldest said. “Though, you are correct that I’m exaggerating. Truth, be told. I have only ever killed 2 men in my life. The second just happened to be a few minutes ago.”

That was the second time?” He said in disbelief.

“A shameful chapter in the comedy that is my life, but yeah I’ve killed before, and I can’t necessarily say it was in a self-defense. Poor guy was just doing what he was paid to, but unfortunately, I wasn't in the right state of mind. I regret it now. ”

Sonia wondered if Shinobu understood what Nagisa had really meant, or if she intentionally skirted around it. The first shock was that she indirectly denied the rumors of her orchestrating the deaths of her siblings. Next, being how decisively she executed the rebel, despite it only being the second time.

“I’ll charge first while I’ll need someone to grab his attention. Do a decent job, okay?” Shinobu volunteered.

“No, I believe that task should be left to me.” Sonia argued. “There is no guarantee that the one at back is safe. Depending on how inexperienced that man is, or if the shock clouded his judgement, he may well may make the ‘wrong’ choice and foil our plan. Instead, if I am the one attacking, he is more likely to hesitate. They must have already memorized appearance, and I am the prize they seek.”

 “Are you crazy!? You shouldn’t be putting yourself at risk at all. It should be me or her.” Nagisa hissed.

“I am not accepting no for an answer. This is my decision and it will not be overturned.”

Togami placed a finger to her lips, her deep blue eyes danced with an indescribable emotion. “Theoretically, I can’t argue it’s not our best bet. But can you do it? Could you really kill that man?”

“I will not shame myself.” Sonia burned with resolve.

“Very well. Then I’ll-“

“I’ll be the distraction.” Nagisa overtook the eccentric. “That’s my condition.”

Togami rubbed her temples. “Can’t say this is how I expected things to go down, but I doubt either of you will listen to me at this point.”

After an unpleasant bout of deliberation, the trio settled on a compromise. The princess peered out of the corner, observing the man whose guard had yet to relax. By that account alone, he appeared a disciplined soldier. Nevertheless, she would prove his better.

“I’m ready.” Sonia said.

“Me too.” Nagisa followed.

There was no point employing stealth here. Sonia speared ahead as fast and nimbly as she could, knife poised at his heart. She wouldn’t give him the chance to retaliate.

Unfortunately, the sounds of her footsteps reached his ears before she got within striking distance. “Hey you-!”  Shock lasted only a second before the shimmer of the knife’s blade dawned on the soldier’s eyes, prompting him to point his gun at Sonia. Her mind froze over with terror...and her body with it.

“Over here, dumbass!” Nagisa yelled at the top of his lungs as he threw what looked to be his shoe. The barrel slightly lifted upwards, away from Sonia and to the boy. It was a bodily reflex that sealed the soldier’s fate…but not before he fired a single shot.

Sonia’s knife pierced deep into his flesh, and the bullet… “Gah!” A loud grunt and the distinct noise of a body falling to the floor. Sonia twisted the knife and pulled it out, leaving the soldier to crumple onto the ground, a pool of blood forming around him.

Sonia slowly turned around to see Shinobu leaning over a fallen Nagisa, in an eerily similar state as the man she just…killed. Sonia rushed over in a panic.

“He’s been hit in the lower abdomen.” Shinobu said, applying pressure on Nagisa’s side, her gloves stained with blood.

Sonia’s breath quickened. “What do we do?” She had no medical expertise, and they could hardly find a adoctor at this time.

“…Someone likely heard the gunshot. We can’t move him too far or his chances of survival plummet to the ground. We stay and…I feel that’s self-explanatory, really.” Her tone became steadily robotic, each word lacking more emotion than the next.

“What…are you suggesting?”

Shinobu looked Sonia in the eye. “Make a choice. Do we abandon him to die and run, or stay and be sitting ducks for the enemy? Both might amount to the same thing in the end though.”

“I am not leaving my friend.” It wasn’t a matter to be contended.

The elder Togami sibling shook her head, a disappointed grimace on her features, as if condemning Sonia for her lack of foresight. “Calm down…and consider who has the right to make this decision. Is it Sonia Nevermind, the princess of Novoselic or the 14-year-old girl standing in front of me?”

A nauseating sensation fell on Sonia, like her ‘self’ was forcibly being ripped open by the other girl. She’d felt it before – that this person saw right through her, as if she were no more than an open page to be read.

“It’s too bad if he dies like this, however…he's not important to your rule. You are part of Novoselic’s dynasty of monarchs; a concept that scarcely exists anywhere else in the world. Your only duty is to your kingdom, and that involves taking every step you can to survive. If you are captured by these men, your family will crumble, and the future of your people will be uncertain. Or do you mean they are worth sacrificing for your one insignificant boy?”

A loud smack rang in the hallway. Shinobu’s head flung to the side from the impact of Sonia’s slap; the latter’s frustrations had finally reached their boiling point. She’d had enough of this girl’s insolence.

“You have no right to speak to me that way. You think I don’t know that!?” Sonia snapped. “ If I would abandon a single boy that risked his life for me, then I never deserved to lead in the first place.” She glanced at Nagisa’s form; the boy breathed heavily; a sign that he still lived. “Your family may be influential in the international space, but right here, right now, the only authority is myself. The moment you stepped foot onto Novoselic territory, you came under my jurisdiction, the same as all the other guests. Know your place!”

“That is your answer then?” Shinobu placed her hand on the reddened cheek. An unintentional action, as she darkened it an even deeper red seeing that hand was previously used to stop the blood flow. It was a menacing sight and Sonia would be lying if she claimed to not have felt a tinge of fear towards the other girl, who emanated an eerie calmness. However, she remained steadfast in her resolve. “You are free to run for your life if you wish, but I won’t. for going back on your word or did I mishear when you claimed that none of us would perish? How sad to see the Togami name is worth so little.” It was a petty provocation, but Sonia knew she couldn’t save Nagisa on her own. She needed Shinobu to bite the bait.

“You have a point. I can’t exactly embarrass the family name. Okay, I’ll take a look at him.” And she did, to Sonia’s surprise. That monotone intonation reverted back to it's usual cheer. The two slowly carried Nagisa to the princess’ chambers. Shinobu confiscated the dead soldier’s handgun and locked the door behind them.


 

For several minutes, Sonia stood near her drawer on the other side of the room, watching  Shinobu's back operated on Nagisa. The boy laid on her bed, having lost consciousness some time ago. Shinobu sang a lullaby, while using tools in the room for improvisation. Sections of her suit were torn off to be used as wrapping.

“Can he be saved?” Sonia asked after a lengthy period of silence.

Togami stopped singing to respond to Sonia. “If there’s an infection, the hospital will have to take care of it. We’re lucky he wasn’t hit in any lethal areas, but you never know with gun wounds… there we go.” She pulled out a bronze bullet casing. “Now to sterilize the bleeding.”

“You removed…the bullet?” Sonia blinked rapidly, then flew into a frenzy “I was under the impression you were to stop the bleeding. Why did you not leave that to a surgeon!?” The sheer number of complications that could have been caused were baffling.

Shinobu stopped for a moment, back still facing the princess. “I am a surgeon.”

“…”

“That was a joke.” The eccentric laughed. “…I only have the qualifications of one. Medical school curriculum was a breeze, and I’m glad to see it came in handy.” That was no less reasonable – Sonia wanted to say.

Shinobu wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving Nagisa's side. “All we can do is wait now.”

Sonia approached the sleeping Nagisa and found his breathing was steady. She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Togami evaded Sonia's gaze. in fact, Sonia still couldn't see her face from the angle she stood.

“Not at all. You have been invaluable help…and I would like to apologize for my earlier rashness. I might have gotten too steamy under the collar.” Sonia acknowledged that she’d gone overboard. No matter how enraged she became, hurting another was unbecoming.

Shinobu finally turned to face her and laughed. “You should never apologize for doing the right thing. Honestly, I’m surprised you lose patience with me sooner. It might actually be a record.”

“…How do you manage to be indifferent to all of this?” Sonia voiced a concern that had plagued her since meeting the other blonde.

“I don’t think indifference applies here. if I was the type not to care about anything, I'd be a much happier person.”

“You are a pessimist?” Sonia asked.

“I prefer objective. Staying calm and rational is generally the most expedient way to tackle a host of problems. This rebellion I’ve gotten myself caught up in is nothing new.”

“It is a tiresome experience for myself as well, but I do not believe I could handle it quite like you.” Sonia admitted. “And my father trusts you as well. I am envious.”

“…You’d look a dying man in the face and tell them you’re jealous?”

“I beg your pardon?” Sonia could not even begin to trace the relevance of Shinobu’s response, but there was something in her tone that differed from all the others.

“It’s a metaphor…I couldn’t help but feel I was being mocked.”

‘Was she...angry?’ – If so, the Togami did a poor job of showing it.

“That boy over there is your friend, yes?”

Sonia nodded.

“Then I’m envious of you as well…because that’s one more friend than I’ve got.”

Sonia was left in silence. There was no proper way to respond to that.

 “Really?” It wasn’t hard to picture that. Her personality was a complete mystery and her background did not help.

“You might not know this...or you do and are just humoring me, but I have a wicked reputation. In my opinion, most of the rumors around me are exaggerated. However,  if there is one that stands out as truth…it’d be that I’m sick in the head.” A self-deprecating snicker left her lips.

“That is not something you should say about yourself.” Sonia replied.

“I’m being objective. I don’t have a filter when speaking and lack the tact. I don’t mince words, I dislike lies but I'm also very manipulative. I only say what I want to say…and that alienates people…There are other reasons, but my verbosity is usually what kills first impressions.” She shrugged as if it was someone else’s problem; a direct contrast from what her words conveyed. “But I’m not the sort to change myself. I can only say that I was a lost cause from the start.”

An awkward pause filled the room, before Sonia chose to break it. “While I do believe falsehoods are at times necessary at engaging others...I could never dislike an honest person.” For example, misinforming the public of scandals or threats before they cause widespread panic and worsen the situation. “What I am trying to say is…I would not be averse to becoming your friend.”

Another silence, briefer than the last passed over. “…Did you hear a word I just said?” Shinobu said, a puzzled look on her features.

“Though your words may prick the skin at times, I have yet to sense any ill-will from you.” Sonia pursed her lips “Instead, that may very well be the reason I am interested in you. I would much prefer an honest companion than ones who do nothing but flatter me all day.” Not to sound ungrateful, but excess worship was a trait Sonia found undesirable. It made her ears bleed.

Shinobu stared at the princess, as if her piercing eyes threatening to expose any lies or pretenses. Only relenting when she found none. “Your funeral…fine, If that’s what you want.”  

Sonia took Shinobu’s outstretched hand and shook as a gesture of friendship.

 “And Sonia?”

“Yes?”

“The saying is ‘hot under the collar’.

“Right. Thank you very much.”

They giggled. That moment of peace was interrupted by harsh knocking on the door.

“Sonia, don’t stand in the door’s path.”

“But I cannot shoot from anywhere else.” She’d managed to procure the gun from her drawer, whereas Shinobu had her own. With the two of them, they might be able to overpower the enemy.

Don’t shoot at all. I heard several voices. You fire and they would retaliate before realizing who you were. Assuming they’re generous enough to let you live either way. Don’t forget that soldier you killed tried to shoot you.” Togami positioned herself away from the bed and sat by the wall.

“You sound like you speak from experience?” Sonia furrowed her brow.

“…You should always know your enemy before attacking. Hide your gun somewhere close and sit by the bed.”

The door broke down the next second as four armed men strode in, with rifles pointed everywhere.

“We found her!”

Sonia bit back a scathing remark and satisfied herself with a dignified presentation. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Princess Sonia. This is an uprising.” They weren’t making it easy by constantly pointing out the obvious.

“That much is apparent, you do not truly believe you can succeed, We outnumber your forces by over 5 times.”

“I’m surprised you know of that. Do we have a spy?” The man she designated as the captain of these band of barbarians, muttered to himself. “No, you would have been much better prepared if you did…No matter. Come with us. Struggle and we have orders to shoot.”

Shinobu’s assumptions were correct. If she had fired form behind the door then she would already be dead.

 “What about this one?” One pointed to Shinobu “I’ve seen her before.”

“She was the princess’ dance partner and the late arrival. Think she’s a member of the Togami family.”

“Those rich punks? Should we kill her?”

 “…If you killed me, they’d retaliate and you wouldn’t even have the time to consolidate your power, even if you succeeded here.” Shinobu wore a provoking smile.

“Captain?”

“…We don’t need that kind of baggage right now. Take her hostage, and we’ll figure out what to do about her later.”

“That works even less in your favor; the corporation wouldn’t respond to me being taken hostage and would just consider it my blunder. The Togami family cares a great deal about impressions so only killing me would warrant the appropriate response. I don’t advocate taking me hostage, since I’d just undermine you every step of the way. Logically, your best choice is to execute me right here and deal with the fall out as best you can. You wouldn't succeed, but it's your best option.”

“I will not allow that!” Sonia’s voice rose, she had pieced together from the earlier conversation with Shinobu, that the latter – despite her talents – had not led a fulfilled life, but her actions here were suicidal.

“I remember…” The man furthest to the left glared at Shinobu, his voice oozing venom. “She’s the one who kill Boris.”

 “You’ll need to be more specific. Is Boris the one I killed right at the start of this afterparty…or the one napping outside?” Shinobu didn’t even flinch at the raw hatred directed towards her…and chose to fan the flames further.

“You bitch.” The man cursed. “Permission to execute her, Captain.”

“Wait, it could be a trap.” The one referred to had reason to be cautious. No sane individual – man, woman or child – would sport a bemused smile like that mere moments before their abrupt execution.  Not unless they had countermeasures. For noticing that, he ought to be praised. Sonia once wondered if there could ever be a circumstance where Shinobu’s smile could waver, and it would appear the answer was inching closer to a resounding ‘no.’ “What are you scheming, girl?”

“Scheming is an ugly word, but I confess to it. Truthfully, there is a knife hidden in my sleeves and I plan to kill at least one of you in the exchange.” A knife slithered into her palm.

“Drop it!”

Shinobu showed not a hint of fear.  “I don’t think I will. You’ve already professed to wanting me dead, I have nothing to lose. One of you, on the other hand, will certainly lose their lives. Stupid men, guns were made because they had an advantage with distance; even a boxer would disable you from this range.  Oh- you on the left, don’t even try it.”

The addressed man grunted in shock, betraying his intentions.

“Right then, the thought crossed your mind to shoot me in the middle of my speech. Rude, and also stupid. I can read you all like open-books.” Shinobu observed them with interest. “Now that I’ve made my point clear, let’s play a game. To start, I would like each of you to give your first names.” It was an entirely unreasonable proposition one would make of another in a superior position. To an outside observer, the rebels held all the power in the room. That was a misconception. Violence and power are not one in the same. In fact, it is often the case that one resorts to violence precisely because they were powerless.

“Why…do we have to listen to you?” This one’s voice faltered. It was a testament to how they’d already been ensnared by the girl.

“You don't have to be afraid, I'm not scary at all. In the event you overthrow the Neverminds, the whole world will know your names anyway. What do you have to lose?” It was a sound argument; one thoroughly entrenched in logic. Perhaps that is what compelled the men to acquiesce her request. Dignity, charisma, prestige. The mage possessed all these qualities - Her words weaved an arcane melody that pierced the soul.

“Dietrich, Francis, Jacob, and our beloved captain, Alex.” Shinobu recited their given names with ominous fondness. It left a pungent aftertaste in the rebel’s mouths; as if they’d given their souls away to the devil, and for reasons not even they could comprehend. “You all must have gone through pains to get here. You train together, eat together, sleep together. Therefore, I’m sure you all share a powerful bond, born of your ideals; a bond even more genuine than any that mere blood relations could provide. I’m reeling with envy.”

“What of it?” The captain, now named Alex replied.

“I respect those kinds of ties so I’m giving you all a choice. Do not lay a hand on any of us and turn yourselves in.” A laughable statement, one nobody else even entertained. “In the more probable event that you choose to go ahead and attempt to take my life…I want you all to choose who I’ll take with me to the grave. Don’t worry one bit, I’ll be extra sure to confirm their deaths, whoever they may be.”

Everyone in the room was rendered speechless, processing exactly what they had just been told.

“You’re mad.” Was the captain’s conclusion.

“The most successful humans in history have often been eccentrics. Make your choice, or I can do it for you, if that’s what you want. But in that case, I’ll definitely kill your dear captain.”

“Son of a…” Those words were left unfinished.

Sonia observed the mental slaughter in veiled awe. On the surface, the situation had not changed in the slightest. They were still outnumbered and outgunned by the rebels, however, it was like the enemy’s minds had already been riddled with bullets. The discipline and unity they’d exuded upon first arrival had crumbled. Their current form was poor and their guns shook ever so slightly in their arms. It was ridiculous seeing grown men bearing weapons would shudder in front of a 14 year old girl. Yet instinctively they knew…this girl could do carry out her threat, would carry it out. As far as they were concerned, she already had a body count of 2 of their men to prove it.

Sonia’s eyes widened as she stumbled on a sudden revelation. While Sonia struggled to understand most worldly matters, that did not mean she was naïve. Psychological warfare was hardly a novel concept to her, thus she understood.

Why had Shinobu gone on a tangent by revealing her family’s retaliation in the event of her demise, if she was to turn around and advise the rebels to do exactly that and kill her? It was illogical if her goal was to survive. But there was a different purpose. Shinobu had implanted the scope of her family’s influence into their minds...and influence was power.

 Could she, in all honesty, claim this was a spur of the moment plan? Shinobu’s plan was reliant on an important factor – credibility. Power meant nothing if it could not be used sufficiently. However she already had two body counts to her name. The first kill had foiled the assassination attempt on her father; that fact was important in of itself, and Sonia did not think the rebels would leave that task to an amateur. The second had been Sonia’s doing, yet Shinobu took credit for it in front of them. As far as the rebels knew, Shinobu had already bested 2 of their armed men, with nothing but knives. They had every reason to believe her threat was credible.

But how far did the rabbit hole go?

At the end of those machinations…right now, the rebels’ attention, all of it was focused on Shinobu. Pragmatically, one life for the sake of victory was tolerable, but she had attacked them as individuals, instead of a team of 4. It would have been one thing if these men were genuine soldiers; hardened men who fought for a cause much greater than themselves. Instead they were belligerents, without the same training and fought for their own interests at worst and for each other at best.

At this moment, they had forgotten about their target, Sonia.

First. You must decide whether or not it is appropriate to obey a fight or flight response.

They had  a tactical advantage, she couldn’t win head on.

Second. If your opponent is difficult to overcome, you must consider why

Her position was fair. They hadn’t noticed she was armed, but that alone wasn’t enough leverage to tip the scales. There were 4 men. Supposing she picked one off, the remaining 3 would kill her. If both girls attacked, there would still be two left, arguably one if they were lucky. But at least one of the enemy would have the opportunity to retaliate. The circumstances were similar to the corridor’s.

Third. If you feel there is no hope for victory, then retreat

There was nowhere to run, thus giving up would be the closest alternative. However, that meant her friend would die.

Cain had called these the basic rules of survival, however, if it meant she lived as a coward then she had no use for them. Her friend had provided her with the best possible opening, and she would take it. Sonia admitted that – in a moment’s weakness – she hesitated in the hall, which led to Nagisa taking the bullet, but she wouldn’t falter this time.

Sonia gripped her gun and aimed for the head one of the men. She abandoned her reservations and personal feelings towards the task and pulled the trigger. None of them noticed until one’s head popped open. That was the second time she killed a person.

 “She’s armed!” The rebel yelled, their attention returned to the princess. In tandem, Shinobu took that opening and drew her handgun, silencing the captain with a shot through the chest. The third was dispatched using the knife, and the forth she knocked to the ground with a kick, disabling him. Just when it seemed Shinobu was about to follow up, she staggered, clutching her chest with one arm, then slowly collapsed onto the floor.

Even from where Sonia sat, she could hear the girl’s harsh breathing.

 “Don’t move!” He screamed, pointing the gun at Sonia.

“Wait.” Sonia cursed as the worst happened. Another of the rebels entered the room. But…she recognized this one. “We’ve secured her. She’ll be of no use dead.”

“Boris!? I thought you were dead?...What’s wrong with your eyes?” The injured soldier said, referencing the new arrival’s scarlet eyes.

“I barely escaped with my life. Fucking bitch.” The one called Boris, spat on the ground near Shinobu. “The royals are pushing us back, we need the princess now.”

“Not until I kill that piece of shit on the ground.” The barrel of his gun aimed at Togami.

“Go right ahead.”

“Stop!” Sonia yelled.

Gun fire rang…and the man fell. The one called Boris shot him from behind.

"What?" Sonia breathed out.

With one receiver, he called… “The princess escaped her room. She’s on her way to the artillery vault. I’ll hound her, you cut her off.”

Sonia blinked. What in the world was happening.

Boris’ voiced transformed into a considerably more robotic one. “It is done, commander. The target is safe in her room…very well, I’ll return to combat and eliminate the insurgents…at the cost of my life.” He turned around

There was a large indent at the back of his head; wide and long enough for a knife to fit. A small stream of blood had flowed and dried.

Sonia was left speechless at the sight. It took several moments for her to recover and rush over towards Shinobu, who she’d found was unconscious. It seemed the soldier hadn’t held back with his blow.

“What do I do? If anyone else comes, I’ll have to protect them.” She gripped one of the assault rifles and turned around. If anyone came through the entrance, she wou-

“I would be very happy if you pointed that thing elsewhere. It’s an eyesore.” A familiar voice to match a familiar, unimpressed visage. Cain stood tall and glowered at her.

W-What are you doing here?” Sonia’s stammered.  

“The king is one of my clients. I was hired a week ago to help guard the castle if it came under attack. I believe I’ve done a decent job of it.” He said calmly.

“You are a…”

“A mercenary, yes. Didn’t my brother tell you about my ‘hobbies’?” As always, he took mild pleasure in making her feel like a dunce. Come to think of it, she had jumped to the conclusions as to exactly what Cain’s hobby was.

Sonia sighed, feeling exhaustion wash over her “That man, earlier.  Boris. You had him disguised as the enemy?”

“He’s unimportant. It’d actually be convenient if you forgot him.” Cain ignored her question and examined the other two in the room “Both are alive.”

 “I…was protected the entire time.” In the end, she couldn’t win against them and someone got hurt anyway.

The older of the two miscreants gave her a stern glare. “She took out those 4 by herself?" He pointed to the unconscious Togami "I find that hard to believe. I also can’t see someone as bullheaded as you would let another take the bullet while you did nothing. Add the gun in your hands…”

“I know…” Sonia snapped.

“Taking a life…not a good feeling, is it?”

“It is horrible.” The bile in her throat stood as testament. She narrowed her field of vision, not wanting to so much as glance at the fresh corpses in her room.

“The first time is always hardest, and there is still room to turn back. After the second however, it becomes so much easier.” What did he mean by that? That the worst was over and she could become a kill as freely as she wished now? Ridiculous.

“And you do this for a living?” She snarked.

“Did I ever give you the impression that I cared about money or luxury?” Judging from the state of their house, the question didn’t need an answer.

“I am a servant. I kill because that’s what’s asked of me. Our circumstances are reversed, but you’re not much different. Eventually, you will be forced to make difficult choices, because that is what is requested of your position.”

“You…really can’t go without criticizing me at every turn, can you?” Sonia frowned.

“I assess others fairly. If you think I’m overly cynical, then the reason is that so few manage to earn my approval.”

Her eye twitched. “You are very prideful for a mere servant.”

Cain snorted. “Why are you angry? Did you want me to praise you?”

“Not at all. I am just lamenting the sad future that is to come of your brutish personality.” A dark smile crossed her features.

“...If you can banter like that, then you’re fine.”

“My father. Is he alright?” Sonia asked.

“He and the are relatively safe. The rebels are all but extinguished at this point. The ones that retreated will be dealt with before long. It seems we can’t move the kid, so we’ll have to wait here. I’ll call for assistance.” The older boy picked up his phone.


 

And that marked the abrupt end of the most chaotic night in Sonia’s life up to that point. She didn’t remember much after the adrenaline sapped away and left her too drained to remain awake. The next morning, Cain had disappeared and she was briefed about what occurred. None of the guests bar Nagisa had suffered any major injuries. The belligerents were routed, imprisoned or executed in short order. On a strange note, stragglers who were thought to have escaped were later found, their bodies charred by flames. Several camps and locations believed to be their base of operations were also burned to the ground, yet no signs of what could have started these fires or anything resembling explosives could be found. All in all, the matter had been settled cleanly.

“How are you feeling?” Sonia asked Shinobu, who’d taken up temporary residence in the castle as a patient.

“Besides the house arrest? Just peachy.” She said, her forehead tied with bandages.

“Doctor’s orders.”

“If the doctor really cared about my health, he’d save me from the brain aneurysm I’m bound to get when I meet the towers of paperwork at home.” Shinobu pouted.

“Am I inconveniencing you?”

“...If anyone’s an inconven-“

“Please do not say it. If you are to demean yourself then I would prefer you thank me for lending a hand in your time of need and leave it at that.” Sonia closed her eyes, displeased at the deprecation.

“…In that case, thanks for bailing me out.”

“It is the least I could do after you saved Nagisa.”

“What happened to him anyway?”

Sonia made a pensive gesture. “He was sent off to a proper hospital, but the worst was long over before the doctors saw to him…in fact, I was told that his wounds had already been healing by that point.” With the bullet casing also missing, the medical team doubted that Nagisa had been shot at all. To avoid further misunderstandings, the doctors were told that the royal family’s staff had intervened quickly after the boy was injured. Which was partly true, if you omitted a certain someone's involvement.

“That’s great to hear…or it should be, so why is it that you don’t sound as happy as you should?” Perceptive as ever. Sonia wondered why she’d even bothered putting up any pretenses.

“Do you recall the start of the havoc?”

“It’d be hard to forget throwing a knife at someone.”

“That is actually the matter I wish to discuss with you.” Sonia began “The man you hit…he was dead, correct?”

Shinobu blinked. “Uh…I didn’t really get a good look…but with a knife that big and from that angle, I would assume so. Then again, those guys were kind of thickheaded. For all we know, literally.” She joked.

“I saw him again after you were left unconscious. His eyes were an abnormal color and he shot one of his allies.”

“…Are you sure it was him? I mean, even assuming he survived, it’s not humanly possible for him to have recovered so fast…much less retain that much control over his motor functions.” Shinobu pressed a finger to her lips in thought.

“It was him; his ally called him by name. The same person they accused you of killing…and the wound on the back of his head was there.”

“What do you think happened?” Shinobu crossed her arms.

“I do not know. I admit to having less than adequate knowledge of the world, but that can’t be normal.”

“Not logical you mean. My guess is the same as yours. Maybe some kind of doping that I’ve never heard of, but if they had that, then why stop at one guy? Give them to the whole army, and we’d have been in serious trouble.”

“…You believe me?” Sonia inquired, surprised.

The deviant giggled “Why not…or are you playing a prank on me? If not, there’s no reason not to believe you.”

“Even though what I’ve said is far from ordinary?”

“Ordinary is just one more way for people to limit the world to a level they can comprehend. You are my friend. If you’re serious about what you saw, then I have faith that it’s true.”

In a way, Shinobu’s trust in Sonia had been shown a while back. “I’m sorry for doubting you, especially after you placed so much faith in me against the rebels.”

“…Come again?” Shinobu shifted.

“The plan to catch the them off-guard. We never discussed it and it would not have worked if you didn’t believe I could anticipate your intention.”

“Oh...about that. I have a confession to make.” Shinobu laughed nervously, bringing a hand to her face, as if trying to hide away from her host. “That wasn’t trust, not even close. I'm not sure if you'd get it even if I explained. you’d have to see things the way I do."

"Try me."

"That is to see other humans as part of a calculative process; never deviating from greatly from a fixed average.”

“You may be correct about my inability to understand.” Sonia sent her a confused look.

 “A coward will always be a coward. Those who are destined to be strong, will be strong. Those with talent are destined to succeed, and those without are sadly, doomed to mediocrity. People can’t exceed their inherent limitations.” Shinobu replied. To Sonia, it was mantra-like, a rehearsal that she’d told herself over and over.

 “Is that really how you perceive the world?” Sonia frowned.

“Yes. Pathetic, right?” Shinobu asked, unable to meet the princess’ eyes.

“Very. I find it disheartening to see someone as talented as you would have such a depressive outlook. I doubt there is much happiness in your life.” Sonia fumed. That sort of pessimistic perspective was heretical to every man, woman and child that believed in meritocracy.

“I make it a point to admit that fact.” Shinobu said matter-of-factly.

“Then why do you smile?” Sonia posed the question at the forefront of her mind. Her words weren’t to be taken in a literal sense; The Togami girl exuded multiple expressions, but none of them – in Sonia’s opinion – truly veered off smug content. It was difficult for the naïve girl to explain given her limited interaction with peers. No, even if she were a social caterpillar (butterfly) she still may not have understood. It was not insincerity, far from it. The closest comparison to Sonia's mind was...the ocean. Clear and transparent, yet she couldn't grasp the vast expanse of water nor could she gleam the bottom.

“Is that a problem?” Shinobu straightened up.

“I am confident that I will learn to read you better regardless. If you are unhappy, then smiling will give others the wrong impression and you’ll have nobody but yourself to blame for that misunderstanding. Why do you do it?” Sonia said.

“…There are reasons.” She replied in a low voice.

“I would like to hear them.” Sonia said, adamantly. She wouldn’t settle for vague answers this time.

Shinobu sighed then shot a bored look at Sonia “…I’ve had a weak constitution as long as I could remember. Strenuous activities cause my health to deteriorate.”

“Strenuous? Was that why you fainted?” Shinobu nodded. “Then, what of the dance?”

“What counts as stress is relative. I was fine, right up until the end.” She muttered. Sonia didn’t know if she could believe that. “As long as I can stop myself from getting worked up, I can weather through most things. A side-effect of suppressing my excitability is – or so I’ve been told – that I’m emotionally insensitive to social cues.”

“Why did you not inform us?” That sounded like an important detail to skip over in a life-or-death situation.

“Did you just expect me to bring it up out of the blue? I had enough trouble getting you both to worry about yourselves.” 

“To put it another way, you did not trust us to be reliable partners.”

“That goes without saying.”

“I cannot say being underestimated like that brings me satisfaction.” Was one way to look at it, however… “Would I be correct in assuming you telling me now is a sign that you do trust me.”

“I’m not all that willing. You're totally strongarming me here.” Shinobu deadpanned, then smiled at Sonia’s reaction. “I’m joking. You already proved you’re capable. You don’t need acknowledgement from me of all people.”

“Compliment accepted.” Sonia replied. “So what is the other reason? You used plural.”

“I’m keeping a promise.”

“To whom?”

My older sister, Filia.” Shinobu said, hesitantly.

Sonia hadn’t expected the conversation to take that turn. Given what she learned of the family, there would be nothing but scars here. Shinobu would likely reveal no more than that.

“To never stop smiling is the parting gift…and the hateful curse she left me with. Since I’m the reason she died, the least I can do is see her grudge through.” Shinobu placed a hand on her chest, and waved the other flippantly, as if performing a drama. However, that ever-present smile of hers was faint, barely discernible from a blank doll's.

Sonia silently acknowledged her friend's instability. If only because she felt guilty for reopening old wounds.

“Did you know that some people call me a mage?” Shinobu said, bringing up a new topic.

“Y-Yes. I’ve been told.” Sonia stuttered.

“When did-…never mind. Your accolade about that walking-dead guy. Let’s just say that it might not be impossible for magic to exist. The world’s a big place…you never know.”

“Then, you mean to say you can perform witchcraft!?” Light shone from Sonia’s eyes as she closed in on the bedridden girl.  “You must tell me how!” The gloomy atmosphere that descended in the room had lifted, albeit inorganically

“T-Too close. And that’s a secret. However, I can help if you want to learn about magic. Whether it’ll work is a different story.”

“I am very interested!” Sonia replied, enthusiastically.

“Show me around town and I’ll see if they have some books in a library.” Shinobu patted her head.

“We have our own library in the castle.”

“Not the point. It has to be outing.”

“That is a necessary step to learn about magic?”

“No, but it is necessary to motivate me.”

“I do not quite understand, but I trust in your judgement.” Sonia beamed.

“Great, it’s a date.” Shinobu tried to imitate Sonia’s jubilance but failed spectacularly and settled onto her usual relaxed grin. “And while we're there, I'll show you tons of picture of my cute little brother.”

“Sonia.” A booming voice caught her attention, just before she could respond.

“Yes, father.” She turned back to meet the king.

“I wish to speak with the patient alone.”

“Let’s talk later.” Shinobu gestured her to leave with the flip of the hand. Sonia looked between them and resigned to doing as her father asked.

“Goodbye for now.” Sonia said, bidding the two farewell.

Visiting hours were closed for Nagisa so…she could go see what those brothers were doing. She had a fair bit of questions for them as well.


 

“Your gambles are extreme as usual.” King Lucius said, as soon as he was sure Sonia was out of the picture.

“Whatever do you mean? It turned out alright, didn’t it?” The truth of the matter was that King of Novoselic had sought out the Togami mistress’ aid some time ago, and she gracefully provided her assistance. The brunt of which came into play at the party.

“The Novoselic line is on the brink of collapse. Uprisings have been growing more prevalent with time. The very worst-case scenario would be a re-enactment of the Tsar dynasty’s end during Bolshevik rebellion. Compared to that, I hardly went overboard.” She flipped her hair, making a statement that would draw odd stares from any sane man.

“It boggles the mind how you can say that in your condition…nevertheless, I am grateful for your help. The rebellion forces have been publicly crushed, thanks to those boys at Fenrir you had me hire, and without so much as a single life taken.” A heavy blow would surely be dealt to any other factions who would dare try the same. For the meantime, the Nevermind’s had established a strong power base to repel even the most cunning attempts at revolt and assassination.

“Your guards don’t count as casualties?”

“Not as far as the public is concerned.” The guests were the statistic of relevance on the chessboard. As long as they were not killed, the Neverminds would not lose face.

“The moral implications of how you treat your men are questionable, King Lucius.” Shinobu said.

“I would rather not hear this from the one who set up the plan.”

A mischievous glint shone in Shinobu’s eye, like a prankster’s reaction to being caught in the act. “You’re saying I’m responsible? I gave you an outline and I sent the rebels an anonymous tip, according to it. Desperately, they took the bait, but they were smart enough not to tell me about the details of their plan.” That stage of Shinobu’s scheme was where things fell through…though not nearly enough that the plan couldn’t be salvaged. Just that were now a small number of sacrifices instead of none. That said, the aberrant was never one to overlook failure, no matter the depth.  “Hm…putting it that way, your men’s deaths were because of my oversight. I make no excuses.”

Lucius let out a heavy sigh “…Compared to the losses that could have been suffered through prolonged warfare, the damages were minimal. The primary objective was accomplished. However…” He threw a newspaper onto Shinobu’s lap, with Sonia’s face on the cover. “The leaked reports spoke of my daughter’s bravery and success in fending off the enemy and stopping the Shingetsu boy’s bleeding. Your involvement was omitted entirely.”

“Great. The last thing I want is to be noticed by tabloids and alike. I’m too shy for that kind of thing.”

“How much of this is true? Did Sonia really fight them?”

The blond giggled. “…You should have more faith in your daughter. She was fantastic, with or without my help.” Her smile retreated somewhat. “I have some small grievances with her priorities, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about her future as a ruler.  Her potential is much higher than yours.”

“I see. That makes me proud.” The king nodded. “By the way, how is your father? I planned on telling him about your condition, but I couldn’t reach him. The butler was the only one available.”

“Father’s health is declining. I can’t tell you any more than that. I’m not keeping secrets by the way. I don’t know any more because he hasn’t spoken to us in years.” Shinobu said in a cold voice. It was obvious to anyone that this topic was dangerous ground to tread on, thus it continued no further.

“You have helped me considerably. What do you wish in return?” Lucius said.

Shinobu sent him a confused look. “I’m in a foreign country and resting in a castle after quite the party. I think this already beats most vacations.” There was no need for payment.

“Be serious. I don’t intend to owe debts.” What she could ask for in return would be equivalent to the results of her service. Services that could strip the king of a fortune.

Her words generous, however, something twisted and sinister lied beneath the surface. Lucius believed this. No man or woman would invite danger and desire nothing in return. He would have felt more at ease had she just requested an outrageous sum of money. At least then, her intentions could be defined.

“…I’m exceptionally poor at self-restraint. Tasks that require too little effort are actually a burden.” Shinobu said out of the blue. Lucius furrowed his eyebrow, wondering how that bit of information related to his question. “Forget it. Let’s just say that this is very much a vacation for me, and I’m thankful enough for that.”

 “You mean to say you enjoyed yourself despite everything?”

“…That all depends on what you mean.” There was a fundamental disconnect present, not just in communications but in perspective. A sane man could never reach an understanding with those on the other of the spectrum. Lucius had known this odd girl long enough to acknowledge that fact. "I assume this also explains why you appeared in person despite knowing of the danger?”

Shinobu considered the statement, then replied with a shrug. “I was perfectly serious when I said Byakuya’s education was more important." Speaking of important matters, there was one thing she'd been holding in her chest that needed to be let out. "Would it kill you to put some directions in this castle!?”

 

-2 years later-

 

Sonia Nevermind, age 16 and already a year in high school. So much time had passed since then. Novoselic had experienced a lasting peace. Enough that Sonia was allowed to leave the country for the first time, much to her delight. Up until how, she had been greatly satisfied by Abel’s routine visits and tales of his travels; the latest had been of his interest in Chinese fashion and customs. Sonia learned to pick up bountiful phrases from him as well. Most she was strictly advised by Cain to never utter in front of her father. In the case of the older brother, she had grown more…tolerant of his crassness but that was to be expected as she met him regularly. Her father, being impressed by his work during the uprising enlisted him among the palace guards. Though, Sonia had noticed he was also sent on missions occasionally.

She rarely met Shinobu in person; the other woman being an exceedingly busy woman, having to take care of the Togami conglomerate. Shinobu made time to regularly send Sonia letters. Most often being complaints of the princess’ passivity when it came to acquiring cell-phones. Fortunately, contacting the Togami mistress may prove easier…now that Sonia had moved to Japan. Approximately 2 months ago, she’d received an invitation to attend a prestigious school in the area. Her father surprisingly did not strongly object to her decision after she’d prodded him tirelessly.  Between Abel and Nagisa’s stories of Japan, she had gained a great interest in the orient and the admission was an opportunity she could not pass up!

Sonia stood in the center of a wide expanse. A juggernaut of a building stood in front of her. A school were talent was fostered and researched. Where hopes and dreams would be consolidated.

“So I am the Ultimate Princess...For the next three years, I am a normal high schooler. How thrilling! I shall cherish my time at this academy!"

In hindsight, it was comical to admire Hope's Peak, but they kept all their promises. She did indeed make wondrous memories inside that expertly crafted coffin.

Chapter 20: Interlude IV: Sonia Nevermind (3)

Chapter Text

-September 2008-

 

First impressions made or broke potential relationships. In front of the classmates she would be spending the next 3 years with, she couldn’t shame herself…Ah, but she couldn’t appear too perfect either. Just act more natural than natural, Sonia. “My name is Sonia Nevermind, The Ultimate Princess. I wish to make many pleasant memories with you all for our time here.” She introduced herself to the  other students of her class, who were translucent with at her fairy tale title. In Sonia’s eyes they were more radiant than she was. Was it their speech? Their casual demeanor? Or their own brand of confidence? Sonia couldn’t be sure, but she considered them all free spirits.

“How would she approach any of them?” 2 days had passed, and she hadn’t been able to strike up a prolonged conversation with anyone. She sat beneath a large oak tree, feeling the warm – yet slowly chilling as the days went by – air across her skin. The peaceful silence nearly drove her to sleep, had it not been for a sudden visitor.

“You’re Sonia, right?”

The recipient’s exhaustion faded in wake of that mellow voice “Yes…and you are Chiaki Nanami.” The pinkette’s introduction during the class period had been adorably lethargic.

“What can I do for you?” Sonia asked.

“Nothing much…or maybe...” She played with her sweater while struggling with indecision. “I got it. Is there room for one more?”

“It is a public space.” Sonia owned nothing here, not that she would have refused otherwise. Nanami took a seat by Sonia and quickly reminded the blonde why yawns were considered infectious. Be it from the body heat or their tired states synchronizing, the girls drifted to sleep in a matter of minutes.

The sun had begun to set by the time Sonia woke up. With fair difficulty, she roused her (extremely squishy looking) companion awake as well.

“Where am I?” Nanami stretched. Sonia brought a cloth out of her pocket and wiped the drool on the other girl’s face.

‘Soft as a newborn’s skin.’ Sonia mentally noted.

“I’d like to ask if you wanted to hang out, but I guess we’ve done that already?”

“We have? Did I miss it?” Sonia anxiously clasped her hands together, berating herself for letting an important experience slip past her.

“Not unless you got up and went somewhere while I was asleep. Speaking of which, I should have reached the end of your route.” Chiaki said, alternating from a console in her fingertips to look at Sonia.

“I’m afraid I do not understand.”

“I was thinking of a way to break the ice and trigger your flag. Well, did it work? You’re not nervous around me anymore, right?”

Foreign terminology aside, Sonia thought (?) she understood Nanami’s intentions. “It does seem that way.” Proximity was the enemy of alienation after all.

“What are you holding there, if I may ask?” Sonia referred to the blinking console that captured so much of Nanami’s attention.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but didn’t you have Gameboys in…um where did you say you were from? I was a bit sleepy during class.” Ah, she had heard of those devices.

“Novoselic, in the Netherlands. To answer your question it would be yes, but I myself have never indulged in any, Nanami.” Sonia replied, remembering that it was Japanese custom to refer to distanced acquaintances informally.

“No need to be formal, just call me Chiaki.” The gamer stood on her feet, lazily wobbling to the side like a toddler who’d first learned to walk. “And there’s no problem if you’re a noob. I’ll teach you.” Chiaki extended her hand out. Sonia lips turned upwards into a smile. “I would appreciate that, Chiaki.”

“Now that you’ve joined my party. To the arcade!” The gamer pointed to the far-off distance

That was how Sonia met her first friend at Hope’s Peak.

“I had never experienced death before, and I never dared to think it would occur 5 times in a single day. You do not hold back, Chiaki.” Sonia said, slightly traumatized by the trouncing Chiaki had given her in a ‘first-person shooter’ as she put it. Sonia field knowledge of arms did not help her in the slightest against the pinkette’s skill. “I can see why you are called the Ultimate Gamer.”

“You suck, Sonia. You think too much so you’re too slow to react. It was like shooting a doll.” Chiaki said. “Sometimes, it’s better to relax and go with the flow.” Thanks to Abel’s verbal ‘training’, such metaphors no longer flew by Sonia’s head. “The same goes for the others. In our class You shouldn’t spend time thinking about interacting with them, just do it. Those guys are pretty easy-going, it’s almost worrisome.”

Sonia bit back a backhanded remark. It wouldn’t do to call Chiaki out on the double standard.

“Hmm.” Chiaki puffed her cheeks, humming.

“Is something the matter?”

“I’m thinking of your punishment for losing game.” Punishment?

“Punishment? Is this customary?” Sonia asked eagerly, imagining what sort of penalty Chiaki had in mind. Whipping? Gladiator sport? Public shaming?  She would refuse that but learning of the culture was an inexperience in of itself.

“Not really, but I want to make one this time. It’s more fun if there are stakes when playing. Like party games and such.”

“Party games? You mean like truth-or-dare or spin the bottle?” Sonia’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm

“That’s right. Those games are fun because of the risks involved.  They’re ultimately harmless, but you get to know more about whoever’s playing by backing them into a corner.”

“I understand. What would you have me do?”

Chiaki pumped her arms, a determined look on her features. “You have to become friends with everyone in our class. You’ve been having trouble right, so now I’m leaving you with no choice.”

Those demands…“I take it you overheard my plight earlier?” She hadn’t exactly been quiet.

“Yup. It’s a habit I picked up from having to multitask between my games and IRL.” Chiaki said.

Sonia ruminated on her Chiaki’s conditions and they seemed rather fair. “Then I shall accept your terms. Who do you propose I begin with?” Sonia asked, but received no response.

 “Chiaki?” All she could hear was faint snoring from the smaller girl who’d dozed off while on her feet.

“She is a strange one.” Sonia laughed nervously.


 

Her first target was Byakuya Togami, who she crossed paths with in the school’s library on the second floor. She presumed he was a learned man, for the library was a place most students avoided.

“Nevermind.” He surrounded himself with a miniature fortress of books stacked nearly on the front desk. It spoke of his size that she could still make him out.

“It is rare to see someone else in their library.” And it was fortunate she had, for the affluent progeny had caught her interest the most of any of her classmates.

“The loss of the masses. If they had any brains on their heads, they would excavate every inch of this treasure trove of knowledge.” Togami rebuked their classmates for their oversight but seemed pleased by the outcome regardless. “Suits me either way, it’s a peaceful getaway from that noisy lot.”

“I can see your point.” Though Sonia personally find their jubilance to be endearing. “I wonder how much information is stored here.” Her eyes wandered to the isles filled with novels.

“Nothing that our families wouldn’t already possess. The Togami manor alone is a match for this room.”  Togami stood and walked towards her, carrying two texts in one hand. “Here. There’s even information on Nevermind and Togami line.”

Sonia almost dropped the texts when he placed them on her hands, indicating just how much content was stored inside. She set aside the book with her family’s insignia, immediately noting the similarities to the one in her family library. “It is almost a perfect copy.” As if it were stolen.

“Yours is a perfect imitation?” There was a condescending, yet intrigued nuance in Togami’s voice. “Mine is incomplete. There’s a certain event that was blocked off from the records.”

“Would it have anything to do with the most recent succession ceremony?” Sonia imagined that would be the information he’d need the most to perfect the act.

Sonia knew this wasn’t the real Byakuya Togami. Shinobu had sent her several pictures of her brother, and while this imposter’s appearance was close, it was also impossibly off the mark. Additionally, Byakuya did not meet the age requirements to attend HPA. He was 2 years younger than this man.

“I suppose it’s to be expected that you’ve heard of it. Yes, the war of siblings which I achieved victory, is omitted from the history book.” He said proudly.  “Though you might be curious, I have no intention of breathing a word about what happened during that chaotic time.” He shut down any attempts at questioning him, before she’d even taken initiative.

“I didn’t plan on asking. It’s just…with all this talk of family, I meant to ask how Filia was doing. I haven’t seen her in some time.”

 “What she does, is none of my business.” He replied without missing a beat. She mentally applauded him for his quick thinking, but it was ultimately pointless.

“Let us do away with the charades. I know that you are not who you say you are.” She startled him. “I know Byakuya’s sister…but you’ve mistaken her name. Whether I take action will depend on the sincerity of your answer.” Sonia set her terms. Even if this person was a classmate, she wouldn’t let him get away with defamation.

The imposter flustered. Sonia presumed he’d prepared several excuses or deflections if his identity was ever called into question…but those countermeasures fall short of someone who already knows the truth. “What a blunder.”

“I…did not expect you to give in so quickly. Are you a more sensible man than I anticipated?”

“Only an idiot plays charades when the parties involved know the truth.” Being gracious in defeat was always an admirable quality. Perhaps he wasn’t a bad person after all.  “I knew my identity would be uncovered eventually…but a few days? I have never made a mistake like this before.”

“It is bad luck that I was acquainted with the Togami family. But I would still like to gear your reasons, preferably beginning with your true name?”

“Sagishi.”

“Imposter? So simple.” She’d been mentally calling him that anyway. How convenient. “Is the school aware that you are using another’s name?”

 “Do not get the wrong idea. I am an Ultimate. The Ultimate Imposter, to be exact.” He crossed his arms, exuding a smidgeon of that earlier pride “Furthermore, I do not steal identities with malicious intent, nor have I used so much as a cent under the Togami name. I borrow their faces and their names, that is the extent of my forgeries.”

“That sounds very roundabout. What do you stand to gain from the impersonation?”

“Is that a question I must answer.”

“If I am to be ensured of your sincerity, yes.”

“It is the only way I can exist.”

Sonia waited for an elaboration that would no doubt come after the Imposter’s pause.

 “Confusing, is it? I imagine I must sound insane to anyone else…but I am in my right mind. Without the faces I steal, I am a nobody who would fade from memory if I were to rely on my true personality. I do not even recall when I first began imitating others, but that is all I can do now.” 

“I…cannot claim to understand your plight.” It would be difficult for someone with as much awareness of her place in the world as Sonia. “Nevertheless, you appear genuine to me.” A tad ironic, but he did not seem the bad sort. With her curiosity sated, she didn’t need to harass him any further.

“W-Wait, you will not say anything?” Sagishi called as he saw her turn to leave.

“So long as you remain harmless, I was never going to tell you to stop. I also imagine it would be a grave inconvenience to you if the class were to quickly learn of your disguise. This is both our secrets to keep.” Sonia smiled.

“Is Byakuya Togami not your friend? You don’t think they would want to find about this?”

“You have right to be skeptical…and I had considered it but…” A mental image of Shinobu’s plausible reaction came to mind.

‘…That’s hilarious! You talk and act just like him! But the physique is all wrong and you’re a few centimeters too tall…I’ve decided, you’re undergoing a diet and a training schedule that of my making.  Huh? Your consent? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve shown me something interesting, I won’t let you escape. If you have any complaints, just remember…you brought this on yourself.’

It would probably go something like that. “I fear that would be pointlessly cruel.”

 

--

 

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, an aggressive boy with an unapproachable aura. Those who failed to perceive his unfriendly disposition beforehand, quickly learned of it the instant he opened his mouth. Kuzuryu’s personality was like the very similar to gangsters in her dramas back home! That would have been her first reason, the other was in accordance to one of her father’s conditions…

“Good morning.” She said to the gangster who was scowling to himself before noticing her. She wondered if he practiced getting his face to stay that way. Nevertheless, it but all too common to see him alone.

“Oh, It’s you.” He said, a touch too dejected.

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“It’s nothing. Mind your own business.” His defensiveness invoked quite a bit of suspicion, in that case.

“If it is a bad time, I can come again.”

The baby gangster scratched his hair in frustration. “It ain’t, as long as you make it quick.”

“I would like to make your acquaintance. At least that is my intention, but my father has also asked this of me.” Sonia relayed. He explicitly said she should curry the favor of, and survey Kuzuryu. “I understand if I am coming across as imposing.”

“Tell me about it. Talk about a way to break the ice…but your folks told you that, too?” Kuzuryu leaned his back on the wall “My mom was bitchin’ at me to play nice with the rich blonde in my class. I had a feeling it was you, and thank fuck it wasn’t Hiyoko. Got any idea why?”

“Father told me that you may become a potential partner in the future. He did not make the nature of the relationship clear however.”

“Oi, this better not be some arranged marriage type deal!” Kuzuryu spluttered, his face reddening.

“I am certain that is not the case.” Sonia shut the notion down. “While I do revere my father, he is also very understanding of me. He should know that I would never forgive him for going behind my back.” She wore a crooked smile.

Kuzuryu whistled “A girl with a spine is always okay in my book.”

 “Young master…” The owner of that voice belonged to Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate swordswoman, who strode up behind Sonia. The blonde turned to face her, puzzled by the designation. “Young master?” That could not have been directed to herself (made even more blatant by the bespectacled girl’s disgruntled look) so she turned to the only other person in the vicinity.

Kuzuryu clicked his tongue

 “Good day to you both.” Pekoyama said.

“You as well. I take it you are his retainer?” Sonia asked.

“No.”

Sonia’s expressed intense skepticism. Even if Pekoyama could disguise the words, the emotion behind them were another matter entirely.

“Fuck it, Peko. She’s got us.” Kuzuryu crossed his arms.

“Forgive me, Young master.”

“My fault for getting suckered into the conversation.” His attention turned to Sonia “Hey, could you keep quiet about this?”

“But of course, it is not my place to pry.” Indeed, she would not even question why they felt like keeping their relationship secret.

“Heh, I’ll hold you to that.” Kuzuryu said. 

Sonia nodded, now facing Pekoyama, who tensed at her gaze. “Is there a problem?” The grey-haired girl inquired, the pressure from the blonde’s stair causing her finely honed instincts to trigger and reach for the wooden sword. Pekoyama stopped the instant sparkles shone from the princess’ eyes

“Not at all. I was merely wondering if that sword was real.” Sonia said.

Pekoyama took a step back. “It…is just a bamboo sword.  Real swords have been outlawed for more than a century.”

“That can’t be.” Sonia yelped. She’d heard nothing of that. “What of those valorous samurai? How would they make a living?”

“I cannot say…but the samurai have long faded into obscurity as well. I doubt there are many left, and you wouldn’t find them in the streets.”

Sonia’s enthusiasm deflated but she clung to one last hope. “But you are a swordsman, Pekoyama…and if you’re affiliated with Kuzuryu, you must not be a law-abiding citizen. Surely you must carry a few illegal blades!”

“I wanna be pissed off by that, but I think I’d be the one looking like an idiot.” Kuzuryu said, puzzled as to how the conversation had taken such a warped turn. “Peko, you’ve got swords at home, don’t you? Show her some later.”

“Young master…very well.” She sighed.

Suddenly Sonia clasped her hands over Pekoyama’s own, offering words of gratitude. The recipient however was startled by the other girl’s speed and proximity, only managing to nod dumbly.

“When may I come over?” Sonia asked.

“The weekends if you’ve got time. I’ll make sure my mom’s out of the way too…and you can call me Fuyuhiko. Watching you force yourself is starting to get painful.” Fuyuhiko grinned. “Now scat. Me and Peko have to talk business.”

“I see. I shall not take up your time any further.” Sonia bubbly skipped away, leaving the two alone.

“What were you thinking?” Fuyuhiko asked the swordswoman once he was sure Sonia was gone. He also examined his surroundings more properly this time, not wanting anyone to find out about his relationship with Peko. “You almost went for that thing.” He pointed at the sword.

“I’m sorry but…I was afraid.” Peko said, meekly.

“Scared? Of Her?” Fuyuhiko’s incredulity was deserved…without knowing the context.

 “Though her quickness is surprising, Nevermind is not particularly intimidating. I was frightened by the familiarity of her gaze. It reminded me of a time where I happened upon a convention.” Peko frowned, a slight shudder escaping at the memory. “I was mistaken for someone in ‘cosplay’ as they put it, and…their stares placed me on considerable edge. I was forced to retaliate in fear for my life.”

“What the fuck?” Fuyuhiko laughed. “But that just means she likes you right?”

“That…may be the case, but I do not see the relevance.” Peko said.

“Why don’t you go and be friends with her? She seems like a good start.” Fuyuhiko suggested.

“Is that an order?”

“Peko come the fuck on. Who orders people to be friends?”

“Point taken. Nevermind appears harmless enough and I received instructions from your mother to observe her regardless.”

Fuyuhiko scrunched his face. “Huh? Mom told you too? What the heck’s going on?”

 

-November 2008-

 

Then there was the upcoming sport’s festival that Sonia greatly looked forward to. She had no experiences with such events back home and Chiaki suggested seeking out Nekomaru’s aid to prepare.

“GIVE ME EIGHTY, NOW!” Nekomaru Nidai’s voice boomed and his three ‘pupils’ dropped down to perform the designated number of push-ups.

“Hm, I’m surprised to see you can keep up with me and Akane.” Sagishi said. Keeping up was an exaggeration. He was extraordinarily quick for someone of his size. She could barely keep pace with him, much less Akane.

“Of course, she can. I would have placed her on a lower training  if I judged otherwise!”  Nekomaru yelled, when he wasn’t assessing their form, he was joining them in practise.  “But realize this is athlete’s training correct? You plan on using anything you’ve learned here?” He asked, referring to Sonia’s goals after the festival.

“Not…at all.” Sonia huffed. Her lifestyle necessitated little physical labor. Although… “It may prove useful  if I must fight for my life once again.”

“Hm.” “Ah.” “Self-defense works for me!” None of the other three found the blonde’s word choice as odd, having lived abnormal lives themselves.

“You’ve been in fights, blondie? How about you take me on?” Akane grinned. Her feral expression reminded her of a jackal.

“I do not believe I could ever match your constitution.”

“Leave Sonia be, Akane. Her body type is different than yours.” Sagishi had switched to doing push-ups with one hand. “You’re a brawler with an inclination towards agility whereas her muscles are not as developed. If you were a soldier, Sonia would be a secret agent tasked with wet-works.”

“Impressive, Togami! To think I’d find an expert on the body like myself!” Nidai laughed, finishing his task much quicker than the others. “And Akane! You’re 100 years too early to be challenging someone else when you’re still a rookie!”

“Huh!? That’s it. You and me, right now!” Akane stood, growling at the team manager. It was surprise to none that a fight was about to break out.

“I do not advise going down that road, Akane.” Sagishi warned, to no avail as the gymnast had already begun her attack.

“Those two are very physical, aren’t they?” Sonia said.

“It’s like I’m at a zoo, personally. But for them, it might be a bonding exercise of some unfathomable nature.”

Sonia winced when Nekomaru delivered a bone crushing blow to Akane’s torso. “Is she alright?”

“Never mind this idiot. We have class.” Nekomaru picked his ear, paying no further attention to the unconscious athlete lying beneath his feet.

“True. Fools who don’t listen to sound advice only have themselves to blame for failure.” Sagishi too, overlooked Akane.

“What he means to say is that Akane’s the kind of idiot who only learns the hard way.” Nekomaru added. “Not that she needs too much practice for now, being sincere. The sport’s festival should be a breeze with her natural talent.”

“What does this festival entail?” She asked. “I did not have one back at Novoselic, nor did I readily interact with my peers.”

“Explains why you came to me. I, Nekomaru Nidai, promise to make your first experience worthwhile!” He boasted. She’d come to learn this Ultimate exuded an astounding amount of charisma. Everything action he took was filled with such energy and determination that it infected those around him.

“You’re praising me in your mind, aren’t you?”

“D-Did I speak aloud?” Sonia covered her mouth.

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m one with my students in body and mind. I can easily tell just what you’re thinking!” He yelled.

“Naturally. Intuition of that level is only to be expected of those who hold a managerial position. We too, must forever remain ahead of the pack, that includes anticipating the actions of those below us.” Sagishi carried on his façade. He played the part of Byakuya Togami exceptionally well.

A blinding flash of light caught their eyes. They motioned towards the source. “This isn’t a sight you see, everyday. You boys better not be causing trouble for Sonia.” Mahiru Koizumi said.

“Nekomaru and Byakuya are assisting me in an important matter.”

“I was just kidding. Nekomaru here’s got a loud voice so I heard everything.” Mahiru pouted “I can’t say I’m happy that you didn’t come to me if you needed help though.”

“And what will you be doing for the festival, Mahiru?”

“I’ll be taking pictures.”

“You won’t compete yourself?”

“If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to capture the important moments. That’s my role and I’m proud of it.” Mahiru held the camera to her chest.

“I have seen your pictures, Mahiru. It feels like I am staring through a looking glass than a photograph.” Sonia praised.

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Only slightly. Your talents are something to be admired. Modesty is unbecoming of greatness.”

“Geez, where’d you rip that line from?” Mahiru blushed.

“W-Where am I?” That came from Akane, who looked to be still in a daze. For a moment, they were almost worried until... “S’it lunch time yet?”

“Someone knock her back out.” Sagishi said.

 

-January 2009-

 

Gundham Tanaka was a person of similar interests. The others had difficulty communicating with him for reasons beyond her comprehension. His speech, while grandiose, were fluently understood by her and his heart spoke even clearer. She’d met few others as genuine and unconventionally astute as he. Her opinion of him was further bolstered by his knowledge of the occult, for which she also held a stern interest in. Boredom was a foreign concept in Gundham’s presence.

“It’s you, the contractor of darkness.” He said. “What plot are you hatching on this baleful night.”

“Good evening, Gundham. I’m on a stroll to clear my head.” Sonia greeted. “I am not sure what to do for the nearing practical exams.”

“Is this a ploy to lower my guard? You expect I - the supreme sorcerer - to believe the dark fiend, whose presence alone bewitches the unsuspecting, would fear a trial made by mortals?”

“You say it will come naturally? I see.” Talent to begin with is innate. If hers were a passive trait, then It would manifest itself without her input. “It feels rather lazy of me when I see the others studying hard.”

“Hm. Follow me.” Gundham ordered. Sonia trailed behind the animal breeder, taking note of the garage that waited at the end of their path. The lights were on and she could hear the grating of various machines in use.

“Is Kazuichi inside?” Sonia asked.

Gundham nodded. Kazuichi Souda was class 77’s ultimate mechanic. A shark-toothed boy with a zealous infatuation for the princess. To be honest Sonia thought Kazuichi was somewhat of a coward. Among all the other members in the class, he was the only one who refused to look her in the eye, and instead held on to this idealized perception of her. Her opinion was not indicative of dislike but an assessment of character. Kazuichi redeemed in other ways, one example was his passion towards engineering. He had vision, and the skill to bring it to life. What was that, if not a quality worth admiring in a man?

‘Ah but the smell…’ Sonia kept her distance as soon as she walked in, perturbed by the strong odor of oil…but then marveled at what the mechanic was hunched over. The mechanical limbs and frame made it clear that ‘it’ was an artificial construct. Its form reminded Sonia of a canine, roughly the size of a fully grown golden retriever, only mechanical, with a sleek metallic color and a wire cable for a tail.

“Villain, to have summoned Cerberus itself into our midst! Were you a high priest of Hades all along!?”

“Dude, chill. It’s just a robot dog…er wolf, I don’t really know what I was thinking.” Kazuichi explained “And doesn’t Cerberus have 3 heads, idiot!?”

Despite Gundham and Kazuichi’s conflicting personalities and protests of mutual dislike, (though more so on Kazuichi’s part)  the two often ended up together. Much like right now.

“Amazing, It is so lifelike Kazuichi!  Did you make it yourself?” She inched closer to the robot canine, shaking in excitement.

“Yeees, Ms. Sonia~.” Kazuichi’s face brightened along with her.

“Vile temptress, you mean to say this is no summon, but creation!?” Gundham said, moving closer along with her.

“Yup, and this isn’t just a paperweight or anything. It can move ya know? Bark boy.” Kazuichi ordered.

They waited a few seconds, and it did not seem to be paying attention to him.

“Give me a sec.” Kazuichi fished out a remote and tapped on a button. The dog’s jaw opened as a monotone howl erupted from its mouth.

“If you had the remote, why did you speak to it?” Sonia asked.

“Cause it’s supposed to be able to act on its own, but I can’t get the bugs working right.”

“Ahahahahaha. To manufacture a beast beyond your control is exactly the foolishness I would expect from you, Kazuichi Souda.” Gundham cackled.

“Uh, I guess that’s technically not untrue.”  Kazuichi fumbled with his beanie, acknowledging that his rival had a point. “I even had the school help me with finding a brain for this thing. You guys wouldn’t happen to know somebody, would you?”

Both shook their heads.

“That’s what I expected. Plan B. I need you to work your mojo?” He pointed to Gundham.

“What?”

“You’re the animal expert, right? Teach it how to heel or something and we can team up for the exams. It’d That’s why I called you over.”

“So even you have recognized the supreme sorcerer’s gifts. Very well. Though I am unfamiliar with this species, I shall tame it all the same!” Although Gundham feigned reluctance to lend a hand, Sonia wagered he was the most eager of all.

Sonia silently slipped away as the boys became engrossed in the robotic creature.

“Perhaps they are even better friends than I thought.” She giggled.

 

-February 2009-

 

Others were just as worried about their examinations. Currently, most of the girls lumped up together in a dance hall, cheering Hiyoko on as she performed a mesmerizing dance.

“Blew your mind, didn’t it?” The pig-tailed blonde said arrogantly.

“Would it be better with music?” Sonia asked.

 “Everything’s better with music! Leave it to Ibuki!” The colorful musician already had one hand on her guitar.

“Nononononono! You’re going to scare everyone way. Go sabotage someone else’s routine, puke-hair.” Hiyoko snapped, resulting in a light smack to the head from Mahiru “What’s that for, sis?”

“I’m glad you’re assertive enough to tell others no but that doesn’t excuse bad manners. Ibuki was just trying to help, now apologize.” Mahiru admonished her.

“I say this all the time, it’s not like she cares.”

“You don’t get to decide that. Name-calling is wrong.” The red-head’s voice raised, sharply. The octave stunned Hiyoko momentarily before she devolved into a mess of tears “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“So dramatic. Sorry about that, Ibuki.” Mahiru told the musician while Mikan consoled the crying Hiyoko.

 “No problemo! Hiyoko’s right, Ibuki understands that’s exactly how she is.” Ibuki saluted “But what about you, Mahiru? You’ve been on edge lately.”

“Is it that Natsumi bitch? Don’t tell me she’s been on your case again.” Hiyoko forcefully shoved Mikan away.

“Natsumi? You mean Fuyuhiko’s sister?” Sonia asked.

“Y-Yes. I-I’ve never met her, b-but there have been reserve course students sent to the infirmary w-who blamed their injuries on her.” Mikan added.

Mahiru groaned at the news “She hasn’t changed one bit. I hate bullies.”

“So Laaaaame! This is totally killing my mood.” Ibuki comically deflated.

“I believe I understand. And Natsumi has a problem with Mahiru?” Sonia said.

“We were classmates in our old school. She picked on me and my friends then, and she’s doing it now. I wish she’d just grow up already.” Mahiru answered.

“She wouldn’t be so tough if she didn’t have her stupid family. Soooo tough when all you’re good for is showing off daddy’s power.” Hiyoko mocked. “Kukuku, but you’d know all about that, Sonia.”

“Yes, to an extent.” Sonia answered, undaunted by the veiled dig. “Does Fuyuhiko know of this?”

“Like he cares.” Mahiru rolled her eyes. It was no secret that there was existing animosity between gangster and the photographer. “How did criminals like them even get into this school?”

“That is going too far, Mahiru. We both know that Fuyuhiko is not a bad person.”

“You’re defending him?”

“While you are correct that Fuyuhiko is…distanced from the law, he is not the person you portray him to be. A starving child who steals food from the locals is a criminal by law, but that does not mean they are universally harmful.” Sonia paused. “What I mean to say, is that the world is not so black and white for abstract labels to hold weight.”

“Then you’re saying they’ve done nothing wrong?” Mahiru was rightfully skeptical however…

“That is merely my opinion on Fuyuhiko, from an admittedly ignorant standpoint. Natsumi’s has – by your and Mikan’s accolades – presented herself as a threat. You are all my friends and I won’t tolerate harm coming towards any of you.” Sonia proclaimed.

 “This’ll be a riot. Can’t wait to see the both of you throw down and fling your parents’ money around.” Hiyoko cackled while harshly smacking Mikan on the back.

“P-Please stop.” The nurse begged.

Sonia remembered her friend’s line years ago and thought it would be appropriate here. “I have no intention of using power I didn’t earn. My own merits will be enough.”

“Whatever. Just try not to cause a war while you’re at it.”

“Hiyoko’s joking around, but you aren’t gonna do anything wild, are you?” Ibuki said, cautiously.

“I am an emissary of my Novoselic. I am not permitted to dishonor myself or demean the customs of this country. I shall act within the confines of the law.”


 

Sonia made good on her promise the following weekend. Mahiru had informed the princess of her longstanding conflict with Natsumi. Sonia was able to pick up that this conflict was entirely instigated by Natsumi. Mahiru had only taken defensive actions against the yakuza mistress, thus from her perspective, she had committed no offense and Natsumi’s hatred was entirely unjustified. Sonia knew better, or rather she was taught to know better, by none other than someone she considered an older brother.

‘The one who takes offense is the receiving party, so they’ll be the ones deciding if you got under their skin.’ It seemed so long ago that the fiery twin gave her that lesson. There are times where simply existing can be an offense to someone. That was the illogical truth. Therefore, Sonia wished to hear the reason from Natsumi’s own lips. That wish brought her to the present where she sat across Natsumi in a plain tatami room surrounded by wooden walls within the Kuzuryu estate.

 

“Peko said you wanted to see me. Better not be anything dumb.”

“Allow me to get straight to the point. Stop harassing Mahiru.” Sonia stated her conditions from the onset. She would hear Natsumi out and find whatever compromise is necessary, but the stated conclusion would not change - Natsumi would cease all violent action towards her friend.

“Got my hopes up for nothing.” Natsumi shook her head. “Did that bitch run and snitch to the big bad princess?”

“There is nothing wrong with the weak seeking refuge in those greater than themselves.” Though Mahiru did not directly come to Sonia for help, she ought to have.

Natsumi had taken her admonishment as evidence of how pitiful the photographer was, judging from how she howled with laughter. “Trash-talking behind her back? Some friend you are.”

“Mahiru is not ignorant of her weakness either nor is there anything wrong with it.” The weak had their own ways to fight and survive. If you are incapable of challenging injustices, you seek the others who are properly equipped to do so. “What would truly be foolish is for her to fail without making use of the various resources at her disposal. That should not be a foreign concept to yourself. If Mahiru is weak for relying on me, then you too are equally lacking for using your family as a crutch.”

“Who’re you calling weak!?”

Sonia ignored the question, seeing nothing but dead-ends down that road. “Mahiru thinks she’s undeserving of your animosity. I wish to know if that’ true or she has simply not noticed her folly.”

“She’s a damn cheat. That’s what.” Natsumi fumed. “She takes so stupid photos, and everyone gushes over here. Where the fuck does ‘talent’ come into pressing a goddamn button?”

“You believe her acceptance to Hope’s Peak is undeserved and wish to be there in her place.” Sonia got to the heart of the matter. She’d skipped several phases, for the envy in the Kuzuryu girl’s voice told her more than enough. She would not deny the existence of natural talent (though talent still needed to be cultivated with training!). Things like status from birth changed the game from the onset. As someone born into royalty, Sonia did not have the right to argue otherwise and thus, did not consider Natsumi’s jealousy, irrational.

Sonia doubted Natsumi was the only one who felt this way. The reserve course students likely held the same kind of emotions towards those enrolled in the main course

“No shit. I can’t believe that cardboard woman got in over me! The committee’s fucking retarded! Maybe I should be a little more forceful the next time I ‘ask’ them to let me into the main course.” A blatant threat.

“They board members made their choice and Mahiru was, for whatever reason, chosen to be among us. If her acceptance was merely due to chance, then her luck is to be praised for that too is a necessary element in life. I see no reason for you to slander her as you have been.” Sonia already knew that Mahiru’s self-esteem was not as optimal as it should be, despite the capable front she put up in front of their classmates. In fact, Mahiru was one of the two who questioned their place among the rest of the Ultimates. The other being Nagito…who was another matter entirely. “Even ignoring that, what could you do to overturn their decision?”

“Get her to drop out. Duh.”

Deplorable…and “A waste of everyone’s time. It is one thing for Mahiru to decide to leave the academy, it was another to be forced to. Mahiru would never submit to oppression. You would be more successful doing nothing at all.”

And so, a back and forth between them began in earnest. Mainly with Sonia breaking apart whatever argument the Kuzuryu girl brought to bear, forcing Natsumi into a mental corner before she screamed. “I’ll find a way!”

“To?”

“I’ll become the Ultimate Little Sister. My brother’s already the Ultimate gangster. If I’m not in the main course with him, I’ll get left behind. I don’t want that.”

Her intentions were pure, however her methods left something to be desired. “You’ll abuse your status to coerce Mahiru to leave for that ambition?”

“Who the hell said I’m using them in the first place!? You’re starting to tick me off.”

“You do as you please because you’re aware of the repercussions that would befall those who take action. I’m certain you’ve boasted of this more than once.”

“So? Not my fault if they’re pussies that can’t take the heat.” Natsumi growled “I don’t have to sit here and watch some nobody preach to me all day. Get the fuck out!”

“If I left, would that mean you’d leave Mahiru alone?”

“Fuck no.”

Sonia sighed. It would come to this. They were a troublesome family in many ways, but much like in her films, there was always one method that solved all yakuza disputes. “I see. That is unfortunate.”

 “What are-“

Sonia tackled Natsumi to the ground before she could react and plopped out a hidden knife, poised at the Kuzuryu girl’s jugular. “Feel free to scream if you’d like, someone might even hear you. But you’ll be dead before anyone will come to your aid.”

“You’re fucking crazy! There’s no way you’d get out of here alive.” Natsumi stuttered, her gaze fearfully focused on the blade.

Sonia tilted her head at the poorly thought out inquisition. “What makes you think I would be harmed? I come from a powerful family as well. You own many trained men and assassins in Japan, likely numbering in the tens of thousands but I have a whole nation at my disposal. The odds are stacked against you. The Japanese government would most definitely get involved and dissolve loathed criminals like the Kuzuryu’s to avoid international war. They would have little to lose. Now tell me, do you believe your family is willing to pay that price for you? Be absolutely sure.”

 “…They would.”  

Sonia detected  no confidence in those words. That was the root of the problem. Anyone with self-confidence in their own ability would not need to bully someone out of a position they earned. They would have taken that spot using their own talents.

“Even if Mahiru left the academy, you have not one guarantee that the opening would be filled by you. And why should it, when you haven’t worked to earn it?” Her position was proof enough. Sonia had easily cornered a girl who would be near the center of the Japanese mafia in the future, and she had done so with ease. “You have a bodyguard as spectacular in all regards as Peko at your side, why have you not used her at all? It is fine to use a power base to support yourself, but do not complain when your own individual prowess comes up short.” Sonia removed her blade and stood away from Natsumi. The younger girl quickly picking herself up, a cold sweat falling from her face.

Sonia reached into her skirt pocket and tossed a photograph at Natsumi. The picture was taken at the sports festival a month before. It contained the entire class after the rally. The focus in this particular shot were of a smiling Fuyuhiko and Peko.

“That is one of Mahiru’s…I wonder if you have another photo like that. I don’t believe your Fuyuhiko smiles like that often, so you should think about how perceptive Mahiru needed to be to capture that moment with such clarity. Then consider the bias she would need to suppress to portray your brother in that positive light.” Sonia said.

Natsumi said nothing. The picture was enough.

“Mahiru is not your goal. Fuyuhiko is, so prove yourself to be his equal.” Sonia planted her arm in front of Natsumi, who still too taken aback to stand. “In fact, I will help.”

“Don’t go deciding things for yourself and didn’t you just threaten to kill me!?”

“That was, as you say, a prank. I would never truly harm a friend. Was I too convincing?” Sonia giggled.

 “Yes! Why would you think of fucking with a friend that way?”

“My friends back home played jokes like that constantly. They are brothers and aim at each other with assault rifles or grenades or poison. The younger told me that it was not out of the ordinary, especially among delinquents like yourselves.”

“He lied. He definitely lied!”

“That can’t be…” But…Abel definitely could do that.

Natsumi inched away from Sonia, getting closer to the door.

‘She may have taken me too seriously…’

“Why would you want to help me? Aren’t you one of Her friends?” Natsumi’s apparent confusion was warranted but very explainable.

“I am Fuyuhiko and Peko’s as well. And you are dear to them both. By extension, I consider you a friend and someone I am willing to lend a hand towards.”

“Being your friend sounds like playing with knives. Not like I mind that." Much like her brother, Natsumi showed a greater appreciation and respect for actions than words. Sonia recalled the day Yukizome became their teacher. The yakuza heir had been unresponsive to her persuasions until the maid had threatened him with a knife. That was probably the falling point between Natsumi and Mahiru as well. The latter girl, while brave in heart, would never approve the use of force and would never compromise. Natsumi would see her as a coward and deserving of scorn.

From an outsider’s perspective, it was a silly misconception.

“Can I really become an Ultimate?” Natsumi asked after a time.

 “I cannot promise anything, but if you don’t make the attempt, nothing will happen.” She replied. “But if you do, then I shall offer my full support.”

“As long as I leave tomato-hair, alone right?”

Sonia nodded.

Natsumi clicked her tongue . “Whatever. It’s not like I want to be anywhere near her in the first place. I’ll leave Mahiru alone, but I won’t apologize.”

“While an apology would be ideal, I did not ask you to.” It was doubtful an apology would solve anything. Mahiru’s hatred of the Kuzuryu’s went beyond squabbling. It was a disagreement with the yakuza’s way of life. Such intolerance for another’s culture could be found everywhere in this world. Neither party could hardly be faulted.

The door slid open, revealing a man in a black yukata and short, pearl-white hair

“What is it, Kigai!? We’re talking about serious shit here.” Natsumi snapped at the older man.

“Pardon my intrusion, but the madame requests Ms. Sonia’s presence.”

“Mom?”

“It is getting rather late out. I shall come visit again…” Sonia gained a flash of inspiration. “And I shall also invite you to the talent exams in the academy.” Even the reserve course students were permitted.

“Why would I want to go watch a bunch of snobs flaunt their goods?” Natsumi said. Sonia felt like pointing out her brother would be one of those ‘snobs’ but held back.

“Because they represent the goal. If you wish to be at their level, then you must first understand how far you must go.” Sonia advised.

“…Whatever, but I’m not staying long.”

“We shouldn’t keep the madame waiting.” The  man called Kigai urged.

Sonia trailed behind the taller man, her vision making out the wooden, traditional hallway. Just now she spotted koi fish jumping in and out of a small pond in the garden.

“Kigai Pekoyama.” The man finally spoke. His eyes were closed slits, even though he wore glasses. What was even the point?

But his last name… “You are Peko’s father.” She expertly deduced. He stopped and turned to face her with a charming smile, instantly separating himself from the picture Sonia had in mind of the stoic swordswoman’s parent.

“Yes. How is she in class? Not too anti-social, I hope.”

“She tries to be distant, but Chiaki has properly instructed the girls to never let her have a moment’s peace without our company. I have learned a lot about how endearing Peko is that way.”

“Endearing…ah you mean like her love for cats?”

That was new. “Peko adores cats?”

“Tell me I didn’t just give away my daughter’s weakness. Please forget I said that.”

“I shall make no promises.”

They laughed

Kigai brought her to the largest room Sonia’d seen yet. So large that she wouldn’t have been surprised to see a small assembly present in waiting. However, there was a single individual before them.  At the end of the room was a woman, roughly in her 30s, her long black hair tied into a bun and held by a delicate needle. Her kimono as red as Peko’s eyes contrasted her pale skin. “You have been here several times before, but I believe this is the first we’ve met. I am Kasumi Kuzuryu.” She neither smiled nor frowned. Only cold indifference reached the surface.

“My apologies if I have come across as discourteous.” Sonia sat on her knees, keeping a fair distance.

“No need. I am sure Fuyuhiko would have instructed you to avoid me.” She was ‘blown out’ as the saying went. “What a silly child…There is nothing in this house that escapes my notice…but I may as well let him believe otherwise.”

“Nothing? Would it be correct to say that is an exaggeration?”

“It isn’t. Which is part of the reason I called you here.”

 “Madam, didn’t you intend to appraise her? Have you run out of patience that quickly?” Kigai sat by Sonia. covering his mouth as he snickered at the matriarch “Forgive her, despite the serious face, her whimsy and temperament will never outgrow that of a child’s.” That…did seem fitting given Fuyuhiko and Natsumi’s tempers.

“Is that really something to say in front of me?” Kasumi addressed her subordinate.

“Then it would be fine if I’d warned her behind your back?” He countered.

“Do not mind that old fool. A middle-aged man who still takes joy in teasing others. Thankfully, his daughter took after her mother.” Kasumi’s gaze returned to Sonia, dismissing the callous bodyguard. “Onto the matter of daughters…are you so brazen to think you could threaten mine and leave unharmed?”

No exaggeration indeed.

 “I don’t know how you overheard our conversation, but you spared me time. Your daughter has attacked my friends and I sought to remedy the problem. My methods have brought no harm. If you take issue with my goals, then would that mean you approve of Natsumi’s ruthlessness? ”

“That is tangential.” Kasumi said. “But a Kuzuryu must be strong and decisive. Natsumi possesses those qualities in an even higher degree than her older brother. I do not intend to restrain her gifts.”

“I see. Then your negligence has become my problem to deal with.”

“Now now, Ms. Sonia. We are your hosts, and I implore you show us the proper respect. You seem to understand power well, so you should also understand your disadvantageous position.” Though he sounded accommodating, Sonia wasn’t ignorant to the veiled threat.

“You posed an intriguing question to my daughter. Would we go to war for her? A question that shouldn’t need answering. What mother wouldn’t fight for her children’s sake?” Kasumi snapped her fingers. Sonia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when nothing happened. Or at least, she thought as much until her chin lowered slightly. She felt it then, a razor-sharp edge poised at her neck. Sonia turned to the side, tracing the  length of the blade to the hilt resting lazily on Kigai’s hand. “I would not mind if you died here.” Kasumi continued.

If that’s how she wanted to play it…“In that case, allow me a few words of my own.”

“Speak.”

“I do not come by friends easily. Everyone that I have met in the academy are such wonderful individuals that my presence in Japan feels like a dream. One I do not wish to wake up from. If someone wishes to disturb that dream, then they will have me to face as an enemy. Do not presume that I will go down easy.”

Kigai chuckled. “I? Ms. Sonia, your logic that was so sound earlier fell apart. You would imply your life is yours alone. That is not so. The Kuzuryu would fight for one of our own, because our creed is built on family and loyalty. If one of us were to be struck down, another would take up the mantle. What about you? Do you believe just anyone could fill your shoes?”

As if in perfect synch, the baton passed to Kasumi. “The future of that country rides on you or your 800-year long history will meet its end. Your duty is always to your people, and you’ll say you’d risk your life overseas in a trivial matter?” And was passed once again to the swordsman. “The fires of youth are beautiful but take it too far and you’ll burn everything to the ground. There is nobody on this planet that has the right to accuse a mother of prioritizing her child over others. If anything, you would be considered abnormal to save the life of a stranger over your own flesh and blood.”

A small laugh left her lips “I once had a conversation like this 2 year ago. With a friend.”

“Friend?” Kasumi asked

“She’s callow, and enigmatic to the point where I wonder if I’m speaking to the same person at times. Nevertheless, she is wiser than anyone I know, including my father. When we first met, she told me the same things you did…and I struck her for it.  I do not regret doing so and I would do it again should a similar situation arise.” She sneakily drew a knife in the middle of her speech, aimed at the swordsman’s abdomen.

“I take it that is your answer?”

“Yes.”

“Ha-ahahaha.” Kigai released her with a hearty laugh. “There’s nothing I can say to conviction like that.”

“If nothing else, she knows how to speak. I can understand why Shinobu would praise you.”

Sonia gave both a surprised look. “Eh? How did you know I was referring to her?”

“That girl and I are companions of sorts. She speaks of you often. Much like how she rants about her brother, it was terribly annoying. Still, the part where you slapped her was mildly amusing, so  I was interested in meeting you to if see her words weren’t just lip-service.” Kasumi replied. Sonia flushed in embarrassment. “ I almost didn’t want to believe that blockhead Lucius could raise a child as well as you.”

‘Father?’

“Yes, I would say you’ve lost in this regard, madame. Not just to King Lucius but Miss. Sonia herself. She fantastically, stupendously, dare I say opportunistically, usurped the lesson you planned on ‘eventually’ teaching Natsumi.” Kigai let another secret ‘slip’.

“Hold your tongue.”

He continued speaking regardless. “You see, Natsumi’s unruly behavior is no secret to us, but her aggression and drive is something the madam believes should be fostered. Therein creating the dilemma of what to do about her tendency to assault other children while not affecting her growth.”

Kasumi sighed. “Word of advice, princess. Do not ever take a snide, talkative man as a subordinate. You’ll only live to regret it.”

“In the madame’s case, she had no choice. I was her only childhood friend and she just can’t bare to lose me.”

“Your relationship…is similar to Fuyuhiko and Peko’s.” In terms of attachment, but ultimately as different as Heaven and Earth.

“That depends on what you mean. If you are referring ring to their master/servant status, then you would be correct. It has been the duty of my family to act as protectors for the main house for generations.” Kigai’s revelation explained quite a bit.

Suddenly Peko’s fixation of serving Fuyuhiko (which only a few members of the class asides her had picked up on) made sense. “To have such close family ties, how romantic. Then there should be no problems when the inevitable occurs.” Sonia smiled. A sentiment that was not shared by the other two on the room. Instead, they were deeply confused.

““What do you mean!?””

 

-April 2009-

 

Over the months that passed, Sonia gained a handle on the differences of the people environing her and accepted, but there were some whose beliefs she couldn’t see eye to eye with.

“Ready to go on a field trip, class?” Chisa addressed the room of rotten oranges.

“To where? Isn’t this a little sudden?” Mahiru said.

“Not far, we’re going to look for our absent Chiaki.” Chisa sported a dark smile, clawing at the desk. Chiaki had been absent for the second day in a row now and Chisa was not taking it kindly.

“Maybe she’s just sick or tired from the practice exams.” Kazuichi suggestion was quickly shot down by Peko. “Doubtful, I saw Chiaki her yesterday in the afternoon. She seemed more energetic than usual.”

“She’s energetic alright. Now saddle up or you’re all getting Fs on your final grade.”

A chorus of groans filled the room just as they filed out in a single line, with Chisa leading the pack. The instructor appeared to know exactly what she was doing, for they found Chiaki in no time. The gamer was held up by a bench, playing video games with a spiky-haired boy.

 “I’m checking them out.” Ibuki closed her eyes and raised both hands to her ears…

“We should leave.” Peko was clearly disturbed by the fact that they hid in the bushes, spying on the couple.

 “So, you say, but aren’t you following us?” Hiyoko teased.

“I am merely worried about Chiaki.”

“Then so are the rest of us, now pipe down!”

“Who’s that guy? He’s wearing the reserve course uniform.” Akane mused.

“I think he’s Chiaki’s friend. I’ve seen them hanging around lately.”

“Uwaaaah, big brother Kazuichi is soooo stupid. Everyone knows guys and girls can’t be friends.” Hiyoko cackled.

“Is that the truth?” Sonia asked

Mahiru shook her head. “Don’t listen to her, Sonia. She-“

“It’s absolutely true!” Chisa pushed the photographer out of the way and clasped the princess’ hands. “The relationship between the opposite sex is love or war. Sometimes it’s just fought covertly, where they pretend they don’t notice your advances. That’s when you push forward and-”

“Okay, calm down teach.” Nekomaru placed a firm grip on her shoulder, dragging her away.

 “Hey, hey. Where’s Nagito? I felt the hottie meter dip like crazy.” Teruteru rubbed his chin.

“Who cares about that weirdo? Ibuki, what are they saying?” Fuyuhiko growled.

“Nothing big, it’s just a regular convo.” Ibuki informed the gangster.

“No waaay. There’s got to be something juicy. We’ll wait all day if we have to.” Chisa shook Ibuki back and forth, till the musician frothed from the mouth.

“I feel like the purpose of this excursion has long been perverted.” Sagishi, who miraculously seemed more inconspicuous than the lot, turned around. Sonia soon followed, not all too keen on invading her friend’s privacy…even if it was a sport the majority of the class (and the teacher…) took pleasure in.

The two distanced themselves from the crowd until they found Komaeda playing with a stray cat…only for it to scratch his cheek and scamper a way. “That hurt.” He whined, pressing against the light red scars.

“Nagito, are you okay?” Sonia drew closer, offering her a helping hand

“I’m fine.” Nagito withdrew, as expected. The ashen-haired boy distanced himself from everyone else in the class from day one. Beyond his curious lucky title and tendencies to make the occasional spiel of hope, Sonia knew very little about him. The same went for everyone else who knew him.

“You had the sense to leave that farce first. Color me impressed.” Sagishi remarked.

 “It certainly was a farce. Chiaki should learn to get rid of those bad habits.” She’d rarely heard so much transparent disgust before, but Nagito managed it.

“Habits?” Sonia asked.

“Never mind. It’s probably better not said, and it’s not like my opinion’s worth much.”

“Try us. It’s not every day we get to see you so displeased.” The imposter was a man who gathered information on other identities as a hobby. It came as no surprise to Sonia that he would show interest in the thought process of the ever-elusive lucky student.

“I have no intention of watching charity be wasted on garbage. It’s unsightly.”

“Garbage?” Sagishi said, eyebrow raised in shock. “You mean that reserve course student? Does he have a poor reputation?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care either. He is a reserve course student, that is enough.”

“I do not understand.” Sonia said.

 “He’s talentless, therefore not worthy of Chiaki’s time.” Nagito explained, matter-of-factly.

“Nagito…correct me if I’m wrong, but…do you claim to hate normal people?” Sonia asked slowly.

Sagishi scoffed. “Don’t be a fool. Commoners comprise the majority of the world. You’d might as well despise all humanity.”

Nagito waved his hand back and forth, dismissing their accusation. “That’s wrong. I don’t hate him, or them. If anything, I pity their bleak, hopeless lives. Those students live like dogs, hounding and fighting each other, all just to be the one standing should the academy throw them a bone; an entry ticket to the main course. It’s to awful to be called a joke.” He laughed anyway. “Those who have talent are destined to shine brightly with hope. Those without…will never become anything. A false hope might as well be despair itself.”

Sonia felt nauseous. Even Sagishi froze in place as the weight of Nagito’s words crushed them. “I didn’t expect that from you. Those words may have held weight if they left my lips, but you? What gives you the right to discriminate against the masses when yours is a trivial talent?” The imposter – unbeknownst to Nagito – sneered, using his stolen position to retain the higher ground in the argument.

The lucky student sighed, exhaustively. “You’ve got that right. Luck is absolutely trivial, but it is still a talent. That said, my stance wouldn’t waver even if it wasn’t. All that would mean, is that I’d be one of the unworthy.”

“Like I said, you don’t get to decide that!” Sagishi snapped. Sonia could understand…to an extent. Sagishi lived with an existential complex, to the point where he considered his true self to be worth less than ordinary people, not to speak of Ultimates. To have Nagito denouncing the worth of others as he pleases…it probably wasn’t pleasant.

“Let’s drop this. It’s fine if you don’t understand.”

“Your words ring hollow.” Sonia said.

“Well, I did say at the start that this is all my worthless opinion.” Nagito replied.

 “No, you are free to believe what you wish. Everyone adheres to a different standard. I do not take a grave issue with your philosophy” Though she also what spurned that familiar mentality. “My issue is in the way you express your views, they can’t be genuine.”

“Excuse me?”

“You did not face Sagishi directly. ‘It’s fine if you don’t understand’? Should you have not have said ‘It’s fine if you don’t agree?’ You have defaulted to your beliefs as the correct one yet lack the courage to earnestly defend them. In my opinion, they are not worth very much in the first place.”

“You’re absolutely right, Sonia. I am a worthless coward…and once again, you’ve proven my point about you Ultimates. You’re cut from a completely different cloth.” Nagito laughed, giddily as he turned his back on them, walking alone to the main building.

In the end, he did not face her either.

 

-October 2009-

 

It was her birthday, marking the second that Nevermind had ever spent away from home. Sonia had spent the first alone, treating it as an ordinary day, which ironically made it extraordinary given the usual ceremonies. It was surreal to think over a year had passed since she first arrived in Japan. Time stopped for no one.

“Where are we going, Chiaki?” Sonia asked the gamer for the third time, who lazily dragged her around the school. Just like her previous inquiries, the pinkette’s answer was “You’ll see in a bit.” Eventually, the princess stopped asking. Her answer awaited her in the cafeteria.

“Happy Birthday!” Chiaki and herself were welcomed with a chorus of cheers, the cafeteria had been redecorated for the celebration.

“Is this some mistake? I was not informed there would be a party!” Sonia worried. If she’d known, she’d have worn a better dress. For someone who’d only attended glorified galas, she felt horribly underprepared. “Who is responsible for failing to deliver the notice? I will have them sorely punished. Doubly so if it is Kazuichi.”

“Hey!”

Chiaki’s hand on her shoulder calmed down her frizzing nerves. “It’s a surprise party, Sonia. You’re not supposed to know about it ahead of time.” Oh…

“A surprise? What would have happened had I not shown up?” She didn’t quite understand the concept.

“That was my job. I lured you here.” Chiaki explained the deception. The gamer acted perfectly in character and left Sonia completely fooled. She would make note of it for future events.

“We had to do something special after forgetting last time.”

“I did not wish to sound self-important.” Sonia said.

“Well that’s dumb as shit” Fuyuhiko rebuked, only to receive a smack up his head from the teacher “Poor language aside, Fuyuhiko’s right. Everybody’s special on their birthday…and I gave Koichi a good talking to for going along with your request to hide it last year.”

Sonia would have to apologize to Kizakura the next time she saw him. “Thank you, everyone.”

“That’s enough out of you, now Sonia, baby, come look at the huge package I got whipped up for you.” The connotations behind eruteru’s suggestive speech went over her head, as usual.

“Gross. Why are you talking like that?” Hiyoko backed away from the chef. Sonia on the other hand, followed Teruteru, where she laid witness to one hell of a cake.

“Hey, Sonia. Can we get to the cake already?” Akane’s mouth watered at the sight.

“You know I’ll work you like crazy tomorrow to get rid of those calories.” Nekomaru glowered at Akane.

“Now see here! My cooking ain’t nuttin but healthy.” Teruteru took offense to the idea that his food was bad for the body.

“W-With that much sugar involved. I don’t think anything could be called healthy.” Naturally, a health discussion dragged Mikan into the fold.

The blonde distanced herself from the war of verbal exchanges between Teruteru and Mikan/Nekomaru. Her attention now caught by a peculiar sight.

“Why is Nagito tied up?” She referred to the albino strapped to a chair with rope.

“He originally said he wasn’t going to come. He was all weird with the ‘I suck and you’re great’ yadda crap again, so we hogtied him.” Kazuichi elaborated.

“I appreciate the gesture, but why is his mouth taped shut?”

“For our sanity.” Hiyoko rolled her eyes. She now stood several ft taller and more developed after hitting a surprise growth spurt.

“Whoa cake!” Sonia looked to the new arrival. A presence that clashed with everyone else.

“Natsumi? What the heck are you doing here?” Almost everyone. Fuyuhiko ran to his little sister who’d dropped by unannounced.

“Peko told me all about it. I snuck in.” Natsumi grinned.

“She was very forceful.” Peko looked away, ashamed.

This was as much a celebration of the friendships she’d made here. She thought Natsumi had the right to be a part of it…though, the same did not apply to everyone else.

“Get those two hellions away from each other.” Gundham shuddered as Natsumi and Hiyoko glared at one another. Fearing a fight would break out, Fuyuhiko dragged Natsumi by the arm, while Mahiru did the same to Hiyoko by the ear.

“If you want to stay, you’re not picking fights.” Fuyuhiko warned his sister.

“Let it go, Hiyoko. We’re not fighting anymore.” Mahiru looked to Natsumi for confirmation. The younger Kuzuryu nodded, and the two moved to separate ends of the room. Both Mahiru and Natsumi were Sonia’s friends, but she doubted they could ever feel that way about each other. However, an armistice was a welcome compromise everyone could be satisfied with.

Sonia threw a worried glance to Nagito, who she held a strong dislike for the reserve course. She found him staring at Natsumi…though not angrily. If she were to place the emotion, it was cold indifference. She had the feeling that he’d spout words Hiyoko couldn’t replicate on her best day if not for the tape preventing him form uttering any scathing remarks.

The royal approached Natsumi who stood with her family. “Have you been well?”

“Totally and uh, happy birthday.”

“Thanks. And I’m sorry you could not make it into the main course this year.”

“I’ve still got one more shot at it.” Sonia hoped that wish would come true. She’d seen the depths of Natsumi’s confidence and effort first-hand over the past months.

“I don’t even know why you’re so hung up on entering. You’ll still get the HPA title when you graduate.” Fuyuhiko frowned.

“Please refrain from prying into matters beyond your understanding, young master.” Peko folded her arms.

“Peko is right. You shouldn’t make a fool out of yourself.” Sonia agreed.

“Huh? What the fuck are you ganging on me for?”

Natsumi sighed. “It’s alright, you two. Being outrageously dense is part of an older brother’s charm.”

‘Is that so?’ That topic brought on  one of Sonia’s worries.

“Speaking of family. What’d your dad get you?” Natsumi asked

“He increased my allowance henceforth to 30 million yen, telling me to spend it however I wished throughout all of Japan.”

“W-wow. How much is your allowance regularly?”

“1 million.” She answered.

Fuyuhiko scratched his hair. “That’s a princess for you. Don’t think about pulling that shit with mom, Natsumi.”

“I’m not stupid.”

She observed them bicker with fondness…and anxiety.

“Is something wrong?” The ever-astute Peko didn’t miss her mood shift.

“One of my older brothers, Abel. He usually sends me exotic items from his travels through mail. But I have not heard from him in months.” Sonia frowned.

“Well shit, I didn’t even know you had siblings.” Fuyuhiko said

“I have no blood siblings, but he decided to make me his surrogate little sister.”

“Decided? How?”

“Exactly that. He decided it one day and I went along for the rollercoaster.”

“The ride…” Fuyuhiko corrected. “And I don’t think that’s how it works…”

“If he’s traveling then maybe he hit a snag or something and couldn’t make it. Nothing much to worry about.” Natsumi tried to assure her.

“You are right. It is probably nothing.” Though the nature of Abel’s occupation did little to soothe her worries.

“What about the other one?” Natsumi asked. Now if there was someone she would never have to worry about, it’d be him.

“Cain is like Peko…only with none of qualities that makes Peko a joy to be around.” A dark shadow cast on her face. “Ah,  I suppose he is nothing like her at all.”

Fuyuhiko whistled. “Poor guy’s in the doghouse.”

Sonia decided to immerse herself in the festivities, blocking out negative thoughts. Her friends were here celebrating themselves and her. She would only get one more chance at this again, the next year, and by the next after, she would back in Europe. This fleeting moment of happiness shouldn’t be wasted – was the princess’ decision.  She would receive a grim reminder of that.

 

-January 2010-

 

Happiness was fleeting indeed. 

Sonia remembered being one among many clothed in obsidian. It was the natural attire for a funeral; one where Natsumi Kuzuryu’s body was laid to rest. It was a tragic affair; one involving a car accident with Natsumi ending up an unfortunate victim. It sounded like a poorly-delivered joke, right from when the distraught Peko told her of the accident, till Sonia saw Natsumi’s body with her own eyes. The Yakuza princess’ death hadn’t been immediate, but she succumbed to her wounds in the hospital several days later. For what it was worth, her family had spoken to her before her demise. The sleeping Kuzuryu’s face was peaceful, blemishes from the impact were diluted with makeup. Natsumi was lively, a fighter, an individual who thrived in chaotic environments. Seeing her in a state of peace was unnatural, and Sonia despised it. The story of a girl, who wanted nothing but to remain at her brother’s side did not deserve to end on such a cruel note, mere days after the start of the new year.

Fuyuhiko and his mother stood at the altar, a frame of Natsumi in the boy’s hands. Both wore calm expressions, saying nothing of the grief they felt. In Fuyuhiko’s case, that expression was unnatural, but in Kasumi’s, she looked no different than when Sonia conversed with her.

A hand tapped her shoulder, she turned to see the elder Pekoyama seeing her off with a smile. “Thank you for coming. I’m sure the young lady would have appreciated it.”

“Is Peko around?” Sonia noted the absence of the Kuzuryu bodyguard.

“No. She personally spoke to the madame, expressing desire to abstain from the funeral. Even though she was not under the young lady’s service, she wished to take responsibility that way. That child is hopeless.” Though he admonished his daughter, his tone carried fondness and  pride.

“This…shouldn’t have happened. A tragedy like this could have easily been avoided.”

A tearful laugh. “I wonder if that’s true.”

Sonia’s brow creased at the perceived implication. “You do not mean to say she was attacked intentionally?” An assassination wouldn’t be unheard of for members of the underground mafia.

“I cannot deny the possibility, but we have discovered nothing that would indicate intent to kill. No, this was probably an unfortunate accident.” He paused and chuckled darkly, as if recalling a spectacularly tragic comedy. “I was referring to a ridiculous story, spanning several years back. In his spare time, the late master was taken with the idea of oracles and went to see a famous fortune-teller who preached a 30% rate of success.  A swindler if I ever saw one, but the master was intrigued and wished to acquire his gifts, if they proved useful. The boy prophesized that both the young master and the young lady would perish in their teenage years. The idiot would have been better off lying. The master was known for his temper and he ordered the boy’s head upon receiving his fortune. Lucky for him, he is quite adept at running away and has yet to be caught.”

“I understand. The future can be frightening.”

“Yes. We have lost the young lady. I can only pray for the young master’s safety…of course, after doing everything in my power to assure it.”

“I cannot imagine what Fuyuhiko is going through.”

“I wish you never have to, but this is life. The young lady is not the first person dear to me and the Kuzuryu clan that I have seen pass on too early. But I will shed tears for her all the same as if she were the first and only.” True to his word, tears fell from Kigai’s eyes. “The madame’s position doesn’t allow a show of weakness. As her tool, I will do so in her stead.”

For the first time, she saw them open. Blood red irises, just like his daughter’s.

It pained her even more to realize that would not be the only funeral attended that month. A week later, another of HPA’s reserve course students died. A close friend of Mahiru’s, Sato, was killed on school grounds. The news shocked the student body; the story detailed that a pervert broke into the school and struck the girl with a bat. Unlike Natsumi, she died instantly.

Unlike Natsumi’s funeral, Sato’s was public, and whole class was permitted to attend. The whole class, including someone she felt awkward to be around at that particular time.

“I am surprised you came. Don’t you hate them?” Her words came off as more antagonistic than intended. She instantly regretted it, but Nagito made for too fine a target.

“I came for Mahiru’s sake. I didn’t even know Sato.” He answered honestly. Not like he’d ever lied. Sonia strangely liked that part about him.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Nagito said, suddenly, his eyes facing the rain clouds. “First Natsumi, then Sato a short while later. I don’t care less about the squabbles of the talentless folk, but our class is fond of them, so I thought I’d look into it.  From the sounds of things, those two despised each other, with Mahiru being at the center of their fighting. How convenient is it that both would be killed suddenly, within a short time-frame.”

What was he getting at? “An unfortunate coincidence.”

“…Unfortunate? Far be it from me to lecture an Ultimate but…fortune is kind of my forte. Luck is merciless sure. However, there is no such thing as coincidence.”

“That is correct.” A third voice entered the fray, drawing Nagito and Sonia’s attention to them. An old man approached, wearing the same black attire.

“You are…”

“Headmaster Tengan.” Nagito cut her off.

The old man shook his head. “Former headmaster. I retired years ago. But I am hardly the subject of concern here.” His eyes narrowed at the hope enthusiast “You are correct, Nagito Komaeda. There is no such thing in this world as coincidence, everything is fated.”

That logic again…“I have heard talk of fate before, but I cannot accept that we could have done nothing. Just a different place or a different time, they would still be with us.”

“You’ve got that wrong.” Nagito argued with her. “The karmic cycle exists. Good luck must be paid off for by equal misfortune. That’s just how the world works.”

 “There is nothing you could have done to prevent their fates. There are somethings in this world that cannot be changed. They can be postponed, the circumstances may change, however, the outcome will always be certain. Natsumi and Sato would have died no matter what you did.” Tengan added.

“You speak as if you knew exactly what would happen.” Sonia arched an eyebrow. He spoke in absolutes for an unrelated party. Sonia didn’t know why but compared to the discussion she’d had with Kigai a week before, this talk of futures and fate was almost insidious.

“Sometimes not knowing is best.” He returned with a vague answer that was just as insensible as the rest. “I was a teacher once, so I cannot help but intervene when I see children latch on to an incorrect conclusion. Do not worry yourselves. Death comes to all things, you have made no mistakes.” Tengan sounded so assured of himself as he addressed the blonde, a knowing smile on his lips. “Though fate is absolute, sometimes it can be staved off. You should be proud of yourself for altering the course of those children’s lives. Even if it only prolonged the inevitable, extending their lives by a year is no meager achievement.”

He was wrong. Not in the sense that what he was saying was incorrect, but that Tengan himself was wrong. Something about this man’s presence unsettled her greatly; as if she were staring at something that shouldn’t be there. Every word pouring from his mouth filled her brain with noise. Static she couldn’t understand, and she didn’t want to hear it in this first place. Sonia wanted to close her ears and filter him out.

She didn’t know if he’d caught on to her discomfort, but any doubts were wiped out when he spoke.  “I did say that ignorance is at times preferable to knowledge. It never ceases to amaze me how only so few can bear the world’s truth.”

‘Did he…do something to me?’

“Then tell me. What kind of powerful hope will be born from this immense despair?” Nagito asked. For someone who revered the academy as much as the lucky student, meeting an ex-headmaster was a stroke of fortune he couldn’t pass up.

“Hope born from despair?” Tengan stroked his beard, giving Nagito an inquisitive look. “I will not deny that a great hope can be born from great despair…however, that does not mean one should ever accept despair as necessary. No matter what sacrifices are made in the name of hope, they should never be forgotten…nor forgiven. People are not stepladders to reach the top. They walk besides you on the journey and guide you to new heights. You carry them with you, not cast aside.” He turned around and continued walking past them, yet his voice carried far, as if he’d stood next to them the entire time.  “I pray you are able to grasp the difference this time.”

The two teenagers stood unmoving. Sonia glanced towards Nagito who had one hand balled into a fist, and the other clutching his forehead,  looking every bit as ill as she felt. “What just happened?” He muttered weakly.

Neither Sonia or Nagito talked about what they felt, nor did they want to remember that sensation.

The feeling like they had just been cursed.

 

-February 2010-

 

Time heals all wounds, but some healed slower than others.

A month had passed and the smothering atmosphere in the classroom showed no signs of lifting. Fuyuhiko was surprisingly in today. He barely attended class. Peko followed suit for a time, but eventually started showing up regularly as well. Mahiru’s recovery was slow as well. She and Sato must have been closer than Sonia thought.

“I have an idea.” Chiaki proposed one morning when they sat besides each other.

“To ease tensions, I presume? What do you in mind?”

“I discussed it with Instructor Yukizome and the school.  You’ll hear about it when she gets here.” Sonia stiffened at the mention of the school. Knowing that Chiaki was the class represented, she assumed the gamer’s plan extended to administration level.

“We’re going on a field trip.” Yukizome announced the instant the bell stopped ringing.

Kazuichi groaned, every bit as unenthused as the others. “Again? Chiaki’s right here.”

“What?” Chiaki tilted her head to the side. Sonia assured her it was nothing worth worrying about.

“Not that. We’re going on an actual field trip with the senior class. Attendance is mandatory. I don’t care what plans you’ve got, it’ll be cancelled.” It was more of an order than a notice.

“Count me out.” Nonetheless, Fuyuhiko resisted. A far from unforeseen outcome. Yukizome evidently thought the same, as she replied with “I already spoke with all your parents, and they gave me the okay. Your mother expressly told me she’d cut off two of your fingers if you refused. I’m not sure how serious she was about that.”

Very serious, judging from the yakuza’s furious reaction. He spluttered words incoherently as his face turned a bright red.

“I think the trip will be a nice change of pace.” Chiaki drew the class’ attention, especially Fuyuhiko’s. “I don’t think staying in school is doing anybody favors. If we want to move on, maybe a change of environment can help.”

“Who said shit about wanting to move on!?” Fuyuhiko roared with anger. Usually, Chiaki was among the ones exempt from his outburst out of respect; had it been anyone else, and he may have grown violent. Such was the sore nature of the matter at hand.

“You misunderstand.” Nobody realized this more than Peko, who’d made that proclamation. “Nobody is telling you to forget your sister and Natsumi would not want that. However, that is neither here nor there. You have made no progress. Stewing in your own regret and self-pity, is not how the future head of the Kuzuryu clan should act.”

“Did you know about this…Is that why you made me show up today?” Fuyuhiko shot her a look of betrayal, but Peko remained steadfast. Ironically, she’d kept up the act of being disconnected to the Kuzuryu clan just as Fuyuhiko wished.

“I agree with them.” The next was – to everyone’s surprise – Mahiru. The photographer who’d grown quiet and reserved over the past few weeks.

“Now this is rich. Even you’re going to preach to me about my sister!? I bet you’re glad she’s dead, you fucking hypocrite!”

“Shut the-“ Hiyoko, who’d immediately conscripted an army of insults to war on Fuyuhiko was silenced prematurely when Ibuki clamped a hand over her mouth. “Not right now.” The musician said, her lack of humor unbefitting to any who knew her.

Mahiru stared at Fuyuhiko passively. She dealt with her pain in a different way from the gangster, having nobody to blame but herself, she was too emotionally drained to enter a battle of words. If Fuyuhiko’d been a once dormant volcano in the process of erupting, Mahiru was a glacier, frozen to the core.  She simply said what she felt. “I did hate her. What else should I have felt towards a thug?”

“She wasn’t a goddamn thug!  Call her that one more time and I swear to God-“

“To you, maybe.” Mahiru continued despite his outrage. “I have no idea what kind of angel you thought she was, but I was the one who had to deal with the cruel side of her, for years. The side that didn’t suck up to you. I think I have the right to say I know just as much as you did.”

“What the fuck are you talking about!?” Fuyuhiko screamed. “What angel!? That girl did whatever the hell she wanted, without a care in the world. I’ve seen crooks with more sense and compassion. Don’t you dare fucking act like I didn’t know her. She was my goddamn sister!” He slammed his fist against his desk, the furniture threatening to shatter under the weight of his emotion imbued in each strike. “Even if she was a fucking mess of a human being, Natsumi was my sister.” He croaked, droplets of tears falling onto the desk’s surface.

The class went into an uncomfortable silence, the sounds of droplets falling were all too audible.

“If you knew that much about Natsumi…” Mahiru looked away, holding her camera. The crying boy earned no sympathy from her. “Then you should also know that tyrant would be disgusted by you right now.”

Fuyuhiko slammed his desk to the side, a sickening crash that made Sonia want to block her ears. Without a word or glance to anyone else in the room, he stepped out.

Peko stood and followed him, only stopping by the door to deliver the message. “Fuyuhiko will attend the trip.”

Yukizome nodded, then looked to the others. “I trust there won’t be objections?”

Teruteru raised one hand. “Where are we going?” Huh…nobody had asked that yet. She hadn’t even remembered.

“Oh right. We’re going to Jabberwock Island. It’s been reserved for all of us.”

“Where’s that?” Kazuichi asked.

“A state of the art international resort.” Sagishi answered, touching his glasses. “Booking a reservation for one would cost no small amount of money.”

“If it’s expensive, that means it good right?” For some reason, Hiyoko asked her instead of Sagishi, who she’d dubbed ‘Sir Ham Hands.’

“I have never been, but I have only heard good things about the resort. There are 5 islands that, each with their own charm and attractions.” Sonia explained.

“Then sign me up!” Hiyoko cheered. “You’re definitely going too, big sis?”

“Yes.” Mahiru smiled listlessly, her hand resting gently on Hiyoko’s head. It was a heartwarming sight, if only for the discrepancy in Hiyoko’s size now and when their school year began.

Sonia faced Chiaki. “Do you think your plan worked?”

The class president hummed, before voicing her thoughts. “I can’t say. It all depends on everyone else. Still, I have hope that things will get back to normal. It might be selfish of me, but I want to play video games with everyone again, just like we used to.” Chiaki drew focus to the console in her hand.

Sonia didn’t think it was a selfish wish at all. At the very least, the princess would be just as selfish as the gamer for wanting the same, despite her friends’ turmoil. “Then I too, have faith that this trip will be a success.” She would pray for that outcome with all her might.

It was a false hope.

If she had known beforehand what fate awaited them, she would have fought against Chiaki’s, done everything in her power to keep them away from that accursed island.

Anything.

 

-May 2010-

 

When was it she first noticed the abnormalities? It was almost immediately after they disembarked on the island.

“Fuck off!” She’d heard that chilling voice, along with a yelp. She went over to check what the commotion was about, only to see Chiaki on the ground. A boy, Hajime Hinata, standing over her. Not menacingly, but dismissively. Like he’d just swatted a fly and paid it no further heed. It clashed greatly from what (admittedly little) she knew of the reserve course student. Chiaki, at least, considered him a close friend and the gamer was nothing if not a good judge of character.

Sonia would have thought otherwise at this time

 “This isn’t fair. There are too many. I-I!” The jittering boy’s crimson eyes moved rapidly in every direction, as if surrounded by demons. She’d seen men at gunpoint under less hysteria.

 Hajime walked past her, continuing to speak, not to Sonia for he barely noticed her presence. The only audience was himself. He inhaled one sizable breath “I’m tired. This time, I’ll win, no matter what it takes.” Hajime spoke as if he was possessed.

The last words she heard sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t hear the fear from before, nor the panic or excitation. His voice turned dreadfully cold, and monotone. The reserve course spat out two sets of names without context. No further description or addition would do his emotions justice.

Junko Enoshima and Makoto Naegi.

Like a snowball effect, more began to change without warning.

_

 

“Nagito?” Sonia spotted him giggling to himself. He was a loner by choice. Some of her classmates even thought him dangerous due to the chaos that often befell him. As of late, he’d behaved more strangely than ever before.

“It’s you. Good timing, mind if I asked you a question?” At all times. In every known instance. Every interaction with the Ultimate Lucky Student, he treated her like a queen. The same went for all the Ultimates at the academy. Whereas he looked at everything other else as if they were worth less than dirt. 

“Have you ever felt like you could do anything when you were a kid?” However, right now, he neither revered nor gazed  upon her with disdain. In her eyes, she was now perfectly average.  “Even if you have, as far as I remember, I haven’t.” He didn’t even wait for an answer. “Normal humans are burdened with hard limits, the most they can achieve is mediocrity. Comparatively, Ultimates are a different breed, they can do anything they put their mind to.” She’d heard it before- “That’s what I used to think. I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

That caught her off guard. Nagito’s beliefs were unassailable. Nobody, even Chiaki and Yukizome, had ever gotten him to budge on his views. “We all have limits to what we can do, Nagito. Ultimates are no exception. We are still human.” Just like those without talent.

“I see. The answer really was that simple all along.” Nagito laughed in resignation. “I wonder if we’ve had this conversation before. I only remember some parts and I guess you don’t remember anything, huh.”

Sonia furrowed her brows. “Are you alright?” Mentally speaking of course.

Nagito expressed disappointment at her reply. “I thought you of all people would understand…but it’s fine if you don’t. You can disappear without knowing…” The tall male froze as those words unintentionally left his mouth. “What do you know, Tengan was right. Ignorance is bliss.”

He broke into laughter. “He cursed both of us, so why am I the only one who remembers? Is it Hajime’s fault?”

That was enough. “Nagito…you are not well. Please accompany me to see Mikan.”

“…I feel unbearably tired of this game.”  He straightened out his green jacket, given her an exhausted smile. “So, let’s make this the last.” Sonia got the distinct feeling that this was a one-sided conversation. Nagito was not talking to her. “I still have a soft spot for you guys, so do your best to stay alive.”

He walked away. Gazing at his retreating back, Sonia deliberated with herself, thinking if she should have stopped him then. “One way or another, I’ll win. I’ll erase despair, I’ll defeat Enoshima. Even if I have to sacrifice my life to do it. No, even if I have to blow up this entire island and everyone on it.”

Nagito vanished without a trace after that, but he wasn’t the only ghost on the island.

_ _

 

Kazuichi had been more or less a ghost during our stay on the island. For weeks, he only showed up to breakfast and dinner, otherwise was absent for the rest of the day.  At times he missed both. Eventually, even Yukizome began to worry and instructed Sonia to bring dinner to the mechanic on the fifth island.  It began raining on the way over, though the mist did nothing to protect her lungs with the thick gas that filled the air. The 5th island’s gas emissions were much less sanitary than she’d heard.

 She entered the large factory meeting open space and machinery as far as the eye could see, but no sign of Kazuichi. Her search led her up the flights of stairs, until she saw It. Her legs nearly gave out when she saw the sheer size of the abomination held in the hangar.

“Ms. Sonia, you’re not supposed to be here.” She snapped her head back to see Kazuichi standing behind. “Huh, that grub? Hey thanks, I haven’t slept or eaten in days.” He laughed, but she knew that was no exaggeration, if his bloodshot eyes were of any indication. His clothes were also messier than she’d ever seen.

“Kazuichi…what is this?” Her voice shook.

“Hm? Oh, you mean Jabberwock. Cool right? the school was so impressed by my practical exam results, that they contracted me to build one of their designs. I think it just might be my masterpiece.” He stretched his arms out in manic pride.

“I-is it safe?”

“What’d you mean?” Was he so far gone that he couldn’t detect her fear?

“Is it dangerous?” She snapped.

“I wish. I couldn’t even get the prototype to work. Sorry but Jabberwock’s all show and no tell. It’ll never activate without installing a mainframe or an artificial intelligence.”

_ _ _

 

The killings began in earnest. What was initially mistaken as random disappearances spurned mass hysteria, reaching its peak when the first body was discovered. After that, more and more of students disappeared. Her class was no exception. A wolf had entered this den of sheep. And who better to suspect than the odd one out?

“It’s that Hinata freak. If you don’t want to die next, you’ll join me and catch that little shit!” Ruruka Ando from the senior class proposed such extremes, and many joined her, thinking the talentless reserve course student had lost his mind and gone on an Ultimate hunt.

. The situation escalated for the worse, panic turned a search for one man into a witch hunt. And those always ended the same way.

If there was a point of no return, it was when they failed to silence Ando using whatever means available. They paid for that indecision with flames and a bloodbath Everyone else was either gone or she had seen dead with her own eyes.

“Lie down You’re not feeling well.” Chiaki warned, grabbing onto the blonde’s shoulders and . This was the point where her memory was faintest. She wasn’t cognisant of her surroundings. She remembered being forced to lie down on a hard surface, the harsh drizzle of rain and the thick dried blood on her hands and clothes.

“Use this.” Chiaki placed a wet towel on her forehead. It was lukewarm, but they hardly had room for such luxuries.

“I’m fine. I can’t stop.” She was delirious, but not so much that she would she let her guard down, that would spell the end for her.

Sonia couldn’t let that happen, her country needed her. If she fell, then her family’s dynasty would be jeopardized. She didn’t want to die, so she had to do whatever it took to live.

“We’ll get out of this.”  Chiaki lied down next to her

Sonia turned her head to the side to face the other girl,  in disbelief at the pinkette words, so utterly out of place and contradictory to the hell they’d wandered into.

Chiaki must have sensed her doubt “Even if it sounds crazy. I-I still have hope.” Sonia had witnessed nothing but insanity. Everyone else had already lost their minds, betraying one another in the height of their despair. Their friends were no exception. Sonia and Chiaki were all that was left as far as they knew. Yet she still spoke those platitudes…despite everything she’d lost…or was it an attempt to deceive her?

The blonde had already seen enough betrayal for a lifetime occurring in a matter of hours. And by those who considered themselves dear. She didn’t know what drove them insane, but they were definitely not in their right minds. Who was to say Chiaki would be any different?

How could Sonia prove her friend would not turn against her? Chiaki appeared calm, but she couldn’t have been after what happened to Hajime.

Whilst they lied together, all Sonia could think about was whether she would be deceived. She didn’t let herself blink once. Even if Chiaki was sane now, what was stopping that from changing later? Nothing, she had no guarantee.

She…couldn’t trust Chiaki. She couldn’t trust anyone.

If she would be betrayed anyway…then she would act first. The blonde gathered her resolve, waiting for the soonest opening.

It came when Chiaki dozed off to sleep. She was lethargic by nature, and the events of the day finally drained whatever strength the gamer had left. She was vulnerable now.

As those thoughts entered her head, more flooded in without end and Sonia’s vision turned red. Her arms moved without hesitation, slowly reaching for the defenseless girl’s neck.

Chiaki’s skin was every bit as soft as Sonia envisioned.

She was grateful to the class rep, her first friend in Japan. Always reliable and always sincere. If Sonia could have lasted this long with anyone, she was happy it was with Chiaki.

Sonia convinced herself that survival was the motive, yet looking back, she wouldn’t have minded dying right then and there, being free of the burdens that plagued her since childhood. This night had disillusioned her faith in people, her perspective on reality, however at that moment, there was something more important than her life or the fate of Novoselic.

What had driven the royal to do the deed was fear, but not of death or self-preservation. It was a far more selfish desire. She hadn’t realized it then…that she merely wished to preserve the last vestiges of her sanity; the proof that the relationships she’d made these past 2 years weren’t lies.

In her cowardice, she wanted to protect the memory of the Chiaki Nanami that would never betray her.

 

_ _ _ _

 

 

 

G A M E O V E R

 

           PRESS TO RESTART

 

-6 Years Ago-

 

 

Sonia Nevermind was groomed to be Queen from birth. She had never known want or mediocrity, anything and everything she desired was readily prepared – the many attendants of the royal line saw to that. But the same was true even outside the castle walls. The people of Novoselic showed her unparalleled kindness and respect; grown men bent the knee to a child like herself.

One day, she deigned to ask why before her father, King Lucius Nevermind.

The king let out a hearty laugh at her inquiry, shaking the throne he sat on. “That is only natural, Sonia. They are your future subjects, both to lead and to protect. This world is built upon equality and reciprocity. For centuries, our family has given them hope and they, in turn, have rewarded us with reverence.” The monarch left his royal seat and approached his daughter, resting his palm gently on her soft hair.

“Never forget your place, Sonia. You are the princess of Novoselic first and foremost. Your duty is always to our people, regardless of where you are or whom you become.”

“Yes, father.”

For many years, Sonia adhered to that ignorant lifestyle. She never complained, never desired more, nor did she find her royal treatment out of the ordinary. A fish who only knew the ocean waves, should not contemplate what laid outside the ocean’s boundaries. But Sonia was a girl afflicted by boundless, almost unnatural curiosity. She dreamed of the outside world she had never seen and the scope of her interests were vast, extending the customs and thought processes of the morally disinclined.

Mere days before her 14th birthday; a national holiday to be celebrated by the entire nation at that. Festivities were set to occur for the whole week. The preparations that went into the ceremony were stressing. She was glad to have been granted a break from her instructors, even for a few minutes. Sonia wandered off to the outskirts of the castle for fresh air and found him there. He was too old to be called a child, but not old enough that society would consider him a man. His features were striking; pale skin, ashen-blonde hair, a black military trench coat, and – upon directing his gaze towards her – steely black eyes. He…did not give off the aura of a civilian, nor had she ever seen him in the castle before.

Sonia briefly considered that he might have been a kidnapper (she would rather not go through such tedious ordeals again.), but that thought was shot down after he turned away, paying her no further attention.

“An auspicious day, isn’t it?” Sonia cordially greeted the older male.

“…No different from all the others.” The stranger’s voice was rough and elicited disinterest.

“…It is mere days my birth week.” Sonia stated matter-of-factly, as if a revering connotation should naturally follow suit. However, the boy gave her look that said, ‘So what?’

“Are you…not from here?” The Nevermind princess asked, confused

“No. I was born here. Though I haven’t stepped foot on this soil in a long time.”

“But you must know who I am.” Sonia didn’t give immediately her name. It was a matter of a matter of principle.

“…Sonia Nevermind.” He said. “I don’t know what you want but if you’re itching to play master and servant, go find your actual servants. You haven’t done a thing to earn my subordination.”

He exuded a staggering amount of hostility for someone he’d never met. Additionally, there was a misconception that Sonia felt be corrected. “You were born here, were you not? By that token alone, you are my subject.”

“Novoselic is just the land I was conceived on, it doesn’t define me.” With little more than a condescending glare, the boy walked away.

Sonia flinched at the remark. By all account, he had the appearance of a commoner…yet she could feel a suppressed dignity coming from him. Nevertheless, hat detail was irrelevant to her current state of mind.

That level of disrespect was unfounded in her experience. Nobles from all around Novoselic would give up fortunes just to get in her good graces. Even her previous captors treated her as one would an esteemed (albeit unwilling) guest. In lieu of their deference, even in insurrection, some were granted pardons or a stay of execution. However, this boorish stranger dared to spit on her lineage. Was that not the same as trampling on the dignity of Novoselic itself?

The princess was consumed by a quiet anger. She was a lady and even more, she was royalty. Sonia would not allow her actions to be ruled by base emotions, thus her indignation was easily suppressed...That would normally be the case, however Sonia was led by another force this time. It was an unmistakable emotion that drove every child, regardless of status or gender. Curiosity, that is to say: a thirst for adventure and to perceive the unknown.

‘By my family’s name, I will make him reconsider his words, then grant him a suitable punishment.’ Sonia let that excuse carry her into the expansive woods as she trailed behind the man in secret

 _ _ _ _ _

 

 

-Present-

 

The scene was a small sized room. The noise from the heart-monitors audible throughout every corner. Cables and wires were hooked to a queen-sized bed that occupied most of the space. There were 4 humans in the room. A woman with long, unkempt blonde hair rested, her back against the headboard and her skin deathly pale. All her dull eyes recognized was the old, portable game console on her hands. The screen was cracked, the batteries long dead, and the pads and buttons breaking down from over-wear. Her hands covered in bandages pressed down on the buttons as if the device was fully operational.

“She’s comatose, sir.” Said one of the most expensive doctors in the world, yet his diagnosis was no different than that of a common hospital’s.

“There must be something you can do.” Lucius Nevermind said, impatiently. In a mere 2 years, his looks had aged by a decade.

The doctor shook his head. One among many who’d done the same.

It was unbearable to watch this farce go on any longer. Poignant it may have been.

“Haven't you had enough yet?” Cain said,  “You have tried tirelessly, but the result will always be the same.”

“And why is that!?” The king roared.

“She won’t wake, because she doesn’t want to.” It was that simple.

“Leave us.” Nevermind ordered the doctor. The small man ducking out of the room as fast as he could. Smart, the king’s tolerance wasn’t quite what it used to be.

“This wasn’t what Tengan promised.” Nevermind stood over his daughter’s catatonic form. “He said that the Nevermind family would prosper forever. Why did it turn out this way?”

“I am not equipped to answer that question.”

“How can you be so indifferent? Don’t you remember? Your own brother died for one of his schemes. Along with Fenrir!”

Well, that was true. That little menace got himself killed during Mukuro Ikusaba’s crusade against the mercenary group, Fenrir. All according to Tengan’s design.

But that was irrelevant as far as he was concerned. “If you’re looking for an emotional reaction out of me, you’re wasting your time and it isn’t necessary. I am a soldier. I take orders, no matter what they are. You know this.” That robotic mindset is what made Cain a favorite of the Novoselic king. His trust in others had wavered substantially since his daughter’s incident. What he needed now was someone who obeyed him unquestionably. Someone as dull and boring as Cain.

“You are running out of time. Make your decision quickly or your chance will pass you by.” Assuming revenge was what he wanted. It wouldn’t be long before the next killing game on Jabberwock island began in earnest.

“I need to think.” Lucius walked towards the door, giving his daughter a solemn gaze before leaving.

Now there were only 2 left in the room and strangely enough, neither were particularly lively. That makeshift family of three (decided by his little brother without taking their opinions into account) was reduced to one in the span of a few months. It was an uncomfortable sight to see that annoyingly energetic and persistent reduced to this pitiful state.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Abel?” Cain said. Behind him stood a dirt blond hair, a Chinese-styled kimono and a hole the size of a bullet in his chest. Despite the ‘new’ arrival, the number of humans in the room had not increased. The cadaver did not respond. While it was capable, it only followed direct orders. An order to think for itself was impossible. It was the limit of his [Batallion] , the ability granted to him; one he’d used 6 years ago to quell the rebel army.

Cain sighed. Even he would admit to loneliness when it slapped him in the face.

His eyes narrowed at a fractured game console in Sonia’s hand. If there was proof that the princess still lived, that was it. When he’d found her…or rather, when Shinobu delivered her to him, that device was the one thing that she held onto. Even he could not rip it away from her…and not for a lack of trying.

Cain grunted in displeasure, turning away from the bed and moving towards the exit. The sight made him sick to his stomach. He was different from the king, who had merely ruled all his life. Cain knew what Sonia must have done to survive. Any soldier would know, and they would also know the nightmares that awaited them afterwards; torture of their own making. The inability to forgive themselves for their wrongdoings.

Some, like himself, were skilled at burying their demons. For others…sometimes, stepping away from reality was their salvation. If could be saved in those dreams, then perhaps it was best that she never woke up again.

Thus, only one remained, the sounds of clicks were all that could be heard. A callow, worthless woman who only knew how to preach platitudes. Never worthy of royal status. Her once sky-blue irises were an empty blood red, trapped in those ephemeral 6 years of the past. That period was the height of her short life, for better and worse. These past 2 years, she’d spent comatose, she repeated that half decade, endlessly wading through the joys and horrors of each experience. Including the tragedy that occurred on Jabberwock island. She wouldn’t permit herself rest. She would repent forever by reliving the nightmare.

That was her punishment game. One that wouldn’t end until she died.

She had no complaints. The truth of it was that…

‘I…died back then, along with everyone else.’

 

Chapter 21: Cogito, Ergo Sum

Notes:

This is an exposition heavy chapter, so feel free to ask me to explain whatever I left unclear and I'll try my best to clarify.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 “Izuru Kamukura.” The black-haired man was in the middle of the most unenthused introduction Makoto had ever heard.

“…are you one of Enoshima’s friends?” He said, slowly inching towards the door. If things went south, he’d want to be where he could make a break for it. He still felt the kick Enoshima planted in his gut.

“…You believe she is capable of having comrades?”

“Fair enough.” Makoto stared Kamukura down and moved forward with the second most appropriate question. “Whose side are you on?”

The taller male’s expression shifted ever so slightly. “She told me you were more naïve and trusting than this.” ‘She’ probably meaning Enoshima.

“Oh…sorry, I just thought…” He scratched his neck. Maybe he was too hasty. After all, it’s not like Chisa was with Enoshima either.

“She wasn’t quite off the mark then.” Okay, Makoto was sure that one was an insult. “I’ve made it clear I am no ally of Enoshima’s, and to my knowledge, I’ve done nothing to grant the insinuation that I am yours either.”

Neutral then. Could be worse.

“You need something?” Makoto asked.

Kamukura didn’t bother with snarky remarks this time. Instead he said something far more unsettling. “An actor’s job is to entertain the audience. I am bored. You can piece together the rest.”

…Bored?

Makoto had to double-take. “Entertainment? You think this is a game?”

“I was very literal with my terminology. I am part of the audience, while you and your classmates are the actors. Your endeavors are broadcasted to the theatre so that we may observe from start to finish.” Kamukura said in a tone like he was second-guessing his conversational partner’s intelligence.Were you unaware?”

Makoto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Enoshima had to be watching him from somewhere, but Kamukura made it sound like they’d made it into primetime television! “I…You were watching? And you found that entertaining?”

“Must I repeat myself?”

Makoto felt his anger bubble slowly. “We’re not your opening act. None of you have any right to debase us like this!”

“I have every right.” Kamukura dismissed his indignation as a trifle, as easily as blowing out a candle. His voice remained monotonous, however there was an inexplicable intensity that held Makoto in place, and the next thing he knew Kamukura disappeared from vision. Makoto’s head snapped to the left, finding Kamukura stationed with his hand on the doorknob, as if he’d never moved. The man towered over Makoto in close proximity – His black garments and impractically long hair made him seem like a writhing shadow.

 “I’ve paid in no small increments to view Enoshima’s supposed masterpiece. I won’t be denied what I was promised.”

Enoshima promised him something...He really couldn’t trust this guy.

 “I will neither advance nor delay your attempts at stopping her. Your chances of victory are slim enough as it is to bother with the latter, in any case.”

“Swell.” Makoto retorted sarcastically.

“…Enoshima has a high opinion of you.” That caught Makoto’s attention. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that witch wanted with him.

“What’s her deal?” He groaned.

Kamukura opened the door slowly. “Much like yourself, I cannot fathom why and there are few things I do not know. The unknown intrigues me, thus I wish to understand, with my own eyes, what makes you so special.” He stepped out of the room, yet his parting words were audible enough to not make a difference. “Do not disappoint me, Makoto Naegi. I expect a great deal from you.”

Makoto stood there, unsure of what to make of that…interaction. Expecting great things? Get real, he was just a regular guy. If he wants entertainment, then why doesn’t he take on Enoshima?

“Upupupupu, someone sure is popular~” An irritating voice disrupted his thoughts. Makoto took a deep breath and wrenched his neck backwards to glower at Monokuma. The dumb animatronic making itself at home on (what was technically) his bed, lying on it’s stomach, paws on both sides of its face and legs kicking back and forth in the air.

“How’d you get in here?” He muttered

“Magic.” Was this going to be a thing? He hoped not. And If this is where being popular got him, then he wanted none of it.

“Izzy’s right about one thing. You’re pretty chill for a twink that just got mangled by a Metal Gear reject.”

“Mangled?” Makoto blinked, what’d he mean by that?

“Yeah.” The bear placed a paw to its mouth, snickering to itself. “It was so bad, we had to cut to commercial and off-screen your death. Can you believe this story’s rated general? Someone ought to fix that.”

“Can you start making sense?”

Monokuma hopped off the bed, approaching him with a deadpanned look “What, you really don’t remember?”

“Not really. I remember we got Taka and...there was something…big. Was it Jabberwock?” He squinted trying to recall his final memories from the last iteration.  The monster’s figure escaped him.

“Repressed trauma, eh? That’s fine. Wouldn’t want you to break too quickly anyway.”

“I don’t need to hear that from you.” He muttered, ignoring the bear’s laughter.

“I’d say go to the 4th floor, but you already met Izzy. He was soooo excited to finally meet you that he couldn’t even wait.” Monokuma said. Kamukura was the resident on the 4th floor…

No reason to go there then. “I’ll go see Chisa.” At least there was one person in this hellhole that was worth talking to.

“What about Lady Enoshima?”

Makoto stared at the bear in abject confusion. “Why the fuck would I want to see her?”

“Sheesh, spoken like a guy who doesn’t know how to handle aggressive women. Guess something’s never change, even if the hoodie’s slightly different.” Monokuma shook its head in disappointment. “Lady Enoshima’s the jealous type, eggy. You ignore her for another busty babe and she might just lose it…You don’t want that.”

“…Whatever. I have a few words to say to her anyway.” Makoto steeled himself, getting ready to meet the vilest person he’d ever had the misfortune of encountering. But before that… “Could you leave? I need to get changed.” He told the bear, remembering he was still in pajamas.

“And miss the strip show? Why would I ever?”

Makoto shot the animatronic a fierce glare.

“Geez fine. Buzzkill.” The bear kicked air as it scampered out of the room.

Makoto locked the door behind him, and scanned the room, looking everywhere; be it under the bed or even in the drawers.

“Okay…this time, there’s nobody here.” He sighed, finally feeling comfort in privacy. He took his clothing off, and reached for his casual outfit…

“Nice butt.”

Makoto turned slowly to see the bear perched like a stuffed animal on a desk.

Goddamit! “How did you get back in!?”

He asked, already knowing the answer. The shit-eating grin on the bear practically gave it away.

“Magic.”


 

 

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Junko Enoshima, was as eloquent as ever. Makoto found her in the cafeteria skimming through a giant notebook. Her eyes lighting  up as soon as he crossed her sights, instantly making him regret listening to the bear. She picked up on his stark discomfort and…there you have it.

“None of your business.” He replied.

“As someone with a P.H.D in Makoto bullying, I’m afraid to say finding out the source of any and all your suffering is literally my business.” Enoshima donned spectacles. “Isn’t it great when you can enjoy your job?”

“What’s with the book?” He motioned to the sizable, black encyclopedia of a novel laid on the table.

A wicked glint shone in her eyes. “You’re curious, right? Come on, tell me you are.” She pressed against him.

“Uh…never mind. I don’t care.” He said, pushing her away.

Enoshima folded her arms, puffed her cheeks and looked to the side. “Suit yourself. Here I was going to tell you about the script for the next game if you got on your knees and begged.”

...Yeah right. “Like I should believe a word you say.” He snarled.

“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You lied.” He cut to the chase.

“…Come again.” She said, puzzled.

“You said I only had to watch out for your despairs. So, what was that monster?”

“…Oh, that’s what you meant.” Enoshima blinked, earning a confused look from Makoto. What else could he have meant? “Yeah…that wasn’t my idea.” She said.

“Bullshit!” Makoto yelled.

“I’m not lying. Robo-beasts are soooo SDR2. I’m not some hack that’d pull the same trick twice. If you want to blame anyone, blame Hope’s Peak Academy.” Enoshima blew at her nails, denying any responsibility for Jabberwock.

Makoto shifted “The school?”

“Uh, yeah. They’re the ones who built the thing, and the ones making Chihiro put the finishing touches on. Honestly, Jabby isn’t even on my radar. What’s fun about having some dumb piece of metal to scrap all of you? That’d make for C-grade despair at best.” Enoshima made an overexaggerated yawn. “If it bothers you so much, then get Chihiro to stop before Jabby’s finished. No big deal.”

“Assuming I remember.”

“Your problem. I can’t do everything around here. Oh wait, I can. I won’t though.”

Makoto sighed, realizing any further talk was fruitless. He turned around without another word, intent on crossing the doors and bidding this excuse of a woman, a silent goodbye. Or that was the plan, until Makoto realized there was no exit.

“Where’s the door? I just came this way.” He panicked, then faced Enoshima, who’d fallen back to her seat.

“Who said we were done talking? Come on, you’re with a super hot ex-model. The least you can do is tell me about yourself before we have dinner.” Enoshima said, feigning a pout.

“If you wanted to learn about me, couldn’t you just ask normally?”

Enoshima directed him to sit across her. Seeing as he hadn’t much of a choice, he obliged. There wasn’t any reason to put up resistance on an unnecessary front.

“Just play along. And if you tell me, then I’ll probably do the same. Knowledge helps here more than you think.”

“I don’t even know what you want to hear, or what you want from me. I’m an ordinary, average guy-“

“There it is.” Enoshima cut him off, her features drowning in mirth. “I’ve heard it all before. You’re a guy that could be found anywhere on the planet. Only worth slightly more than garbage.”

‘Don’t remember saying anything about garbage.’

“Then why is it that I – through half-baked attempts – conquered all those special, extraordinary humans but kept losing to you?” Enoshima convulsed, drool slipping from her lips.

She’s crazy!

“Just tell me. We’ve come this far and I already know what you’re capable of. Why not let me in on the secret? Like your bad streak. How does it work?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He said.

Enoshima stared at him for a time, then sighed. “Fine be that way. Not like it really matters, since I’m the hands-on type anyway.”

“Hands-on?”

“Guess it’s my turn to answer. I’m a bit of a deviant, you see.” ‘A bit’ she says. “I can’t connect with anything that hasn’t experienced despair the way I have. Even if you told me all about yourself…I wouldn’t really understand, not past a surface level of comprehension. Not until I’ve broken and dissected you.”

“You…need better hobbies.” Makoto’s unreserved behavior towards his captor and torturer was in part because of an anger he had difficulty controlling. He didn’t get angry with people, but Enoshima was forcing him to explore sides of himself he never wanted to. The other part was his belief that she needed him to play this atrocious game and would restrain herself from harming him.

That safety net was crumbling away under her gaze. If he could liken the look she was giving him to anything, it was a boy’s anticipation to splitting a frog for the first time and seeing what was inside. In that vein, Enoshima may have chosen her words aptly.

Right now, Makoto’s instincts were screaming at him to run away.

“I’ve tried it all and nothing works. Things that have no potential for despair…are just too disappointing.” Her lips twitched upwards, forming a malicious smile “But you, and the others down there – save one – have never disappointed me. That’s why I can never leave you alone."

“Are you even listening to yourself? You sound like a stalker!” There was that hatred again. She shamelessly admitted to ruining lives just for her own satisfaction. How rotten could you get? “You’re a psychopath. Me, my friends and all the rest. We all struggle to find happiness in our daily lives. Why should any of us suffer just so you can get a damn high!?” Makoto couldn’t approve of her actions, and it was made worse for the fact that there wasn’t a shred of productivity in it. Nobody gained anything purposeful from despair.

He breathed heavily. There wasn’t any point talking after all. He would never see the eye to eye with this girl. She needed desperate psychiatric attention. That point only further supported by the fact that Enoshima didn’t appear the least perturbed by his condemnations. Instead, she wore a serene smile on her face.

“Hmm…not quite up there with your usual stuff, but I suppose you’re not at your former level yet either. Even back then, it took 5 trials to get you going. I’d say you still need to experience quite a bit more despair, maybe 2 or 3 more times.” Enoshima stewed in her own insanity. Makoto wondered if she was even speaking to him. At the very least, she didn’t listen to a word he said.

“Sorry but you won’t get that many. Next time, I’ll win.” He swore.

“Want to know who else boasts like that? Gambling addicts, and everyone knows how those stories turn out.” Enoshima mocked. “Whatever, this’ll have to tide me over till then. Now skedaddle, bi-atch!” Enoshima assumed her most crude persona. And Makoto wasn’t afraid to heed this request. If anything, he couldn’t have gotten away from her fast enough. Luckily the exit was back. By the time he was out of the cafeteria, he was shocked that the encounter had ended painlessly for him.


 

“You’re back.” Chisa said.

“I blew it.” He scratched his hair when he came faced with her in the classroom.  The maid was both disappointed and happy to see him. Makoto figured he could understand why. If he was in her shoes, he’d be happy to see someone normal too.

“Knowing you, I bet you put up a good fight.” She wore a melancholic smile.

“You actually saved me for a while. I’d have gone nuts if it wasn’t because of this.” He pulled out the white cloth.

“My handkerchief? You brought that with you? You could bring that with you?” Chisa was as surprised as he was. Unfortunately, that meant he couldn’t get answers for how the handkerchief came with him from the instructor.

Speaking of which… “Didn’t you see in the theater?” Kamukura said the events on the island were transmitted to the screen.

“I promised myself that I wouldn’t participate in Junko’s warped games. That includes staying away from the cinema.” Chisa explained.

“Thank you. Just knowing there’s someone with a conscience around here gives me some piece of mind.” Makoto smiled, one wiped away the very next second.

“It is like you are not even trying to win.” A third person in the room had gone unnoticed.

Makoto turned to the back of the room. Kamukura sat on the furthest seat from the door, his legs parked on the desk.

“How long have you been there?” Makoto asked…and got no reply. Good talk.

“You’ve already met?” Chisa asked. “Izuru visits from time to time.” Makoto didn’t miss how casual the teacher was. To him, Kamukura’s sudden appearance made the tension in the room surge, but Chisa may have felt differently.

“Yukizome would be a more valuable asset if used to gather information you may have missed. Refraining from optimizing her worth out of some petty sentimentality is naïve at best, and stupid at worst.” Kamukura chided him.

“I’m…not going to make her do that.” Makoto frowned.

“If I can be helpful that way, I wouldn’t mind. Getting you of here is our top priority right now.” Chisa placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him some much-needed encouragement.

“If you’re fine with it.” He couldn’t deny needing all the help he could get. “Chisa, can I ask you something…outside?”

Chisa gave him a puzzled look, switching back and forth between Kamukura himself. “Sure.” She agreed.

“I don’t know this guy. Can we trust him?” Makoto whispered once they were in the halls.

Chisa thought it over a moment. Then smiled brightly. “Nope, definitely not.”

“Then he’s really with Enoshima?” Was what Kamukura said earlier, a lie?

She laughed, dismissing the potential alliance with a wave of the hand “No way. He can’t be trusted because he only has his own goals in mind. But he doesn’t care about Junko at all.”

“He said he was interested in my fight against her.”

 “Izuru isn’t the type to tell lies. If he says he’s interested in you, then that’s probably the truth. And he might give us some useful input.”

Makoto considered her advice. Blunt was definitely one way to describe Kamukura from his observations. The others being a bit dickish, but nothing he hadn’t experienced many times before. Even from Kyoko. And if Kamukura was nearly as capable then he’d be an idiot not to make seize a potential advantage. “Alright. I guess I should get along with him.”

Chisa clapped her hands. “That’d be nice. Maybe a friend can change that rotten orange’s mood.”

“No promises.” He’ll cross one mountain at a time.

Their impromptu game plan decided. Makoto slid open the door…and froze with the first step inside.  The head count in the room had suddenly gone up drastically. Kamukura was standing in front of the room and the desks were now occupied by...his classmates.

All of them, save Kizakura,  were seated, with a range of expressions befitting their usual character, and in their assigned placements back at HPA.

“They’re not real. Izuru made them, by copying what I did before.” Chisa explained. He was never going to get used to this.

Makoto wobbled towards the other man, his attention gripped by the terribly life-like construction of his friends.

 “Why’d you bring them here?” Makoto twitched.

“Use them.” Kamukura stated, as if those two words were enough to convey his meaning and intentions.

“Isn’t that nice. Izuru’s trying to help.” Chisa chirped from behind.

“How?”

“You…I’m certain you’re astute enough to have realized your failings in the previous game. You completely misread your priorities.” Kamukura said.

That’s what he meant. Well…yeah, that’s exactly what happened. Toko going berserk threw a giant wrench in everything and it was probably avoidable. He faced the clone of the author, seated at the front, frozen.

“This is so weird.” He commented.

 “Suck it up, mister.” Chisa flicked his forehead. “You know your friends much better than we do. If you want to save everyone, then isolate the ones most likely to fall into despair and the cause. You can categorize them in 3 levels. Easy, medium and Difficult.”

“Sounds simple enough.” He stared at Toko’s replica. “Medium.”

“Easy.”

Makoto looked to Kamukura who’d interrupted him. “What makes you say that?” Urge to defend friends, rising.

“Her weakness is Togami, who has died unceremoniously multiple times now. It doesn’t matter how she reacts to the others. If her sole pillar is removed, her descent is assured. You would be wise to deal with her quickly.”

Makoto hated to admit it, but he couldn’t find objective fault there. Didn’t mean he had to like it.

The luckster moved to the next desk, where Chihiro sat unmoving, staring into space.

“Medium. Chihiro’s strong. Even when he was losing hope, he didn’t harm anyone.” In the midst of everything going on, the despondent Chihiro was the least of his worries.

“Only because you reassured him. Nevertheless, your assessment is correct. Now what of him.” Kamukura referred to the culprit of the previous game.

“Taka…Medium…” He began.

“Are you trying to deceive me or yourself? 2 or 3 among your group pass and Ishimaru becomes a liability. Worse if the murders are spread out and the weight of failure piles on. I suspect he only lasted as long as he did in your previous trial because he was the culprit himself. Easy.”

Makoto frowned. Correct again. But backseat driver much?

“Mondo. I’m not really sure. He’s a good guy but he loses it when Taka and Chihiro are involved.” He was the first Makoto remembers who turned in the third game. But in the previous round, he held up fine.

“It sounds like he’s the same as Toko. I’d file under easy.” Chisa said.

This was depressing. Makoto thought, moving onto the drill-tailed gambler.

“Celes…” Huh, this was a strange one. “Difficult. Celes was fine in both rounds.” Maybe it was because her talent made her equipped to handling pressure…but “As a person, she doesn’t have as much faith in us as I’d like. She made a huge mistake in the third round and fell into Leon’s trap.” And that cost them. If the scale was for how well she handled despair, it would be in Makoto’s favor. But in terms of how difficult it was to keep track of her overall? Not so much.

“Hifumi…difficult.” Makoto labeled the gambler’s servant. “He never despaired and only went along with Celes. If Celes can be controlled, so can he. Heck, he’s been shown to doubt her at times.” The doujin author was oddly reliable in moral dilemmas.

“Hina…medium.” Like Hifumi and Celes, she’d never fallen to despair, but that didn’t mean the chance wasn’t there. After all,she went berserk when Sakura died, and Leon was found before the fallout could set in.

Makoto interpreted Kamukura’s silence as confirmation that he was on the right track. “Sakura…Difficult. Among my friends, she’s definitely someone I can always count on to have a rational mind.”

He sifted to the next seat, where his blue-haired friend was situated. “Sayaka…”

Kamukura watched with indifference, but Makoto felt he was being tested here.

“Easy.” Unfortunately. Sayaka didn’t cope well with the life-or-death situation, and she’s good at hiding what she’s really thinking. If he was to think logically, she was probably one of the most dangerous of his classmates and she wasn’t tied to another like Toko or Mondo.

He  stopped at the baseball star. “Leon…difficult. He’s a really carefree guy, and he really had my back last time.” Makoto laughed nervously. That carefree attitude caused a lot of problems though.

The next was…puzzling. “Hagakure…I’m not sure despair would work on him.” The clairvoyant was on another level.

 “Yeah, me neither. Hiro’s kind of too stupid for that.” Chisa laughed.

“Huh?” Makoto cocked an eyebrow at her

“Nothing.” She looked to the side

“It sounded like you knew-.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Okay…. “Togami…difficult. I can’t see him falling to despair at all.” He has way too much confidence in himself. For once, that acted in their favor.

“Kyoko. Difficult” He said resolutely.

“You sound confident of that one.” Kamukura deduced.

“Kyoko would never play into Enoshima’s hands.” That was the end of that train of thought. He decided it was something that couldn’t happen.

The final stops were the twins “Ikusaba…I actually have no idea.” He’d never known the soldier all that well. Even if something happened to Ryoko, he wasn’t sure how the raven-haired sister would react.

“Ryoko…Impossible.”

“You think so?” Kamukura asked.

“Yeah…she probably wouldn’t get overly emotional for anyone.” Even when her sister died, she’d kept her composure. That was both a comforting and disheartening thought. The first because it meant he could trust her even in times of crisis. The latter because it exemplified how estranged and isolated the girl’s heart was.

“Both would be difficult, is my guess.”

“That makes the most problematic ones:  Toko, Mondo, Sayaka and Kiyotaka.” Chisa listed.

Makoto nodded. The others are manageable, if they aren’t the culprits themselves.  “Mondo and Taka can be dealt with, I think. We just need to keep them safe together with Chihiro. They work best as a team of three anyway.  Sayaka can be helped if I keep Kyoko with her.” The detective would be able to make out any abnormal behavior from the idol. Of course, all this was easier said than done. “Toko’s the tough one. She barely listens to me as it is. Togami would keep her in line, but even he’s tougher to keep track of.” Makoto put a finger to his chin. “I guess I could keep Togami himself out of trouble.” The deluge of insults he’d have coming from the affluent progeny hardly mattered compared to the alternative.

“You should be grateful Enoshima limited the blackened to just one.” Kamukura blurted out a frightening possibility. One that made him shudder.

“More than one? No thanks, that’d be ridiculously unfair.”

“Undeniably.”

Even if Makoto could figure out the culprit’s plans, stopping them was probably impossible by himself. He didn’t want to think about the implications of multiple despair agents…Then again, wasn’t there another possibility he hadn’t seriously considered? “It might not be impossible if I had those weird powers too. You know, to even the odds?” It was a bit silly asking what any sane man would call a sickness of the imagination.

Chisa looked disturbed by the insinuation. “I’m not authorized to answer that.” Great. Of course, Enoshima would lock that vital piece of information away.

“Do it. You have my permission.” Kamukura interjected.

“You can do that?” Makoto wondered aloud.

“Enoshima’s restrictions don’t hold me to the same extent as the others here.”

“Izuru can acquire the same ability…but it’s not to the same degree, right?” Chisa crossed her arms.

“Indeed. At most, I can offer resistance, but neutralizing her [Authority] altogether is not possible. Her metacognition exceeds mine.”

“Meta…what?” That was a new one.

“I should be able to explain now, if Izuru lets me, but…you’re going against Junko, you know, that right?” Chisa directed the latter half of the sentence to the black-haired man.

“That’s her problem. If she wants a fight, I’ll gladly give her one.” Kamukura replied.

“I’m worried about your safety here, you know?” Chisa shook her head.

“Worry about your own. The one in the most vulnerable position in all this, is yourself.”

“You’re not wrong.” Chisa sighed, then turned to Makoto. “Listen carefully, Makoto. What I’m about to tell you is really important. Afterwards, you can decide for yourself how to move on.”

He gulped. “No pressure. And I don’t think anything can surprise me at this point.”

Chisa gave him a look that said, “We’ll see about that.”

“Metacognition is a higher level of awareness, and that acts as the origin point for everything that goes on here.”

“And like that, you’ve lost me.” Makoto said. “What do you mean everything?” Did that include himself? He knew where he came from and it had nothing to do with any meta-stuff.

Chisa formed a tight-lipped smile “…Have you ever thought about why you don’t bring your injuries back with you when you arrive here?”

 “Magic?” He sarcastically repeated the bear’s earlier replies.

“No. Well, I’m not really sure, but this is just a theory I think’s correct. We’re not in our physical bodies. Those are long dead.”

Why…hadn’t he ever considered that? His own body had been battered terribly, so why was he fine whenever he returned here?

“Going further, your memories get fractured to, don’t they? Well, that was the same for me when I first arrived. It took a bit of effort and a terrible event to get me recognize myself. Izuru was the same, right?” She glanced at the gloomy man, who replied with a simple “Yes.”

“The reason is what gets sent here is our thoughts. A record of our experiences, ideas and memories. The self without the body.”

Makoto raised a hand, In front of Chisa. “You’re saying I’m not real? If that was true, why can I touch or see anything?” He believed he was being reasonably skeptical. If he was just a collection of thoughts, he shouldn’t be able to recognize anything else. He could still see, hear, touch and hell, he still felt pain. Enoshima made that abundantly clear when they first met.

“Well yes. Because you, Makoto Naegi, died and came here, the easiest way for your mind to handle the sudden change , is to recognize yourself as you’ve always known it. All the sensations you feel aren’t necessarily real, you just think ‘this is how I’m supposed to look, or this is how I should react based on my preconceptions’ and that’s how you materialize yourself here.” Chisa explained slowly. “To put it another way. If you theoretically, were to suddenly convince yourself that you couldn’t feel pain or that you didn’t exist as Makoto. You could disappear or become someone else entirely. A lot easier said than done though.”

Makoto cupped his forehead, fingers splayed, as if the instructor’s words were forcibly wrenching a piece of his brain open.

“You said it was a theory, right? You mean you can’t say for sure?” He hoped she was wrong.

Chisa tilted her head. “You’d be surprised how much Junko keeps to herself. And she’s smart to. In this place, the more you know, the stronger you are. Like the saying goes ‘knowledge is power’”

“ ‘I think therefore I am’.” Izuru spoke up after minutes of silence. The makeshift students he created had vanished, and he returned to his seat, assuming the posture he took when Makoto first arrived.

In fact, that was a good idea. He felt like he needed to sit down too, so he did. “…is it too late to mention that I skipped philosophy?” Makoto muttered.

“Boys will be boys.” Chisa smiled ruefully. “It mean that you can reject or doubt everything around you, but you can’t doubt yourself – the one who thinks –  therefore you have to be real, even if you believe nothing else is.”

“To doubt, is simultaneously an admittance to not knowing. Therefore, something in this world must be aware of the unknown –  it must be separate and greater than yourself for possessing the awareness you lack. That ‘something’ - to the world - is all of us standing here right now.” Kamukura said.

“C-Could you simplify?”

Kamukura grunted lightly. “Who invented cinematography?”

Makoto swayed his head to the side. “No clue. That was a long time ago and I uh, never needed to know?” He frowned, feeling the other male was mocking him internally. Not his fault. He bet a lot of people his age didn’t know either!

“You have doubtlessly seen many films across your lifetime…and thus, acknowledge they exist…yet you do not know their origin? Isn’t that, in of itself, a concession that someone, outside the realm of your conception, existed before you and must have created those films?”

Makoto listened silently, ruminating over what he felt, sounded like a logical trap. If someone hadn’t created movies then, Makoto wouldn’t think “Who made it?’, he’d just deny they existed outright or would already know of them “Okay, I think I follow there…but what does any of this have to do with your abilities?”

“Baby steps, Makoto. No point putting the cart before the horse.” He reluctantly listened to Chisa, if only because the older woman was giving him another of those, very non-threatening, smiles.

“Good boy. Now, using the film analogy, you know how in those action movies, there’s always some bad guy plotting something horrible until they get their butts kicked.” Makoto stifled a giggle at the comical fighting pose the teacher took. “But…no matter what diabolical scheme they hatch, or whatever terror the protagonists feel… the events of that movie can’t hurt you, can they?”

The luckster didn’t consider himself a genius, he didn’t even think he had above average intelligence, but…even he could see Chisa was alluding to something that sounded very, very wrong.  “Because it’s just a film. None of it is real.” The words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

“Do they know that? I’m referring to the characters that are being brought to life and viewed by the audience, not the actors playing them.” Chisa said. “If you’d prefer, I could switch my analogy to a video-game or anime, but I think you get the point. To them, their setting is real…but not to us, because we exist outside the confines of their reality. No matter how much talent the characters have, or how much pain or joy they feel. To us, it’s just fiction.”

“Yukizome, stop skirting around the issue.” Kamukura interrupted. “There is no analogy being made here. She is speaking very literally, Makoto Naegi.” He could feel the black-haired man’s stare boring holes at his back. “Consider where we are. What was the very first thing you saw when you found yourself in this nexus.”

The first thing…I saw…

After 16 seconds of waiting, the blank screen changed to a viewing…of his class. It looked like a recording…no it had to be one because he was in the video.  Sayaka, Leon, Taka, Mondo and Kyoko were huddled over around his desk, chatting amiably. (Chapter 6)

Makoto’s eyes widened. “…A movie screening.” Enoshima told him all that happened in another world.

“When we spoke earlier, did you believe only the events on that island concerning you and your classmates was the extent of what could be seen in this cinema? You’d be wrong…and I was being very literal as I do not mince words, and I don’t care for falsehoods either. We are the audience, and the ones down below are the predictable, tedious characters of a play, unable to surpass the script laid out for them.”

His head hurt. Sweat streaked down his chin as he gazed at the others with a weary expression that shifted between bewilderment and anger, eventually settling on the latter. Even if the two did not intend on it, Makoto felt like he’d just been blindsided by the greatest insult imaginable. “You guys. Are you saying me and my friends? Our families. Everything we’ve gone through, is fictional?” He yelled, the word ‘fictional’ once so common, now taking on a new, foreign meaning.

“I understand how you feel and both of us went through the same thing.” Chisa replied. “It’s not that you’re fictional. That you’re here at all is proof that your world is real. It’s just less…concrete than you thought.”

“Y-You make it sound like we’re god or something.” The word sounded ridiculous coming out of his mouth.

“Omnipotent? Were you not listening to Yukizome earlier? Knowledge is power. Neither her nor I – and most certainly not you – are omniscient so how can we be all-powerful?” Kamukura replied dryly. “And as  I mentioned, there is already a script for the characters to follow. How did you conclude that we are equipped to change it?”

 “Watching what goes on down there is one thing but you can’t just make modifications or interfere with everyone…because there is already a fixed path for those worlds to follow.” Chisa said. “And changing fate is…” Chisa looked pensive, trying choosing her words carefully. “Think about it this way. Once a film is released, you can’t exactly change the script, can you?”

An ordinary civilian has no influence on a screening or a movie release, all they can do is pay to watch or criticize the film. Not even the staff can necessarily change the film unless they were really high-up.

“Not without holding the rights, and even then, that isn’t easy or practical.” Chisa shook her head.
“Alterations to an already released film are difficult, costly and consequential. It’s possible to make a new film but there are problems there too. You’d still need to follow the general outline of the old model or else it’d be a different movie entirely. If the film is too similar, not many would pay to see it. It’s an impossible balance that only one person I know can manage.”

Makoto let their words sink in. One thing was particularly disturbing, and he almost didn’t want to know the answer. “Who holds the rights?”

Chisa frowned, essentially giving him the answer with that alone. “Junko.”

He let his head fall on the desk. Makoto felt like he was slowly beginning to understand how stacked the deck was against him. How was he supposed to win against her?

“Our powers have two origins. They’re tied to our metacognition; that is the awareness of our own place in the world, limited by the scope of our knowledge and understanding. The other…is Enoshima’s magic. She’s the one who showed us how to manifest them like you’ve seen.” Kamukura said.

“How?”

“[Despair]” Kamukura said.

…What!?...Actually, maybe not all that surprising. Enoshima did call herself the despair witch…but that didn’t make it any less ridiculous. “You…don’t get superpowers from being a little sad.” Makoto was overcome with the urge to roll his eyes.

“That is the trigger Enoshima presented us with. I am not aware of any other ways to unlock our abilities. They likely exist, but Enoshima’s [Authority] has determined despair to be the most expedient method. That witch likens despair to a virus; as it the source of our power, it is apt to treat it as such. An infection that opens your eyes to an experience divorced from the ordinary. Her brand of despair leaves you out of touch with normality, forcing you to abandon your own preconceptions. I should not have to explain how this concept greatly facilitates the first requirement to gain these powers.”

Despair “liberated” you  from sanity. In this world, being less grounded in normality actually made you stronger?

“The despair virus infects us and slowly perverts the identity and values we held, twists and crystallizes them into power. Sakura Ogami became a monster who violated the principle rule of martial arts – fight only in self-defence – and instead, relished in tormenting the weak. The glutton Leon Kuwata, seeking only pleasure and self-satisfaction chose to destroy the very things he held dear with the instrument of his talents. Kiyotaka Ishimaru preached an objective, moral justice yet subjected you all to his own personal, delusions and averted his eyes from the truth.” Kamukura gave Makoto a blank look. “That is what you must become to gain power.”

“I need to become like them?” Is this what Monokuma meant when he said it would be pointless?’

 “That’s the part even I don’t understand. It isn’t easy trying to connect to the lower worlds. You need a medium down there to run interference. Take for example…Junko can’t make Jabberwock island blow up with the snap of her fingers. But, let’s say that there happened to be the possibility of a giant storm nearby, like a hurricane or a tsunami…it is possible that she could wipe out all life there, through it.” Chisa said with a contemplative expression “ It’s not like Junko exists in that world anyway, so how can she infect your classmates? Are you sure you don’t remember anything, like a point where you all went through a similar treatment or experience?”

“I would remember if Enoshima injected us with a virus.” He wasn’t an idiot. How could she ask that?

“Makoto, it doesn’t have to be-“ Chisa’s words were caught in her throat. That meant…

 “Don’t get ahead of yourself. There is no entertainment to be had in this if you explain that much. Any further and you’ll sabotage the game.” Kamukura admonished.

He was still talking like that!? Did this guy have a shred of human emotion or decency?

Chisa tapped on the desk. “You’re the one who abridges too much. You’re like a university professor teaching algebra to a toddler and thinking he’ll understand.”

“With the proper training and talent, anything is possible.”

It almost sounded like a joke.

 The skeptical teacher shook her head and turned to the dazed Makoto. “You get it, don’t you? Despair is all Junko has on the brain. Naturally, that would be tied to how we all manifest our abilities.”

 He sighed heavily and accepted that it was out of the question for him. “Do they have weaknesses? Anything would do at this point.

“Technically yes, but that depends on the person. See, there are categories despairs generally fall under, all varying with the individual. They are reinforcement, mind and creation. They have their own strengths and weaknesses.” Chisa mused.

Weaknesses are good. Strengths are bad. “Be specific with the part that makes easy to beat, please.”  He said satirically. It was getting harder to take all this seriously.

 “Reinforcement is a type of body augmentation. The despair virus gives all the hosts higher resilience than normal by taxing the body into overdrive, but reinforcement-types are particularly strong. The weakness is that it taxes the body’s health and energy. The range is also usually small. Mondo was this type. If you keep your distance and wait them out, you’ll probably be fine. A direct confrontation isn’t advisable.”

Not like he would ever think of picking a fight with Mondo in the first place. And running was the first thing that always came to mind. Not exactly helpful information.

“The next is Mind. Like the name suggests, it influences cognition, either yours or the target’s. The scope of these types are much wider and versatile than reinforcement. The downside is that the user tends to be physically weak and the drain on mental stamina is high. Those with this type will mentally degrade the more they use their powers, losing their sanity in the process. In a staggering amount of irony, that would make them more powerful. Kiyotaka fit this role.”

This was sounding like a masochist’s wet dream. He was neither fond of pain and would readily wake up from this horrible nightmare.

 “The last is the most problematic of all. The creation type. Simply put, you project your thoughts onto reality.”

“…What!?” Oh, come on!

Chisa shrugged. “Only on a small scale, suiting the user’s needs. But on the other hand, it shares both drawbacks of the previous categories. You’ll run out of steam quickly, both physically and mentally.”

Kamukura continued in Chisa’s stead. “I do not understand your surprise. Yukizome has already displayed this skill for you. She simulated an environment suitable for fostering your development.”

So that’s what those 3D models were.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions. Despairs depend on your mindset and can change depending on what you feel or think. Remember what I said at the start? If you convince yourself that you’re something else, alterations to your ‘self’ is possible. It’s pretty rare for that to happen though, since people can’t deceive themselves so easily.” The instructor said.

“This. All of this sounds absurd.” He slammed his hands on the desk. There was a limit to megalomania and it had long been breached. He had every mind to walk out of here, lock himself up and wait out this nightmare.

A sudden warmth bubbled up in his stomach, quickly growing hotter until he felt like his insides were boiling. Using a strained eye, he saw the room slowly dissolve.

“This is boring. Despite being in the same position to ‘know’, you still doubt and cling to your common values. You will never defeat Enoshima that way.” Kamukura stood up and stared at him with icy content. Those eyes, red pearls that had become so familiar and pervasive. “These eyes are the mark of despair. In other words, they are also evidence of our superiority. Do not presume you are the same as us.”

His head inclined towards Chisa who, unlike before, made no move to help him. Instead her eyes were the same color as Kamukura’s, though not nearly as devoid of empathy. It looked like she was trying to tell him something.

This was…a lesson. A reminder that nobody here was normal. Would he turn out like them?

The pressure finally let up and Makoto fell to the ground, his features dazed, bloody saliva dripping from his mouth as he struggled to breath.

 “A field simulating acidic corrosion. Inorganic substances melt and breakdown while the living have their blood and oxygen evaporated from the inside. Hanamura was walking-garbage, but his power is fairly effective. Wouldn't you agree, Makoto Naegi? I'm certain you find this experience to be quite absurd as well, but dismissing that inanity is doing nothing to alleviate your pain right now, is it?"

Makoto writhed in agony, feeling his consciousness slipping.

“That pain is all in your mind. If you divorced yourself from the notion that something of that level could harm you, you would heal immediately.” Kamukura scoffed, both he and Chisa remaining unphased in the middle of this metaphorical oven stood as testament to his logic. Kamukura walking over Makoto like the lucky student was trash left by the roadside. “By the way. The inventor of cinematography? His name is William-Friesce-Greene. There, don’t you feel slightly more accomplished than you were 10 seconds ago?”

Makoto’s glared weakly in response to the thinly veiled sneer. There was one thing the impassive man said that he believed with certainty, right before his eyes closed.

They were not allies.

Notes:

The despair virus is ripped and extrapolated on straight out of DR2's chapter 3 motive. It's also responsible for why class 78's abnormalities. How it was administered to them is still a mystery at this point.

Chapter 22: Despair Files (1)

Notes:

Minor update detailing the profiles of some of the characters infected by the despair disease thus far.

Chapter Text

"Despair is contagious. It's much like a natural phenomenon, as a matter of fact." - Junko Enoshima, DR1

 

Despair disease

  • Category: Pandemic
  • Method of Transmission: Currently undisclosed
  • Trademark symptoms: Erratic behavior and red-colored irises.  
  • Effects: Abnormalities surface in the host's body, subsequently amplifying their natural abilities in various, specific ways.

 

Rank

E - Weak even by the standards of ordinary humans.

D - Average performance.

C - Indicates proficient skill

B  - One-of-a-kind Ultimate talents, the pinnacle of humanity.

A - Ranks inhuman ability.

S - In a class of their own.

 

Parameters

Strength - Physical might

Endurance - Resistance to injury.

Agility - Speed and reflexes.

Range - The maximum distance the virus extends

Intelligence - Information and application of knowledge.

Stamina - Gauges the economic efficiency of ability when in use.

Destructive Power - The overall rank of the despair disease. This stat is on a separate scale from the rest, not merely determined via physical destruction but by a virus' capacity for wreaking havoc and destabilizing order. The difference in rank is analogous to the proliferation of a volatile disease; from affecting single persons, to small groups, to entire communities. 

 

 

-Hosts-

 

Leon Kuwata

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: B

Intelligence: E

Stamina: E

Destructive Power: B

 

Abilities: [Grand Slam] 

Creation Type: A metal bat and strong emotional dissonance are required for skill activation. High emotional discord is transformed into fuel for a high impact detonation emanating from the bat’s swing. This skill strains the body, consumes a great deal of physical and mental energy and can only be used three times in a day before reaching exhaustion. As the name suggests, a fourth attempt is possible, at the cost of the host’s life.

 

Mondo Owada

Strength: C (C+)

Endurance: B (B+)

Agility: C (C+)

Range: D

Intelligence: E

Stamina: B

Destructive power: C

  

Abilities: [Outlaw] 

Reinforcement Type: Principles, morality, intelligence and sensory attunement are dulled, transforming the host into a remorseless killing machine. The host’s body grows increasingly more powerful with damage taken, however injuries are not healed. Potential for evolution is high.

 

Chihiro Fujisaki

Strength: E

Endurance: E

Agility: E

Range: A

Intelligence: B

Stamina: C

Destructive power: A

 

Abilities: ???

 

Sakura Ogami

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: C

Range: D

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive Power: D

 

Abilities: [Amazoness]

Reinforcement Type: Host receives minor physical enhancements. The body is protected by an imperceptible, external layer rendering conventional weaponry such as blades and bullets ineffective. Even certain toxins are null. This ability is negated against anyone with comparable or higher parameters (B-S).

 

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: E

Intelligence: D

Stamina: C

Destructive power: E

 

Abilities: [Justitia]

Mind Type: Inhibitions are removed, and all actions taken are considered acceptable. The host’s conscience becomes incapable as perceiving personal action as morally unjust through means of delusions and self-deception. The virus places very little burden on his body and preserves the purity of the mind. However, there is no potential for evolution.

 

Toko Fukawa

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility:  B

Range: D

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive power: C

 

Abilities: [The Ripper's Overture]

Reinforcement Type: Activated upon high emotional intensity, consequently, the host merges with the other personality. All physical attributes are greatly enhanced in proportion to the host's excitability, with extreme emphasis on speed.

 

Genocider Syo

Strength: E (B)

Endurance: B

Agility: A

Range: A

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive power: E (C)

 

Abilities: [The Ripper's Coda]

Reinforcement Type: Effects are operable only on what the current personality recognizes as male. The virus manifests the contradiction of bloodlust along with the simultaneous rejection of its origin, the other personality. Once aware of the contradiction and the origin, physical parameters are enhanced further. Provided the host has touched a target after transforming, they may implant minor lacerations on any part of the target’s body without need for further contact. As a cost, the host can no longer initiate physical contact with the specified gender, and suffers a drastic decrease in attack parameters. Additionally, the many restrictions inflicted on the self prevent the host from ___

 

Sayaka Maizono

Strength: E

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: B

Intelligence: C

Stamina: C

Destructive Power: A

 

Abilities: [Siren]

Creation Type: ???

 

Chapter 23: Barricata/Barricade

Notes:

A/N: It's hard to believe over a year passed since the last update. Now that I've cleared most of my backlog, I'll be returning to this fic and updating regularly.

Chapter Text

With deep, heavy breaths, Makoto limps back to the dorm rooms; his hand pressing against the wall to stabilize himself. He clutches clutching his still burning (figuratively or literally, who could say anymore?)  stomach. Sleep may have been his only reprieve from this nexus of terror and uncertainty.

As usual, nobody cared what he wanted.

Monokuma was in his bed.

“Would you like a meal? A bath? Or Dis-bear?”

“Get out.” He wasn’t in the mood for the toy’s antics.

“No can do, eggie! When you’re down and out, I’ve gotta pick ya back up, even if it means using shitty jokes. What are friends for?”

“Friends?!” Did he have any here? Did anyone in this nuthouse even know the meaning of the term?

“Good point, maybe calling us friends is too soon. How about we stick to being partners? You wanna leave, I’ll help you out.” Makoto would sooner fall for another Hiro’s attempts to sell his organs. “I’ve already lent a hand before, although you were too dense to notice.”

“…You knew Taka was the traitor.”

“Duh!”

“Then you’ll also know who the next blackened is.”

“Yes, again. This bear is wise beyond his years.”

The brunet closed his eyes and thought to himself. ‘Just tolerate it, Makoto. You need that information.’ “Wisdom you’ll keep to yourself, I’m sure. Some partner.”

“Don’t be so down in the dumps.” Monokuma blustered. “Glad you haven’t given up though.”

“Who, in my shoes, could? I don’t want to be trapped here another minute!”

“That’s the spirit. Good ol’ Hajime was about to throw in the towel by now.”

Makoto inclined his head. “Hajime?” While it wasn’t an uncommon name, Makoto felt he’d heard it recently…If he remembered correctly, one of Chisa’s dolls was called Hajime Hinata…

The lucky student gasped.

“Yup. That little play she was showing ya had a real live casting, if you catch my drift. Upupu!”

That…hadn’t been the primary cause of his outburst, but it was connected. He calmly, subtly reached into his hoodie pocket and felt the crumpled letter against his fingertips.

Nagito Komaeda’s letter.

‘I nearly forgot.’

Like a spiral, first came the relief…then apprehension again as Monokuma’s words sunk in “I’m not the only one that’s been here. You’ve done it before…to an entire class.”

“Upupu. Talk about memories…then again, time moves differently in this place so maybe it hasn’t been that long!”

“What…happened to them?”

“They’re gone. Kaput. Six feet unda.” The demented animal chuckled.

Makoto staggers backwards. His legs shake until they were unable to keep him standing. He tumbled on the floor as the horror settle. Enoshima has done this before…to a class Just like his and…worst of all…she’s gotten away with it!

“Why is this happening to us?”

“Woah there! I can’t have you breaking this early, hoodie. Forget Hajime, he didn’t have lovable me covering his back.” He feels a weight on his shoulders. “Sure is nice being higher-up for once!” Monokuma who, a split second ago, was in his line of sight, now hung off Makoto’s back.

“How do you all keep doing that?” The bear hadn’t moved, he was sure of it.

“Want me to teach you?” Makoto’s ears perk at the offer. “You heard from Izzy and Maid didn’t you? If you want power, you gotta lose this worthless restriction called ‘sanity’.”

“That’s-…”

“Not saying you have to turn to the darkside or anything. You just have to let loose enough to win.”

His words were poisonous…and he’d seen enough poison already. “How do I know you’re not trying to trick me?”

“You don’t. But I’ll get in shit too if anyone knows about me teaching you this trick. My condition is that you must keep Mono-sensei’s training under wraps.” Monokuma whispered.

“Didn’t Junko order you to assist me?”

“There’s nothing Lady Enoshima hates more than order. There’s no point if we follow her script to the letter, so I’ll have to bend the rules a bit, as usual.” The animatronic went on and on with its inside jokes.  “Still she’s pretty crazy and is as likely to reward me as she is to torture me, even if I give her exactly what she wants.”

“I’m so sorry for you.” Makoto snarked.

“Now, I need you to promise not to breathe a word of this.” Monokuma stuck out a closed paw. “It’s a deal from man to bear.”

Makoto apprehensively but ultimately initiated a fist-bump.

“Nice. Now we’re under contract, not takebacks!”

 How childish. “Whatever you’re teaching me… won’t make me like them…will it?” He treads cautiously.

 “Like I said, this is trivial. Here I’ll explain.” Monokuma points to the bed. “You’re sleepy, right? Now, imagine you’re lying down over there.”

“And?”

“Poof, you’re over there. What’s taking so long?” The impatient teddy slammed its paw on Makoto’s shoulders.

“W-What? I can’t just poof my way there.”

“Why not? You’ve seen us do it.”

“I don’t know about you guys, but people don’t just disappear and reappear in thin air. I thought you were going to teach me the trick.”

“’You guys’ he says. Still thinking you’re not one of us, huh?” Monokuma sighs with exasperation. “I said it was a trick, but it is LITERALLY easier than learning how to ride a bike.”

Jokes on him, Makoto went through hell trying ride his first bike. But, that’s a secret he’ll take to the afterlife…not this afterlife.

Monokuma switched tactics.  “Okay, new plan. Ever played video games? Course you have. Don’t you get tired of walking from one zone to another?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Back in my day, we had to do that all the time. But you millennials, you’ve got these neat skip buttons called auto-travel, don’t ya? Just click somewhere on the map and bam, you [teleport] to any location you’ve visited before.”

“You…are you saying I should treat this like a game?” Makoto’s brows shot up.

“If it helps, go for it. Guys who think real life is a fantasy would probably have an easy time in this place. The less grounded your head is in silly distinctions like “reality” or “common sense”, the better off you’ll be. Let your imagination run wild, kid.”

“This is ridiculous. I can’t teleport.”

“Not with that attitude. You really think you can take down a monster like Lady Junko any other way? She brought you here in the first place. What makes you think you can just escape without overcoming her?”

“She said she’d let me go.” He said, a sense of anxiety creeping again.

“Oh, did she ever tell you how?”

“..!”

“Are you really okay leaving your life in the hands of a promise of that broad?”

“Stop.” T-That was his only hope. That he’d get away from this nightmare if he survived the killings on the island.

“Relax, she’ll keep that promise. What I meant was HOW you were going to beat her. Not sure if you’ve realized yet, but this game is rigged!” Preaching to the choir here. “Lady Junko’s made it so that one point or another, you’ll have to gain powers just like we did. It’s up to you to determine if that’s before or after you’ve gone looney.”

Makoto looked to the bed.

‘Just pretend, Makoto. Think you’re a main character in a video game. You’re moving from one area to another.’ He closed his eyes, visualizing being in the shoes of those many games he’d played before. It was nighttime, he’d just gone through an entire adventure in the day. Now he wants to lie in bed asap…

It’s no big deal at all.

Makoto opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling as his back pressed against the bed’s softness. “W-What? It worked?!” He frantically sat upright, staring wide-eyed at Monokuma lying face first on the floor.

“Give me a friggin’ heads up next time.” Monokuma growled.

“T-That’s amazing. I-I actually did it.” Makoto beamed. “You didn’t do anything, did you?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t have landed on my face.” The bear grumbled. “…Man, Jabby must’ve driven you up the wall for you to actually succeed on your first try.”

And Makoto’s mood suddenly took a turn for the worse.

“So you can transport yourself wherever. But I gotta remind you. Just like in games, you can only go places you’ve been before.”

“Why’s that?” Makoto frowned, just as he thought he’d been granted an escape button.

“Because everything’s in your head. What the hell do you think would happen if you tried teleporting into a place that doesn’t exist?”

“…”

“No, I’m actually asking. None of us has been stupid enough to test it. Just because we’re dead, doesn’t make us suicidal. Give It a go if you want. I wouldn’t advise it though.”

Right. If it was that easy…Chisa wouldn’t be here. “I should…probably keep this to myself.” He put a finger to his chin. “If Enoshima and the others don’t learn I’m progressing, I might be able to catch them off guard when it counts.”

“Oh my Junko, you’re learning! Papa bear is so proud.” Monokuma cooed. “Least I would be, If you hadn’t just told me.”

“…Oh crud. You’re not going to tell on me, are you?”

“Nah. We bears have rules against snitches. They get put down by an execution squad.” For such a terrifying scenario, he looked downright elated. “I’m kinda pleased you’re comfortable enough around me to let that slip out. We’re practically friends already.”

“I wouldn’t go nearly that far.” Makoto mumbled.

“Suit yourself.” Monokuma said. “As for your next hint…it’ll be in the Monokuma theater.”

“The what?”

"You'll see. We're under contract now." Monokuma said ominously.

There was a knock on the door.

“Oh, it’s Maid.”

“How do you know?”

“Kid. There ain’t nobody else here that respects your privacy enough to knock. Nobody you’ve met yet anyway.”

Makoto sighed at his unenviable circumstances. He approaches the door, confirming Monokuma’s assertion.

“Hi there. May I come in?” Chisa said.

“Sure, if you don’t mind…” Makoto looks back and the bear is gone.

“Is there someone else here?” Chisa tilted her head.

“…Monokuma was.  Never mind him.” An awkward silence followed as Makoto made way for the teacher to step in. Her gaze travels across the room. She motions towards his desk and drags her finger on the surface.

“What are you doing?” He asks.

She straightens up, like it was possible for her to have forgotten he was present. “I always check rooms for dust and wear. Cleaning and cooking’s the only way I pass the time.”

An innocuous comment that, to Makoto, held worrisome implications.

Pass the time?

Chisa had nothing but time in this world. Is this all she does? All she can do?

If Makoto was in her position. If he had to be stuck with Junko and the rest forever…

The brunet shook his head like a dog. ‘I can’t let myself think that…’

“I’m sorry, for letting Izuru get carried away.” Chisa’s apology brings Makoto back to his senses. Her head hangs low, with her fingers entwined in front of her apron.

Makoto rubs the back of his neck. “It’s not your fault, I know you were only trying to help me.” He would have appreciated some assistance, but…tough love was still a form of love…or so he hoped. “I’m over it.”

“Don’t. I know that must have hurt.” Chisa takes on a dominant tone, removed from the meekness a few moments prior. “You have to treasure that pain.”

“Why?” His eyebrows shoot up. Pain was starting to be all he felt and he was damn well tired of it!

“That you can get hurt. That getting hurt is wrong. That hurting others is wrong. You can easily forget that here, in time.” Chisa said, sounding like she spoke from experience. “More than anything else, pain is what’ll keep you human.”

“You make it sound like you’re not.” He noted.

With a derisive smile, she said. “It’s a bit too late for me.”

“What would make you think that?” Makoto was in the middle of a journey of discovering Inhumans. From all the weirdness he’d seen in the past few…(could he even say days?), Chisa ranked at the very bottom. “When I first arrived here, you were the only one I could lean on. Still are. I have a feeling you’re keeping secrets from me…but to be honest, I’d be totally lost without you.”

“Thank you. I know I’ve said it before but…I’m happy to have normal conversations for once.” She smiled.

 He meant every word. Even casual conversation was becoming a privilege not to be taken for granted. Makoto had only one friend here and he’d treasure that as his silver lining.

Maybe…somehow, he might be able to help her escape too…


“Ishimaru …that’s…as unfair as I’d expect from Junko.” Chisa commented after Makoto explained the events of the previous round

“I think what’s even more unfair was…whatever that monster was. Do you know anything about it?”

“I don’t.” She replied. “The murders were really different this time, weren’t they?”

He nodded. “The cooking competition was a blast…it’s a shame it was used for something so awful.”

“That’s why you have to be more careful. In fact, expect big divergences like the cooking festival to be the actions of Junko’s blackened.” He kept her advice in mind. Both Leon and Kiyotaka manipulated the scenario. “But you came closer than before. Until that…incident. Many of your friends survived.”

“Not all of them.” Makoto pursed his lips. The game plan next time. He had to stick to Togami to keep Toko in line. Maybe he could even ask about his family…

Makoto looked around nervously. “Um…Chisa? Could you make it so that we’re not being watched?”

“What?”

“I don’t get how things work here. Maybe Junko’s observing me somehow. There’s something important I have to share that she can’t know about.”

“I understand.” Chisa tapped her feet. Like before, a white light enveloped the room…only this time, it wasn’t quite so blinding. The background faded and a reconstruction of the academy’s class replaced his dorm.

“A classroom again?”

“It’s what I’m most comfortable with.” Chisa replied. No complaints here.

 Makoto looked around, touched the desk he sat on and marveled at how real it all felt. “So, this is one of those creation types…”

“Yup. I can make an entire school district if I wanted, but if I imagined something outside of my comfort zone like say the island, I’d get drained a lot faster.” She explained the drawbacks.

“Even with such an incredible skill…you couldn’t defy Enoshima?”

“I’m ashamed but we’ve all got our limits.”

Makoto pulled out the letter and handed it over “I think, it’s better if you read it yourself.”

The orange-haired woman reads through the Komaeda’s notes.  “That rotten orange. What’s he gotten himself into now?” He can’t see her expression as she finishes. The coldness in her voice is enough. “Leave my kids alone already!”

“Chisa?”

She sighs and returns the letter to him. “Sorry. I’m sure you have questions.”

Did he ever. “Who is Komaeda?”

“He…along with the rest of Class 77-B were my students.” She answers simply, then predicts his following inquiries.  “But I have no idea what happened down there, and I can say it has no relation to what I went through in my world.”

Those dolls…they were all real people. “Can I go on a limb here? Was…I in that world?”

“I can’t say.”

 “Why would that information be blocked?!”

“I can’t say.”

Darn it!

Chisa moves on. “Let’s try deciphering the meaning behind this letter.”

 “Just says I have to go to the final dead room…wherever that is, then play Russian roulette. Whatever that is. Do you know?” He moped.

“It’s a dangerous game based on chance. You load a bullet into a revolver, spin the cylinder and then hope you don’t shoot yourself. Typical Nagito.” Chisa shook her head.

“What’s this guy like?!” Getting a hang on his personality might be important for solving whatever’ll come his way next.

Chisa gave a wry grin. “Think of the biggest troublemaker you know, multiply them by 10 then assume they probably have good intentions behind the problems they cause. Then say it’s all for hope.”

“G-Gotcha. Sounds really dangerous.” And not altogether unfamiliar with his circumstances. “The letter did sound super casual for the situation he was in.”

“Not surprising. Nagito could make lightning strike down on him and survive. He’s resilient, emotionally.”

“Even I’ve never had to deal with that.” Makoto cringed. “Russian roulette huh? There’s…a fun house and a casino on the island…If this is a game, I might find it there.” Komaeda wouldn’t be crazy enough to use actual bullets and…Jabberwock’s a tropical resort, they wouldn’t carry bullet-…

Ryoko found a rifle…with live ammunition.

Makoto deadpanned. ‘What was with that island? A resort wouldn’t normally leave that around for teenagers to get their hands on…’

 He sighed, sitting on his bed. “There’s just too much to consider.” Monokuma wasn’t lying about the game being rigged.

“You should get some rest.” Chisa advised.

 “Yeah. I’ve just had a lot to take in.”

“I’ll leave you to it.”  She makes her way to the door. “I’m not sure if ‘good night’ works here, but have sweet dreams, Makoto.”

What a normal phrase. “Thank you.” Once Chisa leaves, Makoto pulls up his covers. He drifts to sleep within moments.


 

-[Monokuma Theater!]-

“Once upon a time, there was a princess in Mono kingdom, Monomi. She had everything a girl could ask for: Money, a good upbringing, looks and tons of suitors. But she still felt something was missing. One day, she stumbles onto her prince charming and she realizes what was lacking in her life – one true love. Too bad for her she was already arranged to be married. She ditches her love to live in the castle, pumping out babies. There she lives happily ever after.

Why would Monomi leave prince charming? It really makes you wonder. Did she even have a clue what her true love was? The prince or the kingdom. Or maybe…it was status? Hell if I know, Bears can't figure out you crazy humans. You wave pretty words like 'justice' and 'love'  around like a flag and suddenly everything you do becomes right...even if everyone else sees you're wrong.

 


 

Makoto regained consciousness, murmuring “That…was the worst story I’ve ever heard.”

‘Theater? What a strange dream.’

He twisted and turned on the bed. His arms clung onto something warm, soft and-

 “Somebody’s frisky.”

Makoto’s eyes snap open. Electrifying aquamarine stare back at him.

“AAAH!” He falls off his bed, backpedalling up the wall as soon as he realized who’d been lying next to him.

“Where are you going?” A teasing smirk was etched into Junko Enoshima’s face.

He gripped his chest, steadying his heartbeat. “If you’re trying to freak me out. You’re damn well succeeding!” Makoto seethed.

“Here I thought boys loved waking up to gorgeous women.” Junko prattles, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Then again, you were never much of a man. More like a herbivore.”

“What do you want?”

“Time for our next screening, M-a-k-o-t-o.”


Junko knew how to make Makoto uncomfortable like no other. She could have just waited by the theater, but no. She had to walk with him over there.

Makoto constricted his stomach…and tensed just about every muscle in preparation for any sudden attacks. But all she did was hum on their way over. She didn’t even bother to make conversation. Just…slowing her pace to match his.

He didn’t know if that was better or worse, but his heart kept pounding for all the wrong reasons. “Is this fun for you?”

“Absolutely. Couldn’t you tell?”

“Why are you doing this to me?” He asks for the umpteenth time. “No, I get it. Despair or whatever. But why me? There are billions of people out there in the world.” Maybe more with all this other world mumbo jumbo. “I’m just an average guy. Really.”

“Okay.” Junko nods, enthusiastically “So name one of those average people and I’ll let them take your place here. Forever.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll torture them instead of you while you escape. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?”

To a scumbag, maybe! “I could never do that.”

“Way to pass up a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Course’ I knew you would.” She snickers. “And that’s why it has to be you.”  

“Then…who’s Hajime Hinata?” He stops walking, just short of the doors to the theatre, ensnaring the ultimate despair in his trap.

Junko gave him a curious stare.

 “Even if I escape, how do I know you won’t target others instead? ‘It has to be me’, but you’ve already gone after others. Why should I believe a word you say?”

She doubled over with laughter. “You sure know how to keep me on my toes. Man, I never thought you’d be the jealous type.”

 “You’re insane.” Makoto said appaled.

“That’s it? You think I’m ‘just’ crazy? I thought I’d left a deeper impression than that.” She switched to a moody personality, raking her pigtails. “I’m worthless after all.”

No complaints here.

Her fake demeanour falls through in a second. “I feel your grief though. How about I give you some advice?”

He wouldn’t, couldn’t show weakness. “Do whatever you want.” He’d choose what to listen to and what to ignore.

“Stop playing at friends.” She starts. “I’m talking about your class. The sooner you start seeing everyone as the enemy, the better prepared you’ll be.”

“They are my friends. There’s no playing involved.”

Enoshima rolled her eyes. “This game of ours is like chess, Makoto. If I were in your position, I’d think of them as pawns. Unreliable allies that might turn against you are often worse than the enemy.”

“They will never be worse than you.” Makoto said adamantly.

 “Scathing. But predictable, Hajime said the same thing and look what happened to him?”

“What did happen to him?”

The straw-berry blonde grinned.  “Curious about your future?”

Makoto looked away. “Are we done here?”

The Ultimate Despair shrugged. “I’ll think of something more tantalizing next time. I wouldn’t want you to get bored dying and failing all the time. Plus, I need a better challenge than Hajime gave…and I won’t get one if you retire early.”

What the fuck?

Junko all but reads his mind. He has no way of knowing if she can. “Only a amateur – nay, a savage, would want their dish served raw after starving themselves. I want you cooked, filleted, medium rare so I can savor every last bite of your despair!”

“I’M NOT YOUR FOOD!” She’s…really treating my life like a game. Kamukura treated me like a film actor. W-What’s wrong with this people?

“Eeeeeeh no need to yell. I was only speaking metaphorically, Makkie.” She gives him cute eyes that couldn’t be further from genuine. “Unless…you want me to eat you. I’m not that kind of girl, big guy. At least buy me dinner first.

“I hate you.” Stating his emotions clearly was the only pitiful resistance he could muster.

“I know but,” She slams her hand against the wall, cornering blocking any movement from the luckster. She leans down to eye-level. “Not nearly as much as I hate you.”

Sweat falls down his face as his breathing comes to a halt.

“You should be more grateful. With you being within my reach…it’s taking a lot of self-control not to rip your insufferable ass apart!”

Makoto closes his eyes and guards his face in preparation for another round of pain

1…2…3…10 seconds pass and nothing happens. He dares to lower his arms and look.

Big mistake

Junko leers down at him with tinted cheeks and drool on her features. “Your scared face is great too~”

“Wha…!” Makoto’s eyes dilated as Enoshima sunk her teeth into the crook of his neck. Forcing her off is tantamount to moving a boulder. The goosebumps quickly give way to pain. He jerks and gasps until she tires.

She pulled back, a deeply satisfied smile on her face. The pale boy sunk to the ground.

The despair licks the blood off her lips, reaching a higher state of elation, if that was possible. “Ah, Makoto It’s fine if I can cheat a bit with some hands-on-despair, right?” He didn’t know why she bothered to ask. She’d already raised her fist.

A hand latched onto Junko’s wrist, preventing the impending strike.

With a dispassionate look, Junko said. “Chisa, honey. You’re interrupting.” She didn’t turn around, like she’d simply known who was behind her.

Makoto can’t bring himself to move from his position.

The women entered a silent faceoff, broken only by a third party.

“I’ve waited long enough.”

Izuru Kamukura’s dark figure stood in front of the theater. It was the first time Makoto had seen all inhabitants in the same place. Just being in their proximity stole his breath away.

“Yeah, yeah.” Enoshima shrugged, then waved innocently at him. “See you inside, Makoto.”

The terrifying duo disappeared into the theater.

“It’s…probably not worth asking if you’re alright, huh?” Chisa stared at down at the boy with a far-off look in his eyes.

Makoto reaches for his neck and feels the wetness of his own blood. “I-I don’t think I can do this.” He shook. Makoto had dealt with people like Togami before, who, upon their first meeting, spoke to him like a subspecies.

But Enoshima…she acted impulsively, erratically. “I-It’s like I’m not even a human being to her.”

“…Do you still have my handkerchief?”

Makoto nodded airily. He stands, reaching in his pocket for the cloth. He winces when Chisa uses it to wipe off the stain from his neck.

“Wash it off when you’re down there.” She says next, placing the cloth back in his trembling hands.

Down…there? “W-Weren’t you listening? I can’t—"

“You can do this, and you will.” Chisa steadied him with both arms on his shoulders. She looked him square in the eyes. “Junko is terrifying. Words like monster, aren’t enough to describe her depravity. In fact, you’ll never meet a more dangerous person no matter how long you live…or even after it, evidently.” She tighthened her grip in proportion to his shaking. “Despite all that. Junko is here.”

Makoto stopped.

“She’s lost before. More than once and that’s why she’s here. As long as you never give up, you will beat her. I guarantee it. Besides…you don’t have a choice but to.”

Makoto was frozen by the intensity and determination of the older woman. She truly believed in him.

The luckster took deep breaths and slapped his cheeks. “I’m so pathetic. But I can’t let that stop me…can I?”

“Nope.” Chisa’s encouraging smile prompted his own. She tapped his back and pushed him forward. “Go get them.”

Makoto nodded. “Yeah…I’ll do my best.” He faced the doors…and ran in.

Chisa watched his back fade into the darkness like Junko and Izuru’s had.

Her smile falls when she’s sure Makoto’s gone. She covers her face with both hands as the guilt sweeps over her like the tides.

“I’m sorry.”

His victory was out of the question. Makoto lost before he’d even accepted playing Junko’s game.

“Still leading good men to ruin, eh?”

Chisa straightened up. She didn’t respond, there wasn’t a physical presence nearby to respond to. Only the music that filled her ears carried the voice.

“Don’t make that face, I was kidding. Come upstairs. I might be of some help.”

Chisa’s hands fall by her sides. She turns around, leaving the theater behind.


“Over here, Makoto!” Junko called out to him from the back seats. He followed Kamukura’s footsteps and sat far away from her.

Pellets of popcorn bounce against the back of his head. Makoto grits his teeth but chooses not to give her the satisfaction. His attention is kept on the screen.

The countdown starts.

16 seconds until he’s back where he belongs.


-June 6th 2012-

 

Makoto's feet weigh down on the sand. The summer breeze and ocean scent pelt his senses. Makoto looks to the sun and wonders. “Where…was I again?”

A heavy nudge to his shoulder brings him back to Earth.

A dark-skinned girl impatiently taps her foot in front of the Mirai hotel. Even with the light-headedness, Aoi Asahina’s figure was immediately recognizable.

“Hina…what’s up?” He asked absentmindedly.

“You’ve been spacing out. You better not be sick; I don’t want to catch anything!”

“M’fine.” He assures her. It’d say a lot about him if he managed to catch a cold in a tropical resort. “Are we…going to have breakfast?”

“Duh.”

He looks around “Sakura’s not here.”

“It’s not like I have to go everywhere with her, even if she’s my bestie.” Hina flushes “Besides, it’s better with just the two of us.”

He makes a confused gesture.

 “Stop spazzing and remember your lines!” Blushing furiously, she stormed into the lounge, dragging him along. The warmth of her touch brings him comfort.

“I’m home.” He doesn’t know why those words leave his lips.

 “You’re both tardy!” Not 3 steps into the dining room before Kiyotaka admonished them. A quick survey showed they were late. In the sense that everyone else had arrived ahead of time.

 “For the last time, we’re not in class. They can be as late as they damn want.” Leon groaned, inadvertently making him the next target for Kiyotaka’s reprimands.

 “Good morning, everyone.” Makoto greeted. A few curt nods/reciprocates, and he motioned towards his usual seat by the girls. Or that was his intention, before Hina strongarmed him.

“Where are you going? We’re sitting by Sakura.”

“Uh…okay.”  He follows the swimmer’s lead.

“Hiya, Sakura.”

Makoto had expected Hina to sit by the martial artist. The two were peas in a pod, like sisters. Which is why it was strange that she sat across Sakura and besides him.

“The two of you appear rather close today.” Sakura noted.

“There’s a…good reason for that.” Hina blushed like she had been for a while.

“There is?” Makoto tilted his head.

“Is that also the reason you’re not sitting in the seat I, the esteemed Ryoko Otonashi, reserved for you?” A regal voice that is utterly fake has Makoto whipping his head, just in time to catch Ryoko’s displeased features.

“…I didn’t think it’d be a big deal, sitting somewhere else for once.” He makes up an excuse

“At least gimme a heads-up next time!” The auburn-haired girl sat down, squishing Makoto between herself and Hina. Speaking of whom…

“Makoto doesn’t have to tell you everything.” The tanned girl folded her arms.

“Ohoho, yes he does. No secrets are allowed between us. If there are, I’ll dig them all up. If I can’t, I’ll get Kiki to do it!”

Kyoko coughed aloud from her table. “I do not endorse that nickname however, I will offer my assistance if paid.”

Ryoko grinned, ignoring how deeply unsettled Makoto…and pretty much everyone felt.

 “That’s pretty fucked.” Hiro spoke up

“Language, Yasuhiro!”

“My bad, Taka. Just sayin, Makoto’s got all the baggage of dating a hot crazy chick, without any of the perks of actually dating a hot crazy chick. I’m starting to think that whole luck thing’s a rip off.”

“If the resident con-artist says so, he just might be onto something.” Leon snickered in Makoto’s direction.

 “Shows what you idiots know. Makoto and I have the closest bond there is.” Ryoko laughed.

“We do?” Makoto furrowed his brow.

“Eh? Wait, you two are actually together?” The clairvoyant shot them a surprised look.

“Sure is a nice day for swinging at heads.” Makoto didn’t know where Leon’s bat came from, but he wasn’t taking his eyes off it.

“They’re not!” Hina said, holding his hand. “Because I’m Makoto’s girlfriend!”

“…WHAT!?”  All eyes were on them.

 “I am!?” Makoto’s vocabulary had reduced to two words per sentence, because nobody was giving him an answer that made sense.

 “Of course, we are. Stop kidding around.” Hina said, stepping on his feet.

“This is…sudden. When and how did this relationship come about?” Sakura inquired.

Hina looked to him “Tell them, Makoto.”

“Have the decency to say it right, plankton.” Togami sneered.

Makoto had no idea how or why, but he was suddenly lost, wandering through ‘What the hell is going on’ forest, and now needed to bullshit his way out. “Um…Hina and I…talked last night. It turns out we have a lot more in common than we thought…and one thing led to another.” Vague is always the way to go.

Select few eyes lingered on him.

“Makes sense to me. You both have that sunny glow all the time.” Mondo planted his legs on the table earning him a scowl from the moral compass. “Bite me.” He said.

“Nice, buddy.” Leon congratulated.  Makoto was still watching out for that bat.

“So uh, take that, Ryoko.” The ever competitive Aoi said.

“Why? It’s fine if you’re Makoto’s girl. We have an even specialer bond than lovers.” He could confirm specialer was not a word.

 “Are you family?” Cute, naïve Chihiro was buying into this.

“No. Even more important. No offense, sis!”

“None taken, Ryoko.” Ikusaba’s passive expression made it hard to tell what she felt.

“There are closer relationships than those?” Hifumi scratched his chin.

“Yes. Like being his assistant.” Sayaka wasn’t making much sense either. He half-expects she’s just going with the flow of nonsense.

“You’re warm, but mine’s even hotter: We’re master and servant.” Ryoko declares

Toko gasped loudly then pointed accusingly at the analyst. “Y-You bitch. Just because you’re damn bloody right, doesn’t mean you can march in on my territory!”

“Eeek, not like you and Byakun, get your mind out of the gutter!” Ryoko recoiled. “Besides, I’m the master and he’s the servant.”

“You’re finally speaking my language.” Celeste sipped a cup of Hifumi's freshly made tea. "When it comes to making tea alone, your skill may reach A rank, Hifumi."

"Much obliged." Hifumi bowed.

The picture of a master/servant relationship stared him in the face. “S-Servant? Is that how our relationship is?” Makoto wondered.

“Well…you’re always waiting on me, aren’t you? I don’t exactly pay you like I do Kyoko for photos either.” Wait wasn’t that a hypothetical? “Or did you want something in return? I’m not that kinda girl you know, and Hina’s right there. Pervert!”

“Ryoko. I think you should calm down.” The Ultimate soldier pressed her hands firmly on the amnesiac’s shoulders. The younger sibling looked like she was about to explode with excitement. Something the equally excitable Asahina could relate to.

“Huh. Okay, he can be your servant, but he’s my boyfriend.” Hina decided after spending less than a minute mulling over Ryoko’s insanity.

Makoto looked to the ceiling and wondered.

“What the hell?”


“Okay, you got to tell me what’s happening.” Makoto said. He’d dragged Hina behind the hotel first thing after breakfast. “We’re…actually together?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Whaddya mean? We talked about this for hours last night!”

 He made that up…“So we are going out.” I got a girlfriend? And…Hina of all people?

Damn, I’m lucky.

So why can’t I remember any of it?

“Maybe we should take you to the infirmary…” Hina gives him strange looks.

“Just clear it up with me. What did we talk about last night?”

“You agreed to be my trial boyfriend.”

“Trial?”

She fidgets, pressing her fingers together. “Yeah. You know…I’ve never been a girly girl like Celes or Sayaka, even though I might look the part.”

Makoto blinks.

“See that’s what I mean. I am conscious of how I look, you know!” She saw right through him. Makoto never thought the free-spirited, tomboyish Hina had such worries.

 “I thought I’d try out falling in love. That’s like the girliest thing ever.”

 “I don’t think that equates to gender roles…” He coughed, feeling a bit nervous himself. “But um…I get the gist of it.” His memory was fuzzy but he vaguely recalled the event. At least, he no longer felt his position was out of place. “Just one thing…why’d you pick me?”

“Huh? Who else could I have picked?”

“Mondo.”

“Too loud.”

“Taka.”

“He’d get freaked out if we even held hands!”

“Chihiro.”

“He was my second pick.”

“Hifumi?”

“No. Also 2D.”

“Leon.”

“Ew…too sleazy.”

“Hey, he’s not that bad. What about Hiro?”

“I have standards, Makoto.”

“Togami?”

She deadpans. “I- Why would that four eyed lemon could ever be an option? He’s the worst guy on the planet!”

“Wow. Lower on the pecking order than Hiro?”

“At least Hiro can be nice. Maybe if Togami got his personality erased and became a decent human being, he’d have been first pick.”

Makoto scratches his cheek. “Hina…I think you might have directly implied something there…”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.” No reason to set her off. “I’m up to speed, so what’s the plan…for us?” He blushed.

 “Non non, Makoto. It’s common etiquette for the man to take the lead in a relationship.”

The two fake lovers turned their heads. Celestia Ludenberg observed them in all her enigmatic glory.

“W-What were you doing there!?”

“Busted.” Makoto groaned.

“You were ‘busted’ since breakfast. Your pitiful lies can’t outwit me.” The gambler walked slowly towards them

“What do you want?” Hina groaned.

“No need for hostilities. I come bringing advice and a request: Why not spend your trial days on the fourth island?”

The fourth island was where the main attractions were located. “Good idea. Thanks.” Makoto said.

 “You’re welcome. Now, as for my favor, please accompany me to the casino. I’m in the mood for new players.”

“Uh…now?”

“I’m not so crude as to get in the way of our new couple quite yet. Sometime tomorrow would be fine.” Celes compromised.

“I’ve actually never been to the casino.” Hina continued. “I’ve seen you going every day though, Celes.”

“I’ve mastered every single game available. I thought it was finally time to bridge out and extend offers to play against me. In exchange for keeping my mouth shut, I require only one thing from you. Makoto to be particular.”

“We’re being blackmailed!”

“You’re something else.” Makoto scratched his cheek. But he knew she’d never make him do anything truly dangerous. “How can I help?”

Celestia let out a shade of a smile.


“Sooo not how I want to spend a first date.” The donut lover complained as they neared the library on the second island. “This is your fault for getting memory loss, Makoto. You’re losing major points here.”

Ouch. “I’ll make it up to you any way I know how…like say, swimming later?”

“All is forgiven.”

You’re too easy, Hina… “You don’t even have to come in with me, I’ll speak with Togami. Then we can go have fun.”

“I hate waiting. Besides, it’s not like I’m hiding from that jerk.” She said with puffed cheeks.

Makoto laughed nervously. Maybe one day, he’ll learn the story behind the class’ two bitter rivals.

  The door to the library opened from the other side. A burly man in a black coat stepped out, looking none too pleased.

“Ha? What’re you looking at, brats?” said Juzo Sakakura

A jolt snaked up Makoto’s body. “Sakakura-san. You’re here!” He asked, excitedly enough to prompt Aoi’s inquisitive stare.

“Ha? You want an autograph or something?” The dark-skinned male asked.

Makoto shook his head. “No, I meant to say. You haven’t left the island?”

 “You know our schedule?” A tall, silver-haired man appeared behind the boxer. Kyousuke Munakata’s stone-faced appearance was intimidating. Makoto and the rest of the class had met the duo on the island. The two alumni had mostly avoided contact besides a brief introduction.

Not the friendliest guys.

 “Makoto Naegi, wasn’t it? How did you know we were departing today?” Munakata repeats his question.

“…Lucky guess?” He felt compelled to answer, but there was nothing more he could say than that.

 “A wise guy, huh?” Sakakura lifts Makoto by the collar. “When he asks a question, you give proper answers.”

“Put him down.” Hina growled, grabbing the boxer’s arm.

 “Indeed. To be making a racket this early in the morning. Your mutt isn’t well trained.” From behind Munakata, inside the library, Togami’s cold tone broke the staredown between athletes.

“What’s that?”

“Drop him, Sakakura.” Munakata interjected. “There’s nothing else for us to do here.”

Sakakura obliged, letting Makoto fall, then pushed him aside. Munakata walked in front.

Makoto felt another jolt, followed by a sudden migraine. “Wait. Don’t leave yet.” The words slipped out.

“What is it now?” Sakakura turned back.

He clutched his forehead “Um…” It was on the tip of his tongue. The name he needed to say… “Chi-“

“Stop wasting everyone’s time.” Togami scowled. “If you’re here, I suppose that means you’ve got business with me. I’m busy, tell me what you want now or leave.” Without waiting for a retort, the blonde walked inside the library, leaving the door open.

“Makoto. Are you okay?” Hina asked, concerned.

The boy fell silent, having lost concentration.

“Sorry for keeping you. It was nothing.” Makoto bowed in apology to the two older men.

“What was his deal?” Juzo clicked his tongue as the teenagers entered the library.

“That boy is the Ultimate Lucky Student, correct?” Kyosuke asked.

“Yeah, the runt of the pack. You can’t even call that talent.”

Kyosuke wasn’t sure if that was entirely accurate. “I heard class 77’s lucky student had pronounced capabilities.”

Juzo grimaced, as if recalling unpleasant memories. “Ah yeah. That guy was a walking security hazard. No idea how Chisa put up with him…” He catches himself. “Sorry.”

“…It may be prudent to postpone our leave.”

“Why? Because of the kid?”

“Call it a gut feeling.”  Kyosuke narrowed his eyes. “For years, all searches and efforts proved fruitless. Maybe what we lacked wasn't not resolve…but good fortune.”


As it turned out, Togami hadn’t been alone in the library, even perhaps discounting Munakata and Sakakura. Chihiro was here with him.

“Togami and I were just discussing something.” The programmer explained, timidly holding a book to his chest.

“He isn’t bullying you, is he? I’ll give him a good one if he does anything underhanded.” Hina already her fists out and ready.

“The both of you ought to keeps your traps shut if you have nothing intelligent to say. We have Hagakure to fill that position and one of him, is more than enough.” Togami looked to the side.

“Don’t blame me for being suspicious. It’s not everyday the two of you are together.” Hina replied.

“Not unlike you and your new consort. Already feel like spending every waking moment together eh?”

“Come on, lay off the teasing. We got enough of that at breakfast.” Hina frowned.

Chihiro giggled, before turning to Makoto. He saunters towards the luckster. Waving his hands in front of the spikey-haired boy’s face.

When Makoto didn’t react, Hina poked him in the side.

Makoto yelped. “W-What happened?”.

“You were staring into thin air.” The shorter boy said.

“He’s been like this all day.” Hina sighed exasperatedly.

“Enough.” Togami grunted. “Given that I’m certain Asahina cares almost as little for my presence as I do hers, I trust you didn’t come here without good reason.”

Making up for his embarrassing display, Makoto said. “I wanted to extend an invitation. We were thinking of going down to the casino tomorrow. I wanted you to join us.”

“Why me?” Suspicion danced in his tone.

“Uh. I figured you’d have experience. To teach me a few tricks.”

“The gambling woman would make a better fit. I don’t care for risk-taking.”

“Yeah, but I’ll probably be playing against Celes. And you know how she is.”

The back and forth continued until the scion caved. “What’s in it for me?”

How about some fun? Makoto had nothing against reading but come on. “You can’t coop yourself in here all day.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Ok, you shouldn’t.” Makoto rephrased. “We’ve got ton of books in school. We’re on vacation, but I haven’t seen you relax or do…vacation-y stuff at all. You might as well have stayed back at the academy.”

Togami sent him a harsh glare that had Makoto withering.

“Oh brother.” Hina shook her head. “I bet you’re too chicken to gamble, since you know you’ll bet something important and lose.”

“Ah come on, Hina. Let’s not start a figh-”

 “Very well.”

Makoto gaped when Togami bit the obvious bait.

“Wow. All I needed to do was ruffle your ego a bit…” Even the swimmer was surprised.

“Not you. I’m speaking to Naegi.” The blonde huffed and carelessly tossed away the book in his hands.  ‘You have a point. There isn’t slightest stimulation to be found in these books.” Impressive, because as Makoto saw, Togami had read half the pages on that hefty text already.

“So…you’ll come?”

“On one condition. Naegi, meet me here this evening at 8 pm sharp. Alone. No questions asked.”

From one favor/order to another. “Okay.” Makoto accepted.

“Huh? That sounds super suspicious.” Hina fumed.

“No less suspicious than your sudden interest in my affairs.” Togami replied.

“It’s Togami-kun. Nothing bad is going to happen.” Makoto pacified the two.

“More like you’re way too trusting!”

“Um…guys.” Chihiro spoke up. “Can I come to the casino too?”

Like he needed to ask. They were all friends here. “We’d love if you could join. It’ll be a date with all four of us.”

 Togami gave him an exasperated look. “Hina may be a glutton for food, but you’re just as voracious when it comes to seeking company.”

“I-It’s not like that. Right, guys?” He looked to the others for backup.

“Ignoring that dig on me…he kind of has a point? I can count on my fingers the times I’ve seen you alone or even with just one person. Even when it was supposed to be the two of us, we’re already making groups.” Hina pouted.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe you’ve got deep-seated grudge towards isolation. You won’t even allow other people – such as myself – to be alone, you busybody.” Togami chided him.

“C-Couldn’t you guys pick any other topic to start agreeing on?”

“It’s not a bad thing.” Chihiro chimed in. “After all, there’s no reason any of us should be alone. Everything’s better in numbers.”

 

Chapter 24: Trappola Mortale / Death Trap

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“YAHOOOO!” An excited Hina flung her arms in the air, screaming at the top of her lungs.  

“I-I’m gonna be sick.” A less enthusiastic Makoto gripped the handlebars as the cart torpedoed downwards on this monster of a roller coaster. It was all he could do to numb his senses and imagine being on the ground, and not a death-trap with only a single, high-strung girl as his partner.

Aoi was adamant on Makoto keeping his promise, dragging him wherever she wanted to on the fourth island. Energetic and single-minded were words many would use to describe her, but those people had no idea until they saw Aoi really get going. She forgets everything else and focuses only on the goal.

That mentality might be necessary for an aspiring athlete.

“Sorry, Makoto. I…got a little carried away.” Aoi daintily apologizes after they got off the ride. The luckster is hovering over a nearby fountain after he puked his guts out into a paper bag.

“It’s fine. I feel…kinda sick, is all.” He nervously proposes a compromise. “…How about we lay off the rides and hit the beach?”

 

-[Koichi Kizakura]-

 

Compared to the preppy teens, the atmosphere surrounding the diner on the second island was stifling.

“You’re still here, Munakata?” Koichi murmurs in-between chomping on his burger. He’s bemused at the sight of two former students, sitting across him. Grumpy and anti-social as ever.

“Languid. Even when placing those children at risk.”

So direct too. He could at least beat around the bush a bit.

Koichi shrugs. “I’m just a lowly. responsible high-school teacher.”

The base of a closed fist hammers onto the table.

Think about its feelings, Sakakura!  “If you’d just done your job properly, Yukizome wouldn’t have had to take over that class!”

That name takes Koichi back. Koichi’s fingers brushing against his goatee. It always hurts, thinking of associates in the past tense. “Chisa huh. She was always so enthusiastic about teaching. Here I thought I was doing you three a favor by leaving an open spot for her.” He throws a steely gaze at Munakata.

"Tch. Sly bastard.”

“I will get to the bottom of what happened 2 years ago, Kizakura.” Koichi has no idea why he’s on the receiving end of that glare.

“Don’t look at me like that. I told you I won’t get in your way. It’s not like I don’t miss those brats too.” They were his students too. Once upon a time.

“Is that so? Then I’m sure you won’t mind lending us your assistance.” That grabs Koichi’s attention. He disliked the word ‘assistance’. It always meant more work, while never revealing how much, until he was in too deep. “I want information on Makoto Naegi.”

“The mascot? Why?” The teacher blinks.

“A passing curiosity.”

The middle-aged scout leans back into his seat, his whimsy magnifies “Information…”

“What?” The silver-haired man takes the bait.

“I just thought it’s funny you of all people asked. You see, I recently lost the class attendance list and it’s been a real pain trying to keep everything in my memory.”

Munakata’s brow ticks upwards. “A list? What importance is there in an attendance sheet?”

“It’s more of a dossier for the kids. I gotta know the important stuff like blood types, allergies, medical records. All that junk.”

Sakakura shakes his head. “Sounds irresponsible of you to forget something that important.” Geez, who plays off jokes that have gone on for longer than a minute?

“…No. Losing something doesn’t necessarily mean it was misplaced.” Kyosuke said. “A man with an intuition like yours wouldn’t make such a mistake. You believe it was stolen, and by us for our investigation.”

“Interesting how things turned out. If you didn’t take it, then I have no idea who would.” But the real question in the Ultimate Scout’s mind was ‘Why?’

“And you still think there is nothing strange about your vacation here?” Munakata challenged.

“Now when did I say I wasn’t suspicious?”


 

Warm seawater crashes against Makoto, sends shivers all over his body. The smug of his assailant is about as pronounced as her swimsuit-clad figure.

“Brr” Makoto shakes off the water like a wet dog. “You…really like taking everything to the next level.”

 “Darn right! If I’m gonna do something, I’ll go 100%.” Confidence and determination emanate from Aoi but doesn’t quite reach him.

“Compared to you guys, I can’t help but think about how lukewarm I am…”

“You’re great. Everyone I hang out with is.”

He shakes his head. “Thanks. I wasn’t putting myself down though. Diversity’s something to keep in mind.”

“Really?” She’s skeptical.

“Sure. Just think what would happen if everyone was the same as you.”

“That’d be loads of fun!” Makoto swears he can see the fire burning in her eyes. Hot and smoldering enough for him to douse it with an extinguisher.

“If everyone was an Asahina, there’d be a global donut shortage.”

Hina gapes. “…never mind, it’d also be exhausting. I’d keep trying to compete against myself without stopping.”

“See. There’s nothing wrong with being different, there are perks too.” In his case, all he had was luck, so there aren’t too many expectations to face-

Makoto palms his forehead as a sharp jolt disturbs his thoughts.

“Again?” Aoi asked, concerned.

“It’s getting better.” What ‘it’ was, couldn’t be defined. “It’s nothing to worry about.”  Aoi didn’t seem as convinced.

“Let’s call it quits and get you some rest.”

He scratched his cheek. “Just my luck. This trial boyfriend thing might’ve been bad timing.”

 “Boyfriend?...Oh gosh!” Her expressions tell him everything

“You…forgot?”

A bashful laugh slips out. “Hehe…I get carried away when I’m having fun.”

Her callousness was infectious “I was going to ask if we should get to know each other more…but doesn’t seem like that’s necessary.”

“We’ve been friends for over a year. Don’t we know each other plenty?”

A vague sense of doubt plagues him. “Um…well, I figured couples are…closer than that. They’d tell each other personal things.” He flushed, red as cherry.

Aoi nodded in understanding. “That…make sense. I’m the one who asked a big favor from you. It’s not my style to half-ass things, so we should go all the way huh?” Despite her words, an awkward silence punctuates the end of her sentence.

“The guy should make the first move...” Makoto smiles, scouring for whatever empty secret he could find

“*Ahem*”

A fake cough draws their attention to the sandy shores. Heads of blue and purple lied in wait. Makoto and Aoi make their way over to the sands.

“Hope we’re not interrupting anything.” Sayaka said.

“Judging from that sickening mood, most likely. What were you two talking about?” Kyoko shoots them (mostly him) a discerning look.

Those two are together again – He thought, feeling relieved.

“That’s between us.” Aoi replied.

The girls locked eyes with Makoto. “I-I’m not telling. You can’t make me.”

Sayaka hummed. “Between the two of us, we can wring the info out of him in…5 minutes?”

“2.” Kyoko corrected.

His horrified expression evokes bemused smiles from both girls.

“We’re only playing around.” Sayaka giggles.

“Yes. The truth is I’ve had to listen to Sayaka whining about your sudden relationship. She wants an explanation and I’ve been dragged along for the ride.” Kyoko said with the flattest expression and tone possible.

Sayaka turned to the detective, totally picturesque. “I didn’t know I had that much control over you.  I’ll keep it in mind the next time as a solution for when you brood and pace around all day. I was worried since you were happy before breakfast…”

“I never look happy.”

“I never whine.”

“You two okay?” Makoto said cautiously

“That’s the end of our impromptu comedy skit. Hope you enjoyed it, there certainly won’t be another.” Kyoko returned to her usual serious self.

“What did you two even come here for?” Makoto interjected. The girls snap in his direction.

“Let’s get right down to the point. Why are you two faking this relationship?” Kyoko asserts

“We’re not.” Hina splutters.

“Do you have any proof? Public displays of affection will suffice.” Kyoko pressed the swimmer with a prosecutor’s determination.

“Now hold on a minute!”

Sayaka placed a calming hand on Hina’s shoulder. “If you’re really together, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

His totally-not-fake girlfriend looked at him pleadingly.

“Sure there is.” Makoto answered the call. “First, Hina and I are shy, especially romantically. It’s perfectly in-character for us to uncomfortable with expressing our feelings in public. Second, we’ve only been dating for a day. There’s no rule telling us to move that fast.”

He was met with odd stares.

“What…I’m not wrong, am I?”

“You were like some kinda big wig attorney.” Aoi shook her head, sounding impressed.

Sayaka and Kyoko paid him more attention than usual due to the uncharacteristically serious (and correct) statement. Eventually, Kyoko’s gaze found and lingered on his neck. Her eyes widened a fraction. Sayaka followed the trail. A furious blush spread across her cheeks.

 “It seems you move fast enough without any rules, Makoto.” Kyoko turns her back and walks off without a word.

“U-Um…we’re sorry for doubting you two. We’ll be on our way.” Sayaka performs a small bow and follows after the lilac-haired girl, leaving the remaining two alone once more.

...

“Nope. Still have no clue what that was about. Do you?” Makoto turned to the tanned girl, who zoomed past his front to the other side of his body, curious as to what the other girls were staring at.

“Are there…mosquitoes around?” She asked.

 “I’ve got insect repellent and I haven’t seen any the whole time we’ve been on the island.” His hand went to his neck, noting the soreness. Maybe he had been bitten while he was asleep? But how?

Hina took a step back from him. Her cheeks were tinged a similar color as Sayaka’s, and her glare every bit as judging as Kyoko’s. “You’re dirty, Makoto! You’re President Dirty of Dirtlandia!”

“H-Hold on. Where is this coming from?!”  

 “T-There’s a love bite on your neck!”

Does she mean a hickey? “There's no way…I mean, who would-“ His eyes widen sharply as his head felt like it would burst.

Junko’s image flashed in his mind and everything went dark.


 

Makoto wakes with the crack of thunder. His ears perk at the rainfall pelting the misted glass. He groans, shielding his irritated eyes from the bright lights overhead. He pulls off the blankets and sits upright on the infirmary bed.

The throbbing headaches was replaced by numbness in his limbs. “What happened?” He asks, knowing someone would be there.

““Finally decided to grace us with your wake? You’ve got nerve, as the third person Byakuya Togami has ever waited on.” There’s no surprise to hearing the heir’s voice. Even less at his words.

An illusory prediction similar to déjà vu.

Makoto glances at the blonde, who occupied his time with a book, without his glasses. That sight too, was disturbingly familiar.

“What’s with that confounded look?”

 Makoto opens and closes his hands, steadily regaining some feeling in them. Groggily, he asks.  “How long was I out?”

“Only a few hours. It’s 10 pm.”

That’s not…too bad. “You were rotating looking after me, right?”

“No, I’ve been here the whole time.”

The nauseating redundancy ends. Makoto looks at Togami, really looks.  “You…why? I-I mean, I’m grateful but I didn’t think you cared so much.”

The scion returned his query with an expression indicating he’d taken a personal offence. “Are you still daydreaming? Or you really suggesting you’ve forgotten the appointment you had with me?”

Oh…right. “My bad.”

 “No matter.” A snarky grin surfaces in place of annoyance. “Collapsing in the water, I’d almost think you were attempting suicide.”  

“I’d never…” Makoto recalled the last thing he saw…he and Hina at the beach…

 “No need to explain, I understand. Spending the whole day with Asahina would have me contemplate ending my own life. It’s one of the few things that can.”

Makoto scratched his cheek, having zero comeback for that mean-spirited comment. “Okay, I think I’m awake now. Feeling better too.” Hopefully it was true this time.

“Good, then let’s get going. You’ve kept us waiting long enough.”

“Going? Where? Wait ‘us’?”

“Fujisaki is coming along as well. He’s waiting outside.” Togami stood, putting on his glasses. As Makoto opted to do the same, the taller boy raised a hand. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” He clicked his tongue.

Makoto blinked, then looked downwards.

He…was still in his swimming trunks. “W-Where are my clothes?” Not back at the beach he hoped. Togami pointed to the top of a nearby desk and made his exit. Makoto’s patented outfit was neatly folded on the drawer. He motioned for his hoodie, only for a letter to slip out of the pocket.

“What’s this?”

“Hurry it up over there!” Togami barked from behind the door.

Makoto jerked at the loud voice and dropped the letter.

“C-Coming.”

-[Fourth Island]-

 

When Togami said to follow him, Makoto hadn’t expected they’d be leaving the infirmary in this storm. He hadn’t anticipated they’d be traversing the islands.

The dark skies shine momentarily with the roar of thunder.

 A gasp comes from his side. It isn’t Togami. The blonde walks ahead with umbrella in hand. They only had two. Not like Makoto minded sharing with Chihiro.

“I-It’ll be fine. Nobody gets hurt from thunder, right?” Makoto reassured Chihiro, but with his luck, he may have been the one in most danger. Still, he marginally shifts his umbrella so it fully covers Chihiro, making sure not even a droplet fell on his head.

“I-I’ll be alright. What about you, Makoto? Not sick I hope.”

“I’ll live.” He replied.

“That’s good. Many of us worried. Hina especially.” The programmer’s smile warmed his heart.

“I’ll stop by her cottage later. Or if it’s too late, tomorrow morning.” Makoto said. Speaking of which. “C-Couldn’t you have waited til tomorrow?” Makoto asked, loudly enough for Togami to hear him.

“Don’t start whining. We’re almost at the fifth island.”  True, they’d just passed Nezumi castle.

“Do you have any idea where he’s taking us?” Makoto asked Chihiro.

“Yeah. It’s the research laboratory. He wants to show you a project we’re working on. Just…don’t freak out when you see ‘it’ okay?”

Makoto furrowed his eyebrow but nodded slowly.

…A few more steps and he comes  to a complete halt.

“W-Whoa.” Chihiro stops next, having taken one naked step into the rain and a quick one back to the comfort under the umbrella. “Why’d you stop, Makoto?”

“What is it now?” Togami looked back to face them.

Makoto’s looked into the distance, at the entrance into the fun house. Train cars were parked to guide the guests in. “I…have to go in there.”

“What is it? Didn’t have enough fun earlier?” Togami chided

The remark left no impression. Makoto lazily handed off the umbrella to Chihiro He walked towards the entrance, as the rain beat down on him.

“Wait up!” The programmer caught the umbrella handle without warning given and ran after Makoto.

Togami watched the two boys approach the rail cars in silence. “The Fun House…” The sudden detour left him partly irritated and mostly intrigued.

He followed. Shortly after, he heard footsteps in the rain from behind him. “Stalking me again.” The blonde said under his breath.


 

“…I would do unspeakable things to the architect behind this horrific decor.” Togami was visibly stricken ill by the strawberries lighting the walls and floors.

“It is a bit much.” While not nearly so dramatic about it, Chihiro expressed his own negative opinions of Strawberry Hall, one of the two houses in the building. “Why’d you want to stop here, Makoto?”

“There’s something here I have to find. It’s…important.” Makoto’s head swung from side to side. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly, but he had a gut feeling he’d understand once he found it.

“Have you been here before?” Chihiro pressed.

“No, I don’t think so.” Makoto was cut off as he stopped by a door with the design of a demented clown. His gaze was fixed on the sign above.

“So this is the final dead room.” Togami said with faint interest. “About the only interesting thing here if we’re going by name alone.”

“I-Interesting? I think it looks and sounds creepy.” Chihiro said.

“It’s in here!” Makoto said in a trance. He ran forward, pushing the door open.

“Is it me…or is Makoto acting strangely?” Chihiro said, low enough only for the blonde to hear.

“I wouldn’t be putting up with his erratic behavior if he wasn’t.” Togami's features laden a mysterious smile

 

-[Final Dead Room]-

 

Something unexpected happened when the three entered a dark, cramped room. The exit was locked, cut off by thick bars, trapping them inside.

Togami didn’t think much of it. “Finally, something actually interesting is happening.”

“H-How are we going to escape?” Chihiro whimpered.

“By winning the game. How else?” 

“What if we can’t solve it? There’s nobody out there. We could be trapped!”

“Calm down. If that happens, we wait to be found. What would be the point of these bracelets otherwise?” Togami’s words had Makoto checking his bangles. Kizakura called them transmitters, that could be located anywhere on the island.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

“Besides. Fukawa is out there.”

Togami’s abrupt declaration had Makoto and Chihiro turning heads. ““What?””

“She was following us. You didn’t notice? It’s obvious.” He tipped the sides of his glasses.

“I think it might be that you have gotten used to her.” Chihiro sweatdropped.

The heir made a contemptuous face. “Whatever. Just don’t pay any attention to her when we get out of here or I’ll make you rue the day.”

'Those two have serious issues to work out.'

“What we need to do is search the room for clues. This is a game. They are made to be winnable.” Togami reasoned.

“Check this out.” Chihiro pointed to a device fixed to the wall besides the iron bars.  “It looks we need a code to unlock the door.”

“There aren’t even any numbers to input. Most likely this is our last stop.” Togami said.

Makoto spotted a laptop on the corner wall. “Chihiro, can I count on you with that?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Makoto nodded, then turned to the walls, blood red numbers were written in every direction.

 “I’ll check those. You search around the closets and drawers and bring us everything you find. I’m not sullying my hands by touching anything in this decrepit place.” Togami seethed.

Not seeing a point in arguing, Makoto scoured around the room. There was a large stuffed rabbit next to a bed…and there’s a broken television on one of the desks. Makoto skips it over to check the drawers. He finds a card with a password.

… Too many digits, it can’t be for the code on the wall. I should hang on to this.

The next drawer had pliers, and the one besides it…was locked. “Nothing more I can do here.”

Makoto set to his next target, opening the closet, there he found a hanger…and “Togami, there’s another number in the closet. It’s ‘5’!”

“I’ve seen enough. Let’s reconvene.” Togami ordered.

Makoto and Chihiro met the heir in the middle.

“I tried my best but the laptop’s locked out. Sorry.” Chihiro frowned.

“Hmm. There’s another module with a code. But unlike the first, we can solve this.” Togami pointed to the wall nearby the closet.

Atop the device was another message. “Watch the NEWS?” Makoto spelled it out, then looked to the television. “No, I…don’t think that’s the case.”

“It’s an acronym.” Togami corrected. His eyes veer to the floor near the entrance. “That symbol over there is a marker showing North.

“North, East, West and South…” Makoto put a finger to his chin. “The numbers on the walls!”

“Indeed. Well, hurry up and input them. The numbers are 3 9 5 7” Togami said, as if Makoto was naturally meant to handle the grunt work

Jeez…

“3957.” The light went green. Inside the module was…a camera and a USB stick.

“Do they work?” Togami asked.

“The camera doesn’t, but I think this might help with the laptop.” Makoto handed Chihiro the USB. “I checked the drawers. One of them was locked, but I found a bunch of tools…that don’t seem useful by themselves but…maybe we can make something of it.”

“They probably are. The usual formula with these types of puzzles is to unravel the mystery step by step…if it’s a good one anyway.” Chihiro added, more relaxed than when they began. He almost looked like he was enjoying himself.

It was a fun house after all…

“Use the pliers to cut the hanger and then see if you can get that drawer open.” Togami suggested

“Good idea.” Makoto clipped the hanger into a long line. He turned and moved to the drawer, attempting to shove the tip into the keyhole. To no avail. He turned back.  “Doesn’t work.”

Togami pinched his forehead. “Are you an imbecile? I was clearly joking.”

Makoto could have said Togami missed the delivery to sell the supposed quip but he’ll…just keep that to himself. “Still, I’m certain that was the point of those pliers. Is there anywhere we haven’t searched?” By ‘we’, he meant ‘me’. The blame was definitely fallin’ on me.

“I haven’t looked at the bed.” Makoto mumbled. He ransacked the mattress, checking the covers and finding nothing. He searched underneath and spotted a gleam below. His arms couldn’t fit but…maybe the open hanger could… “I got something…A key!”

It was obvious where this went. Into the drawers. “Scissors.” He showed the item to the others who weren’t ecstatic to see something seemingly worthless. Was there anything to cut that the pliers couldn’t have?

Togami went silent, though eyed him, nonetheless.

The pliers could snap things like scissors but…they probably couldn’t do anything to the stuffed animal. Makoto glanced at the rabbit plushie. Gripping the sharp object, he brought his arm down, stabbing and shredding. With the hole Makoto made, he dug his arm into the plushie’s insides and pulled out its stuffing.

The faint hearted Chihiro gasped at the sight. Even Togami raised an eyebrow.

“Batteries.” Makoto announced, procuring them from the maimed plushie without a care. They were a perfect fit for the camera. He brought it over for Togami and Chihiro to see, and inside was a diagram of the solar system.

“What could it mean?” Chihiro asked

“All that’s left is the unlocking device, which we can’t open and the laptop. I’m willing to wager they are connected. Is there anything else?” Togami inquired

“Just a card containing a password, and the USB.” Makoto prompts the programmer

“I’ll try and manage something.” Chihiro walked to the laptop with the items Makoto had given him. He inserted the USB. Makoto and Togami waited.

“Oh, it is a password. I got it.” Chihiro smile dimmed as soon as it came. “…Another code.” His gaze shifted between the laptop and the module hanging on the nearby wall.

“It didn’t open.” Makoto noted

“There’s nothing more I can input on the laptop either.”

“In that case, make use of what we know does work.” Togami pointed to the other module near the closet.

Chihiro placed a finger to his lips and scanned the two items one more time. “Let’s try it.” His short legs sauntered over to the working module and entered a code

Makoto heard a clicking sound. “Hey, it worked…and there’s a keyhole.”

“Hmpf.” Togami unplugs the USB from the laptop and inserts it into the hole. The four digits signal open.

“We did it!” Chihiro clapped his hands together.

“Is this the best they could come up with?” Togami smirked.

“The door isn’t opening.” The bars remained.

“Run that by me again?” Togami’s smug fell.

“Guys. Was that always there?” They snapped their heads to where Chihiro pointed. In the center of the room was a stand that hadn’t been there. More importantly, a handgun that formerly hadn’t been there.

Sweat dripped down Makoto’s face. “Why’s that hanging around?” A toy?

Togami approached it nonetheless. “There’s instructions.”  A letter next to the firearm. “Solve the mystery of the final dead room and obtain the right to play the life-threatening game. P.S you are held liable for the roulette’s difficulty. Depending on the difficulty, I have prepared the ultimate weapon to help you in this predicament.”

He read in monotone. Suddenly, he laughed. “Ah, it’s just a game of Russian roulette.”

Makoto pressed his back against the iron bars. “Russian…roulette…?”

“A game of high risk and chance. You get to choose how many bullets in the gun and shoot. If nobody dies, you win. Do I have to explain how you lose, next?” He checks the pistol. “These are real bullets. Interesting.”

“Real?! W-We can’t play that. There’s a 1 in 6 chance one of us could die!” Chihiro snapped.

“1-in-6?” Togami scoffed.

“No…it should be 5-in-6, with a 1-in-6 chance of success. That’s the highest setting.” What Makoto needed to play. He made it.

Chihiro gawked at him like he’d spoke in an ancient forgotten language. “W-Wha?”

“Oh? I didn’t take you for a high-roller, Naegi. I must say I’m impressed, if you’re not being full of hot air.” Togami crossed his arms.

“It would be too easy otherwise. A 1-in-6 chance…that’s a blessing compared to what I’ve been through.”

“What are you talking about?” Chihiro asked.

“…It’s nothing. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

I remembered what I have to do to win this game.

Not Russian roulette, but an even more twisted setup.

Makoto remembered, and for the first time, none of his friends were dead.

“I like what I’m seeing. Let’s play this game.” The affluent progeny took out a single bullet and pointed the barrel at Makoto. “You are the Ultimate Lucky Student. If you couldn’t survive this, then there’s no worth in your life anyway.”

Chihiro stood in front to protect to Makoto, ignoring that he was too short to protect the taller boy’s head. “T-This is insane! I won’t let you!”

“You don’t grasp the situation. Your quick with machinery and computers, but slow in reality and that’s your weakness.” Togami chided him.  “We can’t leave this place until we play the game. No matter what, we’re betting a life. Why not get the biggest reward in the meanwhile?”

“It’s fine, Chihiro. I have to do this.” What Makoto was searching for would only be found by wading immense danger. The highest setting according to Komaeda’s letter. Makoto inhaled and with a determined expression said “Do it.”

“Done.” Suddenly, Togami changed the trajectory of the barrel and pointed it at his own temple. He pressed down on the trigger.

*Click*

“That must be the sound of the doors unlocking.” 

Makoto and Chihiro looked upon him with horror.

Makoto had been ready to put his own life on the line…knowing even if he died he could try again. Togami didn’t know that. Thus, Makoto was rendered speechless by the act of recklessness.

“Look at you two, floundering your mouths like fish out of the water." Togami sneered. "I’ll say it once: A Togami must be the first in everything. If I were to drag my own subordinates to their deaths, I should be the one leading the vanguard.”

“W-We’re not your subordinates though?” Makoto gaped.

“Fujisaki is.”

Makoto turned to the programmer, who nodded in turn.

“More importantly. I’m partially responsible for you louts being on this vacation. It’ll reflect poorly on me If anything were to happen."

“You’re…really reliable.” Makoto laughed. That was typical Togami. How confident do you have to be to play a game that deadly and think you’ll survive? Better yet, actually do it and come out unscathed.

That’s right. There was someone other than Kyoko that Makoto could absolutely count on!

It’s just…in all the other iterations, Togami was dead before they knew it. It was the same in the fourth, and the third. Makoto had scant memories of the second with Sakura as the blackened, but he was sure Togami died prematurely. The first iteration…he had no idea. Those memories were completely gone.

“This is strange. A life-threatening game…why was something like this in a tourist resort? If not us, there could have been kids even younger playing this game.” Makoto ponders

“Who knows? Who cares? Let’s go. Our prize awaits.”

“Yeah.” What Komaeda promised was beyond the other door. For the first time, Makoto was ahead of the curve.

‘Get your kicks elsewhere, Junko. We’ll never meet again. Count on it.’


 

The backdoor led to an armory.

“Ultimate weapon? I presumed it would be less conventional.” Togami remarked. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary with the storehouse of axes, spears, guns and alike.

Makoto couldn’t talk. He’d seen Ryoko carrying around a gun, and a giant mechanical monster. It was enough to tell him this island was a death trap.

Chihiro on the other hand, looked weak at the sight. “W-We won’t touch these…will we?”

“No.” Makoto said. What he was looking for couldn’t be that simple. But he couldn’t argue against a weapon for self-defense. It did wonders against Kiyotaka last time. Might have helped with Leon too.

It might have.

Makoto subtly distanced himself away from the others while searching the room. Komaeda had been vague about what the reward was here. It couldn’t be in plain sight, could it?

He didn’t know much of the lucky student, save his recklessness. Makoto had found the letter completely by chance.

“Chance…” Maybe he ought to rely on luck to see him through. His or Komaeda’s.

The brunet zipped through dangerous weaponry, verifying their authenticity. Right up until he reached the edge of the wall. An open window led outside. From the looks of it, the rain had mostly cleared up. 

Makoto stuck his head outside, to get a view of the forest, entranced by the island’s scope. He twisted his body so he could get a good look at the top of the tower. “There’s something above…” He could see it an enveloped taped, just over the window guard. Makoto gulped and with the scissors he’d taken from the escape room, pried the letter, taking care not to let it drop.

The envelope had been protected from rainfall. The brunet looked behind him. Nobody there.

“Let’s do this...huh?” The seal on the envelope had already been lifted. Had it been wear from age or had someone read it? Makoto couldn't be certain.

Dear reader,

The date is May 30th, 2010. If you’ve found this note after what I left on the research facility, congratulations. If you’re one of the red-eyed ones…or worse, then I’m sure you’ll be mocking my wasted efforts. if you’re the new batch of students playing this murder game…let’s hope you’ve got better talent than we did. That you braved through the final dead room and the Russian Roulette shows me that you're resourceful and determined to face the odds. The reward I mentioned, is information. I don’t have time or space so excuse my bluntness. Do you still think this vacation you were sent on was meant to be a pleasant experience? I’ll have to dissuade you. What you’re on, is the killing school trip. Shocking, but you’d better believe it if you want to survive. Whether it was a plane or a boat, you were put on this island to fight and die. I don’t know your circumstances so I can’t say how that’ll happen, but the cause is those red-eyed monsters. That is, of course, you and your classmates. There’s a pathogen spreading on this island, infecting people at random. I have my suspicions that it’s an airborne virus, but I won’t confuse you with them. This game is just too erratic, always changing…Ah, I’m rambling. What I meant to say is that a virus is changing the island’s inhabitants, transforming them into demons. They might look human, but the things they’re capable of, along with their intentions. I can’t call them human, in all honesty. What I can say, is that these powers they develop are tied to their talents and beliefs, distorting them for the sake of despair. These developments are disturbingly like the legend of Jabberwock island and the witch of despair. A dreary story with a tasteless ending. Someone might be trying to replicate that tragedy with us. I can only theorize, because I never became one of those demons. Maybe it’s because I’m just trash after all.

Although, even if you can defeat the demons…there’s another monster. Its name is Jabberwock. By now, I’m sure it’s operational. Let me say that you can’t win against that. Ultimates, amazing as they are, are human. Humans don’t beat monsters…but they often create them. This Frankenstein responsible this time is our own Kazuichi Souda, the ultimate mechanic as part of a project for Hope’s Peak Academy. I don’t know the details or what that monster’s purpose is, but Kazuichi couldn’t complete it. It needed a brain to function and that was outside even his expertise. The body however…you’ll know if you see it.  Honestly, as much as I value and worship talent, I find myself doubting that the Kazuichi I knew had the skills to create Jabberwock. There must be something more…but alas, my ideas are far fetched. If you want to have a chance, you must disable it. That’s a lot on your plate, but I’m sure you’ve come across the armory in the funhouse, maybe that might help…or make things worse. You never know until it’s too late. Humans. Normal or talented, you never know what they’re capable of when they’re afraid.

It must make you wonder…why those weapons are here in the first place. In a getaway resort. Well, you might as well ask why you’re here in the first place. It’s Hope’s Peak Academy, of course! Never did I expect the hallmark of talent to fall into despair, but they… must have been infiltrated and corrupted somehow. It’s the only explanation. Mind you, the enemy isn’t just the academy. It’s bigger. My informant called the name of this organization, World Ender. A group that controls the world from the shadows. You might've heard of some of them. The Kuzuryus, Japan's most influential crime syndicate. The Neverminds, a European monarchy that had miraculously survived eight centuries or ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

That's about all I know of them.  As for me. I’m tired. So very tired. Maybe you understand. Maybe you don’t. Maybe I’m the one who’s lost my grip on reality. Still, that’s no excuse. Hope never stops moving and neither will I. As many times as needed, I’ll keep moving forward until despair is stamped out from this island. No matter what it takes. On that, Hajime and I can finally agree.

If you’re reading this and I’ve failed. Please avenge us. We didn’t deserve this fate, to be betrayed like this time and again. I don’t mind dying, but even trash like me wants to choose what to die for. If you discover the truth…tell others what happened here. How we suffered at the hands of those we trusted. Don’t let them erase us. We-…I don’t want to be forgotten.

                                                                                                                               Nagito Komaeda

The letter’s sides crumpled under Makoto’s tight grip.  That thin piece of paper, weighed heavy with the lives of the victims of the previous killing school life.  

World Ender? Hope’s Peak Academy? What kind of ridiculous bullshit-

“I’m not lying. Robo-beasts are soooo SDR2. I’m not some hack that’d pull the same trick twice. If you want to blame anyone, blame Hope’s Peak Academy.” (Junko Enoshima, Chapter Twenty-one)

“Does this mean…Junko …isn’t my only enemy?”

Oh god…

“Why is this happening to us?” Makoto staggered; hand flat against the wall to maintain balance “It’s my fault. I-I’m the one who asked Togami to…” The luckster gasped, recalling the conversation with Celes earlier that morning.


 

“I need you to route Togami into playing against me.” Celes stated the request she’d made of Makoto and Hina.

“That’s all? Just rustle his ego. That always works.” Hina crossed her arms.

Celes sighed. “Hina, dear. You think I haven’t tried. He’s been surprisingly resilient lately…and suspicious if you ask me.”

Makoto cocked his head. “Suspicious how?”

“Makoto, how much do you think it costs to clear out a resort like Jabberwock and provide a trip for an entire class?”

“Can’t say I know.”

“Neither do I,” Celes replied “and that should tell you the expenses must be ridiculous. Far too much for Togami to spare on a whim.”

“Well, that guy doesn’t really have the same values as we do. Even millions might seem like chump change.” Makoto scratched his cheek.

“So you believe if you were to ask him right now for that sum, he would offer it to you on hand?”

“Uh…probably not.”

The gambler smirked. “In addition to that, there’s been his behavior around Chihiro, dragging the poor thing wherever he goes…”

“That doesn’t mean he’s up to something bad.”

“I dunno. That guy is shady as hell.” Biased though, Asahina!

“I’m still not sold…but it couldn’t hurt to help.” It’s most likely a false alarm. Still, I’ve got the urge to see Togami anyway.


 

That can’t be true He’s our friend, he wouldn’t do this to us!

Makoto searched his memories for an alternative explanation. Anything to contradict that possibility.

… If the killings happened on this island before…why were we allowed to come back here? Because the school buried that information. That’s why none of us knew about Komaeda’s class…

Was that really the case? - Makoto had grown to doubt

The idea of a witch on these islands is indeed a common folktale however they also say that many years back, a group of Hope’s Peak academy students were mercilessly killed by her on their vacation. What do you make of that?” (Byakuya Togami, Chapter one)

“That wasn’t possible.” Togami was here with us, in just as much danger. And he’d been killed many times before. There’s no way he could be one of those World Ender guys...

On that note. Parts of the letter were rendered illegible but...The Neverminds and Kuzuryus? Makoto knew those names. "Chisa's class again..."

“What are you doing?”

Makoto jumped, turning around to see the man himself staring at him impatiently.

“Nothing.” Makoto tried to maintain his composure.

“The rain is gone. Let’s go. I have much to show you.” The blonde twisted his body and walked to the exit, clearly prompting Makoto to follow.

The luckster shoved the letter into his pocket and trailed behind Togami and later Chihiro when the programmer joined them. Naturally, they passed the escape room on the way out of the armory. The others ignored the gun used for the Russian roulette.

Makoto picked it up and hid it in his clothes.

“Don’t worry, Komaeda-san. I’ll carry on your hopes.” 

 

-[Fifth Island]-

 

The trek to the research facility was a quiet one. Makoto needed time to process the information he received in Komaeda’s latter. He was tempted to read over it again but couldn’t in the presence of the other two. Makoto's eyes shifted to Togami's back, a deep frown marred his boyish face.

He turned to Chihiro, hoping to dig up some information. “What was that about you being an employee?”

The smaller boy looked up at him, considering the question. “Since you’ll find out anyway, I guess I can tell you.” Makoto bitterly thought it was nice getting a straight answer for once. “There’s a project Hope’s Peak Academy has me working on. It’s called Jabberwock. Togami’s family is affiliated with the academy and they funded the program. Technically, I’m working for him.”

The name ‘Jabberwock’ had Makoto shiver involuntarily. Hearing the Togamis backed its creation filled him with dread. “Is that why you two have been together recently?”

“Mhmm. I give him updates and such. I don’t think he understands as much as he claims to, but it’s nice that there’s someone else in class that gets techie stuff almost as well as I do.” Chihiro beamed at someone sharing his interests. But this interest in particular…was deadly.

“Is Jabberwock dangerous?” He feigned ignorance

Chihiro tilted his head. “It can be. But it won’t harm a fly.”

“What makes you so sure?” Makoto doubted.

“Because we programmed it that way. It uses my Alter Ego so it can’t go haywire or anything.”

Makoto’s jaw hung. “It can’t go out of control?!” What the hell happened last time!?

Chihiro squeaked at his sudden outburst.

“What are you two yapping about back there?”

“I-It’s nothing.” Makoto said. Keeping silent until the heir’s attention left them. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.”

“S’okay. I thought I might have done something wrong.” Chihiro looked down.

“H-How sure are you that Jabberwock won’t go awol?”

“It’s moved by Alter Ego, that’s a lot more secure than some firewall or remote control.”

Then… “Hypothetically speaking, if you ordered Jabberwock to attack us…”

Chihiro’s eyes widened. “Why would I ever do that? Wait, how do you know it can do that?”

Makoto wanted to smack his forehead. In his excitation, he’d forgotten this Chihiro hadn’t explained what Jabberwock ‘was’. “Lucky guess…since you said it was dangerous and…well, Jabberwock sounds like a monster. Like the statues on the main island...”

“I-It’s not a monster! It’s a machine. The only monsters are those who might misuse it.” Chihiro defended his pet project. But his words didn’t fall on deaf ears. It all goes back to a mastermind.

“Have you noticed anything suspicious about him?” Makoto whispered, pointing at the scion.

“Togami? Not at all. Why?” Chihiro answered in a low voice.

“I-I dunno. It’s just a bad feeling I have.”

“I know he’s really arrogant, and kinda mean. But I don’t think Togami’s a bad person.” Chihiro continued. “Actually, I think he’s a lot nicer than he wants us to think.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a feeling I have.” The programmer smiled.

“Fair enough.” Makoto ends his questions there, lest he rouse suspicion. Chihiro took his sudden inquisitions as the jitters from the final dead room and the nervousness of meeting Jabberwock. With the elevators of the research facility broken, the three took the long trip through the stairs.

This time, Makoto hadn’t been blindfolded. Their steps halted. The room was excessively spacious as he remembered, but the machinery was still in-tact. It wouldn't look out of place in a secret military base or somewhere you'd build a WMD. At least, that's what the movies had let Makoto believe. On the far end was a huge gate on the other side of the room. In the middle was a gap of nothing.

Makoto swayed his head back and forth. “Where is it?”

“Do it, Fujisaki.”

“*Ahem*” Chihiro coughed. “Alter ego. Restart. Cloaking off. Standby on.” He announced. Upon his command, ‘Jabberwock’ suddenly revealed itself, red eyes poised at them. On him.

The memories of his previous death surfaced, prompted by the monster’s sudden appearance. It was too much for Makoto’s system.

 

-[Hifumi Yamada]-

 

Hifumi carried a tray containing three cups of of royal milk tea. One for the self-proclaimed casino owner, Celestia and their guests. Hifumi set two cups down on opposite sides of the table. He shakily offered the last to the standing Mukuro Ikusaba, a quiet, detached girl. Frozen gray irises land on, and appraise the doujin author. A shake of the head is her only response.

Hifumi gulps and steps back into the corner, away from the trio of frightening women. Cards were scattered across the table, and in the hands of the casino owner and Ryoko Otonashi.

The analyst stared intensely at her own cards, then lifted her eyes to scout those of Celes’, as if she could peer through the back of her opponent’s hand. Ikusaba, by her side, looked thoroughly disinterested in the unfolding events. Then again, Hifumi had never seen anything impress the soldier.

“Allow me to thank you again for accepting my invitation.” Celes said cordially after a stand-off several minutes long.

“I had nothing better to do.” Ryoko replied.

“Not even staying by your servant’s side? I expected you to fight Togami alongside Hina.” A verbal warfare between Togami and Asahina was waged in the evening. The tanned swimmer argued it was her responsibility to watch over the spontaneously ill luckster while Togami… didn’t care. Unfortunately for Hina, he just happened to be more persuasive with words.

“It’d be weird to be clingy. Makoto has a girlfriend now, y’know.” Ryoko said.

“We both know that’s a lie.”

“Yeah. Okay, how about we go with ‘it’d be embarrassing for the master to catch the servant’s sickness’.”

Celes giggled behind her palm. “Very true. Which begs the question why the holier-than-thou Togami would demand to keep watch over pestilence like Makoto.”

“What he does is his problem. And if anyone’s fixated…wouldn’t that be you?” Ryoko tossed an accusation in a casual tone, with her eyes not looking up from her cards. “Well, it’s not like I don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

 Hifumi, having spent a considerable amount of time with the gambler, possibly moreso than any of their other classmates, didn’t miss the inflection in Celes’ voice.

“Who knows~” Ryoko’s coy disposition flipped off like a switch. She sighed and placed her cards on the table face down. “You win. As promised, I’ll help out with this plan of yours. Hopefully it won’t be as boring as this.” The auburn-haired girl stood.

“Were you not happy with our game?” Celes asked.

“The game is fine. You are boring.” The gothic lolita’s brow twitched at the transparent insult. Before she could reply, Ryoko turned around. “A deal is a deal…but I would have liked to play with the girl behind the mask. Whatever her name is.”

“…” Celes thinned her lips, uttering not a word as Ryoko exited the room.

“Don’t let it get to you.” Ikusaba commented. These were the first words to leave her mouth all evening. As such, both Hifumi and Celes were at attention. “Ryoko’s like that with almost everyone. My sister’s standards are just too high.” Whether it was a consolation or matter-of-fact couldn’t be known to any except the soldier.

Celes hardly cared either. “Is that your way of saying Makoto is more interesting than I am?”

“Like I said. Don’t let it get to you.” Ikusaba replied and turned her back, following her sister.

 Celestia held the cup in her pinkie, bringing the drink to her lips. Her nose crinkles with displeasure “It’s warm.”

“Well yes. I served it a while ago.” Hifumi answered.

With a flick of the wrist, Celes spilled the tea on the floor. Hifumi half-expected it, along with the fake smile that would adorn her face. “Pardonnez-moi. The mark of a good servant is knowing to read the master’s mood through cues alone. While you think about that, be a dear and clean up for me. I’ll need the entire place spotless for tomorrow.” The ultimate gambler vacated her seat. “The rain ought to have stopped. I’ll be in my quarters.”

“She’s in a bad mood.” Hifumi said, once Celes was gone. Ryoko’s words had obviously distressed her, even if the girl wouldn’t admit it. Celes worked hard to keep up her image. As her friend, Hifumi took it upon himself to support her as best he could.

Hifumi cleared the table, starting with the sprawled deck of cards. He flipped over Ryoko’s hand…

“Eh?” Hifumi cocked his head. He then turned to the cards Celes put down to double check.

Ryoko had a winning hand.

-[Byakuya Togami]-

 

Naegi had quite the reaction.  “Take him back to the infirmary.” Byakuya ordered.

“I…don’t think we should have taken him out.” Chihiro muttered under his breath. The cross-dresser rubbed Makoto’s back. The luckster had crumpled to his knees and excreted vomit at the sight of Jabberwock. “Can you walk?”

Makoto coughed into his hand, shivering in Chihiro’s hold. The programmer looked to him for help. If that's what he wants, who was Byakuya to deny him?

 “You. The one that stinks worse than the vomit. Come out already.”

Out from the shadows of the exit way was Toko Fukawa. Or it would’ve been, if not for the scarlet eyes and loose tongue. “ Y'know, I’ve seen big dogs, but this is too much. How much radiation did you give the little guy?” Genocider Syo cackled.

"...Did Fukawa faint?" Byakuya asked.

"That or all the chemicals on this island did her in. The guys really need to think about global warming!" The serial killer laughed at her own joke.

“I see. Have Naegi recover downstairs.”

“U-Um…” Concern swept over Chihiro’s features. “So you really were following us...”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Genocider pointed her scissors at Chihiro, to the boy’s shock and fear. After all, this was an infamous serial killer and Chihiro was right in her strike zone.

“I gave you an order. Follow it and don’t cause any trouble, you hear me?” Byakuya demanded.

“Aye aye, cap’tain.” Genocider hopped over to the stunned luckster, picking him up with relative ease.

“Disgusting.” Byakuya said.

Genocider sniffed her body and frowned. “Tell me about it. Miss Morose has been skipping out on showers again.”

 “No." Byakuya hadn't been looking at Syo at all. "For once, you aren’t the most loathsome thing in the room.” The affluent progeny's gaze was fixed on the motionless monster that bared its fangs on him.

Notes:

Regrets #6

Life is hard. I don’t want to sound preachy but, in my experience, not everyone is strong enough to keep going. Even those that can, need an escape now and then. That’s why I write. To give my readers a reprieve in a 2D world...and maybe even inspire them. Just like my sister did for me during a dark chapter of my life. That's why I tried to help - as someone who understands how hard she works. But maybe I was wrong. There might have been different, better ways to offer my support, and I wasn’t smart or brave enough to think about them...

Chapter 25: Il Mio Turno / My Turn

Notes:

A/N: I went through writer's block with this chapter. Apologies, if it's not be up the usual standard of quality.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

How would Makoto describe it, the end of the fourth killing game? Equally horrific as it was painful, but only for an instant. Even if it felt longer. Like watching your whole life flash before your eyes.

In his case, he watched the lives of his friends, end in a flash. The blackened Kiyotaka was the first. There hadn’t been a particular reason why his flesh was rendered in half. He was just the closest. The reaction from the rest hadn’t been immediate. Their minds, brilliant or otherwise, had all shut down by that point as blood-red rain from the moral compass’ open torso spilled. The first to scream was Hina, drawing the monster’s attention to her.

Sakura had left Toko behind to save the swimmer. The two were always good friends, the best of friends. They did just about everything together. It was sickly appropriate they died together. No amount of muscle could have stalled that much machine for long, after all. Scissors also couldn’t do anything to it, as Toko quickly learned.

The others had tried to run. Didn’t matter. Big didn’t mean slow. It didn’t mean clumsy either. Yasuhiro hadn’t got very far when its claws reached out to him.

It was…probably at that point that Makoto subconsciously gave up on that round. He watched his friends get slaughtered one by one. Eventually, the predatory gaze

It was all over in an instant

The last thing he remembered was…

 

“It’s alright.” Chihiro rubbed Makoto’s back.

Vomit spilled from Makoto’s mouth into the infirmary sink. His face in the mirror was a sickly pale. Makoto wiped the fluids from his mouth, staining his jacket. “Y-You have to stop that thing.”

“Huh?”

“Turn it off. Destroy it. Do something about it before it’s too late!” He frothed at the mouth.

“Someone’s got their panties in a bunch.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes!” Makoto snaps back at the snarking serial killer.

“You don’t say.” Syo’s voice is low and intrigued. “If you ask me, jokes are best used when the situation’s serious. It helps keep a level head.” She makes a quick leap towards him. Her bony yet strong fingers cup his chin. “And there ain’t nothing on the level about you right now, big mac. What’s up? You seem…different.” 

“Different how?” Makoto knitted his brow.

“While you’re not totally in my strike zone, I pay a disgusting amount of attention to the male body. Miss. Morose is a writer, but I’m an artiste.”

Makoto smacks the hand away. He wobbles over to an empty chair and slumps down.

“Hmm. I see.” Whether she remained unconvinced or lost interest, she doesn’t chase her line of questioning. “Either way, I agree. Can you like turn Frankenstein off for good, sissy. It gives me the creeps.”

“I can’t…and I don’t have that authority either.”

“Tch…taking up all the master’s time with that piece of junk. What if he turns out like Hifumi and loses all interest in a woman’s flesh!” The purple-haired girl bites her thumb.

“I…don’t think Togami ever had an interest in girls…or…anyone for that matter.” Chihiro remarked.

“I’m…going back to my cottage.” Makoto said dryly.

“You can barely move. How’re you making it all the way to the first island? You’ll probably keel over a quarter way there.” Genocider replied.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea either.” Chihiro chimed in. “I sometimes sleep over when I get caught up in my work. It’s not bad.”

“-I’m not sleeping anywhere near that monster!”

His outburst drew stares of confusion and concern.

 “I’ll take my chances in the wilderness.” Makoto stood.

“Seeing as he’s full of energy, why not let him?” Just then, Togami returned. “My business here is done. I put Jabberwock back on standby.”

“Okay…but Makoto- “

“Said he would be fine, did he not?” With flagrant disregard for his classmate’s well-being, Togami departs.

Genocider’s close behind. Not before turning back to blow a raspberry at the programmer.

“Is it me or w-was she mad for some reason?” Chihiro stared surprised.

“We should go too.” Makoto can’t be bothered to figure out his demented friend.

His steps are molasses slow. His smaller friend has to match his pace.


 

                                                                                                                                                                                                ~

“Can’t you take the hint, killer?” Byakuya didn’t bother to look back at the person he addressed. He could smell her from here to know she was behind him. If she was going to be a stalker, she should have the decency as a professional to at least make her presence unknown while doing it.

“No can do!” A jovial response from an overly pleased psychopath.

 “What is it then? Do you intend to kill me? Now’s your chance.”

“Oooh, an invitation. But, I’ll have to decline.”

He twists to face the author’s alter ego. “You don’t live up to your reputation. For you to have been brought to heel so quickly. Surely it can’t be that my looks aren’t up to your standards.”

“Meh. I’ve played with guys prettier. Almost as rich too.” Syo folded her arms.

“I doubt that.”

“Guilty as charged.” Genocider’s lips thinned. “But no can do. Stinky is head over heels for you. So am I.”

“Why?” Byakuya inquired.

She shrugs. “A girl keeps her fantasies under lock and key, even to you.”

“…” Seeing further discussion as a waste of time, Byakuya returns to his journey. Only he tosses back the black umbrella he’d been carrying around. “You’re like a wet dog.” He murmurs. The bespectacled teen had stalked all of them…without an umbrella of her own. Most likely she’d chased in a hurry.

Thus, even he was compelled to ask why she went to such lengths for affection that would never be returned.

“Here I thought I creeped you out.” Genocider teases

He scoffs. “Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’re special in that regard. There’s never been a woman in my life I haven’t considered deleterious.”

Syo plops up the umbrella. The rain long passed. What remained could barely be called drizzle. “That attitude there, is why.”


 

 

Day breaks. Makoto’s up and early. He hadn’t gotten much sleep. How could he when the island was a ticking timebomb.

“Who knows? I might see a disembodied head on the way to the hotel.” He said bitterly. Despite waking up hours before, he only now left his cottage. He planned to wait for everyone to arrive at restaurant before him. It was easier to play the game when all the pieces were lined up.

And there they were, all…18 of them (excluding himself). The extra two were Kyosuke Munakata and Juzo Sakakura. Or as Makoto preferred to think of them, their ticket out of here. They sat next to Kizakura

Another man Makoto would have words with. Although he didn’t dare gaze at the teacher too long. Kizakura’s disposition might appear lazy but he’s deviously perceptive. Also, scarce. To memory, the scout always disappeared when the murders began and was never found. It was possible he’d been killed.

It was also possible that he knew what would occur ahead of time and fled to safety. That would make sense, given he was a large reason the previous murder even occurred. What’s more is that he’s a staff member at Hope’s Peak. The school he once admired, now turned enemy.

‘I’ll have to interrogate him as subtly as I can later…’

“Good morning, Mister Naegi.” Hifumi’s the first to greet him. Makoto nods curtly and takes a seat besides Kyoko. Without drawing suspicion, he scanned the room, lingering on Leon and Kiyotaka. He ignored the foreign emotion that he couldn’t quite place.

One of us worked for Junko, and so there was nobody here he could trust completely. Some were more untrustworthy than others.

His gaze landed on Togami, reading a book and ignoring the food on his plate, and Toko by his side. Across him with Chihiro, who’d momentarily crossed eyes with him. A look of concern etched on his girlish face. A total contrast to the irritated Mondo who was offended by sharing the same table as the heir.

That was relatively normal, so Makoto left the table and turned where…he came face with Kyoko’s analytic gaze.

“Good…morning…?”

“I hope it is.” Was her odd return.

Breakfast continued uneventfully. It was arguably quieter than usual, most likely due to the presence of Munakata and Sakakura. Neither men were very friendly. Sakakura snapped at anyone who approached him. Which simultaneously sat fine and not with Mondo.

Munakata was like…a more unsociable Togami. He had that haughty outlook, but none of the put downs or quips. He just didn’t bother with them.

Truth be told, Makoto didn’t know what to think of the two. Chisa’s friends.

‘It’s not like I can bring her up either.’

Makoto inhaled. He had to stick to the game plan. To prevent as many deaths as possible.

Sayaka needed to be left with Kyoko

Kiyotaka had to be kept alive so Mondo wouldn’t lose it

Celes ought to be watched in the event a murder does happen (which it won’t). Hifumi will follow her.

He had to keep an eye on Togami, for several reasons. Chihiro will be close by, maybe Mondo and Kiyotaka will be too.

That left Sakura and Aoi together, which should be fine.  The same applied for Hiro and Leon.

He couldn’t see Ryoko or Ikusaba in danger. At least no danger he could protect them from.

He inhaled again. “I can do this.” He would do this. Chisa said he could. Who was he to doubt her?

“Makoto.” Sayaka’s voice rang out. She was sitting on the opposite side of the detective.

“You were making a scary face. Are you okay?”

“J-Just lost in thought.”

“Thinking about what, I wonder.” Kyoko interjected.

“…The two of you.”

“…”  “…” Their silent gazes urge an explanation

“I just…thought you’ve been really friendly lately.” He lies.

“Oh. We just realized we had a lot in common.”  Sayaka said slowly. “That’s not a problem is it?”

“Couldn’t be. We’re all friends here, so uh…watch out for each other.” His words are suggestive. He tries to inspire a bit of caution even if there’s no way he could explain what to be cautious of.

The idol purses her lips. “I’m more worried about you. We heard what happened yesterday.”

“I’m fine now.”

“Evidently. After all, you were missing from the hospital. I checked.” If he looked deeper, he might’ve spotted the accusatory undertones. But Makoto was more preoccupied with the opportunity the detective presented.

 “I had plans with Togami and Chihiro.” He says aloud.

What’s that about Chihiro and rich boy?” Mondo heard.

“it’s just…they wanted to show me something on the 5th island. No big deal.” Makoto scratched his cheek. Chihiro looked at him apprehensively.

Togami side-glanced at him.

Sorry about this, guys.

“The fifth island?” Aoi growled, not at him, but at Togami. “He was sick, you ass! What were you thinking?”

“Couldn’t you have waited until morning?” Sakura repeated in a calm manner.

“I-I’m sorry!” Chihiro apologized.

“Don't worry about it. I’ll bet my left leg that Togami roped you into it.” And with Mondo’s comment, the attention fell squarely on the affluent progeny.

Makoto felt bad, but he was more anxious about if they’d caught on to his act.

 This was exactly what he wanted. He’ll draw attention to Jabberwock then get everyone away from that thing.

“Can’t I have breakfast in peace?” Togami didn’t even bother to look from his meal.

“All you have to do is answer their questions.” Kyosuke Munakata’s cold voice broke in. The affluent progeny did meet that gaze. “To go that far, in the middle of a storm, and with the ill, no less. It must have been important matter on the fifth island.”

Makoto hadn’t anticipated the unexpected assistance from the silver-haired man. His words, purposeful and baiting.

“T-That is none of your business. Any of your businesses.” Toko snapped at everyone, drawing in the negativity in the room “W-Why are you ganging up on master?”

“Shut the hell up, four-eyes. Munakata wasn’t talking to ya.” Sakakura replied with equal bite in his tone. The two glared ferociously enough that the temperature in the room skyrocketed. Of course, that was all in his imagination.

“A-Are you his guard dog or something?” Makoto repressed pointing out that Toko wasn’t much different in their fervor to defend their…superiors.

“I dare you to say that again. I’d tell you to take in the look in the mirror, but it’d break seeing your face when I’m through.” Sakakura cracked his knuckles.

The threat didn’t go unnoticed and was unwelcome Mondo’s presence. “I ain’t about to defend Togami, but I won’t sit back either at some coward threatening to beat on a girl.” Even if the target was Toko/Syo, the biker’s intolerance towards attacks on women was universal.

“Uuuuugh, why do macho guys always have these dick measuring contests? Well, not that I’d remember.” Ryoko rolled her eyes. “But I don’t see what everyone’s get their pants in a bunch for. Byakun’s not their dad or something. If Chihiro and Makoto didn’t want to go, they would have just said no. Besides, Makoto doesn’t look sick at all to me. In fact, he looks livelier than ever!” Ryoko waved his way, and the ball returned to his court.

“Um…yeah. I was feeling better as soon as I woke up. Like I said, it’s not a big deal.” His word diffused the situation somewhat. It’s fine if the matter halted here a bit. He only needed to blow some smoke, not light the building on fire.

One thing the last killing game taught him was that he couldn’t act suspiciously or vulnerable.  Not unless he wants to be suspected again.

Not like that’ll happen anyway. He won’t let anyone die on his watch.

The tense atmosphere lingers but breakfast calms down from that point on. Others began departing from the restaurant. Makoto chased after the two he sat alongside with at the table.


 

 “Hey uh Kyoko. Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead. Whether I’ll answer’s a different story though.”

Makoto chuckles. Standoffish as ever. “Um…this is all hypothetical by the way, and…just something I’ve been thinking about. I saw it in a movie once.”

“You’re stammering. Get on with it.”’ Sayaka giggled on the other side.

“Okay. Let’s say there this guy who gets kidnapped by this strange girl.” The mundane term seemed ill-fitting for Junko Enoshima. “He doesn’t know her, he’s pretty sure they’ve never met before. But she...I dunno, really hates him and does a lot of awful things to him. She threatens him, hurts him, hurts his friends. And none of it makes any sense. There’s no reason for any of it. She won’t even say what she really wants.”

Kyoko raises a hand to cut him off.

“You said he doesn’t know her. Is there a chance of mistaken identity?”

“…No.”

“Well then, I think the answer is that she’s irrational and insane. People like that exist, whether you believe it or not.”

“I do.” He must. “It’s just…you’d never think someone would hate you that much without a reason.”

“That’s about perspective.” Sayaka chimed in. “Even if this guy doesn’t think he’s offender her…that doesn’t mean he hasn’t.”

“What?”

“Think of it this way. How many people does it take to start a fight?” The pop sensation stared at him. “The answer is one person to be there, and another to take offence. You can be living your life, taking up a random spot, and someone out there will hate you for it.”

“That’s unreasonable…” Depressing even.

“You’re just naïve.” Kyoko countered. “Back to this example, is there anything more specific about this case? Goals? Strange behaviors?”

“Um…she’s kind of clingy, no respect privacy and uh a lot of non-consensual touching.”

Sayaka and Kyoko exchanged looks. “For reference…what movie is this?” The bluenette asks.

“An old one. I don’t remember the name.”

He garners skepticism “Okaaay. It sounds like a violent stalker to me.”

“That narrows it down plenty.” Miss Violet presses a finger to her chin. “She’s likely been observing him from afar and was prompted to make a move. These people are delusional. They don’t think of consequences in the long-term and act on emotion. That makes them volatile and unpredictable. The desire for control is always there, but affection can change to anger in a heartbeat. They feel a sense of entitlement to their prey.”

“That’s right!” Makoto jumped. His outburst draws more odd looks.  He coughs. “I mean…so um…what do you do in that situation?”

“Asides escape or wait to be rescued? The best the captive could do is play along.” The detective advised.

“Play along…?” Isn’t that what he’s doing right now?

“You can expect the stalker has done their research, so to even the playing field, the captive has to learn about them. What makes them tick, what sets them off, how to avoid landmines. I’m not saying to give in totally to their demands, as that might be just as problematic depending on the situation. It’s a slippery slope either way. Once kidnapped, the chances of survival are drastically low.”

Makoto’s hopes dim at that assessment.

“This is morbid. Can we talk about something else?” Sayaka pleads.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Just stating the facts.” Kyoko said.


 

 “Hey teach.” Makoto finds Koichi Kizakura in the diner. He’s sitting on one of the round stools by the counter

“Need something, mascot?” The older man was a person Makoto found difficult to approach. In a way, he was a mix of Hiro and Celes. The clairvoyant’s faults asides, Makoto thought of him as one of the nicest guys in class, who’d associate with anyone. The gambler on the other hand, was a scheming individual that you could never get a read on.

“I’ve got a few questions, if you don’t mind answering.”

“Shoot.” Kizakura invites him to sit next to him. “Want to order anything?”

A joke, of course. Still, Makoto refuses. “Just so we’re clear, this vacation we’re on. How’d we approve it?”

Kizakura looks at him strangely. “You’re asking now?”

Makoto nods.

“…As I’m sure you know, it’s just a special trip for you kids. It’s not like renting out an island like this comes cheap. If not for you getting Togami to finance, you’d still be in class.”

“Why couldn’t we have gone somewhere else?” The luckster tries to not let his suspicions leak too much but there was only so much he could hold back. He’d spend the previous night thinking about how Hope’s Peak tied into all this. Because in the worst-case scenario, they were working with Junko.

That means getting off this island might not be the end. “If money was a problem, the vacation spot should have been changed to a cheaper location.”

“Good point. I don’t have an answer for you. The steering committee’s the one who approves the trip. It’s either to Jabberwock or nowhere.”

“The committee. Not the headmaster?” Makoto notes. “That makes sense. Kyoko’s here, after all.” He slips and the instructor’s gaze take on an observant quality. “What’s all this about?”

“I was curious, is all. Renting out the whole island is excessive, like you said. It makes me wonder why Hope’s Peak goes that far every year.” He takes the plunge. “Well, not last year.”

Kizakura, a teacher for many years in the academy, doesn’t flinch. Either he was ignorant to what Makoto inferred, or he was just that good at lying. “…Yeah, sounds silly to me too, but them’s the breaks. If I were in charge, I’d never blow money like that.” He laughs.

“Was that…the only reason?”

“Is there another?” The scout reacts much too quickly.

“I’ve heard rumors…something about upperclassman disappearing 2 years ago.”

This time, Kizakura twists his full body to face him. “…Those are some nasty rumors. Mind telling me where you heard them?”

“I dunno, can’t remember.” Makoto gives no quarter.

He tips his fedora to hide his face.  “Is that so? Whether or not they are rumors…I don’t think that’s something you should say out loud.  Take it from me, that’s the stuff that gets you in trouble.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He gets off the stool.

“…If the questions are done, I meant to tell you. Munakata came to me yesterday, asked for a meeting with you.”

“That’s fine. I needed to talk with him anyway.”

Time was never on his side. The faster they get off this island, the less chance of a murder.


 

“Look who we have here.” was Sakakura’s unwelcome party. Maybe he just didn’t like kids younger than him. Or maybe he didn’t like anyone except his boss. Said silver-haired stoic was staring him down as well.

What’s the story there anyway?

“Sorry for…spazzing out the other day. I was sick.” Makoto’s eyes drift over to the ship behind them.

“What have you come here for?”

“You guys didn’t seem to be having much fun here…” The small talk was grating, but he couldn’t rush this.

“We ain’t a bunch of school kids looking for fun.” Sakakura grunts. In reality…he wasn’t that much older than them. It was a difference of 3-4 years at most.

“It’s a tropical island. If you’re not here to kick back…what are you here for?” His question was genuine. It didn’t seem like they had any connection to Junko’s killing game.

 “How do you feel about this vacation?” Munakata answers his question with another. “Rewarded, I presume.”

Like hell.

Makoto shrugs. “Jabberwock Island not all it’s cracked up to be. I kind of miss home, and…if I’m being honest, I was hoping to leave. All of us. Could you help us out?”

“Why? As you said, this is a prestigious resort.” Munakata words contains traces of sarcasm. If Makoto was an ignorant party, he might’ve been confused by them. Could it be Munakata also knows?

“Dangerous too.” Makoto said bitterly. “With barely any adult supervision or connection outside…anything could happen here.”

“Quite right.” Munakata’s response is slow and assuming. Perhaps he hadn’t expected Makoto to play along. “I regret to inform you however, that leaving will be a problem. For us at least.”

Makoto creaked his head slowly. “Huh?”

“Sakakura and I are experiencing technical difficulties with our ship.”

 “We have no clue what the problem is. So, we’re stranded.” Sakakura folded his arms.

“T-That’s not fair!” That’s exactly what Junko would do. Hang a ray of hope over his head and then snatch it away. Damn her.

“You…were really itching to leave this joint. Got a reason?” The boxer asked.

“…No.” Makoto sighed heavily and turned around. The weight of disappointment was too much to bear.

“Tread with caution. Strange things tend to happen on this island.” Munakata warned.

The brunet angles his head backwards. “I’ve heard the rumors. Class 77 were murdered right?”

Munakata narrowed his eyes. “Oh? I suppose I can see how you came to that conclusion. 2 years ago, they vanished off the face of the planet and have never been heard from since. Rather, their existence itself has been buried and forgotten. By Hope’s Peak Academy.” Venom drips at the name of the school.

For a moment, Makoto felt like he was staring at an alternate future of himself. One he never wished to come to pass. “Is that why you’re here? Looking for what happened to them?”

“That is my goal. And I will stop at nothing to find out.”

“I see. Good luck with that…” Makoto really wanted to tell them to run away. Chisa was already dead. There was nothing for them here. Or maybe there was.

Makoto thought as he left the port. The ship mysteriously breaking down. There was no way that could be a coincidence. For whatever reason, those two have been brought into this game.

And who’s to say they’re victims? Everyone’s suspicious. There’s no guarantee they aren’t working with Junko or Hope’s Peak.

For all he knew, they were lying about the ship.


 

“Was it okay to just let him leave like that? We had way more questions, right?” Juzo said.

“…Did you not find it strange? How he came to the concluded that they were murdered.” Munakata zero’d in on Makoto’s retreating form.

“A little, but like you said, it ain’t hard to jump the gun. Rumors do it all the time.”

 “Perhaps…but he said, ‘class 77’.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“There were multiple classes that disappeared, including class 76. Yet he specified Chisa’s class.”

Juzo quieted, catching on. “Think it was just an accident?”

“How many coincidences are necessary until it stops being coincidence?”     


        

Makoto sat on the sands in the first island. The sounds of the slow ocean waves helped him think.

For the ship to fail…he’s almost certain Junko’s blackened has a hand in it. Who else would sabotage their only way out of here?

He cursed. Falling back to rest on the sand. His arms folded behind his head. It’s not long after he closes his eyes that he hairs the faint sounds of footsteps. A pair of tanned legs meet his eyes when he turns to the side.

“Hina. What’s up?” He says, as she crouches.

“That’s it?” The donut lover blinks.

“What’s it?”

“…You’re not mad at me or anything?”

“Huh? Why would I be?” Did she do anything wrong?

Her shoulders drop as she looks to the ground. “Y-You know. You got sick…and, blew me off this morning. I thought you might have gotten tired of me.”

 “I – I blew you off?” His brain restarts. Oh crap! We’re still pretending. “I had a lot on my mind, and I’m feeling much better now.” He kinda was. The swimmer’s presence alone cured his mood.

“Okay. So…we’re getting Togami, right?” The mention of the affluent progeny achieves the opposite effect.

“For?”

“…Geez, you’re a scatter brain. I’m talking about Celes’ ‘request’.” Aoi air quotes.

“My bad.” When you’re focused on trying to save over a dozen lives, you tend to forget the little things…

“No biggie. Even I think getting blackmailed is a pain. What’s Celes even worried about?”

He wasn’t sympathetic to the gambler’s unease…and maybe he could benefit from it.

 

-[Hifumi Yamada]-

 

“Right on time,” Which is surprising for the not-so-punctual lucky student. He wasn’t expecting the crowd behind him slowly stepping through the front doors.  “I must confess, I was only expecting Mister Togami, Fujisaki and Miss Asahina to come along with you.”

“About that…” Makoto trails off.

“W-Where the master goes, I go.” Toko, his rival in the literary arts, clings to Togami. Fully aware of the heir’s disgust.

“I was following Chihiro.” Mondo tucked his hands in his pocket.

 By his side was Kiyotaka. The moral compass scans the lobby, looking for something to complain about judging by his expression. “I am here to make sure there will be no unsavory occurrences. I still don’t think a casino is any place for students to frolic.”

“Now hold on, Mr. Ishimaru. I can’t let that slide.” Hifumi pointed at the red-eyed boy. “How long do you think we’ve been here? I’d have search every nook and cranny for anything really dangerous or explicit.”

“Um…everywhere? As in, the whole casino?” Sayaka asked.

Hifumi nodded in pride, missing the pitying stares from the group.

“Celes sure is cruel.” Yasuhiro remarked.

“Now whatever do you mean by that?” The (temporary) mistress of the casino herself announced her presence as she walks down the stairs.

“Nothing at all.” The plastered smile on her face sends shivers down the older man’s spine.

“So, you see…it spiraled out of control from there. Everyone else came with me or…followed someone who came with me.” Makoto said.

“It is fine. The more the merrier.”  Celes smiled. Her line of sight settling on Togami.

 “Soooo, you guys have been hogging this place all to yourselves, eh fatty?” Leon grinned.

The gothic Lolita crossed her fingers. “You were all welcome to visit at any time, as guests.”

“I don’t know if I would have. Gambling makes me nervous.” Sayaka’s eyes are as bright as the casino lights. “Just one wrong step and you’re down a sinful path you might never come back from!” She cupped her blushing cheeks.

“You’re being silly.”

“Yeah, I’ve come back from gambling debts plenty. It’s no big deal when you’ve got a few spare organs to sell.” The clairvoyant was met with dead silence

“You’re in a class of your own.” Leon scratched his hair.

“Thanks!”

“Ignore him.” Celes started. “Come along, you four.” She gestured towards Togami, Makoto, Chihiro, Aoi.

“Where are you taking them?” Sakura asked.

“A game.” Was the gambler’s curt answer.

“S’that so? Make it five then.” Mondo stepped up.

“SIX!” Ryoko raised her hand like they were in rollcall.

Kyoko silently names herself the seventh, standing by Makoto’s side

“Eight.” Toko interjected to a certain blonde’s dismay.

“NINE!” Sayaka perked up.

“Sadly, that’s one too many.” Celes said.

“Aww…I’ll stay back then.” Sayaka deflated at the rejection, then turned to him. Her mood swings back into jovial at full force. “Hifumi, teach me how to play the slot machine.”

“She’s getting into it anyway…” Makoto muttered.

“My pleasure.” With the designated 8 following the gambler to the elevator at the end of the room.

“What floor are they headed?” The baseball star inquires. “The top right?”

“Yes, how’d you know?”

“Typical Celes.” Leon says, exasperated. “Can’t blame her tastes sometimes though. This place is um…what’s the word. Glamorous?”

“It’s a casino. Wouldn’t you be more surprised if it wasn’t?” Hifumi answered.

“Yeah, it’s all in the presentation! If it looks less than 5 stars, whose gonna give a crap?” Hiro added. “That said, this place crazy. The outside alone was nice but the interior’s gotta be 6 stars!” The exterior of the casino was shaped like a large tower – the tallest structure on the fourth island standing at 12 stories high. Apparently, it was also the most recent. Construction finished expediently the previous year. In front of the building was a Jabberwock fountain; a statue in the middle of the water that was modeled after the one on the first island. It was a wonder in the day, but the allure increases multi-fold at night-time when the lights turn on and illuminate the area. The interior was no-less colorful, thanks to the rows of slot machines,

“It does look nice. All the cameras are a bit much though.” Ikusaba said.

Leon jumped at the voice from behind. “Woah! How long have you been here?”

“The whole time.” The soldier tilted her head.

“You’re a friggin ninja. Surprised you didn’t go with your sis.”

She shrugged. “I’ve…never tried gambling before.”

“Be careful, Ikusaba. They’ll scam you out of all your lifesavings!” Sayaka excitedly forebodes, closing in on the other girl from the side.

“Really?” The soldier’s voice contains more curiosity than apprehension. Did any of them even have lifesavings?

“Absolutely! Only idiots would think anyone, but the house truly profits.” Kiyotaka bellows. Flanking Ikusaba, creating a triangle composed of himself and the girls.

“I dunno about that. If you’re not winning too big, the establishment won’t care.” Yasuhiro’s words go ignored. By Sayaka at least.

“Taka’s right. That’s why…that’s why…we’ll play every game and learn all we can! By winning, to protect ourselves.” Not a single person in that room found any coherence in the idol's speech.

“Miss. Sayaka…are you alright?” Hifumi asked.

“Yeah, you’ve been acting pretty-weird.” The baseball star sweat dropped.

“I’m fired up!”

“Let’s show this debaucherously industry the defiance of the hardworking masses!”

“Mission start.”

The air warped around the newly formed hotblooded trinity.

Leon and Yasuhiro exchanged bewildered looks. “You…didn’t lace breakfast with any of the ‘good stuff’ did you?” “I’m innocent this time, dude.”

The temperature around them rises as Sakura literally burns with intensity. “Ikusaba and Kiyotaka aside, to think Sayaka also possessed the warrior’s spirit. I can’t fall behind.” The fighter faces Hifumi. “Which of these is a worthy challenge?”

At that, all eyes fall on the fanfic author. Some a little too passionate. “Leave it to me. I’ll show you guys the ropes.”


 

9 students sat around a circular green table:  Makoto, Aoi, Kyoko, Ryoko, Toko, Mondo, Byakuya, Celes and Chihiro.

Makoto looks around the top floor room. Compared to the lobby it was small, compartmentalized. He’d compare it to a big, fancy hotel room. Maybe that’s what how Celes saw it too. Makoto’s almost certain the gothic décor had not been here prior to class 78’s arrival.

A stack of 52 playing cards lies in front of Celes.

“You’ve been coy long enough, what are we playing?” Kyoko asked.

“A simple round of blackjack.”

“What’s that?” Aoi’s question is met with expected chuckles.

“I thought it was a well-known game. Does anyone asides Hina not know how to play?” Celes giggled behind her hand.

Makoto feels awkward at seeing his hand being the only one raised. Even Chihiro had his hand down.

“Tch, disgusting lovebirds.” Toko scowl deepens as her targets sport blushes.

“The dealer initially doles everyone two cards faceup. The goal in Blackjack is to get as close to a value of 21 with the cards dealt to you. You can ‘hit’ and ask for more but exceed 21 and you ‘bust’ or lose. If the dealer has a higher value than you without exceeding 21, then you also lose.” Kyoko’s explanation was so mechanically professional, Makoto was sure she just wanted to get it over with.

“…You know a lot.” He said.

“I only know what I know.”

“And that happens to be a lot, I guess.”

“I travel, can’t be helped.”

“What are you doing, Makoto? Your girlfriend’s right there.” Ryoko wears a knowing smile.

 “I still don’t get it, to be honest.” Aoi laughs nervously.

“Learn as you play. I’ll be dealer.” Ryoko said. “Unless Celes wants to be but I don’t think it’s fair. I should at least check the deck.”

“Do as you please. But I insist on one practice around.” The gambler pushes the stack towards the analyst.

“Done.” Cards were passed around the table. On the top of Ryoko’s hand was a face up Jack and a card face down.

“Why is yours down?” Makoto asks.

“Because I’m the dealer, duh?”

Beautiful explanation.

“What she means to say is that part of the game is winning against the dealer. Neither Ryoko nor any of us should know what she put face down. And when all the players are finished their turns, she will flip over the card.” Celes said.

“And if she gets closer to 21 than any of us, she wins?”

“Effectively. Good to see you catch on quick. However, there is one more rule. The dealer cannot get below a 17. If it is 16 or lower, she must add a card. If it is 17 or above, she must stand. Of course, there’s no way she would want to add at that point.”

“Uh…I got a king and a 9.” Aoi holds up the king of diamonds.

“Any face card like yours and Ryoko’s, is worth a 10. Except an Ace, those boys are a 1 or 11.” Mondo grimaced at his hand.

“How do we decide?”

“Whatever works best for ya.”

“Then I’ve got a…19? That’s good yeah?”

“M-maybe you should hit and see?” Toko smiled maliciously.

“Come on, don’t tease them too much.” Chihiro added.

“S-Shut it, midget. Just because you’re a little cute…” Toko mumbles to herself.

“No thanks.” The swimmer put her card back down.

“If you don’t want to make any more moves this turn, just say ‘stand’.” Celes advised.

Makoto looks down at his own cards. A ‘6 of clubs’ and ‘2 of hearts’. Not much. “Hit.” He says when his turn rolls up. Ryoko draws a 5. “Can I ask for more?”

Ryoko tosses another and…it’s a face card. “…Busted.” He slumps.

“Ever intent on proving your talent is a sham.” Real funny, Celes.

“Split.” At Togami’s call, Ryoko hands him two other cards, each landing in front of a card, forming two rows.

Makoto and Aoi’s eyes fall on his cards. He’d gotten two pairs of 7s. Ryoko added a ‘4’ and a ‘King’ each one over each card. If you counted the total of four, it was a bust. But nobody else showed that reaction.

It appeared that if you had two of the same value, you get an extra, separate hand. That’s convenient.

“Hehe, I’m still higher.” Aoi smiled smugly.

“My turn.” Ryoko flipped over the card face down. “would you look at that, an ace.”

“Of all the luck.” Mondo said.

“S-She must be cheating!” Toko pointed.

“If I was, I did it right in front of everyone.” Ryoko said flippantly.

“I didn’t see anything.” Makoto adds.

“That doesn’t mean no cheating took place. It means you weren’t good enough to spot it.” He gets the sneaking suspicion Kyoko meant that as a roast against him.

“Can we get to the point?” Togami speaks up, his discontent targeted at the drill-tailed girl. “You’ve gone to good lengths getting me into this table. What is it you want?”

Everyone in the room tensed in varying degrees.

“A wager. Amongst us, but everyone is free to join.” Anyone could have seen this coming a mile away. “The terms are simple. For one week, the winner will make a servant out of one of the losers.”

Aoi gasped. For Makoto…those terms were eerily familiar.

Ryoko puffed her cheeks. “I don’t need anything like that. Makoto’s already my slave.”

“I thought I was a servant.” Wait, what the hell was he saying!?

“Regardless, Ryoko gave me the idea during yesterday’s breakfast.” Breakfast? That…did make sense. Still, Makoto couldn’t help but be reminded of the terms of the cookout.

“I would like to propose an alternative for the losing team's circumstance and an added privilege for the team with the best dish. Rather than infringe on the defeated's privacy, why not give them the option to submit to a more preferable punishment administered by the victors. Like acting as servants for a week, per instance." – (Celestia Ludenberg, Chapter 13)

Celes had been the one to bring it up then too…

“So…basically what you do to Hifumi?” Kyoko said with an unimpressed tone.

“He is rather willing, isn’t he?”

 “Like I told you before, Keep relying on others and you’re going to regret it, Celes.” Togami warned

“Did you? I must’ve forgotten that bit of advice.” Celes knitted her eyebrows.  “But I take it this means you’ll back down if you have no need of servants.”

 “Oh no, I accept.” Togami grinned.

 “… May I ask why?”

Makoto shares the gambler’s confusion. He remembers Togami putting up a bigger fight last time.

“You may not.” The scion side glances the burly male sitting beside him. “But with the way Owada’s been grinning my way, I doubt he's got any intention of letting me leave.”

“Got that right. I’ve got a bone to pick with you, and this ain’t a bad way to settle it.” The biker’s malice was clear as day.

“This isn’t like you.” Kirigiri traded glances with Togami. He ignores her.

 This time, everyone had black and red chips on their table. “When you run out, you leave the game as a loser. The one with the most chips either when everyone else is out or the time limit is up, wins. We’ll have 40 minutes.”

“Then Ryoko’s gonna be dealer again?” Toko glared at the amnesiac.

“Yup. Don’t worry, I’m with the house so you won’t have to worry about beating me. Just each other.” The auburn-haired girl laughed smugly.

“Togami aside, is there anyone else who’d like to back out?” For some reason, Celes’ gaze falls on him.

Well, it’s not like he wants to be someone’s servant for a week…and he’s got nothing to get out of this. “It might be trouble.” He moves his chair back and looks at Hina.

She’s pumped and ready to go. “Makoto…this is like a competition. I so want in.”

“I see. Guess I’ll cheer you on-“He barely stands before “Sit down, Makoto.” The detective was giving the same look Mondo gave Togami. Only not so much malice as there is…whatever lies behind the mask of the infamous Kyoko Kirigiri.

 …He wasn’t getting out of this one.

 “Then it’s settled.”

The cards flew. Save the dealer holding the lion’s share of chips to distribute, the rest had a stack of 10 chips in total. Makoto expected they would increase for some and lower for others.

Most of them bet 2 chips. Celes bet 4. Togami bet 6.

Imagine their surprise when the face up card on Ryoko’s side was another Ace.

“Again!?” Toko gripped her braids.

“Lucky me~ Anyone want to take insurance?”

“Wha?” Aoi asked.

“It’s a safety for if you lose. You throw in half your chips and break even if the dealer’s count is higher.” Chihiro explained. Damn, it was weird watching the little guy teach them about gambling.

“You’d be a goof to use it here, though. Winning’s a lot more important than losin’.” Mondo leaned back in his chair rested his arms over his head.

“Got it.” Makoto nods.

“Um…” His tanned Not! girlfriend prompts further elaboration.

“We’re not betting money, Hina. There’s only one winner and they can only pick servant. The odds are 1 out 8. So, most of us are getting away scot-free.”

“I gotcha. You really are lucky.” She beams at him.

… “What’s that gotta do with anything?”

“Even if someone does pick you. It’s not like it’ll change anything.”

Fits of laughter, suppressed and boisterous, come out in waves.

Makoto’s head swayed between his classmates. Even Kyoko wore a slight grin.

“W-What gives?”

“You’re practically everyone’s pack mule anyway, Makoto.” Ryoko laughs behind her hand.

“What!? I’m nobody’s servant.” Said the boy who accepted being a trial boyfriend upon a single request. “Is that really what everyone thinks of me?”

“Let us say, you’re a very convenient person to have around.” Celes’ words somehow hurt the most. “But who knows, you might get to put someone else in that position if you win.

Makoto looks down at his cards, Low numbers again. Celes’ proposition rings in his mind. He could use this. “Fine. I’ll show you guys what I’m made of.”

“That’s the spirit. Incidentally, Makoto. Who are you planning to make a servant out of, if you win? Kyoko, I take it?”

“Hm?” The lavender haired girl’s brow ticks upwards.

“Breaking someone so strong willed and competent. That’s a difficult appeal to resist.”

“Keep your perverted fantasies to yourself.”

“We’re talking about Makoto’s though.”

“W-We are not!” He flushed. “There are boundaries for this betting thing, right?”

“Of course, none of us are savages. If the general dignity and rights of the loser are respected, there should be no problems.” Celes said with the most untrustworthy smile ever.

“I’d say being a servant is plenty demeaning enough’. Shaking in your pants yet, Togami?” Mondo side-glanced the blonde.

“Should I be?”

“Yeah, cuz you’re the opposite of Makoto.”

A grunt was the Togami’s only response. His gaze meets Makoto’s cards, then turns to Ryoko. “Deal.” Togami had a Jack and a 5. Ryoko tosses him a 6.

Mondo clicked his tongue. “Deal.” Famous last words. Mondo busted the first round. At the sight of that, the majority decided to play it safe. With Makoto getting another low-hand.

The game followed a similar pattern for 2 rounds. Togami kept going up in chips. Kirigiri and Celes were able to keep up.  Makoto, Aoi and Chihiro following a good bit behind.

Toko and Mondo were out of the running.

“How the hell do you keep rising in chips. You cheating!?” Mondo growled

The novelist hissed at him like a snake, getting the biker to back off.

“Given how intensely you’ve been watching me, if I was somehow able to cheat despite that, don’t you think I’d deserve to win at this point?” Togami looked askance. “All I’ve done is simple math. Courtesy of those two. Mainly Naegi.” He points at Makoto and Aoi.

“Us?”

“Ah, so that’s how. A card counting theory.” Kyoko mused.

“Oh no. Anything but math!” Aoi despaired.

“T-There’s nothing wrong with math!” Chihiro reacted. “It’s not hard at all. There are 52 cards in a deck. Makoto’s been getting all the low cards!”

Celes interjects. “In this particular game, you can assume low cards are anywhere from 2 to 6. 7 – 9 are neutral, while 10, aces and faces are high cards.”

…I’ve been getting the low cards. Hina had gotten a bunch too, but not nearly as much. Then… “That means most of the cards in Ryoko’s deck are high-cards.”

“Indeed, and that increases the chance of the dealer going bust. We, in the meanwhile, have to stop ourselves from doing so as well.  I thought it was obvious to keep track of the ratio.”

“The total number of high cards is 20. The rest of you are irrelevant. This game was always about beating the dealer.” Togami glares at Ryoko. If the challenging stare had any effect whatsoever, it didn’t show on Ryoko’s poker face.

 “Card counting huh?” Makoto mutters.

“Haaa...Makoto’s bad luck after all.” Ryoko sighed. Makoto laughs nervously as he checks his cards.

“Luck?” The analyst’s lamentations strike a chord in the affluent progeny. “I don’t believe in luck. Anything in this world is achievable with enough power, knowledge and ambition. As long as you’re lacking at least one of those, you’ll always be small time.”

A lone brow on Ryoko’s face twitches.

“Master.” Toko swooned.

“What should I do, Makoto?” Hina faced him when her turn came up. She had an ace and a 4.

“You should stand. Like they said, there are more odds of us getting high cards now.” He suggested.

“Gotcha!”

“You’re both disgusting. Get a room already!” Toko grimaced.

 “It’s disgustingly sweet indeed.” Celes’ reaction was more outwardly pleasant, and inwardly worlds more disturbing. “But watch out, Hina. Are you sure you can trust Makoto? You are enemies in this game.”

“I-I’d never mislead her!”

“Your word alone isn’t very convincing.”

“Aw, come of it, Celes. Makoto wouldn’t play dirty.” Kyoko scoffed at Hina’s declaration. “And we’re having fun here. We shouldn’t ruin a good competition with dirty tricks.”

“I fear your idea of ‘competition’ is much too pure for this scenario.” Celes shook her head.

“Ya think?”

“Impressive, Asahina.” Togami started “I doubted I could have a lower opinion of you if I tried. But to think, in the one area where you show a smidgeon of promise, you’re still second-rate.”

The room went quiet. Only a sneeze could be heard.

“What?” Aoi turned red in the face.

“Oh nothing, you’ve simply proven you’re not serious about what you claim to love.”

 “I love competition. It’s all that gets my motor running!” The athlete’s emotions turn from anger to scandalized. “If I had to cheat to win at swimming. I’d rather just have fun and lose the right way.”

Makoto smiled. He knew about her secret, that she’d done exactly that before…and regretted it.  She must have changed. Good for her.

“Lose…the…right…way?” Togami said slowly. “Good for you.” He repeats the words in Makoto’s mind. But from his tone, nothing good would come of it. Nothing good did. “That loser’s mentality suits you.”  

 “Can I hit him? Someone let me hit him. Just this one time!” They were tempted to give Mondo that okay. Makoto sure was.

“P-Please don’t!” Chihiro whined.

 “Anyone who doesn’t do everything in their power to win, can’t achieve greatness. Why don’t you shut up for a second and lick each other’s wounds after you lose?”

“That’s it!” The table shakes. Mondo stands and revs up for a punch. He doesn’t get far. Sharp metal pokes at his side, invitingly. Mondo looks down to see ‘Toko’’s scissors inches from his torso. His eyes move along her arm to see the demented glee on Genocider’s face.

“What’s going on, beefcake?” A veiled threat hid in her words.

Mondo grit his teeth…then sat down. The atmosphere somehow managed to get worse with Syo around. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll protect you from the big bad corncob!”

 “Nufufu. And this is why I love gambling.” Celes laughed.

“This is fun for you?” Ryoko asked sarcastically.

“Unquestionably. I find there are few better to learn about one’s character than through a game of lies and deceit, where one has to gain and another to lose.”

“Sounds like mumbo jumbo to me.”

“In that case, take a look at how you’re all playing.” Red eyes stop by Mondo first. “Mondo, true to form, self-destructed by gambling too high too fast.” She glances back to Kyoko.

“Our detective has barely said anything, keeping to herself yet she has almost as many chips as I do. Silent but efficient. A dark horse for anyone who didn’t know her.” The gambler’s analyzing gaze lands on him.

 “Makoto is…surprisingly intelligent. The ease at which you grasped the game, to the point of teaching Hina the proper moves, is impressive.”

“Hey what about me?” Genocider called out.

Celes’ smiles maliciously. “Unremarkable in every way. You did nothing to impress or stand out and still lost. One might also say Toko is as self-destructive as Mondo…but without any of the flash.”

“And me?” Aoi pointed to herself.

“Adorable.”

“Thanks!”

I don’t think that was a compliment, Hina.

Celes moves on. “Togami takes bold risks without a hint of doubt. I daresay you don’t even consider the possibility that you will fail.”

“Of course. I bear the Togami name. Defeat is not acceptable.”

“Togami name this. Togami name that. I’ll never get how you can be so proud of the fact that you were just born rich.” Mondo sneered.

 “How dare you?” Venom seeped from his voice. For the first time that afternoon, Byakuya turned to look at the biker. A fact that had Mondo himself more attentive.

“The truth gets under your skin?”

“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I am one of the chosen! You, on the other hand, epitomize failure. Violence is your only forte. Not even a violence you can control, but one that controls you. I can’t think of anything further from power than the leader a band of misfits annexed by the masses, of all things.”

‘Oh…shit’ Makoto cursed in his mind. A needle could drop, and they’d have all heard it. In this case, the cracking of Mondo’s knuckles would suffice.

“Now you’ve gone and done it. Nobody disses my bros and gets away with it.” Makoto knew immediately words wouldn’t be able to calm him down.

 “Hey, hey. You sure love poking beehives as much as I love poking bodies.”  Genocider Syo’s assortment of scissors were another story. Makoto wouldn’t say if that was good or bad. “Can’t you see you’re giving master a bad time?”

“Be silent. You are the filthiest, most worthless of all!” Togami snapped. Even the sole person defending him was someone to admonish.

Makoto couldn’t understand his mentality.

Kyoko observed him silently. “Is there any point to this outburst? Any at all?”

“Togami raises a point.”  Celes’ voice dances with controlled whimsy. Her words are precise and pierce the bespectacled youth. “We don’t know anything about you. How long have we been classmates, a year or two now? Your arrogance is still your only defining characteristic. That along with your disregard for anyone but yourself. Oh…and your name.  How you never cease to remind us of what your name is and what is stands for. At times, I’d say the name ‘Byakuya Togami’ is more important than the man himself.”

 “That’s rich. Coming from the pretender who hides herself behind a mountain lies and an obviously fake name.” Togami sneered.

A faux gasp slithers from the gothic-lolita’s lips. “Dear me, you actually took that bait? You are angry, aren’t you? Truthfully, I meant no offence. Only that you have yourself to blame if we jump to conclusions about your person. Something that is easily rectified might I add.”

Makoto could see what Celes was getting at. They had finally reached that point. The point where they could wring information out of their classmate. “Um…why don’t you tell us about yourself, Togami-kun?”

The affluent progeny glares his way. “Why?”

 “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I don’t recall ever taking on that position.”

Yeah, he expected that. “If we know about each other, we can come to an understanding. That way, we can avoid fights like these.”

“We live in different worlds. Coming to an understanding is not possible.”

Fine be that way.

Makoto would just have to be more…extreme. “Then…you’re okay with us coming to our own conclusions? You got pretty mad at Mondo though.”  Who still hadn’t cooled off? “Worse, there are some rumors about you back in school.”

“Rumors?” Kyoko asked.

Makoto exhaled slightly. What he was about to do went against his principles, made him feel…dirtied. “Something about the Togami succession ceremony.”

“Where did you hear about that?” Just like with Mondo, the way Togami looked at him changes. With the delinquent, ambivalence changed to anger. With Makoto, anger changed to an eerie calm. Not for a second did Makoto think that was a de-escalation. Before he could answer with whatever lie he’d thought up…

“Does it matter?” Ryoko’s replied. “Makoto doesn’t have explain anything when you won’t. Prove to us what makes you so great. What do you have to lose?” She was among the few people Makoto knew who could hold her own in a stare down with the heir.

Togami’s the first to break, rising to his feet. “I have fought my battle and won, that is why I was chosen, and why I will keep winning, forever. I don’t owe you cowards - who indulge in self-satisfaction and run from true competition - anything.” He turned around and began walking away.

“Where are you going?” Celes’ question falls on deaf ears.

 “Wait for meeee~” Genocider scrambles out of her seat.

“What was his deal? And we were having a good time too.” Aoi pouted.

“Shall we end things here then?” Celes asked.                                                                                                   

“Because you’re the one in the lead?” Kyoko impatiently tapped her fingers on the desk.

“Do you think you could win against me?”

“No. Your confidence throughout this game isn’t a bluff. I’m sure even if Togami stayed, you would still have won.” Kyoko surmised.

To whatever the detective alluded, Celes’ posture stiffened. “Really, I was only grandstanding. This is a game of chance, you know. Nobody can ever be sure who the winner will be.”

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and held up the back of her card. “One thing I agreed with Togami on, is that luck isn’t a factor in this game at all.” Makoto squinted, barely catching the scratch on the edge. “As long as you don’t make me your target, I’m fine with conceding.”

Celes nods. “You have my word. What about you, Makoto?”

He doesn’t reply immediately, searching his own cards. He sees an indent on upper left corner. Could this be… “Yeah…I don’t think I could win that, with my luck.”

 “Whatever you chose, I was done dealing. Find someone else if you guys still want to play.” Ryoko’s exclamation had everyone surrendering, signaling Celes as the victor. The amnesiac left her seat and exited. Makoto caught a glance of her displeasure.

“Fun’s over.” Aoi stretched her arms.

“Who’re you making your target.” Mondo asked.

Celestia smiled. Her finger lands on…


 

 

Down the elevator ride back to the first floor, Makoto had time to think. A recurring pattern, he’d noticed.

Togami’s outburst prior to his leave was concerning. Strictly speaking, he knew what Togami’s secret was. If it bothered the older boy much, it must have been true, and it must have been bad.

"...Byakuya killed his older brother, Richard Togami. 14 siblings were killed in total, save Byakuya and his half-sister. It was the bloodiest succession in the family's history."  (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 15)

They weren’t friends. Togami believed that.

And even if they were…he’s murdered his own family. What’s a friend compared to that?

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out.

“I’ll go look for Togami.” Makoto told his friends. None of them looking particularly worried, doing nothing to approve or admonish his decision. He split off from their group.

“Hey, Makoto?” He doesn’t get to the door before he hears Sayaka call his name. He looks back and is…extremely confused. Sayaka’s packing a lot more than what he remembers them coming in with. Gaudy gold rimmed shades obscure her eyes and complimenting the chain on hanging from her neck – one of many jewelries.

“I don’t look that strange, don’t be mean.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I’m psychic. Just kidding.”

“Uh huh.”

“Also, a champ at roulette and poker!”

“Uh huh.”

“But Ikusaba’s got me beat in the slot machine.”

“Uh huh.”

He nodded all the while, having absolutely nothing to say. “um…where’d you get the new stuff?”

Sayaka holds out a casino coin. “We get a bunch of these if we win. Hifumi told us we can cash them out here and buy what we can. It turns out the prizes are the same as what’s in the monomachines”

“I…guess that’s not too out of ordinary- is that real diamond?”

“I dunno. It wouldn’t surprise me. The island is crazy.”

“DAMN IT ALL!”

Makoto peers over his blue-haired friend. A small distance away was Kiyotaka, despairing on all fours in front of a slot machine. Tears cascade from the moral compass’ eyes as Ikusaba and Mondo uncomfortably loom over him.

“…”

Sayaka rested her palm on her cheeks. “Kiyotaka’s not so good. Ikusaba had to even start comforting him when he started crying at his losing streak. Looks like it’s not quite over yet.”

Makoto shook his head. “Have you seen Togami?” He had to get out of here before the atmosphere drove him crazy too.

 “Grumpy left a few minutes ago. He totally blew me off too.” Sayaka pouted. “And he uh…left youknowwho.” He follows her pointed finger to Syo having an enthusiastic conversation with a terrified Hifumi.

Yeah, he wanted no part of that.


 

Makoto took a calculated guess and predicted Togami’s path, leading right to the library. Not like he goes anywhere else.

 “Hey, wait up!” He said as the heir’s form came into view.

The blonde doesn’t stop, naturally. Makoto intercepts.

“Out of my way.” Togami glowered.

“I’m not gonna mince words. You’re not exactly the most popular guy. Maybe…if you tried being nicer with the rest of us,”

“Then what? You wouldn’t all conspire against me?”

“I was gonna say Celes wouldn’t be up to something but…what? We’re not conspiring against you.” Makoto argued.

Togami gives him an even stare. “…You can’t be serious.” The puzzled look on Makoto’s face confirms he is, indeed, serious.  “You honestly didn’t see them cheat?”

“Cheat?”

 “The dealer gave it away. When Celestia asked who played Blackjack, her hand did not raise.”

… “You think an amnesiac wouldn’t remember how to play?” Makoto presses his finger to his chin. “I see what you mean, but that could have just been a coincidence. There’s also different types of memory…”

“First, the house always wins, especially when the owner calls herself the ‘queen of liars’. Second never trust the dealer. Third, she didn’t even deny Fukawa’s accusation.”

Makoto thought back to his friend’s actions during the game.

“Yup. Don’t worry, I’m with the house so you won’t have to worry about beating me. Just each other.”

According to Togami, they were against the dealer, not each other. And…she came with us as guests, not even the ones Celes selected. Why say she was with the house?

“Was Ryoko trying to warn us?” Makoto asked.

 “Did you ever look at the back of the cards?”

“…So that was cheating. I figured as much.” Only after the fact. Makoto scratched his cheek. Geez Celes.

“It’s called ‘card marking’. The dealer can tick areas on the card to tell what their hand is.” Togami snickered. “If Celestia selected the people there, then obviously she would have more than one person in on it.”

“If you knew…why didn’t you say anything?” Makoto wondered. “Wait, why did you even play?”

“Because compared to Asahina, Celes at least has the right idea. It boggles the mind how the rest of you can’t understand this.” His praise for underhanded tactics served as a reminder that he thought on a very er…special wavelength. Looking back, he was like this during the cooking competition.

"You're parroting a myth. The only thing more unsightly than a loser, is a loser who was too incompetent to do their utmost to win. Cheating is only a problem when you're too stupid to pull it off successfully." (Byakuya Togami, Chapter 13)

 “Using an analogy. if Ogami were to come after your life. What would you do?”

Vague, horrifying memories spike. In more innocent times, Makoto would meet the question with warranted nervousness, not poorly suppressed dread. “I can’t think of much. Except prepare ahead of time.”

“Indeed. By the time a fight begins it would be too late.”

“That’s obvious.” He didn’t know why Togami felt the need to act so pretentiously about basic information gathering. Makoto was taking initiative right this minute!

“Is that so? You’re learning everything you can? Their likes, dislikes, hobbies, the places they frequent, notable childhood incidents, their favorite car, their occupation, their resources, sleeping periods, their next breakfast, their closest associates, their enemies, the men they bed?”

“That’s--! Why would I need to know half those things?” Makoto gaped.

The scion chuckled condescendingly. “And that’s why you’re naïve. If you were truly serious, you’d achieve a victory so immaculate, your adversaries never dare revolt against you. Your inability to commit to thoroughly destroying the opposition, and do whatever it takes to win, is why you keep losing.”

There was something about the way he phrased that made Makoto’s blood freeze. “Losing?”

“…I’m giving you one last chance.” Togami slides past him, standing shoulder to shoulder with the smaller boy “It's my turn next."

The omen is his parting gift. Makoto doesn’t, can’t, know what face he wears. “Next time…for what?” He couldn’t bring himself to utter words. Instead, he’d asked. “Why did you call me out yesterday?”

 “I wanted to see your reaction. That’s all.” Were the last words the affluent progeny spoke to him.

“What…” Makoto’s words catch in his throat. Like forcing a gate open, he asks. “What did you mean by that?”

His inquiries don’t halt the heir’s advance.

 “What the hell did you mean by that!?” He demands, yet unable to take a single step. He feared to reach out for the answer.

The clouds above gather and condense.

It’ll rain again tonight.

Notes:

Regrets #7

In gambling, the game isn't important. The risk is. It brings the best and worst out of us, showing sides we normally hide. The bigger the risk, the stronger the response. I said it before, that our inner-qualities can be seen through a gamble. Doesn't it follow then, that the winner has a greater strength of character? Fufu, agreed. It’s not that simple to appraise others. If we’re only betting what’s easily replaced, our true, desperate nature won’t surface. However, if we were to wager our lives...it would paint a different, clearer picture of our worth, no?

Chapter 26: Semi dei Morti / Seeds of the Dead

Notes:

Violent depictions of real-life incidences ahead. It should go without saying, but the viewpoints and opinions expressed by the characters aren't necessarily mine.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Thunder roars for the umpteenth time.

The strong winds crashed against the windows, threatening to blow them open.

Byakuya humorously debated if there was a point to keeping the lights in the musty library on with how the rampant thunder brightened the room, and his reading material.

Not like he had much headway getting through these dull novels.

“Born rich. What nonsense.” He carelessly tossed the book away.

Hm

The creak of the door opening, followed by rushing air draw his attention. Slow footsteps grow louder as they approach.

Byakuya rests his chin on his open palm, calmly taking in the intruder. “Oh…it’s you.”


 

 “How are you?” Kyoko asked.

The lightbulb hanging from the storage room ceiling is all that staves off complete darkness. The walls were close enough in every direction that Makoto could hardly lean back. Where he to leave, he’d have to shimmy sideways between the sides of the table and the walls. It made the lavender haired girl on the other side, even more imposing.

 “Uh…fine, I guess.” His voice is markedly drained of its usual cheer

“It’s been a long day for us.”

“Longer for you, I’m sure.”

She cracks a small smile. “Interrogating 17 people for half-an hour each tends to take its toll. Luckily, you’re the last.”

He hoped they wouldn’t take that long. The heat and lack of air was making him nauseous. “Lucky that I’m the last to be interrogated…or the last to have seen Togami alive?”

“The first. But I suppose the second depends on you.”

“I didn’t kill Togami.” Makoto states his case.

“You went after him, and never returned.”

“I was in my cabin.”

“Why?” Kyoko tapped her fingers on the wooden surface. The sound reverberated loudly in the closed space.

“I wasn’t feeling well.” He spoke in half-truths.

 “You were just fine last I saw. And you were fine afterwards.”

“Physically, maybe.”

The tapping stops “I expected you of all people to be more receptive.”

“Like I said, I’m not feeling well.” Makoto looked away from her discerning gaze.

Kyoko let out a frustrated groan. As noted, she’d interrogated over a dozen people before him, and their friends, classmates and associates were nothing, if not problematic personalities. “Did you find Togami? Back at the casino, I mean.”

“Yeah, we talked a bit.”

She waits 5 seconds when she’s sure he won’t elaborate, then “And?”

“Nothing good. He was his usual abrasive self. I don’t even know why I bothered.” Makoto mumbled.

“You’re upset.” She said, as if the abrupt death a classmate wasn’t by default upsetting. “What did he say to you?”

“He called me a loser, more or less.”

“That’s all?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Normally no. You look past those quips.” She rested a gloved finger against her chin. “Tell me exactly what he said to you.”

He did, word for word. Kyoko’s expression changed into one of confusion. It was a slight alteration, but for the stoic girl, that was enough. “…Is that all?”

“Were you expecting more?”

“It feels that way, yes. Missing context, perhaps.” She continues “Togami’s behavior the previous day was abnormal. Arguably long before that.”

Well…you’re not wrong about that. I don’t understand it myself.

I don’t want to understand.

 “It’s not like we can ask him now.”

You’ve been acting strangely as well.” She scrutinizes him.

 “There’s nothing I can say. I was tired, went to my room and slept immediately. I spent the morning through the afternoon with Hina. She can vouch for me.”

“But not during the night.”

“What do you want from me, Kyoko? Am I really the biggest suspect you’ve got?”

“I haven’t implied that. But you know how I work.” Kyoko counters. “I’m trying to help us all and prevent any more casualties. To do that, I need the trust and cooperation of everyone here, you included. Is there anything you’re leaving out? Anything crucial you’d like to tell me?

“…There’s nothing else to say.” Nothing she would believe.

“…How are you?” She repeats the starting inquiry.

This time, he answers truthfully. “…disappointed.”


 

The interrogation finally ends, and they reconvene with the remainder of the island’s inhabitants in the lounge, or so they hoped. The excitement from previous day was replaced by a different kind. Anxiety and fear permeate the atmosphere.

They’d chosen the infirmary on the first island to hole up in, after a debate between it and the restaurant. Medical supplies, beds and general space took priority over a food supply and argued a group of 4 would retrieve meals when ready.

Makoto took his place by an empty wall. Not empty for long though. Hina saw to that when she snuck up besides him, dragging Sakura along with her.

“No good. I can’t get in touch with the academy.” Kizakura told Kyoko.

The detective nods, seemingly unbothered by that frightening detail. “If nobody minds me speaking, I’ll begin. Byakuya Togami was found dead this afternoon by Toko Fukawa, and his killer may still be on the loose.”

“I’m pretty sure we already bagged her. Isn’t that why you locked her up.” Juzo Sakakura replied, sitting on the couch next to Munakata. The boxer exudes a calm that couldn’t further divorced from the oppressive mood. “Good riddance if you ask me. Not sure why you kids bothered to hang around a serial killer, but hey, you only needed to lose one asshole to learn your lesson. Could be a lot worse.”

The comment earned Sakakura many appalled looks.

“There’s insufficient evidence proving Toko did the deed.” Kyoko said.

“Because she spazzed out a bit? She could just be a good liar.” Toko would have to be an amazing one in Makoto’s opinion. Given the state of hysteria she was found in.

“it goes against Syo’s M.O. She crucifies her victims. And while she does leave blood-soaked writings on the wall, the message is “bloodbath fever” not…”

 A red magic circle written in blood at the site of Togami’s body. Makoto thought grimly.

“Where the hell did that blood come from and what’s the point?” Sakakura asked.

“It’s the witch!” Makoto winced at the sound of Yasuhiro’s voice. The clairvoyant gripped his dreadlocks in abject fear. “I’m telling ya, it’s the witch of Jabberwock island and her curse!”

In a way…he wasn’t wrong. Nobody would believe him, but he wasn’t wrong.

“Preposterous. The circle is clearly to complicate the murder and stir unease.” Kyosuke Munakata interjected, sparing Hiro an unamused glance.

“Explain the blood. Togamicci’s body was spotless. She must have drained it out of him!”

“The blood may not be from us but there are animals around. We only need check the farms.” Was the older man’s rebuttal. Well, technically the two may have been the same age.

Regardless, Makoto was moderately impressed. If he’d come to that conclusion in the third killing game, catching Leon might’ve been easier.

“Putting aside the culprit for the moment. The cause of death was poison.” Kyoko announced.

“Huh?” Makoto lifted his head.

“Feel free to verify his body. I checked and found a trail of blue fluid leaking from his mouth. It was definitely poison.”

Makoto peered towards Kiyotaka. It couldn’t be him…again.

 “Is that all?” Munakata pried.

“Yes.”

“I expected more from the Ultimate detective.”

“I don’t really care to disappoint you, but I am not a magician. That is indeed all the evidence there is. There were no traces and no signs of a struggle. The only humanly plausible explanation is that Togami took the poison unknowingly.”

Humanly plausible.

That in of itself is evidence don’t you think. If there weren’t any traces, that means the crime was clean. He must have been poisoned by someone he trusted. Is there anyone here that would fit that description?”

A tumbleweed might as well have blown over.

“He wasn’t too friendly I take it. Damn shame.” Sakakura joked.

“If we’re talking about the ones Togami might have disliked the least…it’d be Makoto and Chihiro, right?” Hiro deduced, prompting a pissed off Mondo.

“You sayin’ Chihiro had something to do with this?” Mondo cracked his knuckles.

“Just trying to help. I mean, Toges even went off with them last night. Compared to the rest of us, he gets along with those two. Uh…got along.”

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that they were the only ones who’d put up with him.” Celes added/

“Ryoko’s the smarty pants. Can’t she figure something out?” Leon argued.

“No can do. Like Keeks (who is she talking about?) I’m not a genie. I need information for this kind of thing, and I can’t see any reason why anyone would want to kill Byakuya.” That at least confirmed for Makoto the killer was undoubtedly despair. “Then again, I could be the killer and be lying to all of you.”

“That’s a lie, whether you believe it or not.” Ryoko flashed her pearly whites.

“Then you shouldn’t have said anything.” Leon gawked. “Sheesh, it’s pretty messed up to be joking at a time like this.”

“This might be a convenient time then. To let you know just how perilous your situation might be.”

Makoto watches Munakata leave his seat and stroll to the center of the room. “Frankly, I don't know any of you, and you know even less of me. I, along with Sakakura are alumni of Hope’s Peak. A position I was once proud of.” The concluding statement earned confused looks.

“This is not the first-time students at this academy have met…unfortunate circumstances. This is also not the first that these incidences occurred on Jabberwock island. In fact, something similar may have happened 2 years ago, on a school-sanctioned trip for the classes 76 and 77. None of them were ever seen again.”

A moment of silence passed for everyone to digest the news, save Makoto, who already knew. Instead, he eyed his friends, seeing how they would respond.

“Haha-okay. You got me, jokes over.” Hiro said

 “Pardon me but if…what you’re saying actually happened-” Chihiro stuttered.

“We’d all know about it. That’s why it’s a joke. I like ghost stories but you gotta read the mood, man.” Hiro intercepted the programmer.

Munakata turned to the teacher. “Why don’t you explain it to them, Kizakura?”

Kizakura threw the silver-haired a man a hardened stare. His hands slipped out of his pockets as he addressed them with unusual seriousness. “It’s like he says. Nobody ever figured out the truth.” With Kizakura’s admission, further anxiety descended.

“Assuming the truth wasn’t hidden.” Kyoko spoke up. “I need a proper explanation, what is going on? How are we only hearing about this now?”

“Putting me on the spot here. Let me make one thing clear – I don’t know anything, and whatever you hear from me is just an opinion. The classes 76 and 77, kids and teachers alike went missing. Some of those people were my friends and you might know some others.” Kizakura ran through a list of names. For class 77, he already knew. Class 76 had remained a mystery. None of their names struck a chord with him.

The same, obviously, didn’t apply to the others.

“Hey hey hold up. Nekomaru Nidai. You’re telling me the coach went missing. Here!?” Leon shouted, red in the face. “There’s no way. Nekomaru’s real careful, not to mention build like a tank. I bet even Sakura wouldn’t scare him.”

“Ibuki Mioda…sounds kinda familiar.” Mondo started.

“She was a musician I think.” Sayaka answered.

“You don’t know?”

The idol gripped the ends of her shirt “I don’t pay too much attention to…other people’s music. But her name came up occasionally…then stopped.”

“I assume the academy tried to hide the disappearances to avoid public backlash.” Kyoko brought a finger to her chin.

“Some of the missing were Sonia Nevermind and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. The first is the princess of a foreign nation, the other the son of a mafia family.” Munakata added.

“Oh boy. That explains a few things.” Hiro commented.

“To summarize. Two classes worth of students died previously-”

“D-Died? They said missing, Celes!” Asahina jumped in.

The gambler wore a fake smile. “Correct, how could I make such a callous mistake? Two classes worth of students ‘missing’. The academy covered it up and…decided to send us to the same place, and now one of our own was murdered? Is it just me or is this terribly suspicious?”

“I stand by what I said. I don’t know a thing.” Kizakura repeated

“Then why didn’t you mention anything?” Kyoko grimaced.

“Because the incident ended 2 years ago. Think about it. This island is famous. People come here all the time and there hasn’t been a single upset since.”

“You make a good point but still, I find it fishy. We can’t even contact them when we need them most. So many conveniences.” Celes said with a neutral expression.

Mondo pointed at Kyoko. “Hey, I don’t want to jump the gun here but tell it to us straight, Kyoko. Your dad wouldn’t be trying to pull off some messed-up prank, would he?”

“He can’t do anything.” Kizakura said

 “He’s the big shot, right? He’d have to know what’s going on.”

“Not likely. Jin Kirigiri answers to the committee board of directors. And it’s not guaranteed he knows much. In fact, he had only just become the headmaster.” Munakata answered in Kizakura’s stead. Though from the looks of it, not as a form of assistance.

“Just in time to deal with the headache. Old man Tengan picked a good time to call quits.” Kizakura quipped.

“Then completely vanished. Ain’t that a kick in the balls.” Sakakura shrugged.

“I’d have done the same, admittedly.”

“Tengan…you mean the old dude with the glasses?”

The three elders snapped their heads to Yasuhiro, who looked deep in thought. A bizarre sight to be sure.

 “You’ve seen Kazuo Tengan?” Munakata asked slowly

“Yeah that was his name!” Hiro clapped his hands. “But em, I didn’t know he was the former headmaster.”

“Tengan-san didn’t tell you? He told me.” To the surprise and confusion of everyone, the only person who was on the same wavelength as Hiro, was Sayaka.

“I didn’t ask, and I was kinda suspicious of everything at the time.” Hiro replied.

“When was this?” Munakata asked.

““He scouted me.”” The two said.

All attention fell back to Kizakura.

“Don’t look at me. I did a background check sure but I didn’t scout every kid this year. The steering committee personally handled a few.”

“And they are…” The silver-haired man prompted.

“The ones I didn’t meet were those two, Naegi, Togami and the twins.”

“I won a lottery.” Makoto stated. The baton passed to Ryoko.

“Mukuro told me a woman scouted us. I never met her...or i don't remember meeting her.” Was her unhelpful reply

“Did he say anything to you two?” Kizakura asked the seer and the idol.

“Nothing really. He seemed like a nice old man talking about how great the school was.” Sayaka said.

Hiro nodded. “Yeah, he had that stern granddad vibe. Not like I actually knew mine though!”

“W-We haven’t done anything wrong, have we?” The bluenette asked.

“No. I researched you kids. From what I could find, there’s nothing abjectly horrible. Though I question Hagakure’s sense of human decency…” Kizakura reassured them.

“We have moved very far from the original topic. How do we catch Togami’s killer, and how will we protect ourselves?” Sakura commented.

“Securing our safety takes priority. I advise we sleep in shifts in the same room.” Munakata said.

“Who died and made you leader again?” Mondo crossed his arms. The biker wasn’t one to yield to authority regardless of who sat on the throne.

“You in about 5 seconds.” Sakakura stood from his chair. A raised arm from his boss was all that stopped him from approaching the delinquent.

“You raise a good point, Owada. Among everyone standing in the room, Sakakura and I are likely among the least trustworthy in your eyes. Then let me throw my lot in with yours.” The scope of Munakata’s address extended beyond Mondo.

The alumni dug into his white suit and held out a picture. Makoto and the rest of class 78 crowded to see. Only Kizakura didn’t move from his position.

There they saw what was unmistakably Hope’s Peak in the background. Munakata and Sakakura were younger, and their arms were linked to the happiest individual in the picture. Makoto would recognize Chisa’s face anywhere.

Between hardened men, the beaming woman stood out to everyone else.

“Whoa. She’s mega cute.” Leon remarked.

If Munakata took offense he didn’t show it. “Her name is Chisa Yukizome, a dear friend of mine. She is also the teacher of class 77.”

The namedrop garnered looks of sympathy and pity.

Leon scratched the back of his neck.

“Regardless of what you may think, I haven’t given up on her. Not until I find out the truth.”

“That is the reason you came to this island?” Kyoko asked.

“Yes. So, you see, unraveling the mystery that Hope’s Peak hid, and leaving this island alive is my objective. One that coincides with yours.” Munakata continued. “And make no mistake, I will do my utmost to assure your safety, if you permit me.”

Not one objection was raised.

“Do whatever you want. Not like we’ve got anyone better.” Mondo conceded.

Munakata nodded. “Thank you. As we discussed, it is better for us all to hole up in a single wide room. Nobody would be daring enough to approach so many. At least 2 or three of us take shifts awake. Once the storm blows over, we’ll resupply our food stock and think about what to do.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Aoi said.

“It’s a lot to take in. I’ll give you all an hour to yourselves. Once that time is up, we’ll need to make the arrangements.” Munakata dismissed them. One by one, or in groups, the others left the room.

Makoto followed.

“Hey, Makoto, where are you going?” Hina called.

“I…uh…want to be by myself for a little bit.” He said.

“Oh…okay, I get you.” Not even the swimmer’s crestfallen face was enough to change his decision. But boy, did it hurt to see.

“I’ll find you later.” He promised.

“Mhm.” Hina smiled.

Makoto walked in the halls, until he was sure to be alone.

His fist rammed into the wall, forming an audible crack.

The luckster drew deep breaths. “You can do this, Makoto.” He croaked.

Chisa said he could.


 

Makoto dragged his feet into the infirmary’s lunchroom. Celes sits cross-legged at one of four tables. Given the furniture’s irregular positioning compared to the others, Makoto assumes she drew it away from its original spot to the center of the room.

Or she got her newest prize to do it for her. With whatever excess of Makoto’s mental faculties to spare, he thinks Chihiro looks cute in his new butler uniform.

“Hi, Makoto.” Chihiro said holding a circular, silver tray in both hands.

Makoto waves.

“Would you care for tea?” Celes invites him to sit across her.

“…Sure.” He accepts the invitation.

For a moment, nothing happens.

Celes was silent but stared knowingly at Chihiro. The boy’s eyes widen, and he moves.

“He has much to learn.” Celes mutters.

“You got down to business quickly.”

“Simply reaping my rewards.”

“Don’t wear him out, okay?”

“That was uncouth, Makoto. I treat all my servants candidly.”

Speaking of which, “…Where’s Hifumi?”

“Relieved from duty.” The gambler’s declaration was direct as it was cold.

Makoto blinked. “…What?”

“His assistance was no longer required so I discharged him. I have no need for two servants and Chihiro is much more pleasant to the eye, even if Hifumi is somewhat more skilled at making tea.” She frowned at the cup on the table. “But skill can be acquired in short order. Pleasant company is a different dimension altogether.”

“Harsh.” I should go look for him after. “Why’d you pick Chihiro anyway?”

“My intention was to pry him away from Togami’s side and perhaps use him as leverage. After today, it seems a bit silly of me.”

…No kidding.

 “What do you make of our situation?”

“Quite a bit. I wouldn’t trust Kizakura as far as I can throw him. This entire ordeal is vexing.”

“What about what Hiro said?”

Her lips twitch upwards. “About our crafty culprit being a witch? Flights of fancy. Nothing that comes out of that oaf’s mouth is worth considering beyond entertainment.”

“Really?”

“Why Makoto. It sounds like you believe that fairy tale.”

It was more that he knew Celes did entertain those fancies, once upon a time. But there’s no opening for him to delve into her (former?) fascination with the occult here.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. But who knows, it might be true or there might be something more going on than meets the eye.” 

“That goes without saying if Munakata’s words were any indication. Even so, I’d rather not stoop to considering old hags riding on broomsticks to be source of our present dilemma.” The gothic Lolita twirled her hair with a finger.

“It doesn’t have to be taken literally. It could be a symbol for something, Magic, fundamentally, is just someone who can know and do things normal people can’t understand.”

There’s a twinkle in the gambler’s red eyes. “Like the ignorant, puzzled by slight of the hand or tricks. I see. That would be worth considering. Of course, it wouldn’t reveal our killer. Moreover…if such a person did exist…what could we do about them?” She awaited his answer with anticipation.

“Beat them. There’s no other option.”

“Woah!” A yelp disrupts the mood of their conversation. The two turn to see Chihiro, landing face first. The tea he’d brought spilled all over the floor.

Celes sighed.

Makoto stood and approached the fallen boy.

“Sorry, I’m just a clumsy good-for-nothing.”

 “It’s fine. Here, let’s get you up.” Makoto extended his hand to pick up the programmer.

“Thank you.”

Makoto’s eyes wordlessly lingered then shifted to Celes “I’ll go check on the others. Do you know where Hifumi went?

“Try the laundry room. Best of luck.”

Makoto exits the lunchroom. He takes one last look back. Celes sits calmly, blissfully unaware that her life could end at any moment. He thinks, maybe that ignorance was a blessing.

Maybe he was the unlucky one.


 

“Yo, Makoto. What’s up?” Hiro greeted him in one of the hospital rooms. The fortune teller sits, legs folded on the bed, with a crystal ball in front of him. “You come for a divination? I’m uh…having a special 95% off.”

“Sure.”

“Wait really? That usually never works…”

“I actually came for one.” Makoto didn’t want to believe, but Hiro could be…useful

“From what I remember, she looked about your age and real pretty too.  Pinkish blond hair. Twin-tails with bear clippings. Combat heels. Black-White shirt and one hell of a miniskirt.” (Yasuhiro Hagakure, Chapter five)

He didn’t know how, but he really had seen Junko. Everything had been so chaotic last time Makoto hadn’t even remembered to ask.

“60% off then.”

Makoto rolled his eyes. “You’re scared, you want to know the future, but you can’t look through your future, can you?”

Hiro covers his forehead, backing away further up the bed. “Dude, are you a psychic too?!”

“Just a lucky guess.” Makoto said, “Get on with it.”

“Somebody’s grouchy today. I’ll need payment though…”

“I don’t have any money.”

“You know the saying ‘there’s always the clothes on your back.’” Hiro rubbed his nose.

“Right…” Makoto pulled on his jacket. “Could you close your eyes?”

Hiro knitted his brows. “Dude, I meant your jacket would do for a down payment. I didn’t mean to strip.”

“Just close your eyes.”

“The cops better not get on my ass for this.” Yasuhiro covered both eyes and looked away. Makoto reached into his parka pocket, pulling out three items, Chisa’s cloth, Komaeda’s second letter and the-

Wait…three? Where was the other letter?

The luckster searched his other pockets to no avail. Don’t tell me I misplaced it…

“You done yet?”

“Just a second.” Makoto took off his jacket and placed the items into his green sweater. “I’m done.”

“I needed to be blind for you take off one piece of clothing. Talk about bashful.” Hiro accepted the jacket. “Whatever. It’s a little small but I could probably sell it for something decent. Now then…” Yasuhiro clasped the orb.

Soon, his gaze lefts to Makoto. “You…wanna redo? It’ll only cost a little more. Maybe the sweater too.”

“What’d you see?”

“You’re asleep.”

“That’s all?”

The clairvoyant coughs. “Like asleep, asleep. Forever.”

“Oh. How?”

“You’ve got a peaceful face but there’s something slipping out of your mouth, like blue saliva-hey that kinda sounds like what Kyoko was talking about with Byakuya.”  Hiro said a bit too happily for his liking. “In case this isn’t one of the 70%, it was real nice knowing you, little dude.”

Poison…

“Likewise.” Satire dripped from his tone. He only had one more question. “Who’s Tengan and how’d you meet him?”

“The old dude…I don’t know much. We met a little bit after I stopped hiding from the yakuza. Ah, that’s a long story if you want to hear- “

“Skip it. I have a feeling you’ve told me before.”

“Really, I don’t remember that.”

“You were running from the Kuzuryus.”

“Guess I did! After I got the okay to finally walk in daylight without worrying about a sniper picking me off, Tengan found me and offered an admission to the academy.”

“How? You were in hiding.”

“I snuck in some fortune telling to randoms to survive. He might’ve found my location that way.” Hiro ponders.

“It’s strange that a former headmaster would go out of his way right after a huge scandal involving missing students though.” All this business with Hope’s Peak was something Makoto might have to deal with eventually. It might be best to learn as much as he can early on.

“Beats me. He seemed like an alright guy like I mentioned. But I’d never want to meet him again.”

The sudden shift has the brunet asking, “Why?”

 “It wasn’t anything he said, least I don’t think so. But talking with him gave me major jitters. A little after he left, I came down with the worst fever ever. I had to call my mom to take care of me.” Hiro shudders. “Man, I didn’t want drag up that memory. It felt like I got cursed.”


 

Makoto doesn’t really know what to say to Kiyotaka and Mondo. Mostly the former, who prior to the luckster’s arrival…was mopping the hallways on the upper floors. He won’t ask where the moral compass found the apron or gloves, but he’ll ask why.

“The floor is dirty. Why else would I clean?” was Taka’s reply.

“He means why now with all the shit that’s going on.” Thankfully Mondo was there to clarify. Makoto didn’t have the energy or care for it.

Taka smiles as if he’d known all along. “If we’re going to use the hospital as our stronghold, it should look the part. Who knows how long this place has been deserted? With all the chemicals and medicine around, it could be dangerous leaving just anything lying around.”

Makoto glances at the biker gang leader. Mondo carried various-colored plastic bottles in hand. “You…wouldn’t suppose the poison used to kill Togami could have come from here, would you?”

“That’s…exactly what I think.” Kiyotaka’s face fell, and with it, the mood plummets.

…I’m so dense.

 “You’re doing a good job. Sorry for thinking you might’ve been goofing around.” Makoto apologizes.

“Apology accepted. I understand now how it might’ve appeared that way…”

“So…did either of you find anything? Like say, an empty bottle?”

“Not at all. The cabinets we checked were all filled. We even looked inside to make sure the fluids weren’t mixed with something else.”

“Even if the perp did sneak the poison outta here, they’d have to be real goofballs to leave the evidence lying around for us.” Mondo said.

 “Once I’m finished cleaning here, we’ll bring the medicine to Munakata. Afterwards, we’ll secure them somewhere safe. That way, we can avoid any more tragedies.” Kiyotaka sighed and covered his face. “I still can’t believe someone would do that to Togami.”

“You sure about that? If anyone was gonna die, it was definitely him.” Mondo’s comment drew surprised stares from the pair. “Dunno if you realized but I never liked this guy. I don’t think anybody did if you don’t count one crazy broad that already has a body count. It ain’t hard to see why someone would want him gone.”

“Misgivings aside he was our classmate!” Kiyotaka said taken aback.

“I’m just saying there ain’t no love lost here. I don’t care much for holding grudge, and I ain’t gonna be banged up over losing one fight. But Togami never even gave me that.” Mondo said. “Just take one look at that Munakata guy. He’s a stuck-up jerk, but at least he ain’t afraid to mix it up with us ‘little people’ instead of looking down on us.”

“I’m sure Togami must have had his reasons. With how overly serious and rigid he was all the time. I can’t help but wonder if he could even smile like the rest of us” Kiyotaka said.

Who cares?  He treated us like shit, and I didn’t give a shit about him. Don’t you think it’d be messed up if I started caring after he’s already bit it? It’s a slap in the face for everyone involved. Togami included.” There wasn’t a trance of insincerity to be found.

Taka’s mouth floundered, he turned to Makoto for assistance.

Makoto looked away. Nobody said anything or made any motions besides awkward gestures.

“Taka…could you tell me what you were doing yesterday?” Makoto broke the ice. He needed to determine if the previous mastermind had anything to do with this case.

“I was staying with Mondo. After-…” The moral compass’s mouth zips shit.

“After he got depressed at losing big time at the casino.” Mondo chuckled.

 “…he didn’t go anywhere?”

“No…” Mondo’s face turned a worrying red color; Makoto was glad to be standing a few meters away from the man. “Hey, you better not be suspecting bro!”

Kiyotaka catches on. “I didn’t murder anyone! I couldn’t!”

Debatable.

“I’m not suspect anyone. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on, that’s all.” Makoto said smoothly. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Tch, that better be all it is.” Mondo said.

“Yeah. I won’t take up anymore of your time.”


 

Makoto’s next venture was no doubt in his mind, the most troublesome. He wanted to visit Toko, the person closest to this crime, and the victim.

It just so happened Ikusaba and Ryoko were there with her in one of the girl’s washrooms.

One look at the author’s disheveled appearance spoke volumes. Well maybe not. Toko wasn’t best friends with hygiene even on the best of days. If there was a distinction here, it was the puffy red eyes and a face twisted in anger.

Upon sighting the boy, Toko yelled “Tell them to let me go already!” Her voice doesn’t carry the usual absence of confidence. The energy used to belittle others (and herself) was geared towards struggling against the bondage tying her arms to the sink.

“That’s not happening. You’re a danger.” Ikusaba said, twirling an army knife in hand. Hard to say if it was a powerplay or a casual habit.

“You bet I am. When I find out who did that to Byakuya I’ll- “

“I meant to yourself. It’d be hard to incapacitate you without hurting you, I figure.” The soldier said blankly.

“You sayng I’m powerless, y-you washboard?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t they charming?” Ryoko said sarcastically.

A closed room with two dangerous women wasn’t exactly at the top of Makoto’s places to be list.

“Toko. Did you happen to notice anything out of the ordinary when you found Togami? Anything’ll do really.”

“Oooo, are we playing detective?” The degree of genuine excitement reminds Makoto that there were in fact, 3 dangerous women here.

“I’m not playing anything.”

Ryoko’s shoulders slump. “…even though you haven’t played with me in days.”

“It’s hardly the time.” He grumbles.

“At least you’re taking this seriously. I doubt anyone else even cares he’s dead.” Toko snapped.

“It’s not like Togami gave the best impression.” Ikusaba said.

“What's a killer-for-hire know about good impressions?”

If the dagger the novelist threw at Ikusaba struck home, she didn’t show it. “For some reason, I don’t want to hear that from a killer for fun. But I guess you’re not wrong, I don’t think anyone’d be moved if I was in Togami’s place either.”

Makoto and Toko stare at Ryoko.

Well?” Toko urged.

“What?” The eccentric innocently tilts her head.

They shuddered.

“You know what, I feel for you, Ikusaba. A-At least as someone who comes from a fucked-up family too.” The author said.

“Thanks.”

Makoto wasn’t sure if this was something the girls to bond over, but he sure as heck wasn’t going to interrupt it. “We’re all together in this. Our differences aside, I don’t want anyone else to die. And I’m sure we all think the same.”

“Except the killer, probably.” Ryoko chimed in.

“We don’t know who they are.”

“What I do know is that you’re speaking a load of bull, Makoto. Do friends do this to each other?” Toko rattled against her binds to accentuate her point. “T-They think I’d dare kill Byakuya of all people, without any proof and then tie me up like this. That’s friendship?”

“You’re right.” Makoto swiped the knife from the soldier, to her surprise. He motioned over to the bespectacled girl and cut off her restraints

“Was that a good idea?” Ikusaba asked.

“If you’ve got proof that Toko committed the crime, I’d like to hear it.” The brunet cast a determined look at the twins.

Toko clutches her wrists, red from the pressure. “I didn’t ask for your help. But thanks anyway.”

“I trust that you’d never hurt Togami, but I also need you to trust me. Whoever the killer is, I- we’re going to find them. Until, then don’t do anything rash.” Regardless of how polite Makoto sounded, the forcefulness in his voice told Toko that wasn’t a request.

“I won’t wait forever.”

“Good, because it won’t be nearly that long.” If he has anything to say about it.

“To answer your question. I didn’t see anything that shouldn’t have been there…Well there might have been one thing: Master’s glasses were off, on the table. I laid him down and put them back on. It was wrong to see him without them.”

Ryoko whistled. “Messing with the crime scene before the detective got there. You better not tell Keeks about it.”

“What is with that nickname, sis?” Ikusaba groaned

“I’m working on my material, okay!  I’ll get it right eventually.”

Makoto ends the sibling bickering. “What were you two doing last night?”

“Is this an interrogation coming on?” Ryoko cuts to the chase.

“Just getting my stories straight.”

“We were in our room the whole time and never saw Byakuya. How’s that for an alibi?”

“Fair enough.”

“How?” Toko said. “They’re twins, idiot. What makes you think they wouldn’t cover for each other?”

He knew. But why not play naïve on the chance they were going to lie to him either way?

“Ding ding, as expected of our pessimistic Toko-chan! She got the right answer!”

 “Stop making this difficult, Ryoko.”

“I think the bigger issue is that you think this is easy.”  Makoto feels something inside him snap. The analyst twirls her fingers “We have a murder on our hands. I’m really hoping you don’t think this is as simple as reading a novel.”

 “Who the hell said it was easy!?” He shouted to the surprise of everyone, himself included. “Excuse me.” He said with grit teeth.

He bolted out of the washroom.

“And that’s why you’re naïve. If you were truly serious, you’d achieve a victory so immaculate, your adversaries never dare revolt against you. Your inability to commit to thoroughly destroying the opposition, and do whatever it takes to win, is why you keep losing.” (Byakuya Togami, Chapter Twenty-Five)

“…I’m doing the best I can.” That should be enough…eventually.

“Hold on a second.” Ikusaba’s hand on his shoulder holds him firmly in place. He doesn’t know what reaction he gave her, but she’s quick to unhand him.

 “Thanks for not stopping me from freeing Toko. I’ll explain it to the others later.” Makoto said.

“That’s fine. I was more worried about you.”

“I’ll pull through. I have to…” That didn’t mean it’d be easy. What about any of this was? “You wouldn’t happen to have an idea who the killer could be would you?” He asks. There’s no chance of a satisfying answer but he asks.

“I can’t say. Only that it can’t be my sister and I.” Ikusaba continues.  “But on the off chance we were, don’t worry too much. You’re the last person I’d ever kill.”

That wasn’t too concerning but… “What’s special about me?”

“It was a joke.”

She…really needs to work on that. Both those sisters do. “My nerves are fried, sorry. Hiro could tell me aliens landed on the island and I’d probably take him seriously.”

“It’s understandable. But leaving Toko aside, when we catch the killer, I wonder what we’ll do with them.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we’d probably need to hold them up somewhere and have them guarded. Kinda like you were doing with Toko.”

Ikusaba’s disagreement is written on her face before even voicing her opinion. “I wouldn’t take that chance. If someone's in your way, then kill them without a second thought. You should try it sometime.”

He’d heard that one before. “Another joke?”

She shows a rare smile. “You got me. Complacency can get you killed on the battlefield.”

“Good thing this isn’t a war.”

“Yep, that’s why I was worried you’d take me seriously. Chill out a bit. Overthinking things can hurt more than help.”

“Noted.”


 

“What happened to your jacket, Makoto?” Sayaka asked.

Sayaka and Leon, the next of his classmates found him trotting the hallways.  Makoto couldn’t help wince at seeing both of them. The last impressing memory the luckster had of the two was Sayaka turning the athlete into a pin cushion.

“I sold it to Hiro.”

The pair trade glances and with wry grins, choose not to pursue the details of that transaction.

“You’re brave, walking around alone in this place.” Leon rubbed his forearms as his eyes darting from side to side.

“I’ve been doing okay so far.” Makoto dismisses their worries. He faces the idol.  “…About the Tengan guy who scouted you. Do you know anything about him?”

“He came to me with an offer to join the school. It was after a live performance. I wasn’t supposed to get any backstage visitors. I was surprised my manager let him in.” Sayaka shifted uncomfortably. “He told me to think about the admission and left the note on the dresser.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes, I think so.” The bluenette faltered.

 “Any chance you came down with a fever?”

Sayaka blinked rapidly. “Yeah. I mean sort of. I felt drowsy so I rested in bed the following day.”

That’s it? “You sure it wasn’t a worse sickness.”

Sayaka shook her head. “I’m not sure it was a fever at all. I was only a little exhausted.”

“You did a concert right? Sounds like a simple reason to me.” Leon interjected.

“That could be it.” Makoto surmised. It wasn’t as severe as Hiro described. I might be reading too much into this.

 “I’m not following, but if some old fart perving on you, just call me up and I’ll take care of him.” Leon pumped his fists.

“I guess you’ll want a reward.” Sayaka said.

The athlete grinned. “Even a kiss on the cheek will do just fine, but if you want more~”

“I’ll leave you guys to it.” Makoto said quickly, before he brought the mood here down too.

“Don’t be like that. Join us.” Sayaka offered.

“Or not. I’m good either way cuz dealing with a killer on the loose is no big deal with a hottie at my side.” Leon snaked his arm around the idol’s shoulder

“Um…are you alright with that, Leon?” Sayaka pensively stared at Leon “The womanizing jock types always die midway in these settings.”

Leon’s everything stiffens. Sayaka easily slips out of his now-stone grasp. The baseball star’s arm looks odd hanging in the air until he reboots and drops it to his side. “Like Friday the 13th? They’re movies, girl.”

“Actually, that was based on the Lake Bodom murders. A real-life massacre that happened in Finland.” She says with a deadened stare.

“Run that by me again?” Leon’s voice pitch rose several octaves.

“In 1960, four teenagers went camping near a lake; two girls and their boyfriends. I guess it was supposed to be a romantic outing for them. Sadly…it didn’t turn out that way. Come morning, three of them were dead.” She paused.

Makoto listened intently.

“The murders were horrific, I hear. The victims were stabbed through their tent. One of the girls were mutilated after she’d died. One of the boyfriends did survive, but in pretty bad shape.”

Leon’s face was white as a sheet. Whether or not Sayaka noticed, she didn’t stop. “A few suspects popped up over the years. Cases against one of the survivors was even made, but none of them stuck. As far as the public knows, the massacre is an unsolved mystery. Dreary, huh?”

“Fucking messed up more like!” Leon said between chattered teeth. He’d been antsy when Makoto first saw him, but now he looked like a ghost was latching onto his shoulders. “No way that could happen to us though. Nuh uh!”

Sayaka palmed her cheek. “I hope not, but with what Munakata said about the missing students, we might be in trouble.”

Leon’s eyes widened. “Oh no…”

“Then there’s the legend of the witch. If it was based on a true story too, and the curse was real, I might not be able to stop myself from…”

“AAAAAAAH!”

Makoto covered his ears as Leon ran off teary-eyed and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“L-Leon?” He called out wide-eyed.

“Oh no…I was only kidding.” Sayaka says.

Makoto’s head whips back to her “That was all made up!?”

Sayaka shook her head. “Oh no, those murders happened. But it apparently had nothing to do with the making of the movies. Just an unhappy coincidence.” She giggled.

“You might have traumatized him…” Maybe all the girls around him were just dangerous right from the beginning.

“I-I’m not, I promise.” She reads his mind. If he asked how, he knows she’d give the usual joke. “I might just have a little bit of interest in non-conventional stuff like that.”

“Still…now’s not the time to spook our friends.”

“Sorry, I won’t do it again. But while I have your attention, who did you think the murderer was in that story?”

Makoto blinks. “I can’t say. If it were a murder mystery novel…” He pauses, thinking back to Ryoko’s reprimands. “If it was like that, the killer would definitely be one of the characters mentioned in the story. But…real life isn’t like that. Some mysteries don’t get solved, and eventually people forget.” Makoto couldn’t process whether his shallow whispers were for the girl or himself.

“That may be, or maybe not.” Sayaka said.  “The survivor I mentioned, he’d been beaten and suffered a concussion…but not killed. The charges couldn’t stick because he was presumed too injured to have been able to kill anyone else.”

“So? You think he could still have done it somehow.”

“I’m not sure…but even if the killer can’t be identified…I think the circumstances can be reasoned out. Think about the state of the bodies. If you ask me, only someone harboring a lot of hate could have been that cruel.”

“Or they were lunatics who just loved making others miserable.” His face darkened.

“Love and hate are like two sides of the same coin, they say. When you accept others and receive it in turn, that’s love. If you reject others and are denied by them, you turn to hate.” The idol’s face loses all emotion. “However, when you can’t recognize when it’s best to love or hate…or when those emotions start to overlap…that’s when you’ve gone crazy.”

The intensity of the idol's stare had beads of sweat slide down Makoto’s cheeks. “What are you-”

Suddenly, Sayaka’s lips curve upwards and beams like the sun. “That’s why you shouldn’t ignore your girlfriend, Makoto. I know you’re still inexperienced but leaving Hina alone at a time like this? You’re asking to be hated!”

Makoto’s jaw drops.  “…SERIOUSLY!?”

“You boys are too easy.” Sayaka giggles into her palm.

Makoto smacks his forehead. All that build up, and my fake love life was what she was on about? “Quit playing around!” He yells, not with the same bite he had with Ryoko. The smile he fails to suppress makes sure of that. He felt too much like a damn fool.

“It’s your fault. You were so tense, I had to think of something.” He wasn’t buying her excuse. Not for one minute!

He’ll only, begrudgingly concede that she has a slight point. “I’m trying to cope in my own way.” Trying being the key word.

“Even so, I think you should go see Hina. She’s a good person to be around when you need cheering up. I’d do it myself, but I might be stepping out of line.”

He didn’t want to go easy on her after the stunt she just pulled but…“There’s no need for personal barriers. You’re my friends. You have my back, and I’ll have yours.” He says it more to himself than to her.

“Hmm” Sayaka puts a finger on her lips. “I dunno about that. Even if you didn’t have my back, I’d still be on your side.”

...

Makoto’s mouth hangs open after the declaration.  “What?” He worries, expects she’ll admit to playing more pranks.

“Whatever you choose to do, I’ll be on your side no matter what.” Her soft smile conveys the truth.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. His vision clouds with tears.

He wanted to rely on her (anyone really), but…there was no chance of that. She couldn’t help him, and she couldn’t keep that promise. Not against Junko. “You’ve messed with my head enough for one evening, don’t you think?” His voice cracked.

 “I can’t help it. I’m an esper.”


 

 “Evening Mr. Naegi. Although, I’m sure there are better ways we could’ve spent it.”

Makoto finds Hifumi in the laundry room, just like Celes said. Initially, Makoto wanted to see how the boy was doing, but Sayaka’s teasing gave him an idea. One he feels like slapping himself for not thinking of before.

“Yeah, barricading ourselves in a hospital in fear of a killer? Definitely not my idea of a good time.”

“Well yes, but…I was referring to Mister. Togami. It feels like he was with us only moments ago.” Hifumi slumped.

“Ah…yeah. I don’t really understand either.” Death or no, that was a sore topic he didn’t want to get into. “Anyway, I ran into Celes earlier.”

Hifumi’s demeanor plummets.

“Not taking it well, huh?”

“I am a little disappointed, but I’m not surprised.”

“I don’t know how you can put up with that treatment. This might be a break if you ask me.” The words sound overly cynical, coming from him.

“A break? I’ve never seen being around Miss. Ludenberg as a chore. Because she needs me a lot more than I need her.”

Makoto blinks. He was pretty sure Celes was the dominant one in that relationship. Did Hifumi see it differently?

The doujin author toggles his glasses as he speaks of the gambler with both admiration and pity. “I haven’t met anyone as ambitious as her before, but I think we both know she doesn’t handle her business as well as she thinks she does. Celes is very similar to Togami in that regard. I’m afraid she’ll end up alone.”

“No kidding.”

“But I still want to support her anyway I can. If mister Fujisaki is more suited to the task, then I begrudgingly hope he does his best.”

A tiny smile forms on Makoto’s face. “…Hey, if you ever feel like talking…about anything. I’m always available.”

Hifumi tilts his head. “Uh…thank you, but where’s this coming from?”

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I-Indeed.” Hifumi said nervously. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Naegi. Things might get even more dangerous.”

“Thanks for the warning. On a related note, there’s something I need to ask you about. It’s that witch’s story you spoke of a while back…”


 

 “I’m detaining Kizakura.” Kyoko explained the reason for the hawk-like gaze she trained on Kizakura in the lobby.

“Naegi, can you talk some sense into her?” Kizakura wasn’t restrained like Toko had been, but he’s looked every bit as uncomfortable.

“You are easily the most suspicious person in this building.” Kyoko said.

“If that were true – and it’s not – wouldn’t sticking around me be putting you in danger?”

“I can handle myself.”

Kizakura looks at him for help.

Makoto feels sympathetic. He’s not sure why, but there’s not much anger he feels towards the man. “Why’d you hide the disappearances from us.”

Kizakura didn’t have an ally in this argument. “Could you mention any of what you heard in my position, when you had no proof?”

…Ah, that’s why, Makoto realized he was being a hypocrite.

“I’ve been trying to interrogate him the whole time, he won’t say a thing. Much like you.”

“Actually Kyoko, there’s something I need your help with solving. It might help us out of this jam.” Makoto’s proposal had the detective change targets and finally stop glowering at the older man.

“Talk.”

“It’s about the witch’s legend. Do you…remember it?”

“More or less. I don’t see what it has to do with our situation though.”

“It might, if we can decipher a hidden context.”

“You think the legend is just a smokescreen or symbolic for a more rational conclusion.” Kyoko deduced.

“More of a hint, but along those lines yeah.”

The stoic debated with herself over whether to humor him or return to glaring at Koichi Kizakura.

“Go ahead.” She decided the former would be a better use of her time.

“I got Hifumi to write it out for me, like a story.” Makoto brings out the sheet of paper. Kyoko walks over to one side and looks down.

There used to be a witch who lived here a thousand years ago.

 “I don’t think it could be exactly that number. Hifumi agreed and said a thousand years was just a famously grandiose time frame.”

An ordinary girl washed ashore on the island after a shipwreck. The natives feared she was cursed and summoned the local priest to perform an exorcism.

“The start is typical occurrence of the times. An isolated culture would be afraid of the difference in appearance and strange circumstances. Fear breeds suspicion, irrationality and violence.” Kyoko said.

“I hope you’ll remember that when dealing with me.” Kizakura inched closer, taking an interest in their review. He stands by Makoto’s other side.

Afterwards, the inhabitants began contracting strange diseases and misfortune, even the great priest was said to have died. They blamed the foreigner and made her into a sacrifice to appease the island's God.

“The diseases that killed the islanders…” Makoto started.

“That’s also common. It’s a fact that foreign invaders brought disease with them that natives had no cure or resistance towards. Smallpox for example decimated natives because it was brought by the Europeans. It wouldn’t be surprising if they chalked the cause up to magic from malicious intent.” Kyoko explained

She was tortured and beaten for 16 days before she finally died after being run through with a spear and was left to bleed out to death. The natives later burned her corpse

 “Then she was killed. Gruesome way to go. Must’ve been some kind of purification ritual. The stuff people buy into.” Kizakura chuckled, making light of the incident. Makoto’s sure he thinks it’s all made up. Maybe it is, but Makoto knew horrors like that existed in the world. He’s experienced it. They’ve experienced it.

He’s just the only one cursed with remembering.

The charred remains had vanished. The inhabitants went into a frenzy trying to find who was responsible… the community began to change. Some mysteriously committed suicide, some said they saw the witch's ghost at night and others were driven to murder their own families.

Kyoko places a hand at her chin. “This is where reality exits. I can think of multiple explanations for the missing corpse, but the inhabitants going on a rampage and slaughtering one another…I’m not sure that’s explainable. Hysteria and panic maybe, the ‘demons’ can also be a metaphor for the loss of humanity. However, it’s said the deaths began with suicides and that the murders came after, over time.”

“Is that important?” Makoto asks.

Kizakura answers. “Take it from me. When the public blows their gasket, it’s usually all at once. Time gives you room to think rationally and smoothen things over. Meh, just more proof the legend is just a myth.”

Kyoko traced her finger over one of the final lines.

The island soon turned into a sea of blood ridden with mutilated bodies and demons taken human form. And then one morning came and there were none left alive

 “Right here. How did the story spread if there was nobody left to tell the tale?” Kyoko smirks.

“Maybe there were records left…but that’d be impossible to prove I figure.”

“An isolated society likely wouldn’t speak or understand foreign language. Who could decipher any records left behind?”

Is that true? Could there really be no other way?

“For that reason, all stories that end in “they all died” have to be fabrications. Either wholly made up…or the truth was intentionally distorted by the living.”

The living…something about this story is…wrong.

“Even if the origin was relatively similar to the legend, embellishments are unavoidable. So long as we can’t discern what is being altered, I don’t think this witch’s story is of use.” Kyoko concluded.

Makoto was lost in thought.

“About the witch, or the girl who was propped up as one. Can we figure anything about her?” Kizakura asked.

“She’s more a figurehead but... is intended to be a victim turned aggressor. That’s also normal. The shipwreck could have been raided, sunk, or she was unlucky. Either way, she’s lost something and her ‘rescuers’ were hostiles who falsely accused her. Violence escalates and according to the legend, she kills them all.”

“Sounds like your everyday revenge story. In that case, is there anyone we’ve managed to piss off that’d use this as a front?”

“It’s worth thinking about. It could involve the class from two years ago.” Kyoko glares at the teacher.

“Or maybe Juzo and Munakata are our perps. Revenge certainly seems like a decent motive for them.” Kizakura said.

“All the more reason why you talking would benefit us.”

Revenge…That doesn’t sound right. It doesn’t sound like Junko, and more importantly.

I’m not sure…but even if the killer can’t be identified…I think the circumstances can be reasoned out. Think about the state of the bodies. If you ask me, only someone harboring a lot of hate could have been that cruel.”

“Or they were lunatics who just loved making others miserable.”

“Are we sure revenge was the motive in the story?” Makoto blurted out. Think like Junko. She had no reason to hate him or his friends. She was just insane. And if there’s no hate or connection…how can her motive be revenge? “There’s one part about what Hifumi wrote that bugged me.” He tapped the middle section.

While they had no decisive evidence, they still called her a demon because they couldn't understand her language, her name or even where she came from. Her lack of expression and indifference to their hatred only made them uneasy.

 “Is indifference really the reaction for that situation?” He looked t the others. “If I was trapped in a situation like that, I’d either do my best to explain who I was or figure out a way off the island if it was dangerous. If she was so…unemotional that she could scare the villagers, it sounds to me the witch wasn’t exactly uh…normal from the beginning.”

“It could be signs of trauma. Like I said, who knows what she might’ve lost on that ship.” Kyoko countered. “Besides, even excluding that explanation. What would change exactly?”

Come on Makoto, there’s definitely something here. There’s no way Junko cares about revenge alone, and she doesn’t feel like a victim to me...

doesn’t feel…like a victim

“That’s it!” Makoto’s eyes widened. “This story doesn’t make sense.”

“Yeah, we already figured that out?” Kizakura patted Makoto’s head like he was a dullard.

“No, I mean, it doesn’t make sense fantastically.”  He shook his head, wrangling out of the teacher’s grip. “It says she was tortured for 16 days, then killed. The fictional-sounding bits come after her body was burned. If she had those powers all along, why go along with the torture? Why wait that long?”

“Maybe it only happened after she died?”

“Then why is she called a witch?” Makoto raised his voice

Kyoko’s features tightened.That label usually denotes humans – mainly female – who dabbled in the occult. Witches were more likened to living humans. In folklore, those who accessed dark magic and curses after death are vengeful spirits or demons…” Mild shock crossed the detective’s face. “In that case, why distinguish between the witch and he demons, the villagers later became?”

“Then either she was never a witch…or she was one from the beginning.” Kizakura stroked his beard as he caught on. “Usually, the villagers are the ones who make the first mistake, then pay for it, but what if their accusations were correct? If that’s so…she must have been twisted, to just sit there and wait to die.”

“Going back to Makoto’s observations. Her despondence indicates she was mentally unstable from the beginning of the story, trauma or no.  Adding on, our supposed witch leaves final words.”

The legend has it that all of this was the result of the witch's revenge and that she still roams around to these parts even to this day, spreading Despair to all who visit

“A curse to her wrongdoers makes for evocative foreboding, it’s meant to make the readers empathize her vengeful desire…but the witch’s reactions are omitted from the story. The only mention is that she had none. On one hand, we could write this off as incompetent reiteration from the story-teller…”

“It’s Hifumi, he’d never skip out on the important parts.” He was the Ultimate fanfic writer.

“Then the more likely case is that the witch’s reactions were not worth noting even in the original source.  It almost sounds like she was playing a game while masquerading as a victim.” Kyoko comments.

“In our circumstances, what would that even mean? The killer is pretending to a victim, but is just a psycho using pretext to screw with us?” Kizakura raised an eyebrow.

“Moreso that they created the pretext and are blending in as a victim.”

That sounds a lot more like Junko, and the blackened.

“Then the villagers…or everyone but the witch really, are victims.” Makoto nodded to himself. They were on the right track…and now the story vividly represents their scenario. Now maybe they can learn something more-

“Or they were all perpetrators.”

What?” Makoto slowly turned towards Kyoko like she’d slapped him in the face.

“Likely not of the same crime, but perpetrators, nonetheless. If we’re going the route where we analyze what wasn’t said, we ought to account for the absence of the community’s morality. Nothing is ever said of them being good people and savage societies weren’t uncommon in that era. Given there was mention of ‘sacrificing to the island deity’, it probably wasn’t a practice they invented on the spot.”

“Yeah, but…that’s not enough to prove we-they were bad people.”

“…Proof? They’re the one who didn’t have any when making accusations.” Kyoko said. “They didn’t just sacrifice the woman and leave it at that. There was no trial either. They tortured her for weeks. Then murdered her. Then burned her.  The first two steps could have been skipped entirely. That sin can’t be washed away just because they weren’t the instigators. Remember the end: the islanders all transformed into demons and died.”

The ‘demons’ can also be a metaphor for the loss of humanity.

Kizakura grinned ruefully. “A tale with no victims and no survivors.”

Except one. The witch who only pretended to be human in the first place.

Makoto went cold, as he alone understood the meaning.

“Putting it that way, it makes you feel a lot less bad for the guys.”

Makoto’s arm fell to his side, dropping the note. Wordlessly, his legs move. To where? He didn’t know.

“Where are you going?” Kyoko asked.

“Getting some air.” He replied.

Kyoko and Kizakura watched the luckster leave.

“I told you there was something up with him.” Kizakura said grimly.

Kyoko blankly stares at Makoto’s retreating form.

- [Kyoko Kirigiri: 2 nights ago]-

 

It was 11 pm.

She knocked 3 times on the door to Makoto’s room. To be precise, the room in the infirmary where he slept. The careless luckster had come down with a sudden, undisclosed illness.

Kyoko knew Makoto for a long time. At least half that period had been an imposition on his part, but he’d grown on her. Spontaneous fainting spells were not in his profile. He got sick like every other average teenager, certainly, but nothing so out of the blue. Nor severe enough to render him unconscious for hours.

“I’m coming in.” Kyoko twisted the doorknob. To her surprise, the room was empty. “…Togami.” Kyoko grimaced at the heir’s callousness. He’d insisted to watch over Makoto. A fact that raised alarm bells in the detective’s mind as grossly out of character for the boy. Now both were nowhere to be seen.

Kyoko searched the area for any clues to where they might have gone. All she finds were obvious traces that someone had been here recently, a messy bed, swimming trunks laying around and…a letter?

The detective grasps the letter in her gloved hands.

"If you've found this, then you must be pretty fortunate. Unfortunately, I don't really know who I'm addressing right now. If you're an offender, then please hang this note back if you don't mind. You probably won't but who knows, maybe you're a mannerly guy/girl who happens to like killing. It couldn't hurt to ask. If you're one of the new Ultimates scrambling for your lives, then good news, this message is for you, and it might just improve your chances! That might be presumptuous of me to say, but I think the circumstances warrant a bit of help. Of course, this won't be for free. I need to test you to see if you've really got what it takes to win this killing game. I've already been disappointed before, so I hope you'll be different. Go to the Final Dead Room and win the highest setting of Russian Roulette. Your reward is there.

P.S. You're probably wondering how I knew somebody would find the letter in this remote area. Multiple reasons for that actually - It's embarrassing to say but I've got my back against the wall even now, so I don't really have too many options. Serves trash like me right. Still, I'm sure someone will find this letter, because I'm lucky that way. You see, I'm Class 77-B's Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda.”

“What is this nonsense?” Kyoko finally said, after rereading it over. She shoved the letter into her jacket.


The contents Nagito Komaeda had presumably written down sounded like gibberish at first. She couldn’t comprehend why Makoto had such a thing.

Then she observed him the coming morning. Though there was a clear attempt at hiding his changed demeanor, it was at a novice’s level at best. There wasn’t a chance Kyoko could overlook Makoto’s hardened stares at their classmates. No, that was much too generous. The look he’d given them at breakfast was one she’d seen many times in her line of work.

The look of a witness searching for a culprit among a row of suspects.

Then his talk of stalkers and captives. Which he blatantly lied about. Why? She hadn’t the faintest.

Then Byakuya Togami died.

And Makoto did not respond as Makoto Naegi would. She didn’t see the shock or the horror. Only depression and failure.

Now he’d pursed what ought to have been fictitious, and it appeared to be leading somewhere. Even Kyoko felt the tale of the witch had purpose now, but it seemed Makoto had been sure of that from the start. He wanted to find a connection. And that left Kyoko stumped. On a rare occasion, Kyoko Kirigiri had no idea what the hell was going on. That would need rectifying soon.

Now her mind was focused on a single, jarring fact:

“To do that, I need the trust and cooperation of everyone here, you included. Is there anything you’re leaving out? Anything crucial you’d like to tell me?

“…There’s nothing else to say.”

“He lied to me.”


 

Makoto felt like his body moved on its own in the hallways, stiffly and without purpose.

His body shook with each step. The vibrations occurring mostly in his arms. He stops in front of an open room. He walks inside. It’s empty, as mundane and monotonous as all the others. It didn’t matter. What drew him here was a worthless object he could find anywhere.

A mirror. Long and fixed to the wall.

His fingers touch the glass, tracing his reflection. His face is twisted into a frown. His skin is pale. Heavy bags lay under his eyes.

He hadn’t slept in days. How could he when everyone was on death’s door? When every waking second had to be spent thinking of how to stay alive? How to get his friends to stay alive? Something they tried so very hard NOT to do.

They horribly underestimate the situation (even though one of them was already dead), like it didn’t concern them, like they were safe!

They didn’t remember. He did. He DID. And he always would.

His pupils dilated as understanding hits him once more. His eyes were their usual gray. Not red.

His brows contract as his face morphs into a rage. The expression is off, it doesn’t belong there. It fights right at home with the compulsive Mondo, but not the passive, meek Makoto.

But he learns, he adapts, and succeeds.

He wasn’t afraid or dejected anymore. The vibrations and constrictions of his muscles were all because of anger.

That stupid story didn’t help. It wasn’t supposed to. Who started it? When did it start? How? He knew neither, but he knew why.

 It was all a convoluted taunt directed at them. At HIM.

IF he was smart enough to figure it out. Which he evidently was. Smart enough to see through Junko’s schemes, and to see that he’d forever be in the palm of her hand.

Another reminder that the atrocities he’s gone through has all been for their entertainment.

His fingers claw at the mirror.

We- I will never become like you, and I am not going to lose to you.

He hears her laughter. The horrid laughter that sends shivers down his spine.

And in the mirror, he sees Her. A face devoid of imperfections, that’ll haunt even his nightmares.

Makoto pulls his arm back and propels his fist into the mirror, cracking the glass.

He arm rolls back and flies again

And again

And again

Even as blood runs from his hand.

One day, these hands will reach her. That person who looks down on him from above and thinks she can toy with his life.

She’ll pay

I’ll make her pay

I’ll…!” Finally, he stops, and shoves forbidden thoughts back…one step too late. His vision clears of red. Junko's gone. All he sees in the shattered glass, is his fragmented self.

Makoto sinks to his knees, clutching his bloodiedhand.

The seeds of mutual killing begin to sprout.

The first to bear witness stood only a few steps away, observing from outside the room.

Sakura Ogami's trained gaze sees it all                     

Notes:

It's been three years and much longer than planned, but this story finally reached the halfway point. Over the course of the fic, I’d been working in various subplots and building blocks for the overarching plot. Save one or two big reveals, this is where that stops. This is the turning point and gradually, it'll be time for answers.
 
You might be thinking Naegi’s too early for a breakdown like this. The answer is yes and no. No, because he’s not in despair or anything that would threaten his sanity. He’s just really angry, which is a state he has no experience dealing with. Makoto’s had outbursts before but they've been superficial mood swings overshadowed by fear. Thanks to various factors, his situation has sunk in entirely. He wouldn’t always be this depressive. This is just the first time he was ahead of the game, and things are still progressing as they normally would. The hopelessness he feels now is transient, but important in the long term.

Chapter 27: (One Step Forward, Three Steps Back)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

18 sleeping bags were scattered around the ward.

15 bodies filled them

14 were sound asleep.

The three out of their beds were Mondo, Chihiro and a begrudged Celestia on lookout. The ward was the biggest and safest place to hide away in the night aftmer they’d moved all the clutter away.

There weren’t any windows, and only one entrance. Groups of three were to take 75-minute shifts while the rest slept. All save one.

Makoto was awake long after his shift ended. He doesn’t sleep a wink, even when the sun rises.

That morning, Mondo, Sakura, Ikusaba and Hifumi were to nab supplies from the hotel and the supermarket.

Munakata remained in the lobby. The leader always needed to be within reach. Currently, he discussed plans of action with Kyoko and Kizakura, mapping out possible routes for the group to take from this point on. The rest of them all meandered around in the hospital, searching for some way to keep busy.

Before the group departed, Aoi confronted him first thing asking for a favor. “Let’s go running.” Despite being in the same group, the swimmer was filled with energy.

Makoto slipped his wounded hand in his pocket. “What good would that do?”

“Exercise makes you feel better.” Makoto knew that but…he had better things to be doing with his time. “I’m just fine.” He lied.

Aoi prodded his chest. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. You’re totally faking right now. Even I can tell.”

Makoto cringed inwardly. Was his acting so bad he couldn’t even fool Hina?

“Sorry. I’m not in the mood right now. For anything.” He lightly smacked her fingers away. He starts to turn around. “Stay safe, Hina.” More than a warning, it was a cowardly act. He knew he’d be neglecting her, but their lives were more important than anything else.

“Pardon my interruption.” Sakura blocked his exit. When had she even gotten behind him? “There’s a matter I wish to discuss with you. Kindly allow me to borrow him, Hina.” The fighter turns to the swimmer, who nods slowly.

Makoto frowned. “Can we do it another time?”

It will be quick.”

And so, Makoto found himself in a spare hospital room with the strongest woman in the world. “Please sit.” Sakura had said.

Makoto motioned for the bed, but the fighter’s pointed downwards to the floor.

 “What are we doing?” The brunet asked as he copied Sakura, sitting in a meditative position.

“I watched you break the mirror with your fists the previous night. Or did you break your fists on the mirror?”

Shit, he needs to be more careful.

“And you never slept afterwards. Even after you, Hina and I finished shift duty.” She continues.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

 The rare show of pessimism doesn’t discourage the stern giant. “There comes a time where everyone has battles only they can face. If you do not wish to confide in us, that is your choice. However, you shouldn’t forsake assistance. I implore you train with me.”

“Train?” He didn’t think he could keep up with her. With the difference in statures, Makoto felt a single glance of her fist would put him out like a light…

“And that’s why you’re naïve. If you were truly serious, you’d achieve a victory so immaculate, your adversaries never dare revolt against you. Your inability to commit to thoroughly destroying the opposition, and do whatever it takes to win , is why you keep losing.” (Byakuya Togami, Chapter Twenty-Five)

Makoto claws at his pants. Togami’s rebuke was a curse he couldn’t exorcize from his mind.

Wasn’t there more he could have done? That he could do?

“But back to what I was saying…do you guys even realize what kind of position you’re in? Ikusaba, Mondo, Sakura and Genocider. Any one of those four would have been a total pain to deal with…so I needed to get rid of them. There were a few kinks along the way, but I think we can say it turned out alright. They off’d each other with me barely having to lift a finger. Now, the rest of you will be easy to pick off.” (Leon Kuwata, Chapter 6)

“Would I become strong?” He asked with burning determination.

“If that’s what you desire.”

“…When do we start?”

“We have already begun.” Sakura smiled.

Makoto blinked. He’d expected them to find a spacious area and start practicing or maybe some fundamentals…

“Mental exercises.  I want you to take deep breaths, then visualize the obstacle you face and conceive how you would rid yourself of it.” Sakura explained

After hearing her instructions, Makoto takes deep breaths and closes his eyes. His face twitch as he visualizes a certain evil woman.  His concentration doesn’t last more than a few moments. Just thinking of Junko placed his emotions in disarray. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what’s the point of this?”

“You wouldn’t hand over a pistol to someone without a permit. Martial arts is similar; a weapon to be used to protect or destroy. Before you train the body, you must temper the mind.”


“Are you...having fun?” Mukuro Ikusaba’s voice snaps Makoto out of his mediation. The soldier places her hands behind her back, watching him with curious eyes.

“What’s up, Ikusaba-san? You guys back already?” Makoto smiles as best he can.

“Sakura told me I’d find you here.” The fighter had left Makoto to his own devices while she went accompanied the others to the supermarket.

“Did you need something?” He asks.

“Ryoko wanted me to check what was up with you.” The raven-haired girl. said.

Makoto tilted his head. “She…couldn’t have come herself?”

“She’s still sulking from you yelling at her yesterday.” Oh right. He blew a gasket… “Although to tell the truth, I’m worried too.” It seemed like this would be a continuation of their conversation last night. It was weird of her to feel that way…but he appreciated the gesture.

 “I’m better now that I’ve got my thoughts in order.”

Mukuro furrowed her eyebrows. “Since when did you take up meditation?”

“Since right now. Sakura’s teaching me martial arts.” The information evoked a surprised look from the soldier. On that note… “Did you practice like this…as a soldier I mean.”

She looked like she had questions herself but chooses to answer his. “…It’s the same concentration principle, but Fenrir’s teachings were a lot more extreme. You were taught to disregard human life – no, it’s more accurate to say, ‘taught that killing was fine if it was for the mission’.”

“H-How did you go through with that?” While he knew of Ikusaba’s occupation, she was like any other girl whenever he spoke to her.

“I didn’t. The Sargent said I was a natural.”

“O-Oh.” Should he ask how her time in Fenrir was? Probably not, he can’t imagine many good memories would come out of it for her.

“If it’s physical training you want, I’d be free to teach you later if Sakura approves.” Ikusaba offers

“I’d love that.” Makoto was far from in top shape but compared to the morning, his mood had uplifted considerably

“Why go through the trouble though? Are you thinking of fighting the killer?” She inquired with a level tone.

“Something like that.”

“I wouldn’t advise it.” The freckled girl continues. “It’s a bit pointless. No matter how much Sakura and I run you ragged, you wouldn’t see improvements for weeks. Do you think we’ll still be on the island by then?”

“I…no, we won’t. We definitely won’t.” …. “But I still think I should do this. Just to be safe.” There was always a path to victory if he searched a bit. He had astounding classmates…and friends to seek advice from, even if he couldn’t be forthright with them.

…Then again “Are we friends?”

“Huh?” Ikusaba did a double take.

“Ah…I was thinking, we’ve barely talked, even though we’ve been classmates for a long time.” He knew little more than her name and strange relationship with her sister. That might’ve gone for a lot of his classmates. “I thought you might dislike us a little.”

“Is…that how it looks?” Ikusaba asks, fumbling with her gloved fingers in a way that reminds Makoto of his younger self confessing a minor wrongdoing to his parents. “I’m a soldier, y’know? Dangerous? I’m not exactly friend-material, so I thought nobody would bother…”

Makoto chokes out an authentic laugh. “S-Sorry, didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just…have you seen everyone? Celes and Hiro do illegal stuff all the time. And I’ve been punched by Mondo before…” Makoto rubs his cheek. Recalling how poorly his first meetings with the biker went. “What I’m trying to say is, I think you fit right at home in our class.

For a time, Ikusaba only stared with bewilderment. “Ryoko’s the only one who’s ever welcomed me like that.”

Makoto was simultaneously shocked and relieved. Shocked that only her sister had done so. Relieved that her sister had done so. “I’m glad. Sometimes, I think she’s way too neglectful.” He sighed. “But hey, you have us too now. Wanna take a seat?” He pats the bed besides him.

Ikusaba looked tempted. “I’d love to but…I have to keep watch over Toko. Sakakura’s probably cursing my name for taking so long.”

 “Oh…sorry for putting that on your lap.” Makoto apologized. “Don’t be too harsh on Toko. I’m sure she’s hurt a lot right now.”

“She is.” Mukuro said simply.


It was almost time for lunch. He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. Makoto walked to the lunchroom, wondering what Mondo and the others brought back with them.

“Good day, Makoto.” Celes caught him on the way, an unassailable smile plastered on her porcelain face. He returns the gesture with one of his own.

His smile falls when he spots her entourage.

 “Rumor has it you’ve come under Sakura’s tutelage.” Celes’ red eyes roam him up and down. “A wise choice. Muscle definition is a definite asset to rising up the ranks of fine butlers.”

“I didn’t know I was in the pool.”

“Everyone is. I keep that information to myself however.” That’s disconcerting. “By the way…I’ve noticed a great change in you.”

“I didn’t know so many people paid attention to me.”

“Is that problematic?”

“It’s bugging me a bit, yeah.” Moreso, it was getting in the way of his investigations.

“’Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all’” She spouts rhetoric.

“Debatable.”

“That side of you intrigues me.” Celes started, arms falling front as she looked askance. “I could never understand that viewpoint.”

“Is that why you dress like that?” Makoto brought a finger to his chin.

Celes blinked. Thrice. Then, “Chihiro darling, could you fetch us some drinks?”

“Now?” The smaller boy turned to her. “We’re going to lunch, aren’t we?”

“We are. I would like extra milk on my royal milk tea. That will take you around 15-20 minutes depending on how well you get it done. In that time, I would like to have a conversation with Makoto here.” Celes ordered.

“…Yes ma’am.” Chihiro scampered off.

“Now then, let us be off to my table, Makoto.”

He had a feeling that wasn’t a request.


Makoto sits across Celes, a table sprawled with playing cards, separates them. He looks over the cards in his hand to the other tables in the lunchroom. Many of their friends had begun to settle in elsewhere.

 “So, you hate attention.” Celes spoke up, shielding her hand from him. The gambler proposed they play a few rounds of poker. Makoto obliged.

“I didn’t say that. I’m just…a little fed up with everyone butting into my business.” He places his bet.

“In that case, learn to better hide your business - Call.” The gambler declares.

Makoto groans at his loss.

Celes let out an enigmatic laugh. “You are easy to read. Lately not as easy you should be, but not much better either.”

“I’d really like to know where the sudden interest is coming from.” He mumbles.

The gothic-lolita locked her fingers. “Because we’re kindred spirits, you and me. Not just in luck, but background.”

His head snapped up. “What?”                                                                                             

“I was born on the countryside and my name is Taeko Yasuhiro.” Her voice lowers at the bold confession.

Makoto was at a loss for words. With how badly she tried to hide her identity. Why tell him at a spur of the moment? Celes never talks about herself.

 “All of this was a lie, of course.” She says

…No, that was the truth. Why is she backtracking?

“You ought to retain your composure and deceive as flawlessly as that. If you can pull off a maneuver a third as good as that. You’ll be fine.” Celes smirks.

Ah, I guess it’s not that strange. It shouldn’t be possible for me to verify her claims. It’s only natural that she thinks she’s fooled me.

I’m the strange one here. “I’m not too skilled at lying.”

“That’s because you don’t understand your strengths.”

“What strengths?” Makoto freezes.

 “Everyone has their own methods, usually trained without them knowing. Some carry on lies to the point of absurdity and crash. Some prefer to mix in truths to make a lie more credible, but you’d probably flounder in either case. If you’d asked me, you’re the sort that’s better off withholding the truth.”

“As in…I should keep quiet?” Makoto touched his chin.

Celes was tempted to laugh at his naivete. “You shouldn’t lie directly. Be vague and ambiguous. If the other party jumps to the wrong conclusions, then all the better. Your conscience won’t be as affected by saying too little. With a little practice, you could get the hang of it. At the very least, I believe concealing your emotions would get nosy women off your back. Maybe more.”

More indeed. “This might sound a little out there but…could you teach me how to lie?”

The gambler’s eyes twinkled. “There is something different about you.”

Makoto said nothing.

“Very well, but you have it backwards. I can’t teach you how to be a good liar. You can only learn it through experience, such as our little poker game.” Celes pointed to the cards. “It might be too much to expect you to spot lies in others for now, but you ought to at least be able to keep your own tells in check.”

“R-Really? Thanks.”  

“The pleasure is mine, for the bit of information the other day. About the witch.”  Celes looks down at the cards below. “Truth be told, I believed in those silly tales once.”

He knows. “It’s like Santa Claus. Everyone believes in them at some point.”

A dark chuckle flees the girl’s lips. “Come now. Christmas fantasies are harmless compared to the occult. I remember back when I was a little girl watching or reading stories of princes and princesses. Normally, most people are infatuated by the romance and the prospects of their dreams coming true…but it was the witches that fascinated me. The princesses, they all looked to the same to me, had the same stories, similar backgrounds, identical Prince Charmings. All so very boring.” Celes’ confession was delivered in a soft tone that he couldn’t doubt the authenticity. If she was lying, then she really deserved her talent.

“That sounds like you.” Makoto scratched his cheek.

“I’m sure you mean that as a compliment. I’d rather be thought of cruelly, than boring.” Makoto couldn’t understand that, but he could respect her opinion. “Many of them were women, often older, certainly uglier, and always colorful. You’ll notice their motives were never all the same. Be it revenge, advance in status or beauty, they had the power to make their desires a reality. It never worked, of course, but they tried, staying true to themselves without excuses. I find it in poor taste that their mundane desire is framed as something terrible, when many would wish the same in their position.”

“It’s less what they wished for, and how they went about it. Boring or otherwise, they did horrible things.” Makoto explained.

The gambler nods happily. “Yes, that’s why in the end, there’s no hard feelings involved for anyone. They lived only for themselves, their malice, had their fun and then self-destructed…not unlike a supernova. It makes for a beautifully wrapped ending, wouldn’t you say?”

He shook his head. “I honestly can’t.”

“You only have to know.” The red-eyed girl twirled her curls between her metallic finger. “I wanted to be like them. Wise, powerful and self-indulgent. Of course, this was all before I discovered my European heritage.”

Makoto shook his head at her incorrigibility. “And your dream changed to wanting a castle.”

“Yes, but I suppose the core is the same. I wish to live for myself alone, elegantly.”

“There are downsides to that lifestyle.”

“High reward, high risk. I would gladly die early, making the most of my life than live long accomplishing nothing.”

 “That’s not something to say in this situation.” Makoto said between grit teeth.

“It’s hyperbole, dear.  I don’t agree with Hina’s philosophy. When I play, I do everything in my power to win. And as I have yet to fulfill my dream, chances of dying are rather slim.”

“That’s exactly what Togami would say.”

Celes scoffed “I’m not quite so full of hot air. I’ve worked hard and proven myself to get to where I am. I wasn’t born into power.”

…Huh? “Togami said he wasn’t either.” Celes would never make a slip like forgetting that.

“He didn’t do much to prove that, did he? It turns out when you hide the truth of yourself, what will be remembered best about you will be the lies. He has nobody to blame but himself.” She proudly declared.

 “What are you guys talking about?” Their conversation is interrupted by the programmer, bringing a tray of freshly brewed beverages with him.

"Thanks." Makoto accepted the fresh brew.

“About the castle I am soon to own. I must keep an eye out for many potential butlers such as yourself.” Celes coyly replied.

Butlers…sounded more like victims to the luckster.

“By the way, Makoto.” Celes began “Are you certain it’s wise to spend all your time with me? Not that I can blame you.”

“Huh?”

“Hina’s been staring at this table for quite a while.”

- [Leon Kuwata] -

Trouble in paradise – sounds appropriate right about now. What with Makoto and Hina sitting next to each other and…not talking!

Leon munches of a sandwich stuffed to the brim with meat and toppings. Not because he was a glutton, but as they weren’t looking all that hungry, he should eat for their sakes too, yeah?

Damn, the silence is awkward.

 “Yo, Makoto. Heard you’ve gotten under Sakura’s wing. I don’t envy ya.” The news spread quickly and hey, it’d be good for the little guy to put on some muscle. The lean kiddie look is way out of style with the ladies.

Hina picks up a tasty looking meatball from her spaghetti and chucks it right at him. Leon opens wide and intercepts the meat with his mouth. “Hehe. Sucks for you, but I’m used to getting balls thrown in my face.”

The lovebirds grimace sharply.

“Okay, yeah. That didn’t come out right. But chill, Hina. I’m just saying, that’s sounds like rough work.”

“If it was easy, I doubt it’d be worth it.” Makoto replied. Leon wouldn’t necessarily agree with that, having been gifted by the big man upstairs with flawless physique. The face was a nice bonus too.

Hina huffed, folding her arms. Makoto looked sideways and said nothing.

Yikes. What’d he do to get in the doghouse?

“You’re in a better mood.” Makoto said.

No dude! Talk to her, not me! “I don’t scare easy. No biggie.”

 “You were out of it after Sayaka’s story…”

“Don’t bring that up. Sayaka says she was kidding around, but I’m still freaked.” Leon shuddered, looking in every direction. He lands on their resident serial killer and NOPES right back to Makoto. “It really a good idea to be letting Toko lose?”

Makoto frowned. “We already knew that Syo was bad news. That didn’t stop us from trusting Toko before.”

That’s true, and while Toko was a freak, Leon didn’t hold it against her. Or he wouldn’t normally. “Yeah but maybe this island is messing with her head. Like you know, the witch’s curse!”

“Wow, you really are freaked.” Aoi said unimpressed.

“Blame that blue-haired tease.” Leon grit his teeth. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine and looked to the idol’s table, shared with Kyoko, Kizakura and Hagakure.

She didn’t hear me, did she?

“Even Syo does get a little crazy. It’s not like we can’t handle her.” Aoi rolled her eyes.

Leon jerked his finger at his chest. “Easy for a girl to say, you’re off her radar. Syo kills hot guys.”

“So?”

“That means I’m next!” There it is again, looking at me like I was…well, Hiro. Rude.

“Trust me. You’re not dying because you’re attractive.” Makoto deadpanned.

“For real. If that’s what you’re worried about, Chihiro would be the one in danger.” Aoi slurped a strand of spaghetti. Leon sees that smile she tries to suppress. Yikes, forcing herself to be mad at food? Makoto’s done it this time.

“That’s not what I meant. If Toko becomes Syo, we’ll know since her eyes turn red.” Makoto explained.

Leon paused. “Oh yeaaaaaah. That’s so weird.” But he was feeling a lot safer knowing there was a warning sign for him to run to the next corner of the island. At least, “Unless she can hide it somehow.” He bit into his sandwich.

“…Say that again?” Makoto asked slowly

 “You know. Maybe she can turn it on or off at will. Like we don’t know that works, do we?” Leon mused.

Color drained from Makoto’s face.

“There ain’t food on my goatee, is there?” The athlete reached for his hair extension.

“Where did you get those contacts?” Makoto’s question almost came out as a whisper.

“Hah?”

“The contacts.”  He repeats, a lot louder this time.

Leon arched his eyebrow. “I don’t wear contacts.” These baby blues were au naturale.

Makoto’s dilated eyes flitter to the table and him rapidly.

“Bro, you’re looking like I’m the serial killer.”

“E-Excuse me. I have somewhere to go.” He tries to leave his chair.

Hina bangs her hand on the table, startling them. The swimmer looked Makoto’s way since he first sat down. “Aren’t you training with Sakura later?”

…Leon gulped down his food at the dangerously low tone.

Makoto rubbed the back of his neck.

“You think you can keep up on an empty stomach?” Hina narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to waste her time?”

“Yo, Makoto. Just eat up a bit, yeah. Sakura and the others went all that way…” Leon interjected.

The not-so-lucky dumbass parked his ass back on the seat. He didn’t speak again for the rest of lunch. But Leon noticed Makoto sneaking glances his way.

What spooked him so badly?


“I trust you had a satisfactorily lunch.” Sakura started, as she arranged a meetup on the outskirts of the hospital.

“Makoto barely touched half his food.” Hina reported, clearly still angry at him. Leave it to Sayaka to predict the future. Maybe she should start teaming up with Hiro to form Team Psychic.

“I ate enough. What’s the plan? And um…why’s Hina here?” He asked.

“Is that a problem?” The tanned girl growled.

“N-No. I was just wondering if you knew martial arts too…”

“Hina will be learning as well.” Sakura said. “Before we begin. I would like you to close your eyes and mediate for a full minute. Do not open them, no matter what.”

“Okay.” He nodded and followed the fighter’s instructions. His mind went to projecting the obstacles in his path

Leon’s eyes finally opened, his sclera were a light color and watery from the spray but Makoto knew he could see fine; there was no swelling either.

He raised his only working arm and grazed his irides with his fingers.

On the tips of his fingers now laid a pair of transparent contact lenses.

Makoto suppressed a shudder as his fears were realized. Leon was now looking at them with the same scarlet eyes as Mondo. (Chapter Five)

“Makoto.”

Sakura’s voice brings him back. “Are we finished?” He rubbed his eyes.

“You were meditating quite deeply…I am impressed at your concentration if nothing else.” Sakura looked him over, expressing both interest and confusion.

“It’s no-” Makoto motioned to scratch his cheek with his hand, only to notice a ‘weight’ that hadn’t been there until now. “Eh?” Metallic cuffs link his wrist to Aoi’s. The swimmer shoots him a sly smirk.

“W-What’s going on here?”

“I must admit to having ulterior motives.” Sakura sent him an apologetic yet determined look. “I had noticed you giving Hina trouble. In exchange for my assistance, I ask that you deepen your relationship.”

“A-Are you laughing?” Makoto gaped.

“Quit whining already.” Hina pouted.

Makoto’s brow twitched in annoyance. After inhaling deep breaths, he could see how it’d come -to this. He had, without meaning to, shunned Hina for a while. And this was just a desperate, crazy retaliation.

…She’s probably even more embarrassed about this than I could be. “I know I’ve been a bit…neglectful, but there’s a good reason, I promise. We don’t have to do…this.”

Aoi huffed. “So what, you won’t keep ditching me to run off who knows where?”

“If that’s what it takes to make it up to you…”

Hina looked him square in the eyes and said “Nope. I don’t trust you.”

Makoto stuttered. “W-Why? “

 “Because you don’t trust me.”

Makoto opened his mouth, only to fail at a retort. Anything he said would be an excuse. Instead he turned to Sakura “Can we even to train if we’re stuck together?”

“Before we practice any martial arts, you ought to work on the fundamentals. A lap around the island with Hina should suffice as a start.”

“…Eh?”

“I’ve already run it by Munakata.”

“No, that’s not what I meant-”

“Don’t just stand there, let’s get stretching already.” Hina interrupts


Phys. Ed had never been Makoto’s strong suit even when he attended a normal high school. Top athletes performed in ways he could only dream of. When he started Hope’s Peak Academy, Makoto realized the athletic talents did things those he envied in his old school could only dream of.

Hina had one such talent. He was used to getting left in the dust whenever the class ran track, only matching pace with the non-physically oriented students. Which is why it was nothing short of insane for him to run, tied to the girl around the island. He’d been in three-legged races, but this was ridiculous.

“Just…a…minute.” Makoto hunched over, catching his breath.

In contrast, his running partner wasn’t even phased. “We aren’t near the goal yet.”

“I can’t keep up with you.”

“You’ve been doing fine so far.” The swimmer folded her arms. “I actually thought you’d break for it a few minutes earlier. Have you been working out in secret?”

“No way.” All he’d done in days (weeks? Maybe longer?) was run for his life across this tropical island. But those were different times. It shouldn’t affect his stamina…right?

“There you go spacing out again.” Hina frowned. “I don’t get it, honestly. It’s like, you’ve become a different person these past few days.”

“Not…really.”

“You look like you’re afraid of getting jumped any second now.”

“…there’s a murderer on the loose.”

“Oh no, that’s not gonna fly. You were like this before. Before what happened to Togami.”

When’d she get so perceptive…and If she figured that much then “…Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Duh, why do you think I’m complaining over here?”

“Not that. There’s nobody else around.” Makoto spread his free arm wide. The sky was already an orange hue. All that could be heard on the semi-deserted island was the breeze against the trees and the ocean waves. “Aren’t you worried that I might be the killer? Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to attack you?”

Hina’s gasped. “…Woah, I hadn’t thought about that at all.”

“…”

“Oh well, It’s no biggie. You’re nothing I can’t handle, no matter how weird you get.”

“It didn’t even cross your mind.” He stands, frozen, in utter disbelief at her carelessness. How many times had he seen his friends die in gruesome ways, heard their horrified screams, powerless to do anything?

And they had all been avoidable. But no, they had to either go off on their own, misread the severity of the situation or get in his way.

 “It didn’t cross your mind. It’s no biggie?” Makoto repetition dripped with satire. “Togami was killed by one of us. You could be dead right now.” He said in a hollow voice.

“Like I said, you wouldn’t-”

“You don’t know that! Take this seriously already!” Makoto yelled. His muscles constricted as he was overwrought by frustration.

If Makoto had a choice, he’d have walked right back to the hospital and holed himself in a room somewhere. But thanks to the bright idea of chaining them together, they were stuck in a painfully awkward silence, neither able to take a single step.

Until Hina does.

“You won’t tell me what’s going on, will you?” Hina asked.

“No.”

“So you don’t trust me after all.”

“Trust has nothing to do with it. We’re too different. You could never understand.”

She looks at him, hurt. It made him want to look away. “If you say that, I guess that’s true.” Disappointment and trepidation are laced in every word. That was fine. Better scared than dead. “The reason I came to you is because you’re usually open to just about anything. When you’re closing yourself off like this, that means things must be pretty bad.”

“That’s an understatement.” Makoto scoffed.

“Then we’re screwed together, I guess.” Her tone didn’t signal defeat, far from it. “I can’t exactly leave you alone when you’re like this. Geez, you’re reminding me of Yuta.”

Makoto scrunched his face.  “Your little brother? What’s he got to do with this?”

“I told you a bit about him before, but he’s a pain. Always going off on his own, pulling reckless stunts and worrying me to death. But with him, he’s tough enough to handle himself so I never really had to. You…not so much. See where I’m going with this?”

“Not really?”

Her response was non-verbal. Aoi reached for the key to their cuffs in her shorts, dangling it in Makoto’s face. Then, she pulled her arm back, and threw it as far as she could. Makoto traced the projectile until fell in the water.

He looked back to Asahina’s wearing a triumphant grin. Fully aware of what she just did and how much of an inconvenience she just placed on him.


“We’re stuck like this.” Makoto announced, the sun had gone down by the time they returned to the hospital. Many curious stares awaited the chained couple in the ward.

Ryoko covered her mouth with both hands as her shoulders shook with laughter. A feat mirrored by several of his other friends.

Hiro snapped his finger, mocking the luckster’s affairs.

“Our boy’s whipped!” Mondo cackled.

Makoto felt his face burning with humiliation.

“Hey, don’t laugh about this shit. It ain’t funny.” Leon folded his arms, looking at Makoto with pity and subdued dread.

“Says you. It’s nice watching someone else be screwed by relationships for once.” Koichi Kizakura oh-so-maturely voiced his opinion.

Leon clicked his tongue. “This is how it starts. First, she wants to be as close as can be, then she’ll start wanting to check all his texts, then she’ll have him break contacts, then get in the way of all the girls he meets.” He rambles, with a distant, soulless gleam in his eyes.

 “No idea what you’ve gone through but hold the projection back a bit. You’re freaking me out.” Yasuhiro said.

“Leon is right! This is a violation of Makoto’s privacy, not to mention several ethics.” Taka blustered over. “We must take them off at once.”

“There’s no need.” Kyoko interjected. The detective’s calculating gaze bores into him. “It might be convenient. For our safety, staying in groups and watching over each other is an advantage actually.”

“Then get one of those handcuffs and chain her already.” Sakakura jabbed his finger at Toko.

Toko met the boxer’s judgemental glare with one of her own.  The novelist was well-known for a sharp tongue, so it was surprising when the verbal warfare everyone anticipated never came. Toko merely diverts her eyes.

“That’s not necessary.” Ikusaba spoke instead. “As I clarified, we don’t have any proof against her. My surveillance is good enough, for now. Or are you saying I can’t do my job?”

The soldier and boxer exchanged glares for a time. The first to pull back was Sakakura. “Tch. Don’t blame me when one of you have got scissors in your backs.”

“I-I’m not going to thank you.” Toko mumbled.

“Thank Makoto, then.” Ikusaba said, privately for only their ears.

Munakata took the stand. “We’ll resume our shifts in two hours.”

“So…are we just going to hole up here until help arrives?” Mondo grunted pessimistically.

The Silver-haired man smirked. “No. I have a plan. One that I’m certain will catch the culprit by the end of tomorrow morning.”

His exclamation was met with cautious skepticism.  

“You pullin’ our leg here?” Mondo inquired.

 “I believed I made myself clear yesterday, I plan to uncover the truth, and that won’t happen remaining on the defensive. By this time tomorrow, you can return to your daily lives.”

“What did you have in mind?” Sayaka asked.              

 “I shall give you a hint. For my plan to succeed, you lot will not have to do anything. You won’t even need to take a step out of this room. Just hold out until then.” The air of confidence Munakata exuded was unmistakable.

Even Makoto, with the doubt he held, felt a spark of hope.

“That’s a relief then. I hope this works.” Sayaka backed off, standing off to the side along with Kyoko and Kizakura.

“If I may speak,” Hifumi said, looking up from his phone. “Since there’s still time, how about we have dinner?”

“We might as well. There’s still food leftover and no fridge to stock them in.” Ikusaba nodded.

“I say we let em spoil. We can go grab more tomorrow. It’s not like that huge store’s on limited supply.” Leon remarked. One look at the soldier’s cold stare had him withering.

“Don’t waste food.”

“Yes ma’am.” Leon saluted, then muttered under his breath. “Should have gone easier on the sub.”

“Okay. Everyone whose still hungry, follow me.” Kizakura clapped his hands and marched out of the room. Several students followed.

 Makoto looked to Hina. “I don’t feel like eating. What about you?”

“Me neither. After all that running, I need sleep.”

“…Um…how are we gonna…you know.”

“I…didn’t think this through.”

“I figured.” Makoto sighed. “We can just put our beds side-by-side. Come on.”

“You’re not angry?” Aoi followed behind him, as they made sleeping arrangements

Not anymore. “It’s the least of my worries…”

- [Kyoko Kirigiri] -

 

 “Are you alright with this?” Kyoko addressed Sayaka, while looking at Makoto and Aoi. Their duality stirred deep-seated emotions the detective preferred suppressed in these trying times. The idol ought to have felt the same. “You’ve been watching Makoto for a while now.”

“Nothing strange about that. I’ve been doing it since middle school!” Sayaka said cheerfully.

“That’s just confusing. Why did you become so passive about their relationship?”

 Sayaka hummed and declared “It’s not my priority.”

Kyoko knitted her brow. “And what would be?”

“Survival, duh!”

“If that was true, you’d be more frightened than this. Many of us are putting up a front, but I can see the anxiety and fear lurking. It’s normal…but you…”

“I might be better at hiding it.”

“I don’t believe that.” If Kyoko prided herself on anything, it was her ability to read emotion.

“…You know me quite a bit huh?”

“We’re friends. I ought to.”

The bluenette smiled mischievously and took one of Kyoko’s arms in hers. “Then I trust my knight in shining armor to keep me safe.”

The lavender-haired girl was caught off-guard by the sudden contact. Still, her lips curve upwards. “If you cooperate, then certainly.”

Kyoko erred then, allowing her emotions to cloud her reason.

She was a detective, not a knight.

- [Juzo Sakakura] -

 

Could this night get any worse? – Juzo cursed his bad luck. He was bad at dealing with kids, abysmal when they included the precocious, rowdy variety. Wouldn’t you happen to know it? That included over the dozen+ brats scurrying around.

If it wasn’t for Kyosuke, the tanned male wouldn’t be here at all. No…if not for his friend, Juzo had no idea where he’d be….

“How was your time with those children?” Kyosuke asked, without even turning back to face him. The ex-council president was by himself in the lobby he’d practically turned into an office.

“It’s like you’ve got eyes in the back of your head.”

Kyosuke cracked a small smile. “You’re the only one who would approach me. Simple process of elimination.”

“Uwaaah. The only thing more embarrassing than using that old-fashioned loner line is being wrong about it!"

The men whipped around. Formerly hidden by Juzo’s hulking form was Otonashi, her hand settling on the swell of her hip and the other in a salute. “Ryoko Otonashi, reporting for duty.”

Not her again. “How’d you sneak behind me?” The boxer groaned.

“If I said I was a ninja, would you believe me?” All these Ultimates had screws loose, but this one was nutty in a way he couldn’t read at all. Otonashi forced herself into their team the previous night and wouldn’t shut up. Not unless she was occupied reading the notebook she carried around everywhere.

"No, now scram. You're not welcome."

"We’re lookout mates though?”

“That doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

“You don’t have too many, I bet.” She cupped her cheek in exasperation.

“I assume you want to know about my strategy, correct?” Kyosuke interjected.

The girl nodded rapidly.

“You’re not getting jack from us. Do as told and don't get in the way.” Juzo said.

Otonashi’s gaze wavered between his and Kyosuke’s. She stumbles onto a realization. Her cheeks comically puffed as she covered the bottom half of her face in a vein attempt at suppressing the ensuing giggles.

I’m going to throttle this chick.

 “Sorry, sorry. It’s just, how would you know I wouldn’t be able to help?” Otonashi’s laughter subsided.

“Can you?” Kyosuke asked.

“Dunno, you haven’t told me anything yet.” She hums, resting her arms behind her head.

Silver eyes calmly dissected the unusual girl. “Yesterday, Kuwata believed you could pinpoint our assassin. Why?”

“I’m the Ultimate Analyst, with enough information I can predict any pattern. Leon’s stupid so he thinks that means I’ve got prescience or something. If I could do that, what’s the point of having Hiro around?”

Implying there was any at all.

“Supposing that’s the truth, how much information do you require? Is the time you’ve spent with your classmates not enough?”

“If it was any of them, I’d know. At least, if they were operating based on logic.”

Juzo was getting lost in this conversation. “So what? It’s no good if they’re crazy? Isn’t that proof Fukawa’s the culprit?” He didn’t see what all the diplomacy was about. Someone died. They had a serial killer with em'. It wasn't rocket science.

 “No…but I feel like a pain to explain it to you, and I don’t think that’s what boss-man here is worried about.” Otonashi smirked.

“All I’m getting out of this is that you’re a hack. Can you even prove your talent works?”

“Hmm…okay, I’ll tell you how Munakata plans to catch the killer.”

...

What the fuck?

Juzo felt a migraine coming on. “Did you come all this way just to screw with us?”

“Depends on which part. I’ve been going for a while now.” She stuck out her tongue at him.  

In a flash of irritation, Juzo motions to grab the girl and haul her ass out of there. His hand only catches at air. Otonashi maneuvers around him in an annoying way, walking towards Kyosuke.

Surprised, Juzo loses his balance. “Why you...” He turns, steps forward and throws his long arm out to reach for her. His fingers brush against her hair. Only to miss his mark. The target evades him at the last second by leaning to the right.

“You got to be kidding me.” She didn’t even look at him.

She stops right in front of Kyosuke, head lifting upwards to gaze at him. “This must be some good luck for you. With our friend’s death, you’ve gotten the chance to avenge this Yukizome person.”

With a mysterious smile, she judged Kyosuke Munakata. “Having a goal to achieve at any cost is nice but be careful. Once you've taken the first step, you’ll have to keep walking, even when that path collapses around you. Right until you fall.”

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

The shifts were the same as the previous night.

Kizakura, Kyoko and Sayaka.

Aoi, Sakura and Makoto

Munakata, Ryoko and Sakakura

Celeste, Chihiro and Mondo.  

Hagakure, Leon and Hifumi.

Toko, Mukuro and Kiyotaka

The first group had just finished, but… “He’s not waking up.” Aoi poked at Makoto’s cheeks. He stirred but didn’t open a wink.

“Let him rest. I will keep watch.”  Sakura said.

“Sorry for dropping this on you.” Aoi frowned. She couldn’t exactly go anywhere without Makoto.

“But really, you shouldn’t be so rash, Hina. We will think of a way to separate you tomorrow.”

“Do we have to? I’m thinking this is kind of fun now.” Aoi grinned back.

Her best friend takes on an admonishing tone. “I promised to help Makoto train. Don’t make a liar out of me.”

“Fiiiine.” She pouted, then fell back on the bed, spread eagle wide. “I can’t wait for everything to go back to normal again.”

“It will never be normal again.” Sakura said.

“…Are you thinking of Togami?”

“I can hardly believe it.” She grimaced.

Aoi sighed. “Yeah. It seems like just yesterday he’d be looking down his nose at us.”

“While that is part of the problem, I was referring to something else.” Sakura paused, thinking back to an awful memory. “The crime scene…I could understand if there was a struggle and he was force-fed that poison. However, he wouldn’t have accepted it from any of us.”

“You think?”

Sakura’s face turned grave. “I know.”

---

“You’re improving.” Sakura wiped her mouth with a napkin after being treated to a fine meal.

The unlikely chef brims with self-satisfaction. “I accept your compliments, but not their veracity. Plebeians don’t make credible judges.”

“Why the arrangement then?” For a man so direct, Togami baffled her in the strangest ways.

His mood sours. “Because everyone else in the vicinity is even less suitable, or they’re not worthwhile at all.”

“Not even your family?”

“Not even worth considering.”

Over the months and several rendezvous, Sakura had learned one crucial fact about Togami. He respected his family as much as he resented them.

“Cooking is hardly a hobby to be ashamed of.”

“You’d be wrong. Don’t you run a dojo? I bet your parents didn’t exactly raise you in the arts of femininity.”

“Few would say that so bluntly to my face.”

“Byakuya Togami is singular.” He speaks with uncompromising self-assurance. Sakura had witnessed many men confuse confidence for ignorance and delusion. Togami was somewhat different. His greatest strength was the conviction that accompanied every word.

Most likely, he must have accomplished quite a feat at his age.

“Nevertheless, you’re wrong.” Sakura continued.

Togami wordlessly prompted her for an explanation.

“My father’s dream to be the strongest was a title he wished for himself, not to thrust on his daughter. I made my own decisions from an early age. I gave up conventional standards of beauty for strength, and I surpassed my father. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on being a woman.”

“I hope you know you just contradicted yourself.” Togami arched an eyebrow.

 “Only if we’re being superficial. I admire flowers, my namesake. I enjoy music. I’m fond of dresses, and I have been in love. These things, I didn’t neglect in the pursuit of power.”

After listening, on the Togami heir’s face, was disappointment. “You think you can reach the top by cutting corners? I overestimated you.”

“…If you think that’s cutting corners, that speaks more about yourself than it does me. No matter what goal we have in life, we are still human. I had thought that was the reason behind your hobby.”

“This is only something I liked doing. Not an escape.” He growled.

“The same goes for me.” They reached an impasse.

“…Do as you please. It’s your life.”

Sakura nodded. “Putting those matters aside, I have a favor to ask.”

“Feel free to, whether I’ll grant it is another story.”

The heated argument moments ago may as well have never existed. Neither of their egos were so fragile to be concerned by simple debate.

“I am ashamed to say I have no talent for cooking. Would you teach me?”

“…If I have nothing better to do. You can watch me.” Togami replied. “On the condition that you’ll have to find someone else to taste test. Use Asahina as your trash dispenser if you have to.”

“You can’t taste it yourself?”

Togami scoffed. “I will never ingest anything I haven’t personally prepared. The only exceptions to that rule is my butler, Aloysius…or in exceedingly rare cases, my sister.”

---

 “You were meeting with Togami all this time and didn’t tell me?!”

Sakura brought a finger to her lips “You’re being loud.”

Hina covered her mouth, snapping her head to Makoto, who rolled in his sleep. She weakly glares at the martial artist. “So that’s why you kept bringing food over? I was your garbage dump?!”

“Calm down. Those were simply his words. I would never think that of you.”

“Yeah, I know.” Aoi reverts to her happy demeanor. Her outburst had only been superficial. “…But man, leave it to Togami to teach and not care about the results.”

“He was a good teacher. More to the point, it’s unlikely he would have taking anything he didn’t see prepared with his own eyes.” Sakura said.

“You should have told the others.”

“I was told not to. And I was unsure if it would be relevant…but the more I think, the less certain I am.”  Sakura closed her eyes. “And I even debated informing you…if not for this odd rivalry. Perhaps I should have tried to make the both of you reconcile. You would have enjoyed his cooking.”

“Yeah, I’d bet.” Aoi sighed heavily.

“…He was a goal for me. Togami, I mean.” The swimmer admits “He was always so cocky, but I don’t think I’d have cared if he was just full of hot air.” Togami was also talented. He wasn’t bad in gym class, even if he barely put in the effort. Aoi was sure she’d kick his butt either way…but then are other areas like smarts she couldn’t compete with him in. The lack of versatility on her end made her feel…lesser. “Maybe I just wanted him to acknowledge me.”

“I know the feeling well.” Sakura was filled with mirth at the memory of her first love. “Kenshiro was stronger than me once. If I fought him now, I’d probably win, but it would have no meaning.”

“What’d you do?”

“Kenshiro hasn’t given up yet. Even with his illness, he’s still training. As for me…my priority wasn’t to beat him, it was to be the strongest.”


Makoto’s eyes opened groggily. He felt…lighter, compared to yesterday. He flushed at the swimmer snoozing away next to him and quickly sat up.

“I missed my shift.” He couldn’t move, not without waking the athlete. “Jeez, these cuffs are way too much trouble.”

Makoto surveyed the area. it didn’t seem like anybody else was up yet. There was a clock stuck to the wall.

6 in the morning.

Talk about being an early riser…huh!? “Wait…6?” Makoto looked around again. If he recalled correctly, each group should have had a little under an 80-minute watch. That means right now, Ikusaba, Kiyotaka and Toko should be on lookout.

Toko he could understand skipping out, but he couldn’t believe for a second the other two would. Makoto tries to stand, being dragged down by the handcuffs. He compromises on an awkward crouch and scours the room again.

There were 18 sleeping bags scattered around

Only 14 were filled, excluding himself.

A chill-creeps, one he’s felt far too many times. And like the others, disaster followed suit.

Mukuro, Kiyotaka and Toko lay on the floor, still as corpses.

Notes:

Regrets # 8

It wasn’t enough to be born weak, I had to be frail in a way everyone could see and exploit.
If nobody knew I was a boy, I wouldn’t be judged…and I learned something,
I became weak on the inside too.

Chapter 28: Queen of Hearts

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

“Don’t you ever sleep?” Toko hissed. Even now she could feel Ikusaba’s hawk-like stare on her back.

“Don’t you ever bathe?” 

Woah. Toko flipped around on her bed, facing the soldier. “Y-You don’t pull your punches…”

"I've had to put up with your abuse all day. Can't help it anymore." The raven-haired girl balanced a sheathed combat knife on her finger. “I can’t sleep when on-alert but even I’d take baths every chance I could back in Fenrir. I’m still a girl, you know?” Words Toko didn’t expect to hear from the robotic girl.

“Don’t you think it’s shameless for a killer to care about appearances?”

“Is that question for me, or yourself?”

Sassy too. She could see the relation to Ryoko. “J-Just answer.”

“We might have different definitions. I don’t see myself as a killer the way you or most people do. I kill because that’s what’s expected of me.” Ikusaba explains in a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for morals. “Murderers are scum, but I’m a soldier. How well you spill blood is currency on the battlefield in warzones.”

“T-That makes it okay? Ever thought of the families left behind?”

The ravenette blinked thrice. Awkwardly, she replies “It’s hard to sympathize with what you’ve never had. My sister barely remembers me half-the-time. With how I turned out, I'm better off not talking about our parents."

Toko joked before, but she and Ikusaba had more in common than she thought. Hard to believe they’d barely had a conversation before all this. “Ms. Soldier. What did you feel when you first killed somebody?”

“Are you asking for reference? I thought you and Genocider didn’t share memories.”

“We share emotions.”

Ikusaba’s reply isn’t immediate. Toko assumes she’s tracing memories back to that moment. That in of itself was troubling.

What’s her body count?

 “I’ll never forget the first; a comrade during training. Even now, I still remember his expression.”

“And?” Toko prods.

“That’s all.”

Oh.

“After I killed one, I did in another, and the rest is history. It’s nothing special, which is why Genocider Syo fascinates me a little.”

“You’re interested in her?” Toko’s eyes widen.

Ikusaba nods. “I’ve read up on the records, and know she’s killed nearly three dozen.”

“37.” She had the scars on her leg to prove it- wait why was she telling her this!?

“That many. Is it a job?” Ikusaba asks with a disturbing degree of enthusiasm.

“A-As if I could ever understand that life-ruining monster. It’s all just fun for her.” Toko tried not to yell.

“How doesn't she get bored? I might’ve understood if she spiced things up but it’s the same attractive guys and Bloodbath Fever. At least, by the 5th, the excitement should’ve worn off.” Toko’s increasing anxiety doesn’t reach the blunt soldier. “Fukawa…are you sure you’re not mistaking the source-?”

“Stop. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Toko snapped.

With an apologetic look, Ikusaba said “Sorry.”

 “You’re a lot more talkative than you look.” Toko breaks the short silence.

“Only about things that interest me.” Hm. Must mean few things do.

“Not a very girly choice of interest.”

“Would you rather talk about boys instead?”

“Who on Earth would you have in mind?”


“She’s waking up.”

Toko barely catches Kyoko’s dispassionate voice. Wannabe Holmes was always distant but this time, it was a physical distance separating them. Couldn’t have been the case because Miss. Purple was staring her down the second Toko’s eyes were open. If she didn’t have that gaudy color scheme, Toko wouldn’t have made her out.

The damn light was blinding her eyes…

What about my glasses? – Toko tried to lift her arms. The numbness in her joints suggested she’d had even worse sleep than usual.  But that was the least of her worries now.

Her hands were cuffed. "G-Going…back on…your word?" Toko grimaced.

“That was a slow reaction. Either you're relaxed or…" Kyoko pressed a finger against her chin. "What's the last thing you remember?"

 "What's going on?"

"Speaking from experience, the longer a suspect takes to form their account, the more suspicious they are in the eyes of their interrogators." Kyoko lifted her chin to the side, prompting Toko to look around.

Everyone’s eyes were peeled on them. The distrust and apprehension in their eyes were clear as day.

Now she was getting scared…or should be, if the nausea wasn’t doing her in first.

“I would have preferred a private questioning, but I was overruled.” Kyoko continued.

"I was standing guard with Mister Inflexible and Ikusaba. Then fell asleep." She didn’t miss how many jerked, winced, bristled and everything in-between.

"I trust your sleep wasn't very pleasant. These beds aren’t comfortable at all." What the hell is she talking about?

"Preaching to the choir here...I feel like crap. If you weren't breathing down my neck, I'd be sleeping on a couch!” Toko grit her teeth.

Kyoko slightly cocked her head to the side, it was practically a treasure of emotion from this stereotype. "You don't recall anything else."

"I just want to sleep."

Kyoko’s hand gripped Toko’s chin, tightening like a vice. The lilac-haired girl zoomed-in, capturing every detail of her appearance before turning to her neck.

It’d make good material for a novel if Toko was being honest with herself.

"Get off me...!" Toko demanded.  Surprisingly, she does.

Kyoko turns to face the group. "I suspect she was heavily sedated. There’s evidence of injection on the right side of her neck, as we’ve already discussed."

“We’re having a lot of that today, huh?” Leon spat, sending a lingering glance over to Makoto as he did. The spiky-haired teen was shuffled over to the corner, accompanied by Aoi and Sakura.

As dazed as she was, even Toko saw something wasn’t quite right. There was a gap between herself and the others, and she could understand why. But there was also one between them and that group.

“Is somebody going to tell me what’s going on already?”

“Very well, you’re entitled to that much, Toko Fukawa.” Munakata spoke up, his gaze steady and focused. “You’re suspected of the murders of Mukuro Ikusaba and Kiyotaka Ishimaru.”

Fuck.

 “What’ll you do with me?”

“You won’t deny it?”

“As if any of you would believe me. Let’s skip the middle-man.” Toko knew she only got off strike one thanks to Makoto. Strike two and nobody would take a chance on her.

“Smart girl. However, haste can be dangerous, and you’ll miss opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t. You were drugged, by some kind of anesthetic. I want a simple answer. Were those two alive before that?”

“…Yes.”

“I imagine so.” Munakata nodded.

“Huh? We’re seriously trusting her?” That con-artist, Yasuhiro blabbed. He caught her heated stare and raised both hands in defense. “I got no problems with Toko, but your killer friend in your head? Could sooo do without.”

“In times like these, Hiro’s worldly nature outshines his cowardice. I’m in agreement.” Celes interjected,

Toko already felt she was on trial.

“You are. We decided on that while you were asleep.” Toko hadn’t said a word, but Sayaka read her anyway. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to joke around here, but it’s obvious what you’re thinking.”

“It’s too early to judge Toko.” Kyoko said.

“Non. I believe we are much too late. Had we not been complacent, our friends might still be here.” Said the ultimate gambler.

“That’s circular reasoning.” Makoto murmured.

“Quite.” Celes’ smirk didn’t falter. “Then shall we discuss the evidence? Such as…why she’s still alive.”

“Gee thanks. Loving your consideration.” Toko growled at that fake bitch.

“Ain’t like she’s lying. Three of you were on watch. Why’d you get off scot-free?” Leon folded his arms.

That was a good point, and Toko wasn’t able to answer. Mostly because she’s only gotten an abridged.

“Take the wax outta your ears, poser. Munakata already told you she was knocked out.” Sakakura was practically attached to his boss’ hip, like always.

“How do we know that wasn’t her backup plan?” Hifumi asked.

Sakakura glared. Despite being separated by a few meters, that fat idiot was cowering in fear.

“I-I mean, what if she harmed herself on purpose so we wouldn’t suspect her. Those plots are fairly common nowadays, is all.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Don’t screw me over by confusing that dumpster-fire you call reading material with reality!” Toko snapped. Good, she’d gotten some of her energy back.

Celes politely cleared her throat. “Say what you will, but Hifumi has a point. For once. Making yourself out as the victim is a fine way to cover tracks. Though you didn’t do a good enough job this time. Perhaps you ought to have stuck to poison, dear?”

Toko lifted one eyebrow at the leading question.

“I admire your ability to feign ignorance but take a look at yourself.”

“Is that a good idea?” Chihiro squeaked.

Toko scanned her clothes, dirty and unwashed. Typical. The bloodstains, reaching even her hands? Those were new.

…Ah, it happened after all? I killed them. Like all the rest.

Then…did that mean I also killed master Byakuya?

 “Celes, you’re pretty sure Toko’s our gal, huh?” Kizakura chimed in.

“It’s not as if I’m the only one. Wouldn’t you say, Ryoko dear?” Celes glanced at the analyst.

The auburn-haired girl straightened up at the address. Her eyes, formerly wavering between every corner of the room fixes on Toko. “Y-Yeah. She looks super suspicious covered in all that blood.” Without a shred of conviction, Ryoko averts Toko’s gaze.

The man’s hum was more exaggerated the second time. “Take care thou doth not protest too much, lest the lady make themselves a suspect.”

Celestia smirked faintly.

Kizakura continues. “Like, if I was the culprit, a good way to cover my tracks would be to pin all the blame on the one most likely to kill. Don’t you think, Hifumi?”

“Um…I suppose.”

“By the way, Ikusaba and Kiyotaka were all cut up and the knife was in your hands. Just so you know the details, Miss. Culprit.” Celes mocks Toko.

“Could both of you be a little more considerate?” Aoi sways her head.

“Bit late for that. They died while we were napping in the same room.”  Kizakura words dug into everyone present. “Celestia’s right about one thing. We were complacent. Maybe we thought we could still get off with only one casualty and could hide safe and sound. However, the way I see it, what we should have been watching out for was-“

"We’re getting heated.” Makoto interjects. “If we give in paranoia, we might lose sight of ourselves.”

Usually, a few words in the mascot would quiet everyone down, and they did, but it was an eerie and abrupt silence. Save a select few, everyone looked away from the luckster.

The dialogue becomes less chaotic from there, but she’s able to pick out the important parts. In her group of three, Toko was the only one to survive, with blood literally on her hands.

For a normal person, they might have collapsed from sheer anxiety or they’d run into a frenzy, yelling that they’d been framed. Those reactions are beyond the author.

She’s been a killer for a very long time.

Accepting her fate, the words of her classmate gradually lose importance until she tunes them out altogether.


“Open wide.”

“I don’t need to be spoonfed, you bimbo. The cuffs aren’t that restrictive.” Toko wonders why she has to tell Hina that who was on her own self-imposed entrapment.

“I thought that was why you weren’t eating.”

“Excuse me if I don’t have an appetite.”

“Hina is trying to help.” Ogre said in that half-threatening way. Even if she pretends to be all honorable or whatever, she’s the type who’ll use force to get what she wants in the end.

“I didn’t ask for your pity.” Toko’s rebuke goes beyond the girls, and to the boy forcibly chained to Aoi. “I bet Makoto’s already regretting that choice.”

“Hm?”

“You let me go, and now I did it again. I’m the one who killed them!”

“Do you remember that?”

“How could I? You know I have no memories when she takes over.”

“So, you’re just assuming.” Weren’t the words Toko expected. A mundane disappointment like some girl canceling because she had other plans that weekend. “You’re not totally wrong, I guess. I’m not allowed to speak with you alone anymore.”

“So that explains the weirdness, this morning. I bet they also think you’re in cahoots with me, or dumb enough to be deceived at least.”

“Weirdness?” Aoi asks.

“Did you see the looks he was getting? It’s like whenever I walked into the cafeteria in middle school.”

“…You’re good at reading people, huh?”  Makoto noted.

“Are you calling me self-conscious?” Because she was!

“Let’s drop this topic.” Sakura said, forcefully. “Toko. I insist you eat.”

Dumb musclebrains.

Toko grabs the spoon…and drops it with a thud.

The trio stare silently.

“Okay, maybe it is hard to use my hands in these things. That could happen to anyone!”

“Hehe.” Aoi wore a goofy smile as she picks up the utensil. “Open up~”

Thoroughly humiliated, Toko lets Asahina feed her. Something she’ll never be able to live down. In the meanwhile, Makoto and Sakura have the decency to be silent. Expected of the latter. Way out of character for Big Mac. What was his deal?

“When we’re done here, I’m going to do some investigating.” Naegi said out of the blue.

“Shouldn’t we leave that to Kyoko?” Aoi replied.

“Can’t. She might miss something.” Toko had to double-take. Since when did Makoto learn to doubt? And Little Miss-Know-It-All at that? “I’d go myself, but we’re stuck. And I don’t think Sakura wants you to be out of sight either. So, I’m asking.”

“I don’t see the harm, and I agree that leaving too much to Kyoko is simply complacent. We cannot stand by idly any longer.” Sakura said and that was that.

“Guess I’ll be by myself.” Toko breathed a sigh of relief.

“No. You’ll be coming with us. I mean no offense, Toko but you cannot be trusted to remain by yourself. Secured or not.”

Damn it all.

What was the point of an investigation? It was easy to see she was the killer.


Just like pretty much every story or those damn video games, the first people you run into are the low-level mooks and villagers that have almost nothing important to say.

 “Hey, guys.” Aoi greets Leon, Yasuhiro, and Hifumi.

Upon sighting Toko, the baseball star turns basketball legend by jumping back high enough they swore he’d smash his head on the ceiling.

“Get back!” “Why is she still running loose!?” Leon and Yasuhiro panic.

It said so much that those two somehow made bigger fools of themselves than Hifumi

“Are you insinuating she could go out of control under my watch?” Sakura crossed her arms, and suddenly, their composure rises by 400%.

Not a shred of dignity. Nothing at all like master…

“I’ve got a few questions for you guys, as the group who had the shift before Toko and the others. Did you notice anything?” Makoto inquiries.

Leon shoves his hands into his pocket. “Nah, we were standing guard and ready. Not even a peep flew past us.”

Yasuhiro shakes his head. “No… pretty sure you fell asleep on Hifumi and me, dude.”

“Is that true?” Aoi’s incredulity spoke for them all.

“I need my beauty sleep! I’m freaking losing it over here.” Leon pointed to the bags under his eyes.

“Mr. Kuwata’s unimportant troubles aside, we didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary.” Hifumi rubbed his chin.

“Did you notice anyone awake?” Makoto presses for more info. In Toko’s eyes, it’s like trying to find water in a desert.

“Celeste, Chihiro and Mondo’s group was before ours. Don’t think they went to bed immediately, but way by the end of our shift, they were down for the count as far as I know.” Yasuhiro said.

“You’re hilariously incompetent.” Toko interjected. “Ikusaba was awake the whole time, same as me.”

“Seriously!?”

“Like I could’ve slept with her on me like a bull.”

“I vaguely recall some whispers over that area. Thought I was hearing voices again.” Yasuhiro clapped.

“These guys are useless.” Said a dumbfounded Aoi.

“She’s right. Ms. Ikusaba was early to start her shift. I guess she didn’t get much sleep.” Hifumi added.

She’ll be getting plenty now…

“Now I remember!” Yasuhiro slammed his fist on an open palm. “Yamacchi and Ikusabacchi had a chat before we switched. Man, I just thought she was an early riser.”

Makoto turned to Hifumi. “What did you talk about?”

“She wanted to make sure we were doing our jobs. Mr. Kuwata’s snoring didn’t inspire confidence.”

Leon clicked his tongue.

“I’m getting a brain aneurysm for listening to these idiots. Can we go?” Toko groaned.

“Okay.” Makoto said, but not before addressing the boys. “You three. You should try to think more seriously about how to survive.”

Toko raised her brow sharply at the low tone.

“W-We will, dude. Just chill.” Leon held his hands up placatively.

What the hell was going on here?

“What’s with him?” Toko whispered to Sakura as they fell behind the pair of lovers.

“It’s not my place to say, but I am deeply concerned.” Sakura grimaced. “If you wish to know. Ask him.”

Oh what the hell. “Big mac, what’s your issue?” She yells.

Makoto stops and turns back. “What did you just call me?”

“If I didn’t know better, I think you threatened baseball idiot and the others back there.”

“Did I really sound like that?” He blinks. “Sorry, I’m still on edge from the looks of it.”

“No, those idiots were ‘on edge’, you’re like a different person. Hagakure even looked scared of you.”

Makoto looks to the floor. “There’s a reason for that. It happened while you were out. It’s probably easier to explain if you see.”


Toko didn’t expect they’d turn into an occupied hospital room. On the bed lies Mondo, sleep and sound.  She almost didn’t notice he hadn’t been in the room when she woke. Watching over him was Sakakura- No, watching him probably sufficed. This idiot didn’t have a single maternal bone in his body.

“Yo, killer. On the move for your next victim?” He grins.

“If you’re volunteering…” Toko snarks.

“This isn’t the time.” Sakura glowers at them both.

“Heh. Here to check up on the big lug?” Sakakura jerks his finger at Mondo, perfectly knocked out.

“How’d this happen?”

“I did it.” Makoto raised his free hand.

“Even if you’re going to say it with a schoolboy gesture, that doesn’t make sense. Are you expecting me to believe you took down that oversized musclehead? Why?” She doubts Makoto could beat his own little sister in a fight.

 “Mondo took Taka’s death, badly.” He said grimly.

“Understatement of the year. The guy lost his damn mind and started snapping at anything that moved. Even the girls. Can’t say whether he’s a hypocrite or he was real tight with that buddy of his.” Sakakura explained.

Makoto reached into his pocket, and out came a syringe. The tank was empty. “A while back, Taka and Mondo were looking for places to store medicine or anything that could have caused trouble. I went to look this morning and found something I could use to…calm him down. If you think the others were a little scared of me, that would be the reason.”

Aoi looked anxious. Likely having been taken for the ride as well.

Sakakura chuckled as if Makoto made a low-brow joke. “It ain’t as neat as he’s putting it. Owada may have flipping his shit, but they were just words.”

Makoto struck…first?

He must have noticed the surprise written on her face. “I had to do it. He’d have become a problem otherwise.”

The way he said that unnerved her, but she could see the reason. Mondo was annoying on the best day. When he got angry…things broke. “When’s he waking up?”

“Dunno. But my advice was that we should keep him asleep until we solve the murders. But I got shot down.” Makoto added

“Who are you?”

“Huh.”

“The spineless jellyfish I know wouldn’t hurt a fly, but you want to keep him a vegetable?”

“I-It’s not like that at all.” Makoto waved his hands defensively. “I just think desperate times call for desperate measures. Mondo’s not good for the atmosphere around here. Not when he’s mad!”

 “I don’t see what you’ve got to be sorry for. From the start, I’ve thought all of you were brat taking this situation waaaay too lightly. Even that Kirigiri chick is all talk. Never thought you’d be the one with a head on his shoulders. I’m impressed.” Sakakura actually patted Makoto on the back. Was she still dreaming!?

“It’s not like we wanted to do this.” Makoto grumbles

“You are insensitive to our plight. If Munakata’s story about Yukizome is to be believed, you should understand exactly what we’re going through.” Sakura frowned.

“Maybe they weren’t friends at all.” Toko said.

It was only a moment later that she realized she’d stepped on a landmine.

“What do you know?” Sakakura’s sudden tone shift took Toko off-guard. The large man, grabs her shirt and lifts her off the ground with ease. With an intense he glare that threatened to bore through her, he demanded. “You better start giving me answers. Who do you work for? What’d you do with her class!?”

Toko could barely breathe, let alone answer. “Let go!” She presses back against the man’s chest as hard as she could.

All eyes widen when Sakakura flies away, crashing to the floor.

Unbalanced, Toko falls on her backside. She stared at her arms. “W-What?”

“Enough!” Sakura stepped in between them as Sakakura stands. “Both of you calm down.”

While the ogre stands off against the boxer, Makoto offers Toko a hand off the floor. She reluctantly takes it and is pulled to her feet. Makoto doesn’t let go. “I think you should look in the mirror.” His ‘advice’ isn’t so gentle when he drags her along to the mirror hanging on the wall

 In her reflection were her braids undone, and striking red eyes staring back.

“W-what?”

“When you looked at your hands for blood in the morning...you didn’t faint.” Makoto said.

“…What?”


Toko follows Makoto and the others in a daze. There was something wrong with her, she didn’t know what, but she wasn’t her normal self.

The author doesn’t even remember when they’d stopped in front of Kyoko, Kizakura, Chihiro and Celes in the front door lobby. “You got time, Chihiro? I’d like to ask you a few questions.”  Makoto repeats, like a cop.

“Chihiro is presently occupied. Aren’t you?” The question is phrased for the programmer. It isn’t a question either.

“This is more important than bringing you tea.” Makoto doesn’t back down. Again, to everyone’s shock. Not so much Toko’s, however. She had bigger, existential problems.

“Is that so? Then I’m certain whatever you have to say to him, can be shared with us all. As I cannot see anything important in the face of our…dire circumstances.” Celes argued.

“Agreed. What do you have to ask?” Kyoko backed up the gambler. Less because she actually agreed, and more because this know-it-all couldn’t not be in the know.

Makoto takes it in stride and addresses Chihiro like they weren’t there. They including Sakura, Toko and Aoi as well. “It’s about Jabberwock.”

Jabberwock?

“Y-You can say it here.” Chihiro said.

“Where is he?”

“He should still be at the facility.”

“Should be. Can you check?” Makoto asks.

“Not from here.”

“We have to go look then.”

“What is ‘Jabberwock’?” Kyoko steps in the conversation.

“It’s a project I’ve been working on for the school.” Chihiro answers. Then turns back to Makoto.  “It should be harmless. Without my input, it won’t activate. Don’t worry.”

“…Good to hear.” That was all the luckster had to say.

“You’ve been quiet, Toko.” Kizakura shoots her a grin. This guy had suspicious written all over him, practically a sign saying ‘I’m up to something’, which amazingly led everyone to ignore him most of the time.

“I hear guilt does that.” Celes quipped.

“Speaking of which, I’d like to talk about your anemia.” Kyoko interrogates her now.

“We already did. Toko looks like she’s gotten over it.” Aoi said in a preppy voice, like Toko’d been cured of an illness. God, she was dumb.

Probably why the detective looked partway shocked. “You noticed?”

“Makoto did.”

Much less shocked now.

“Do you know why you didn’t transform this time?” Kyoko returned her question to the bespectacled girl.

“I don’t even know who I am right now.”

…The line of questioning ends. It appears unlike the soldier, the detective was better at picking up cues.

“What is our next course of action?” Celes asked. “Supposing Toko isn’t our culprit.”

“We wait.” Makoto replied.

Celes covered her mouth with an equally pale hand. “After what happened, you believe playing the waiting game is our best option?”

Makoto shook his head. “Not like before. They’ve made it clear they’re going to strike again.”

“They have?” Aoi tilts her head.

“Back when only Togami died, there was still the possibility of it being an accident or a grudge directed only at him. The killer has no excuse, and they’re desperate. We have to wait for them to slip up.”

… “I am at a loss.” Sakura said.

“Who could do this?” Chihiro whimpered.

“The bloodthirsty traitor in our midst.” Yeah yeah, keep looking this way, drill-tails.

“Yeah. More or less.” Makoto…agreed. Wow, that kind of hurts. “Oh, I wasn’t referring to Toko. I don’t know who it could be yet, but chances are they’re one of us. Frankly, any of you could be the culprit. Hina aside.”

“Because she’s your girlfriend?” Toko rolls her eyes.

“H-Hey. Even so, I wouldn’t kill anyone!”  She blushed.

“More like you couldn’t.” Celestia giggled behind her palm. “Chained like that, you couldn’t move unless you dragged Makoto along with you. By binding your arms, you have secured your alibis for that night.”

Aoi’s relief (and embarrassment) is short-lived. “W-We’re really going to start distrusting each other?”

“Blind faith is as dangerous as no faith. We have to take risks in cooperation, but we shouldn’t let our guard down against each other, even among friends.” Kyoko folded her arms.

“You are convinced as well.” Sakura sighed.

“Yeah. I was certain of it from the morning. Before we began our shifts last night, I placed this on the door.” Kyoko holds up a small sheet of paper, ripped from a larger one. “If the door opened, I would have noticed in the morning.”

“In other words. Our murderer did not enter, nor did they leave.” Sakura caught on.

“That also means the weapon they used was brought in with them at some point.” Kizakura added.

“Why’d you wait to tell us this?” Celes asked.

“I didn’t want to expose my hand. However, seeing as you all realized the situation, there was no reason to hide it anymore. If the killer is among us, they will already be aware of our movements.”

The front door flings open, placing everyone on alert. With a grunt, a familiar head of blue waltzes in, carrying no less than 6 bags, divided evenly in each arm. “Hey, guys. What’s up?” Sayaka chirped.

The group sighed.

“You went somewhere?” Makoto asked.

“I got us lunch from the diner. Let’s meet in the lunch-room with the others.”


“That hit the spot. You’re an angel, Sayaka.” Leon patted his gut. Watching him made Toko sick, but many others probably shared the sentiment. Some eating like pigs. as if they hadn’t had a proper meal in days.

“Just doing my part.” Sayaka replied from another table.

 “That was careless. You should have at least told us.” Kyoko said, sitting beside the idol.

“She told me, and I approved.” Munakata answered in the bluenette’s stead, to the surprise of the class.

“Why didn’t you go with her?” Hina inquired.

“She was in no danger.”

“How can you say that after what happened?” Chihiro asked baffled.

“Because there’s no need to lock us here anymore. Our murderer is not outside, but among us.” He spoke, using similar words Makoto had before. That might’ve been why a third of the group hadn’t been quite as devastated. “If anything, Maizono was safest because only I knew her whereabouts.”

“Munakata. There’s something I desperately want to make clear.” Kyoko said, with a fisted glove covering the mouth.  “What was your plan to capture the culprit?”

A chorus of agreements and curious gestures ensued.

Faced with the question from the previous night, Munakata finally gave his answer. “None. It was a test.”

The room exploded. ““WHAT!?””

“Kyosuke?” Even Sakakura was left in the dark.

“I had a feeling...” Kizakura tipped his hat downwards.

Unphased by the commotion, Munakata continued. “I was beginning to have doubts. Days passed and not a single disturbance. Nothing out of the ordinary from observing you lot either. Then I thought about what motive our murderer might have. Perhaps Togami’s death had been an accident. In that case, there shouldn’t be a need for any more killings. We may have been wasting our time on a wild goose chase. On the other hand, it could be as we believed and  murderer was hunting us down. In that case…that they haven’t attacked supports that they didn’t have the manpower for it. If so…why kill one teenager in the first place? Would it not have been more prudent to eliminate Ikusaba or Ogami first?”

Hina snarled like a dog at that.

“You forced their hand.” Celes said. “If Togami truly was murdered, the killer must be entirely incompetent. They would either have ended with him or planned to deal with us all. By pretending to have a surefire plan to capture them, they were provoked into action.”

“Unless the killer was in the room with us somehow, they couldn’t enter or leave. That leaves only the conclusion that one of us did the deed.” Munakata said.

“Are we sure that’s what happened. I don’t know what’s going through your head, Munakata. But if this person was that desperate…why stop at Ikusaba and Kiyotaka? They would have had to take all of us down.” Sayaka warily addressed the silver-haired man.

“That would be difficult. It’s one thing to commit a murder away from us, but the closer they get, the easier it is to be found out.”

“I would never be so lax as to be taken out asleep.” Sakura added.

“Seriously? What are you guys made of?” Leon gaped.

“Noise?” Makoto murmured to himself.

Munakata’s explanation didn’t satisfy the keen pop sensation. “I’ve been thinking. For them to be killed while we were all in the same room. Could that really happen?”

“It did.”

“Yeah but. There had to have been a struggle. How could one person knock Toko out, and kill Ikusaba and Kiyotaka without any of them or us noticing? Ikusaba was the Ultimate Soldier, right.”

Nobody had an answer for the girl.

“Then that confirms it. Toko is the perp.”  Leon said. “If anyone here could kill em both bloody, it’s her. Or uh Genocider.”

“Toko was knocked out cold too, y’know?” Aoi rolled her eyes.

“If anything, she’s the easy scapegoat.” Kyoko remarked.

“We’re back to square one. How can you say Genocider/Toko did not do it to herself on purpose to escape blame?” Celes repeated Hifumi’s earlier counterpoint.

“How would she have gotten a tranquilizer while under constant surveillance?” Sakura asked.

“We’re working backward.” Makoto interjected. “Whether or not she got her hands on anything, Toko can’t be the culprit no matter what.”

“Why is that?”

“Genocider doesn’t share memories – is what you were gonna say, right?” Kizakura dramatically pointed, prompting a bunch of confused or awkward stares. “Picking up on the details is my job.”

“My thoughts exactly. Munakata’s planned  to frighten a would-be serial killer. If nothing happened, they were probably never intending to kill again. If they did, they were one of us. However…how would Syo know this when Toko heard the message?” Kyoko smirked.

“Maybe she wrote it down somewhere.” Hifumi said.

“With what? Do any of you see pens and paper around? The first thing we did was search her and everywhere else in the room.”

Makoto cut the detective off. “Didn’t you say you hid a sheet of paper on the door? Where’d you get that?”

Before Kyoko could respond, Kizakura took over. “That would be me. I’ve got stickies on me for whenever I have to do my job.”

“Which is never.” Yasuhiro shakes his head.

Hifumi scratches his cheek. “Hey. If we’re talking paper. Ryoko’s got a whole notebook, doesn’t she?”

All eyes fell on the Ultimate Analyst, who say silently by herself in the corner.

“Yo, babe. You’ve been…quiet. Nice change of pace, but we kinda need your help.” Leon pleaded.

“I’ll do what I can…I think.” Ryoko meekly replied.

“Your notebook.”

She’s silent for a few moments. “…Oh, It’s on my bed. I’ll grab it.”  She sprints out the door.

“She’s…off today.” Leon leans his head to the side.

“That’s understandable. She lost her sister.” Hina said.

“I’m not sure if that’s the reason…” Makoto pondered.

Ryoko returns within the next minute with a dark shade cast over her face. “Um. I think you guys might want to listen to this!” She held the diary in front. “‘At midnight, 3 days after the first murder Jabberwock Island will sink to the bottom of the sea. All of you must arrive at the casino at 3 PM on that day if you wish to avoid sharing its fate.’ No sender.”

“The…island? As in… all five of them?” Toko felt like she was slowly losing her mind.

“Give me that.” Munakata raised his hand.

“It’s mine!” Ryoko clutched the notebook tightly to her chest.

“He said hand it over.” Sakakura moved.

“Hey, I don’t think you should-“ Yasuhiro’s warning came too late. Sakakura reached for the girl and, to their expectations, missed his mark. Ryoko pulled off a bizarrely well-timed dodge.

“Not again.” Sakakura growled.

 “Give it up. You’ll never get it away from her.” Kizakura said. The class was aware of the analyst’s agility. “That’s about right…Putting it aside, I think we’re being called out.”

“Oh noooo. I’m so done with this shit!” Leon raked his hands through his hair.

“3 o clock?” Munakata looks to the clock on the wall. It was already past 2. Luckily they were already on the third island but this was cutting it close. “You. Why haven’t you said anything until now!?” Munakata exclaimed.

 “I didn’t look!” Ryoko cowers.

 “Ryoko.” Makoto cut through the verbal dispute. “What’s your surname?”

“…Ikusaba.” She fumbled.

Leon smacked his forehead.

“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Aoi gasped.

Celes looked down in displeasure. “Timing couldn’t be worse.”

Sakakura arched an eyebrow. “Care to fill us in?”

With a frustrated sigh, Kyoko provided the necessary information. “Our classmate is a chronic amnesiac. As of this morning, she appears to have lost her memories.”

“D-Do you think we’re stupid? No way something that inconvenient could happen!”

“If what you say is true, why hide it?” Munakata inquired.

 Ryoko looked away.

“It happens a lot. Whenever Ryoko loses her memory, she keeps to herself instead of telling us. Once, she had us fooled for a whole afternoon.” Makoto said.

“For very obvious reasons, it’s pointless to tell her to drop the habit.” Kyoko added. “Frankly, it’s a tad understandable. If you suddenly woke up without memories, would you so easily divulge such a crucial weakness?”

Munakata reluctantly accepted their rationale.  “This probably a waste of time but I’ll ask anyway. You remember anyone writing in your notebook?”

Ryoko shook her head.

“Then we have no leads…except to head to the casino.”

“It’s obviously a trap.” Chihiro spoke up.

“But who can say what will happen if we stay?”

“That’d be better than walking into the enemy’s base.” Yasuhiro argued.

“Watch it, you senile turd! That casino is mine!” Sometimes, Toko wondered why Celes put on that high-class poser act when she’ll flip her shit like this.

 “Regardless. Like Munakata said, the culprit is feeling cornered. That’s why they want us to move.” Makoto said.

“I agree with Makoto. We don’t have to play into their hands.” Sayaka backed the luckster.

“Blowing up the entire island doesn’t sound feasible either. I know a bluff when I see one.” Celes mocked their villain.

“I’m not sure if we should take the threat that lightly. We don’t know what they’re capable of.” Makoto insists.

“There’s a way to find out though. Hey, Hiro. Make yourself useful for once and give us a reading.” Kizakura startled the clairvoyant.

“Good idea. And wouldn’t you know, I’m currently charging half my usual prices. 500 000 yen.”  That con-artist is actually making us pay?!

“What happened to 95% off?” Makoto grumbled.

“Done. The money’s on my boat. We’ll pick it up.” Munakata’s agreement might have been the most shocking thing all day. If not for all the murders.

The group crowds around Yasuhiro and his crystal ball. The bastard says he can see the future, but that’s not possible.We’re the idiots putting a shred of faith-

“Oh yeah, it’s real. This whole island’s going up in flames.” Yasuhiro gulped.

“Isn’t this clown only supposed to be 30% accurate? Can we rely on that?” Hina was smarter than Toko gave her credit for.

“Lady. What do you think the chances are that I’d see the island blow up right after we were threatened by one?”

“Flames… were they like bombs? How would they have set them?” Sayaka asked fearfully.

 “A timer could easily do. Regardless, we’re left with a non-zero chance of the threat being real and that’s enough to act. We have to leave. Now.” Kyoko demanded.

“I’ll retrieve Mondo.” Sakura said.


The trek to the casino is made longer by incessant whining and deliberately slow pacing. Toko understood why. It didn’t make it any less annoying.

“I still think this is a bad idea.” Leon said.

“We know.” Makoto replied.

“You also know we’re trusting a murderer and Hiro’s word on this. Can you tell which is worse? Cuz I can’t!”

“We know.”

“Now that I’m outside again, I almost feel I’ll wake up and things’ll go back to normal.” Hina laughs awkwardly.

“Escaping from reality is often proof that you’re losing in it.” Kyoko said.

“You have a point there.” Maybe Hina was trying to be helpful or cheery, but when the guarantee’s as…useless as that, it ends up having the opposite effect.

Sometimes it was better not to hope for anything. A fact they were quickly reminded of.

The tremors of a far-off explosion rocked the island beneath their feet. Many fell to the floor or held onto whatever they could find. A minute passes as everyone recovers their bearings.

“Um…Makoto?”

“Whoa!”

“Is this really the time?” Toko made a disgusted face at Makoto getting off Hina, his face as beet red as hers.

“What was that?” Sakura splendidly maintained her balance despite carrying Mondo on her back.

 “My ship.” Munakata stared off into the distance. A cloud of smoke could be seen around the first island.

“We’re stuck here?” Hifumi let his hands hang off his sides.

“At least that confirms they’re serious about bombing this place.” Kyoko remarks.

“We have more pressing matters to deal with. We’re moving forward.” Munakata keeps walking as if it wasn’t his private property that was blown to smithereens. If Toko hadn’t known Byakuya, she might have fallen-

Another explosion shakes them. This time, they all fell gracelessly. The cause wasn’t simply because of the successive bombs, but that the second was significantly closer than the first.

Leon lifted his muddied face off the dirt. “What now!?”

“That was nearby…” Celes calmly dusted off her skirt as she rose to her feet.

“It can’t be. That location. They blew up the hospital?” Sayaka covered her mouth. As the disturbing reality sank in, the class of children and dysfunctional adults were frozen to the core.

 “D-Did we leave something back there?” Ryoko asked, as one of the few less affected by the bright flames.

“Our friends.” Hina’s voice croaked as she shed tears.

“Master Byakuya.” Toko whispered.

There wasn’t anything left.

 “Enough wasting time. There’s nothing you could have done for the dead anyway.” Sakakura cut through their grief. His callous behavior landed him in an unfavorable spot amongst the group. Toko was sure at least one of them would have retaliated, perhaps violently at his disregard for their emotions. Normally. “You all should be thinking about what you can do., stick it to the guys who took what you cared about. And show them no mercy.”

Toko was partially convinced she…or Genocider had been responsible for Byakuya’s death. It just seemed likely, but she had been forced to know the serial killer long enough to discern that bombs and threats like these were nothing like Syo.

Whoever was behind. She would make them pay. No matter who they were.

Through their small journey, Toko trailed behind the others, who – inadvertently or otherwise – bunched up into small groups.

“Why are you next to me.” She spoke to the unusual companion who walked beside her.

“G-Got a problem with that?”  Ryoko says with a pointed finger.

“What’s with that delinquent reaction?” Toko stares blankly. “Let me guess, you think I’m a loner won’t tell you to buzz off because you’re giving me attention.”

“Whoa. You’re smart!” The broad shamelessly admits it. “What’s your name? I’m Ryoko.”

“Toko Fukawa. We’ve been acquainted many times already so don’t bother talking about yourself.”

Ryoko sighed happily. “Thank goodness, that’s so convenient. Now you can do all the talking.”

“Do you have brain-damage?”

The casino was coming up. Dread and anger welled up inside the author in equal amounts.

 “Makoto?” Toko hears Hina call out to the brunet, who’d stopped along the way. He stared absentmindedly at the funhouse and held up Sakura and Hina.

“It’s nothing.” The boy finally replied, and the trio resume their former pace.

Ryoko poked Toko’s shoulder. “Um. Can you tell me why those two are linked up together?”

"Every dirty thought in your head is absolutely right.” Toko grinned perversely.

The amnesiac gasped. “Scandalous! They should at least do that where nobody’s looking!”

The novelist’s lips fall into a line “I think you’re the lewd one here.”  


They finally arrived at the gaudy gambling hall. To Toko, it was just another place for hopeful idiots to get preyed on. Here’s hoping it won’t be her.

“I’ll be going first.” Celestia volunteered and led the pack in the door. They braced themselves for whatever lied awaiting them. Those defenses fell as they were rendered speechless.

It feels like just the other day that they’d ventured into the casino. Therefore, Toko had a clear memory of what the establishment had been like. The first floor had been filled with expensive, yet tacky slot machines and games. More importantly, it had also been empty. The class of 17 + 2 should have been the only ones on the island. So… why…

“Where did all these people come from?” Chihiro asked, bewildered.

The once-barren casino became a festival for excited guests. All entirely unfamiliar to the class.

This is impossible! Where did they all come from?

“T-This is awesome!” Leon smiled widely. Before anyone could stop him, he’d run to the first person he could find.

“Hey. Can you give us a hand here?” The man moved past the athlete like he wasn’t even there. “What’s his deal?” He went to try with another, only to meet the same result.

“They’re not listening…” He said.

“You’re bothering the guests, sir.” Said a new, unfamiliar voice. A pink-haired worker approached the party. Toko guessed that much from the risque bunny-girl outfit. A glance around the area showed others in similar garb: stockings, leotard, bunny ears and all. To the woman’s credit, she at least made an attempt at modesty by wearing a black jacket, even if it barely reached her waist.  The mocking tone betrayed any professionalism one might expect, but Toko wasn’t daft enough to think anyone working here would be on their side. “I was almost worried you’d blown up with the hospital, being this late. Adults should arrive 5 minutes early to every appointment.” She said, as if advising her juniors.

“You. You’re alive?” Kizakura looked like he’d seen a ghost. While not to the same degree, Sakakura and even Munakata were taken aback by the woman

“Do you know her?” Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows.

“We go a little far back. I’m the Ultimate Confectioner, Ruruka Ando. Call me Ruruka. I'll be your guide.”

“That name…weren’t you supposed to be one of the students who disappeared two years ago?” Sayaka asked shakily.

“She is. Should’ve been.” Kizakura shook his head.

“Who cares who she is. She’s the one who killed our friends!” Hina glared daggers.

“What are you doing in my casino?” Celes’ cold voice carried a sharp edge, not unlike the swimmer’s.

“You say some funny things. This casino is the property of my lady. If you mean whether she’s responsible for the recent murders. The answer is yes.” Ruruka met their enmity – veiled and open – with mirth.

“You’re working for Junko Enoshima then.” Makoto was the third to vocalize his displeasure. The boy stared at her with an ignited fury that outdid the others.

Wait. Who was Junko Enoshima?

Ruruka steps towards the luckster and cups his chin, not at all phased by his unwavering defiance.  “That’s a no-no, little boy. You can’t speak that name openly. Even my lady has to bow in Her presence.”

“Heeeey, back off.” Aoi smacked Ruruka’s hand away.

Makoto rubbed his face, wincing at the touch. “Cold.” He shivered.

“Ruruka. Stop playing.” A tall, blonde male in a black suit appeared. The white napkin hanging off his arm made him out to be an innocuous servant...but with a hawk-like gaze and expression rivaling their resident detective and ex-student council president, he wasn't someone to trifle with. 

Ruruka leaned back into the man’s chest.

“Izayoi. You too?” Kizakura stared dangerously.

“Where is Yukizome?” Munakata asked, as the shock wore off.

“This isn’t the time.” Makoto said.

Ruruka tilted her head. “Chisa? If that’s who you’re looking for, she’s upstairs.”

“What!?” “Take me to her.” “That can’t be true!” Sakakura and Munakata’s hasty reactions were expected after news like that. But Makoto’s caught them off-guard.

“What makes you so sure Yukizome could not be here?” The silver-haired man faced the lucky student, eyes teeming with suspicion. “What aren’t you telling us?”

Makoto shifted and looked away. “That’s…”

“Okay, that’s enough. We’re already behind schedule!” Ruruka clapped at attention. “We’re getting the orders mixed up. Sakakura. Prez. It’s nice to see you two again and all, but you don’t meet the requirements to participate. Only those who win the killing games can advance.”

“Did she just say killing game?” Leon blanched.

“Yes, my actual guests. All of you want to survive riiiiight? Just make it to the top of the tower and best the lady of the house.”

“Let me take a wild guess. If we lose, we die.”

“You’re smarter than you look.” Ruruka said with a feral grin.

 “What kinda nightmare is this?"

“Don’t whine. All you have to do is beat the game masters. Unlike these other two, the rest of you have your entry tickets already.” Ruruka poked at her wrists. Hers was empty. Meanwhile on those of the 14 remaining members of class 78 were…

“These bracelets? What do they have to do with this?” Sweat fell down Chihiro’s features. They all dreaded the answer.

“They are proof that you have been formally recognized as participants in the killing game. I thought that would be obvious.”

“No, it’s not.” Kizakura raised his voice. “These belong to Hope’s Peak Academy. They shouldn’t-”

“That confirms it. Hope’s Peak is working with Junko.” Makoto directly addressed Ruruka.

“You shouldn’t miss out on what your elders and big sisters tell you. We’ve got experience you don’t.”  Ruruka leaned forward. “The witch’s name is a curse. You’re only giving her power over you by making the same mistake we did.”

“W-Witch? You can’t mean the witch of the Jabberwock island?” Hifumi fearfully bit at his fingers.

“Who else would I mean?” Ruruka rolls her eyes.

Leon’s covered his ears. “Nope, not doing this.  How gullible do you think we are?”

“Better question. Is there any reason why we have to sit here, listen to your crap, not break every bone in your body, then make you take us to Yukizome?” Sakakura cracked his knuckles. Personally, Toko thinks that order is a little messed up.

“What would that solve…oh!” Ruruka laughs. “I forgot to clear the first misunderstanding. Help a girl out, Yoi.”

“Don’t make fun of them. We were the same once. If not worse.” Izayoi wrapped one arm around her. 

A knife slides down his sleeve.

“!” Just as the group prepared to react, Izayoi flipped the blade backward and brought it down on Ruruka, perforating her heart. The strange woman they had barely known went limp in the man’s arms.

Chihiro and Aoi screamed loudly. Toko felt faint (but didn’t, not like she normally would). Ryoko, Kyoko, Makoto, and Munakata simply observed.

Izayoi sighed. “I thought we agreed to clear up the misunderstandings. You’re making more by the second.”

Ruruka stood upright, flashing a snake-like grin. “I couldn’t help it. They’re all so disgustingly innocent~” She burst with laughter.

They were all unified in a single thought – She played a sick joke at their expense.

Then Izayoi removed the knife.

Anger transitions into confusion. Reality sinks and despair flourishes anew.

“Welcome everyone,” The Inhumans beckon

Ikusaba's visage flashed through Toko's mind. If murder was the only way for a soldier to live on the battlefield. Then Ruruka, who didn't bleed despite the slit leading to her heart must be terrifying beyond understanding.

 “to Death Casino. Enjoy your stay.”

Notes:

Second update of the year. Slower than I thought but I've got a lot of free time now so expect quicker releases involving Makoto getting three layers of killing games to play in. I think I said before that chapter 3 will be the longest arc? Well, the size of the cast is the reason why, and it's only going to get bigger from here.

Chapter 29: Queen of Hearts (II)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [Leon Kuwata] -

“Death Casino” They said. Screw that, he was ready to get off this crazy island even if that meant swimming to safety. His body worked fast, much faster than his brain had. Leon was more of a 'go with the flow' kinda guy and the flow was telling him to run the other direction!

Chihiro and Yasuhiro were right on his tail. They run to the door and find…a white cement wall. “Did we miss the exit?”

"We only took a few steps past the entrance.” Chihiro was as confused as he was.

Leon whipped his head back to a bemused Ruruka and stone-faced Izayoi.

“There’s no leaving that way. If you want to escape, win the game.” Ruruka suggested. “Really, it’s for your protection that the door is gone. That thing is a lot scarier than we are.”

"Care to fill us in?” Kizakura asked.

“Didn’t notice when you came in? So much for the Ultimate scout…then again, he’s stealthy for such a big guy, isn’t he?”

“Makoto. What’s wrong?” Hina crouched over the luckster, who’d fallen on one knee, pale as a ghost.

Purple heels clacked, closing the distance between Kyoko and the ex-ultimate confectioner. Gloved hands brushed against the newly embedded slit on Ruruka’s chest. “You have no heat signature.” Kyoko marveled.

You’re dead –  is just about the only way Leon could have taken that.

Ruruka smacked the detective’s hand away. “Zero respect for personal privacy? If you’d just asked, I’d have told you.”

 “Don’t mind it, Ruruka. It makes her a perfect fit for our lady's games.” Izayoi said

 “Who are you talking about?”

“The general manager of this casino. Nothing escapes her watch.”

“And when did this casino become hers?” Celes joined the conversation. “And who are all these people?” The gambler’s eyes drifted to the guests who paid them no mind.

Seriously, it was freaky. All these people were like…background noise.

“Our lips are sealed, for our good. A witch isn’t something I’d want to get on the bad side of again.” Ruruka smiled sweetly. She’d be mega-hot if she wasn’t crazy. “But that’s enough questions. We’re on a tight schedule, you see. So let me explain the game. All of you, look at your bracelets.”

Leon checked his bangle. The useless thing blinked red. “They’re numbered.” Only now, a digital “11” flashed on the display.

“I’m only going to explain the rules once. Keep them in mind, okay?” Ruruka started.

  1. The numbers on your bracelets are your assigned roles. If they are called you will be required to participate, if able.
  2. There are 12 floors in this casino. If you wish to survive, take the elevators up the final floor. To do so, you must defeat the four game masters holding the keys to each elevator. 
  3. The elevators will let you ascend 3 floors until you reach the next game master. The last game master will be on the eleventh floor.
  4. The challengers are free to face the game master as many times as they can.
  5. Under no circumstances is a game master permitted to attack or aid in the attack of a participant outside the confines of the subgame.
  6. A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.
  7. Likewise, a challenger may not assault any of the casino’s workers.
  8. Rules may be added at our convenience, but no rule may be removed.
  9. All rule infractions will be penalized.

That’s 4 games we needed to win…

“How will we challenge these game masters?” Kyoko inquired.

“In a game of their choosing. We aren’t being very creative with the names.” Ruruka shrugs haphazardly.

“We’re free to go at these guys as many times as we want right?” Those are what the rules sounded like, but clarification couldn’t hurt if we were doing this.

Fuck, are we doing this? He looked around and saw everyone with shifty, concerned looks.

Guess we are.

“She said as many times as we ‘can’ ” Makoto spoke up. “What happens to the losers?”

“That should go without saying but for the sake of completion, I will. The losers are executed on the spot.” Ruruka’s declaration was wild, but not enough to send him running for the hills again.

Maybe he…was starting to get numb to this whole situation. One crazy experience after another.

“Now is that to say if one of us loses, we all do?” Hifumi dreaded the answer.

“We’d never be so unfair. Plus the fun would end too fast.” The nerve of this chick… “No. If a player loses, the rest of you only need to keep competing until you win…or are all wiped out. There are no chips needed to purchase in this casino. The only currency is your lives. Fair slaughter if you ask me.”

“Fair? From the sounds of it,  you  don’t have anything to lose.” Being the walking dead and all.

Ruruka cocked her head to the side. “We might be dead but that doesn’t mean we’re indestructible. The loser of the killing game will be executed without question.”

 “Interesting…you can still die.” Kizakura said.

“Want to guess how?”

“I’ll take a rain check.”

With a strained smile, the confectioner said, “You never change.” She brings a finger to her temple. “Our head. If that’s damaged, we can die like everyone else.”

“So just like…zombies?” The room grew cold at Hiro’s flippant remark. Leon instinctively took a step back when Ruruka blinked. Slowly, the corpse turned her head to the clairvoyant. Her arm sprung like a whip.

A dagger – Izayoi’s – brushed past Hiro’s cheek, and slammed into the wall with a thud. “Do I look like smelly, decomposing filth to you!?” Ruruka roared.

Hiro stumbled backward. The frightened clairvoyant cupped his cheek, feeling the mix of torn flesh and blood.

On one hand, Leon breathed a sigh of relief that the guy’s head was still on his body. On the other? Hiro totally deserved it. You don’t say something like that to a chick…

Wait, can I even treat them like normal people when they still pull this shit with us?

“You’re confident…giving away your weaknesses like this.” Kyoko assessed their captors.

“These game-masters.” With a steady voice, Munakata added: “Is Yukizome among them?”

Ruruka hummed. “Maybe. But it’s not like there’s anything you can do without a ticket.”

Munakata nodded and strolled towards Sakura. However, his eyes were on the ogre’s back. “I’ll take Owada’s pass.”

“…Why is our guest like that?” Ruruka finally took notice of the unconscious Mondo. She looked…angry.

“He was heavily sedated. He won’t be awake for at least several hours.”

“Y-You’ve got to be kidding. Wake him now!” Whoa. What crawled up her ass.

“It’s fine.” Izayoi cut in. “Very well. You may take his place.”

“Huh? You sure?” Ruruka pouted at the taller man.

“Munakata is motivated by love. I’ll allow this one alone.”

“If you say so…”

Without waiting for them to change their minds, Munakata removed Mondo’s bracelet and wore the accessory on his wrist. Sakakura had taken a position on the wall, folding his arms. He grimaced but raised no voice of opposition.

“Um…I’m not getting a number on mine.” Ryoko turned her wrist. Hers was deactivated as theirs had been before.

“A malfunction…Can’t be helped. You’ll have to sit out.” Ruruka said.

…What?!

Leon protested. “Woah. Can’t she swap with Hiro or something?” Ryoko was actually uh, useful!

"I second that motion." Hiro raised his hand.

“No.” Ruruka rolled her eyes “Munakata gets a chance is because the big guy is unable to perform. She will be dismissed from the games.”

Son of a bitch!

“Now that everyone’s up to speed, follow me to the first arena.”


Izayoi and Ruruka had a pretty good mood going. All on their own, he means. The rest of them ranged from confused to downright terrified. Save the usual suspects who wouldn’t piss themselves even if the sky fell on their heads.

“Gimme some of that composure why don’t you?” Leon mumbled. His pocketed hands wouldn’t stop shaking as they walked down the narrow hallway. Their guides happily lead the way.

Leon scoots back, walking beside Kizakura, who’d been looking way too serious for his nature. “Teach, who are those two?”

“Old students. Not mine, but I saw them around. Ruruka had a mean reputation. Izayoi was attached at the hip. Boyfriend and bodyguard. Nothing I can imagine could lead them to this though.” Explains why they’re so…friendly.

“They look the same as 2 years ago…” Kizakura continued.

“Is that all that’s worrying you?” Kyoko said standing opposite him. Like usual, all her questions feel like there are 3 different meanings and she’s only letting you in on the obvious one.

“No.”

“We’ve arrived.”

One door stands in front and another to the left side of the hallway. Ruruka gestured to the main door. “You’ll go through here. We’ll take the side.”

“You’re not coming with us?” Chihiro asked.

“Oi, those were some pretty simple instructions, missy. Does everything need to be questioned?” Ruruka’s counter’s rhetorical, seeing as she uh…doesn’t even give the kid a chance before slamming the left door in their face.

Mean reputation huh? Yeah, queen bitch sure fits that chick.

While Hina consoles the programmer, the rest of them are kinda frozen in place.

“Are we really going through there? It’s not too late to turn back.” Leon’s question goes ignored. He expected that much. This was out of their league.

“We won’t gain anything by standing around.” Makoto led the way, opening the door.

“…Here goes nothing then.” Shakily he followed the determined boy.

“A waiting room…” Sakakura commented.

“What are we waiting for?” The fiery redhead looked around. There were two doors again. The first was where they walked in from, the other was on the other side…and locked. The walls were painted white, with red drapes hanging from the ceiling. Rows of comfy-looking seats occupied the room. They reminded Leon of the ones you could see on first-class flights. On closer inspection, each of them came with miniature screens, not much bigger than a tablet.

The rows of 16 chairs all faced a curtain, reminding Leon of a small theater. “Did they only expect 16 of us to make it here?”

“According to Ruruka, Munakata and Sakakura were unexpected guests.” Chihiro felt up the soft material.

“Discounting those two, there are 17 participants. That’s still one short.” Kyoko said.

“Does it matter? There's enough room for all of us.”

“Isn’t that too convenient?” Sakura lifted an eyebrow.

“I wager our mastermind targeted a specific number before we arrived, suggesting we’ve been playing into their hands. Fine by me. If they’re challenging us, we only need to defeat them.” Munakata makes it sound so easy…

 Sakura motioned to lay Mondo down to rest on one of the back seats. Then stopped. “There’s a number on the screen.”

“There’s some here too.” Kyoko said, looking over her own seat.

Leon accompanied her and found the same. “What’s the highest?”

“I found 15.” Hifumi called out from the back row.

“Some of these screens are off.” Toko said anxiously.

 “Okay, everyone back away. Leave it to good ol’ teach to sort things out.” Obeying Kizakura’s instructions, the group stood by the wall while he searched the chairs. “The numbers start at 2. They end at 15. B-u-t, three of the screens are shut down. Particularly ‘1’, ‘12’, and ‘16’. Assuming the initial number didn’t start at 0.”

Leon groaned and clutched his forehead. “I’m getting a headache, people. Is this some kinda puzzle? Does it even matter?”

“That can't be a coincidence.” Kyoko remarks.

“They’re probably linked to the people who died.” Ryoko casually says what everyone doesn't want to think. “I think the guys keeping us here want us in assigned seats.”

“Why?” Leon questioned

“Rule #1:  The numbers on your bracelets are your assigned roles. If they are called you will be required to participate, if able.”  Ryoko recites the conditions to the letter. “Ruruka never said how we would be picked. I’m guessing this makes selection easier. If you think about it, it makes sense why exactly three sets are missing. Those guys aren’t able to play. No, more than that…since corn hair’s bracelet is still working even though he’s asleep…I’m guessing  their  bracelets have probably been destroyed.”

Oh…right. They blew up the hospital…

Funny. Real funny.

Leon felt lightheaded. He needed to sit down. What’s his number again?

‘11’

“An astute observation, though you had very little to go on.” Munakata carefully analyzes Ryoko. “Is this that Ultimate analysis of yours?”

“It just came to me. It might even be wrong.” Ryoko timidly replies.

“No. I can’t find fault with your reasoning.” Yet the silver-haired man’s eyes narrow to slits.

“Hey, is this a problem for Makoto and Hina? They’re all linked up.” Hiro points to the couple.                     

Aoi raises her hand. “I’m ‘13’.”

Makoto does the same. “I’m ‘4’.”

Leon snorts. “Not lucky 7?”

Kizakura clapped his hands. “Now’s a good time. Those two asides, everyone reveal their numbers.”

??? – 1

Kyosuke Munakata – 2

Sakura Ogami – 3

Makoto Naegi – 4 

Kyoko Kirigiri – 5

Celestia Ludenberg – 6

Sayaka Maizono – 7

Kizakura Koichi – 8 

Chihiro Fujisaki – 9

Toko Fukawa – 10

Leon Kuwata – 11

??? – 12

Aoi Asahina – 13 

Hifumi Yamada – 14

Yasuhiro Hagakure – 15 

??? – 16

Ryoko Otonashi – N/A 

Juzo Sakakura – N/A 

Makoto pulled Hina along with him to look for the seat corresponding to his. He blinked when he found it, and then checked the chair adjacent to his. “One of the ‘blank’ seats is next to mine.”

“I’m fine standing.” Sakakura crossed his arms, unmoved from his earlier position.

“Is that okay? They might have had these arrangements for a reason. What if we get punished?” Chihiro warned.

“To begin with, I ain’t a participant. No rule says I have to do  anything .” The boxer said. “Besides, you think we’re getting out of this if we play their game the whole way?”

“Sakakura’s right. This might be worth testing.” Makoto rubbed his chin. “Sit next to me. Everyone else, find your roles.”

Leon blinked. The squirt sure is assertive these days.

…Not like he was complaining. He always thought Makoto was a little…squishy. Guess he’s the type who gets tough when the tough gets going.

If Makoto’s got his head in the game, then it’s no problem for Leon Kuwata!

“Now where’s number 11?” Leon searched for his assigned chair and found it in the back row, while the others moved to their own. Sakura put Mondo on a vacant number. He had to hand it to the girl for carrying that lug all the way over without a single complaint.

Only number 13 was empty when they were all seated.

Leon tapped on his armrest. How long were they gonna be kept waiting?

A finger poked his shoulder from the side. Sayaka was a sight for sore eyes as always. “You’re nervous.”

“Me? Pffft- just impatient. I’m ready to get this show on the road.” He flashed a nervous grin.

The idol laughed gingerly and quietly. It subsides and a forlorn smile is all that remains. “Well, I am. Terrified, honestly.” She clutches onto her other arm. “Chances are…I’ll probably die here.”

That shook Leon. “Hey, hey, what’s with that negativity? None of us are dying here, least of all-“

“Isn’t it a bit too late for that optimism?” A sharp reply cuts him off. “I’ve spent all my life singing and dancing. What do I know about survival?” Her eyes were a dark sea of blue, enveloped by fear. “But…I can’t let myself die here. Not now. I still have things to do!”

Leon froze, thinking over what to say. To agree or encourage her. It…would probably sound like complete crap. Unless these guys were up for karaoke or DDR, a singer wouldn’t have much luck.

But…to think Sayaka had those thoughts. She always appeared calmer than most of them. Even cracking jokes and telling scary stories at his expense. Or maybe she was just that good at hiding it.

…And here he was flipping out over every single stroke of bad news. So lame.

“Then it’s no problem. If it comes down to it, I’ll jump in and save you.” Leon said without thinking.

“How?”

“Who knows? Who cares? The hero always wins in the end and saves his girl. I don’t like sweating over the small stuff.” Whether those were boasts didn’t matter worth shit. He’ll do it anyway.

Leon was a natural-born winner.

“Never took you for a knight in shining armor.” Sayaka wiped away a small tear and cracked a smile.

“Maybe you should start paying more attention to me instead of Makoto. You might even catch the white horse I ride into school every morning.”

Sayaka double-over with a laugh less practiced than any she’d shown him. With a relieved expression, she says “Okay. I’ll be counting on you from now on, hero.”

Aw yeah, we are in! Bring it on Ruruka, Izayoi and whatever else you psychos have got cooked up!

As if to grant his wish, the screen flared red and the curtain in front of the room lifted, revealing a massive television screen.

The door opened and out came Ruruka. “Lucky number 11, come on over.”

“Guess I’m up.” Leon smirked. His earlier fears had melted away.

Sayaka latched onto his jacket before he could stand, her features tinged with concern. “Be careful.”

“I’ve got this in the bag.” The baseball star said fearlessly.

 “I trust you…but I also know you. You can win, but you’ll make mistakes if you lose your head.”

“…Just keep cool, huh? Thanks for the advice.” She unhanded him. “See you guys in a bit.”

“Go get him, dude.” Hiro cheered.

Yeah, yeah. Your word’s not worth much though!

“Leon.” Makoto called out to him from the front. “Do your best…and stay calm.”

“Sayaka already said that. Do I lose my cool that often?” Ah shit. All my whining must make them think I’m super unreliable!

“Oh.” Makoto scratched his cheek. “Then, all I can say is…good luck.”

“That's your field, I don’t need it.” Who needs luck when you’ve got talent AND skill?

Ruruka welcomed him in but didn’t move otherwise.

“Not coming with?” Leon asked.

“A big boy like you can handle himself, I’m sure. Don’t worry, we’ll all be watching over here.”

 “Whatever.” He took his first steps into the unknown.


 “Was gonna say, I was expecting something a little more out there.” Leon whistled at the modest joint, closing the door behind him. If not for the alcohol bar in the corner, this would have been a homely rec room. The fans hanging from the ceiling spin slowly. The relaxing melody attracts Leon to the jukebox. Talk about old-timey.

“I wonder if it plays rock.” He asks Izayoi, who was perched on a nearby pool table.

“I can’t say, but if it did, I wouldn’t advise distractions.”

“Then we’re doing this after all. Too bad, this could be a sick hangout spot.” Leon scratched his hair.

“You’re calm. Weren’t you among the few who panicked?” Izayoi analyzed him.

Leon shrugs. “You’re the gamemaster?”

“Yeah, and we’re playing darts.” Izayoi motioned to two dartboards hanging off a green wall. A display of  [0/100]  was mounted atop each.

“It just me or are the boards not supposed to be blank?” Leon inquired. [The number ring ranges from 1 – 20]  in random order, however the wide and narrow singles, the outer and inner rings that separate them, and even the bullseye were chalk-white.

“I take It that means you know how to play.” Izayoi dodges the question.

“I’ve tried at a few pubs. I’ve got the basics down.” Yeah, he was underage, but who’s gonna tell?

“Then my explanation will brief.” Izayoi presented Leon a case of 3 dart missiles.  “[The goal is to get as close to 100 as possible. If you go above, it’s an automatic loss for the round]  Think of it like blackjack.”

“How many rounds?”

“Best out of three.”

Good enough. “You gonna explain what’s with the platforms?”

“They’re not ready yet.” Huh? He kept us waiting and they’re still not prepared? “The final phase of our preparations depends on your choice. There are two courses. The [Physical Course] and the [Mental Course]. Which road will you take?”

“Physical.” Was Leon’s speedy reply.

“Are you confident...or stupid?”

“Mouth off if you want. If I can use my body instead of my head, I’ll never lose.” Yup, he was in top form right now. Not even baseball got his adrenaline pumping this much.

“Look.” Izayoi inched his head over to the dartboards.

Leon rubbed his eyes.

He didn’t know how or when, but the formerly empty rings had been filled in. Now it was a mixture of white, black, red, and green colors. It would have been an ordinary-looking dartboard now [if not for the skull and crossbones in the bullseye]

Even stranger was Izayoi’s station. Instead of the various colors, there were [drawings on all singles and the bullseye]. Bad ones. They looked like 5-year old drawings of stick figures.

“You chose the physical course, so I was left with the mental course.” Izayoi read his mind. “The rules aren’t much different from regular darts. Hitting the singles will get you the flat value of points. Outer/double rings will double the amount, the inner/triple rings will triple it. For example, if the dart landed on ‘11’, you get that many on singles or, if you were to aim for the rings, a ‘22’ or a ‘33’. As for the bullseye, that’s a total of 100 points. Even if you go over the limit, it’ll still count towards a victory for the round.”

“That’s it? Then if I hit the bullseye, I win?”

 “Assuming I don’t do the same. If we both hit the center, then the victor will be who has the higher point total.” Izayoi smirks. “There are a few more rules, but you’ll learn as you go.”

Leon rolled his eyes. “Real professional.”

“Don’t be that way. I’ll do you a favor twice over. First, I’ll be the one to start so you watch.”

“And second?”

“I’ll give you one piece of advice. Don’t aim for the bullseye. You will regret it.” Izayoi grabbed one of the throwing darts. Holding it over his eye, he hesitates and then launches the projectile. It lands on the outer singles of ‘10’. Naturally, there was a picture that Leon couldn’t figure out. More importantly, the display reads ‘10/100’

“…Your turn.” Izayoi said after a time. Leon expected he’d strike the bullseye. It’s like he wasn’t even trying to get a high number at all. There’s the chance that he sucked at this game, but Leon wasn’t dumb enough to buy these guys would be amateurs at the game of their choosing.

The distance between him and the dartboard was around 3 meters and the height, 5 meters. No, it might have been higher. Nothing else was on or near the wall, besides the targets. Like this was an entire area onto itself.

It must be because this game is the main attraction.

That aside, the actual rules were standard stuff. “You know who I am?”

Without interest or emotion, Izayoi asks. “Should I?”

“Leon Kuwata. Ultimate baseball star.” He formally introduced himself. “Not the same sport, but it’s close enough.”

“Is there a point to this bragging?”

Yeah, to psyche you out. “Just wondering if you knew the mess you’ve gotten yourself into.eh, a picture’s worth a thousand words. Right now, I’m gonna nab 30 points.”

“…You’re not one to listen to others, are you?”

“Nope.” With a flick of the wrist, the redhead shot the darts into the double ring of ‘15’.


“Will Leon be okay?” Chihiro voice the question on everyone’s thoughts, thus there were no answers.

“He’ll be fine.” Sakura rested a gentle arm on the programmer’s shoulder. “Leon’s mindset leaves something to be desired…but few have his raw talent. So long as the game requires precision and dexterity, I’m confident he can win.”

“Assuming the game ain’t rigged. After all that fanfare, we’re just gonna watch them go at it in darts?” Sakakura shot daggers as sharp as darts at Ruruka.

The enmity rolls over the ex-confectioner’s back and falls to the floor. Refusing to stand, Ruruka had taken Leon’s seat, to the discomfort of the idol besides her. “You haven’t changed at all, Sakakura. How you could be such an asshole when you’re so incompetent?”

“I can’t say the same about you, Ruruka.” Kizakura timely diffused the timebomb of a conversation. “On the inside, you’re nothing like I remember.”

“You sure? All that drinking might’ve gotten in the way of your memories.”

“The Ruruka I knew was a brat, but one with big dreams. Dreams that didn’t involve wasting away on an island, torturing innocent civilians.” With a questioning gaze, he demanded. “What happened to you?”

“The dead don’t dream.” Ruruka said with a smile, so plastic that Kyoko couldn’t find a trace of authenticity.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but you’re standing right next to us, breathing, moving, and thinking. I’ve seen many 'dead', and you don’t seem to match.”

“…Fair enough. I'll admit death was the end, not the cause. If you’re asking  what changed me …it would be despair.” Makoto observed Ruruka intensely. “All of us learned what that word meant 2 years ago. Now you’ll get to experience a bit of that too! Would you look at that, it’s starting.” 

“Hey, Leon scored big.” Aoi cheered.

“Yahoo, this’ll be a cinch.” Yasuhiro leaped out of his seat.

“Sakakura is correct.” Munakata said after a long silence. “This game can’t be that simple.”

“Agreed.” Celes followed up “I’m certain the trick will reveal itself very soon.”

“There’s something wrong with Leon!” Chihiro pointed at the screen.


It hurts.

 It hurts

 It fucking hurts! 

Acute pain that had Leon writhing on the floor and gasping for breath. One second, he was fine, and the other it felt…it felt like nothing he’d ever experienced. Like every nerve in his body was exposed to the surface, electrocuted and fried.

“If nothing else, you listened to my warnings and skipped the bullseye. It’d have been seriously disappointing if you dropped out on the first set by getting greedy.” Izayoi’s words are strangely clear despite Leon feeling like he could pass out at any second.

“What…did…you do?”

“You mean what you did. What do you think that very straightforward marking represents.” Izayoi jerked his finger to the skull. “You must have seen these labels on hazardous products before. Or maybe I was just too used to Seiko and her medicines?” He trails off…

“You bastard…” There’s no way he means that.

“The human body’s a lot more resilient than it looks. It tolerates most types of pain,  within reason. Some can even survive getting struck by lightning. But there are limits to how much pain an average person can take before going into shock. The bullseye is that limit. The very center, a total of 100 points grants an instant victory in the round…and also transmits enough pain to your nerves to kill you outright.”

H-huh? What? What the fuck? “I-I didn’t even hit that, so why…”

Izayoi held up three fingers. “30 points. In other words, nearly a third of what is required to put the body out of commission.”

“You cheaters! You should have told him!” Aoi clapped her hands over her mouth.

“Yoi’s been super generous though, even giving that doofus so many hints already.” Ruruka defended the game master.

“That explains the small count.” Munakata said, drawing the other’s attention.

“Oui. I thought it strange myself.” Celes said. “In darts, there are normally scores of 301 or 501, where the players have points deducted from that total depending on the points they accrued. 100 is much too small for raises. There had to be a catch preventing either player from aiming high.”

“We have bigger problems.” Kyoko’s tone carried urgency. “What have you done to our bodies?” The question was directed towards the outsider.

“A girl can take that so many ways~”

“Celes’ reasoning has merit, but it doesn’t explain the vector. How is Leon in pain?” Kyoko said almost through grit teeth. A bunch of them simultaneously froze when they caught on.

Ruruka wiggled her finger. “That’s the lady’s doing. The rules state you gotta feel the burn…so you feel the burn.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

The pinkette sighed exasperatedly. “Throw that little thing called common sense out the door if you want to survive. Anything is possible here.”

“Then you’re saying  this  is…magic?” Kyoko frowned.

“That’s right. If I could explain the procedure, then it wouldn’t be magic.” Ruruka’s mocking laughter grated ears. “You’ll be fine, lighten up a little. Only the two of them will feel like they’ve been run over by a train breaking the sound barrier.”

“Does this mean Mr. Kuwata can’t win?” Hifumi stammered.

“That’s on him.” Celes twirled a lock of hair, speaking as if the matter didn’t concern of her. “In my experience, after a heavy setback, men lose faith, and more importantly, composure. No matter how much pride and skill beforehand, they’re amateurs then and there.”


Tricky bastard. Giving advice he knew I wasn’t gonna take – Leon wiped the swear off his forehead. It had been Izayoi’s turn for a while now. “What’s the holdup. You scared?”

“…Yeah. I’m terrified.” Not a sarcastic bone in this guy’s body.

“Serves you right…” Didn’t think he’d admit it. It’s not too much longer before Izayoi lets the dart fly.

“40 points. What’ll you do now?” He doesn’t sound so tough, clutching his head like that. 

Not like Leon could say anything. His hands were shaking. Or more like, his muscles constricted.

He braced himself. The reward for his throw was a score of 20 when the missile hit the singles. Leon staggered but remained upright. The pain wasn’t as severe as last time, but it hurt like a bitch.

“That’d be the expected choice.”

“No point gassing myself out when I don’t know how much I’ll need in the end. Thanks for letting me go second.” It was an advantage. Had Leon gone first, he’d have no choice but to aim high, never knowing when Izayoi would do the same. “I admit, I dunno what I was doing the first time around. Only losers take the plunge without testing the waters. If you catch my drift.”

“I don’t. From your tone, is this about girls?” Izayoi cocked his head to the side.

“Dude, don’t make me explain!” Leon grumbled. “Sheesh, don’t you have a girl? You didn’t just kiss her on the spot, didya? You had to prepare.”

“Not really. We sort of just ended up together after 12 years. Never questioned how or when. Didn’t need to.”

Leon’s ears perked up. “The fabled childhood romance. I’m kinda jealous here…” The closest he had to that was Kanon-

Leon smacked his forehead. “I must be delirious.”

Izayoi continued. “Really? I took you for a typical player.”

“Hell no! Why am I talking about this?”

“I assumed you’re trying to distract yourself from the inevitable pain.” Izayoi wrongly deduced. “We both have 50 points. In that case…” Izayoi’s last shot of the round fell on the inner ring of ‘10’, netting him freaking 80 points total.

Leon gripped the last dart in his hand. “I gotta do this.” He had too much going for him to make an ass out of himself. For me, it’s best not to think. Damning the consequences, he launches the dart into the inner ring of ‘15’.

The tally above the dartboards were [80/100] for Izayoi. [95/100] for Leon.

The winner of the first-round collapsed


“Doesn’t look like he’s dead yet. All the energy needed for brainpower went into muscle it seems.” Ruruka’s casual disregard nauseated class 78 but hearing Leon was still alive was somehow comforting.

Only Sayaka bothered to address the girl. “You’re not going to cheer Izayoi on? Kizakura said you were close.”

“That gross old man.” Ruruka seethed at the hatted man. “True though. I love Yoi to death. But I’m not interested in this game. It’s boring.”

“I couldn’t disagree more. Regardless of the game itself, a wager with lives on the line couldn’t possibly be boring. As much as I hate to admit it.” Celes remarked.

Ruruka’s lips fell into a straight line. “You might have a point. The stakes are worthwhile.”


The spring breeze felt nice, in Leon’s opinion. Save the top of his head feeling a slight chill. His shaved head. “Talk about gross.” He cursed high-school baseball regulations.

 “I know you’re there.” Leon said aloud, not bothering to get up from his resting position on the school bench.

Barely a moment later, a head of chestnut-colored bob hair leaned over him. “F-Fancy seeing you here, big bro Leon.” Kanon, his bright, wide-eyed cousin.

His nose twitched at the abundance of makeup she wore. For god knows what reason. Natural good looks ran in the family, girl.

“Shouldn’t you be at practice?” Leon asked, despite skipping exactly that. Kanon certainly won’t ask him, she knows he doesn’t need it.

“It just ended.” Now, why does he have a feeling she got over here a liiiitle too quickly? Better question. How’d she know he was here?

“Don’t play dumb. I know you’ve been watching me for a while now.”

“It was only 18 minutes!”

Leon wasn’t a stranger to Kanon’s obvious affections. She’d made it clear who knows how many times already. And rejected each time. That didn’t stop her though. Wherever he went, she followed. Her obsession even led her to be his team manager. She’s a damn good one too, but her motives…

“I mean in general. I saw you following me around on my date last night.” He sits up and gives her a level stare. “I don’t mind or anything cuz I know I’m popular. Are you okay with it though?”

Kanon winced. “It does! But I don’t want you to hate me, so I’m stopping at tailing.”

“You could just…not do that.”

“That’d be wack! I love you, big brother.”

“How many times have I gotta say it? We’re family.” He won’t even get started on that outdated phrase.

“There isn’t a law against cousins getting married.”

“Married!? Are you nuts?” - is what he would say, but then she’d start bawling. “Even if the law allows it, it ain’t right by me.” Leon scratched his head. “How many confessions does this make?”

“3909.”

Good grief. “…Let’s make a bet.” 

“A bet?”

“Yeah, I’ll start thinking of you more…romantically, if you win.” He rubbed his cheek.

Kanon’s leans in a little too close. “What’s the bet!? What’s the bet!?”

“You gotta throw a baseball at 100 mph. In other words, throw a pitch as fast as I can. Until then, you’re not allowed to see or talk to me.” He raised the stakes. As his cousin, she’s bound to have some athletic talent. It should be enough to get her off his back for a little while and give him some room to think,

“…Deal. I’ll do it!” She hugged him. No biggie.

It became one when she wouldn’t let go. “H-Hey that’s enough.”

Kanon (hesitantly) backed off with a wide smile. Her curious eyes gleamed. “Um…Leon? I’ve been meaning to ask… are you wearing colored contacts today?”

Leon cocked his head.

Seeing his confusion, Kanon offered him a hand mirror.

Leon’s brows furrow intensely.

His eyes were a deeper red than his hair. Leon drops the mirror when it cracks. Yes, in that bizarre order. The glass fractured and then he dropped it. “Whoa. Sorry about that, Kanon…”

Night fell and the scenery changed. The warm air became scorching hot, the lush grass of the school grounds was set aflame. He saw nothing but smoldering rock and embers flittering through the air.

 “Kanon! Where’d you go?” Leon yelled. What’s going on? Did a bomb drop while he slept?

Not that he’d ever been asleep.

He ran, searching for the girl. For anyone. His job made harder by the clouds of smoke blotting his vision and contaminating his air. “Shit. I’ve got to get out of here.” After minutes of searching, he found someone. A body sprawled on the ground.

 Leon’s chest tightened as his pace slowed. Only after seeing the hair was a darker brown, and spikier did he release the breath he’d been holding. It wasn’t Kanon.

That didn’t make it right either.

“H-Hey. Are you okay?” Leon crouched by the boy in the burned sweater. He was in bad shape. The athlete realizes only how bad when he discovered a missing arm. He found it, detached, only a few meters away.

He amended his question. “A-Are you alive?”

Leon’s breath hitched when the injured boy squirmed. Gently, the redhead rolled the brunette on his back. Even stained with blood and ash, the shorter male’s face was too familiar. “Don’t I know you?”

The stranger’s sole working eye narrowed. “Still…mocking me?” His voice was weak, but the anger in his eyes burned hotter than the flames, enough for Leon to take a shaky step back. 

“M-Makoto. Is that you?” He doesn’t notice a heated bat in hand, stained with blood.

“You’re the one who did this…to us.”

Leon wakes with a harsh gasp. His heart beats fast and sweat drops down his face. “W-Where am I?” He didn’t remember sleeping on the couch of some bar.

“You passed out for a few minutes.” Leon traces the voice to the monotonous Izayoi. He held a cup in hand.

Leon snatched it from without thinking and downed the contents.

“Thanks.” Leon said.

“You were taking too long getting to your feet. Ready to get back to the game?”

Slowly, Leon’s memories return. From one nightmare to another.

 “Yeah yeah.”

“By the way. I mixed in painkillers with that drink.”

Leon snapped his head towards the other man. “Doesn’t that stuff have weird side-effects?”

Izayoi shook his head. “Rule #6:  A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.  If I were to break that rule, I’d be executed and you would be the default winner.”

“Then why are you helping me?”

“I’m on the clock, and if you’re not fit to play, that’s a problem for me.”

The pain’s all gone. “Um…is it supposed to work that fast?”

“Yes.”

Leon was a little dense, maybe slightly naïve, but that didn’t make him stupid. Something was going on here. Medicine doesn’t work that way. Then again, a lot of things stopped making sense a little while ago.

At least he was feeling better…but what was that dream? “Ain’t gonna take pain killers for yourself or did you already?”

“It wouldn’t do anything.” Izayoi stated. Maybe his body ain’t wired the same way.

“…I was thinking the same about that Ruruka chick, at least for a second. You’re kinda more normal than what I was expecting. Why are you doing all this?”

“There’s nothing gained from a question like that. This unwinnable game is what I was made for.

“Unwinnable?” Leon raises his brow.

“The formal title of this duel. You’ll understand soon enough.”

“Heh, you might miss your chance. Don’t think I forgot the rules.” The loser gets executed “…or that not mean anything to a guy who’s already dead?”

“I feel pain like anybody else and I’m not invincible, as we explained earlier.”

“Could’ve fooled me. You stabbed your girl and she got right back up.”

“She’s too far gone for that.” Izayoi's face fell. Before Leon could inquire further, Izayoi one-sidedly began the new round. The darts flew and landed on one of the drawings. Leon could barely make the picture out. Two kids. One of them seemed to be throwing something, while the other clapped with a wide grin. Leon glanced at the other 3 singles where Izayoi’s darts had landed on in the previous round. The markings were gone, whited-out, like in the beginning. “Mind telling me what the deal with those drawings is. You have a kid sibling that made it or something?”

For a moment, it looked like Izayoi would tell him. “I…” He pauses and scans the images. Then he shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”

Leon grunts. Izayoi had scored ‘21’ points. He was a conservative guy. It would cost him.

“Go big or go home.” Leon grabbed his darts from Izayoi and did the same, racking up ‘42’ points. The jolt of pain wasn’t as bad as the previous times. “Heh. Expected it…this time.” Still felt like he’d been rammed by a truck…or Mondo after dissing his hair.

Izayoi’s eyes flittered between the remaining sections of his dartboard.

He was hesitating. Seriously?

“I…didn’t think it would be this painful.” He finally said.

“Can dish it out but can’t take it huh? That’s a little pathetic.” Considering Leon’s been hitting higher scores and was still in the game.

“What do you know about me?”

“That’s my line.” Leon spat.

The temperature in the room dropped.

I know you all too well.” Izayoi’s cold glare wouldn’t stand for argumentation of any kind.

Izayoi made his next throw, racking 42 points just as Leon did. In response to the high number. Leon aimed lower. His darts landed on the inner circle of ‘5’, adding 15 to his total.

“Did you intend on that mark?” Izayoi inquired

“It was close enough.” Leon shrugged. He didn’t even need to go for singles. Hitting the rings was easy even with the debilitating pain.

“Then you weren’t boasting after all. It seems both our talents were suited for this game.” Izayoi pauses “I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. I’m Izayoi Sonosuke, the former ultimate blacksmith.”

“Um…thanks. Why should I care though?” You’ll be dead again in a little while. It’s probably best not to get attached…

Don’t think about it, Leon. He brought this on himself.

“I wanted to see if we’re alike. Besides, one of us dies at the end of this. A conversation or two couldn’t hurt.”

*static*

“Whoa!” Leon quickly rubbed his eyes. He opened it, and everything was normal

Hoping he wasn’t experiencing any side-effects, Leon took the blacksmith up on the offer of an intermission “For a guy who says he’s on a tight schedule, you’re chatty. But fine by me. The point of these games is to break the ice anyway. Though not with guys.”

“You said you’d been to a place like this before. Can I assume…”

“Why else do you go to bars? Have fun, drink, and pick up girls. Darts’ just one way to show off my skills.” Leon wasn’t bragging, just stating the facts. “Wouldn’t have minded a guy like you coming with if you weren’t uh…trying to kill me.”

“If that’s your endgame, I’d be getting in the way. Ruruka’s the only woman I’ll ever love.”

“Talk about intense.” Leon can’t think of any woman in his life he’d say that too. Not Sayaka. Not even Kanon… “I can understand. Just a little.”

“Good.” The sudden closure to their discussion earns a confused look from the baseball star. Izayoi expertly gains ‘36’ points.

Oh shit. That makes…99!? “Then I’ll just have to…to…” Leon’s jaw dropped. “Son of a bitch.” He had 57 points. To beat Izayoi’s number, he needed 43. Anything lower wouldn’t cut it. Any higher and he’d bust.

“It’s not totally hopeless. If you hit the bullseye, that’ll be your automatic victory, regardless of an overflow of points.”

“I’ll die asshole!” Leon growled and ignored the distraction. He gripped the darts. No choice. Please make it! 

A second missile landed on the inner ring of ‘14’ right next to his earlier shot, landing him another ‘42’ points. “Looks like it’s a tie.” Leon breathed out. The recoil was immensely painful as expected, but he might be getting used to it.

 “I thought I had you there.” Izayoi said.


“A draw.” Hina sighed in relief. “If Leon can win the next round, he’s got this in the bag.”

Ruruka observes the challenger and gamemaster with a blank look.

“That Izayoi, he’s quite skilled. Unlike Leon, the pain doesn’t seem to be getting to him either.” Sakura remarked.

“Yoi’s family used to be a big deal waaaay back in the old days when people fought wars with swords, knives, and all that junk. He practiced himself as a kid until I got him to let go of those boring habits. Seriously.” Ruruka scoffed

Kizakura argued otherwise. “Boring habits? Odd, I seem to remember you smiling when Izayoi taught you how to aim. It scared the crap out of me, giving a girl like you that kind of ammo.” The teacher held his cap down.

“What are you talking about?” Ruruka crossed her arms, genuinely puzzled.

Seeing that, Kizakura slowly elaborated “It was your second year. I caught you throwing knives. We talked and you told me it was just a hobby. One Izayoi had taught you long before. You were advised not to pull those stunts on school grounds.”

“Your knife-tossing skills had to come from somewhere.” Hiro cowered from the Ruruka’s fixed glare.               

“…Huh. Something like that happened…maybe so. Oh yeah, I remember getting annoyed at that lecture from you and the old man.” Ruruka cupped her forehead. “Oh well. It doesn’t matter now does it.” 


“Round three.” Izayoi said airily.

Final  round.” Leon corrected. He was ending this now.

With a huff, Izayoi hit his mark, effortlessly earning him ‘54’ points. Leon didn’t want to admit it, but Izayoi was good. His aim was as perfect as when they started.

Too perfect. “…Hey. You gotta follow the rules, no matter what. Right?”

“That’s not worth answering.”

“Sure about that? Like if you rigged the game so you’d get hurt less than me, that’d be cheating.” Leon accused

“It would be. Thankfully, I don’t have the power to do that.” Said the gamemaster.

Unsatisfied, Leon clicks his tongue and focuses on the target. It happened again. On Izayoi’s side, the locations where the darts hit had gone blank. He hasn’t hit those spots more than once either…

Ah, screw it. I’ve got to worry about my own business. Izayoi’s got 54 points, so I’ve got to one-up that.

Leon inhaled. The scariest part about falling from a cliff was the jump. “Here goes nothing” Once in the air, it’s not as bad. ‘60’ points, but still painful.

A jolt spreads throughout his entire body. It’s not as severe as last time. Maybe those painkillers are working better than he thought. “See that, I’ll take anything you can dish out.”

“Maybe so.” Izayoi gained ‘27’ points. Leon’s eye twitched at how unaffected the blacksmith was. Maybe he was lying about taking the painkillers too. He had them on hand, so why wouldn’t he use them for himself?

Leon’s turn came up. He locked onto the number 10 on the skirt, aiming for the triple ring without fail. “You’ve got 81 points and I’ve got 90.” Izayoi couldn’t get 19 points. Only 18 or 20. Leon only needed 10 and nothing his opponent did would matter. “Ready thrown in the towel yet or are you betting that I’ll miss the single?”

“Based on what I’ve seen, that’s unlikely to happen.” Izayoi said without a hint of regret. Leon's heart beat faster. Izayoi admitted defeat!

The blacksmith eyed the red dart, then trailed upwards to the center of the target - A crude drawing of wrapped candy. A mysterious smile formed.

Just as Leon was sure of his victory, Izayoi calmly struck the bullseye.

“…Ha?” The rock fanatic slowly turned to his opponent. "W-what did you do?"

His complaints don’t reach the dazed Izayoi.

Leon shook the other boy’s shoulders “That's not fair! You said.” His words were caught in his throat.

Izayoi was crying.

The bewildered teen was out of options. Even if he went over, he’ll still win unless…


“This is bad.” Makoto said alarmed. The luckster had kept to himself the whole time until now.

“Dude, are you stupid? Hit the bullseye!” Yasuhiro exclaimed.

“First. He can’t hear you. He’ll die, you idiot.” Sakakura slapped his forehead.

“You’re the idiot. If you’re damned if you and damned if you don’t, always pick ‘do’!”


“If I hit the mark, I’ll die.” Thinking about his mortality didn’t feel real. He was invincible. The thought that his life could suddenly end was a distant dream.

He glances at Izayoi, who hadn’t made a single motion since.

Did he lose it from the pain? Even so, he was still alive and kicking. Wasn’t hitting the bullseye a death sentence?

  “The human body’s tricky and a lot more resilient than it looks. It tolerates most types of pain, within reason. There are limits to how much pain an average person can take before giving out and going into shock. The bullseye is that limit.”  

‘Could that be it or maybe I’m going about this all wrong. Our boards aren’t even the same…

Argh! Save this complicated shit for somebody else. I’m not cut out for it. I signed up for a vacation, not a death trap!’

His breathing quickened. ‘ If I hit the bullseye, I might die. If I don’t, I’ll…definitely lose.’

“…What do you know? The answer’s easy as pie.” The hero always wins. He’s not going down with an ‘L’ on his spotless record. Besides, losing means someone else will take his place.

That could be Sayaka and no way was he putting a girl through  this  horseshit. Then there’s Makoto, who might be even weaker, that skinny runt…

The vivid memories of that nightmare disturbed his thoughts. Enough that he forgot his worries.

“I’ll ask him about it after I win.” With that resolve, Leon set the bullseye in his sights. He hadn’t missed a single throw all game. He didn’t miss this time either. The pointed tip stabs the target.

The scoreboard reads  [181/100]  Izayoi Sonosuke and  [190/100]  Leon Kuwata.

Leon won, and his prize was feeling his heart explode.


“I’m heading out. There’s no problem now that the game is over, correct?” Sakura stood and asked Ruruka. The undertones implied ‘no’ wouldn’t have sufficed.

“Go ahead.” Ruruka consented. The fighter and the clairvoyant promptly marched to the door. Others quickly followed. Aoi dragged Makoto. Celes walked with Hifumi and Chihiro in tow. The unlikely duo, Toko, and Ryoko were next.

Sayaka stole a look back to the motionless Ruruka.

“Come on.” Kyoko urged her.

The idol followed her friend.

Leon!” Aoi ran to her fellow athlete’s side. He was unresponsive.

Hagakure knelt by her and placed his head to Leon’s chest. “He’s got a pulse, but it’s real weak. Someone give him CPR!”

Sakura pressed her palms against Leon’s chest and stimulated his heartbeat. They could only watch the fighter work and pray for the best. Their wishes were answered when Leon coughed loudly.

A weary eye opened slowly. “W-What’s happening, guys?”

“You idiot. You had us all worried sick!” Aoi said, teary-eyed.

“I knew you could win, dude!” Hiro cheered and embraced him

“W-What the. Get off me!”

“He’s still hurt, you numbskull,” Aoi said.

“The fact that it’s him hugging me hurts the most!” Leon wheezed but smiled otherwise.

After days of living in anxiety and fear, this was their first piece of good news, and their first step on the path to survival.

“We’ll be leaving now.” The swimmer raised her head to see Makoto, facing off with Izayoi with an uncharacteristically cold look.

“Congratulations. As one of your rewards, the elevator doors will open.”

“Will you live up to your end of the deal?” Munakata interjected. No doubt referring to the punishment for losing.

“Of course, but before that-”

“We’re not interested.” Makoto cut Izayoi off. “I dunno what you guys are thinking, but none of us want to watch anyone get executed, especially some guy we barely know. The doors are open, so we’re going.” Makoto said in a rushed voice. He pulled on the cuffs, urging Hina up.

“Leon can’t move yet.”

Then carry him.” Makoto demanded. The sheer irritation his tone carried drew more suspicion.

“Why the hurry?” Munakata inquired, taking a keen interest in the luckster “Are you looking forward to the next hurdle so much?”

“I-I’ve got a bad feeling, is all.” The spikey teen replied. “From the start, this game confused me. Earlier, these two said they won’t die unless their head is damaged. If so, there was nothing ever stopping Izayoi from hitting the bullseye every time.”

At that, Munakata and Celes bristled, casting newfound suspicion on Izayoi.

“Ah,  you  understand.” Izayoi’s enigmatic smile was disconcerting. “If you’re like us, maybe an exception can be made.”

Makoto creased his brows. “Like you?”

“You’re on wrong two counts, however.I can only hit the bullseye once.” Izayoi smoothly brushes off Makoto’s question. “That goes for all the sections of the board. I could only hit an area, one time. Those are the conditions of the mental course.”

“What is the mental course?” Kyoko pressed her glove to her chin.

“Unlike the physical course, I don’t experience any bodily harm. In the mental course, the penalties I suffer,” Izayoi pointed to the dartboard. Now all sections were blank. “are the loss of my most precious memories.”

“Memories?”

Izayoi turned to Leon. “You probably didn’t understand the significance of the inscriptions, but I could. Those drawings represented my life experience. Every time I struck one, I would lose those memories. When I hit the bullseye, I lost them all.”

“That’s not what Ruruka explained to us.” Sayaka eyed the man wearily. “She said you would both have experienced pain, the same as what Leon went through.”

Izayoi tilted his head to the side. “Who is Ruruka?”

A dead silence followed the man’s question and a shadow fell on Kizakura’s face.

“Bet you’re rethinking that handicap.” Leon jerked, secretly relieved he’d picked the physical course.

“It’s far too late for regrets. I did my best to win. Even if I never had a chance from the start.” Izayoi chuckled lowly “Leon Kuwata. It’s time to earn your deserved reward.”

Izayoi snapped his fingers, and a slow rumbling followed. The wall where the dartboards were stationed pushed outwards and slid to the side.

The collective stared at what hung from the other side with confusion, awe and dread - A girl had her arms and legs bound to the wall. She was a high school student, dressed in a brown, unfamiliar uniform. She had brown hair styled in an old-fashioned way that wouldn’t look out of place in the 90s.

“Who is she, and what’s she doing up here?” Chihiro nervously fiddled with his clothes.

Time for Leon came to a crashing halt.

“Kanon?”

“You know this chick?” Hiro asked.

Leon brushed him aside, trying to move past him. He trips, falling to his knees. Still, he drags his body over to her, slovenly crawling over. Strength returns to his body. Strength he shouldn’t have had left and uses to stand again.

Even with her head hanging down, he could tell it was her. How could he not notice the cousin who’d confessed endlessly, and stalked him since 8th grade? “What’re you doing over here?” He lifted her face. The girl’s eyes were closed. “H-Hey. Wake up already.” Gently, he tapped her cheeks.

No reaction.

“This is a sick prank. Yeah, like I know I haven’t stayed in touch, but long-distance calls are a pain you know?”

“Miss. Kanon Nakajima. Your friend’s dear cousin.” Ruruka walked in, revealing the girl’s affiliation to their friend. “As for why she’s here. Courtesy of Hope’s Peak, she’s a hostage for the game,"

“Aren’t these Sayaka’s bandmates?” Hina asked

The girls had been bound to chairs by thick ropes. Their faces had been blindfolded but anyone who knew of their group would recognize them instantly. They even wore their idol uniforms.." (Aoi Asahina, Chapter Six)

"or was. Looks like the poor girl’s heart gave out.”

Makoto cringed fiercely and looked away.

“Then, when you said the two of them-” Chihiro was hesitant to finish his sentence.

“Leon and Kanon’s senses were linked. Whenever he felt pain, so did she. Kanon got to see her beloved struggling so hard to save himself, unknowingly bringing her one step closer to death each time. That bullseye must have done the trick if she hadn’t died long before.” Izayoi’s smile was tainted with malice.

“You twisted bastards.” Sakakura bawled his hands into a fist.

“Sakakura.” Munakata suppressed the boxer with a warning stare.

“H-How could you do this?” Aoi cried.

“Don’t listen to her bullshit, Hina. Kanon isn’t dead.” Leon said calmly, caressing his family’s cold face. “She’s a starry-eyed kid.

Always wearing makeup where she doesn’t need it.

Talking like she’s from two generations ago.

She’d never hurt a fly, but a break a man’s arm because she thinks bugs are scarier.

 There’s no reason for a good kid like that to die. She’s got to be alive.”

Not to mention, Leon was the hero.

The hero always saves his girl.

Izayoi’ grin stretched to the limit. “That’s a fine way to rationalize Kanon’s death.”

Don’t say her name.

“I hope she’s just having a nice, long sleep.”

Don’t talk about her.

“After how much she cried for ‘big brother Leon’ to save her, I can’t imagine the disappointment and betrayal she felt to be killed by you.”

Unbridled anger swept Leon's reason away. He twisted his body and charged at Izayoi. His murderous glare said more than the words “I’m going to kill you” ever could.

“You can’t-” Makoto stepped in the enraged teen’s path. One of many unfortunate decisions. Leon struck the meager roadblock’s face, removing him from the line of vision. With Leon’s momentum barely halted, he reached his target and rammed that same fist into Izayoi's smug.

The bastard didn’t even try to dodge. Leon punched Izayoi as many times as he could, as hard as able. Clouded by anger, his vision practically saw red. Therefore, he missed the crimson shine on his bangle.

“Leon. Stop!” Makoto warned. It was too late.

A long chain soared out of an opened door. At the end was a metallic collar that clamped onto Leon’s neck. Leon ignored it, didn’t notice it. All he cared about was reducing the man in front of him to a lump of meat.

“That’s a pity.” Ruruka’s said in an icy tone. The chain pulled back, dragging Leon with it.

“Let me go!” Leon clawed at his binds, to no avail. The door closed behind him, muffling the deluge of curses.

All of it happened so fast that nobody had time to react until the doors closed. Sakura and Sakakura bashed and tackled the obstruction, finding it unnaturally sturdy.

“The game’s already over. Release him.” Sakura pleaded.

“No can do. He violated the rules. I was pretty clear on explaining them too.”

The casino workers were not to be harmed. 

“And the punishment for breaking those rules is…well, take a look.” Ruruka pointed to the monitors overhead.

[The 1000 blows]

Stage lights flash, showing Leon in a batting cage. His hands and legs bound by metal braces.

“When I get out of here. I’ll-I’ll rip you to shreds!” He frothed at the mouth.

Baseballs load into a pitching machine so crudely designed, it could be mistaken for an assault rifle.

It revs almost in anticipation, and unloads the ammunition.

The first shot pelts Leon in the face, blowing his head backward. The second on the torso. The next on the leg

The crack of bone punctuates each slow-paced round...at first.

The executioner circles around the pitching mound, picking up speed and showering the boy with a hail of makeshift bullets. 

"This...can't be real."

Their eyes are peeled to the monitor, helpless as the machine finally runs out of ammo.

Leon's face - beaten purple - falls. His limbs hang in the air.

Nobody said a word of confirmation. The reactions varied from cold shock to wild disbelief. Up until now, they had stumbled onto the deaths of their classmates and friends after the fact. Here, they had seen with their own eyes, the inhumanity of what they faced.

Chihiro wobbled and fell backward, fainting. Kyoko caught him before he collapsed.

“It’s done.” Izayoi dusted off his clothes. His facial expression returned to its former impassivity. 

“That ham-fisted display was an act, I see. You baited him.” Celes’ eyes narrowed.

“I’m not much of an actor. Thankfully, he was too stupid to figure it out.” Izayoi smirked.

Ryoko motioned to the deceased, the precursor to Leon’s demise. “Is this girl really his cousin?”

“That part was true. She was one of several hostages Hope’s Peak acquired and she was hooked up to the game.” Izayoi explained.

“You’re talking too much.” Ruruka reprimanded. “Time for  your  punishment, game master.”

Her words served as a signal. Weapons shot out from mechanisms hidden in the of the room. Spears, knives, daggers, swords pierce the spot where Izayoi stood. A normal man would have spilled enough blood to form a small pool. In contrast, Izayoi was a once finely made doll – now broken beyond repair.

Still, he breathed. “Oh well…It was…satisfying.”

Kizakura stepped in front of Izayoi. His features, entirely indiscernible. “Even if you died either way, you could still have kept those memories in your heart. You had no reason to do this.”

Somehow Izayoi retained enough freedom to lift his head and meet Kizakura’s eyes with a weak hatred. “You ruined us. Our loss and suffering was all for your sake. And now we’re brought back like this. Monsters. Slaves of our own murderers. Can you imagine what that feels like?”

Revenge. Izayoi Sonosuke sacrificed what little he had left for that sake alone.

“We don’t even know you!” Tears cascaded down Hiro’s face.

“This was all I could do. This meager resistance, and petty vengeance against you, who were chosen.” He gazed at Makoto. His eyes were a black and white spiral. “Make it to the others, struggle as best you can, and die painfully.”

A final spear pierced the back of Izayoi’s skull. The doll’s strings were clipped. All that kept it from crumbling to the ground where the blades puncturing his body.

Ruruka happily clapped her hands. “Now that we’ve got that over with, let’s go. The elevators won’t ride themselves.”

“Izayoi is dead.” Kizakura stated. The very obvious fact that should have reached the girl, didn’t. Not nearly to the degree that it should have. “Don’t you care?”

Ruruka raised an eyebrow “About what? I don’t even know him.”

For once, the scout was speechless. No words. No witty remarks.

“Who are you? What do you want that would make you do this!?” Aoi raised her fist against the confectioner. Makoto held her back as best he could. Sakura’s arm kept the swimmer firmly in place.

“How many times will I say it? We’re ghosts of the past, doing as we’re told.” Ruruka smacked her forehead. “Before you leave. You might want to check on your biker friend you left behind.”

“Mondo!” Sakura’s eyes widened.

Kyoko nodded and picked up Chihiro.

They returned to the waiting room, eager to tend to a friend and to leave the stench of death behind, if only for a moment.

Ruruka silently looms over Izayoi's body.


“Mondo! You still in one piece, dude?” Yasuhiro yells. Nobody could blame the unintelligent display. It seemed every time they let down their guard or took their eyes off someone, their numbers would drop.

They were met with a change of pace for the body count in the room had gone up by one. Besides Mondo was an unfamiliar girl with wild, dark purple hair. She wore a small top hat on an angle.

“D-Don’t be so loud!” She said meekly. “He’s still groggy.”

“I highly doubt his welfare is your concern.” Munakata noted her clothes are reminiscent of Ruruka’s. A formal black vest atop a risqué dress. Anyone and everyone they were to meet in this casino was likely an enemy.

“P-Please don’t hate me. I haven't done anything wrong.” The girl shirks away. Amidst the hard, judging stares, she finds softened ones in the oldest member of the group.

“Mr. Kizakura. It’s been so long! I-I hope you remember me.” Her lips twitch upwards into a nervous smile, she fumbles with her fingers.

The bags under Kizakura’s eyes, at last, reveal his age.

“Good to see you too…Mikan.”

Notes:

That hostage plot point that Leon used to trap Sayaka with in the first arc wasn't a one-time thing and this chapter elaborates on how he did it. Crazy that it took three years to bring it up again but here we are.

Chapter 30: Queen of Hearts (III)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Any chance of us learning something today…teach?” Always a wonder why Fuyuhiko turned up to class. For a punk, he sure was diligent.

“My head’s killing me. I did lectures yesterday didn’t I?” Kizakura leaned on his chair, hat covering his face. That way, he’s able to avoid quite the sight.

A few crashes, a “S-Sorry I’m late!” and it’s clear as day Mikan’s in the building.

“It wouldn’t have been a big deal if you hadn’t shown up at all. D’you take a look around the room?” Kizakura twirled his index at the other four. Those being Fuyuhiko, Mahiru, Peko and Hiyoko.

He took off his hat to peak at the disheartened nurse. “By the way, Fuyuhiko’s got some bruises from a fight. How about you take him to the infirmary?”

“Buzz off!” Fuyuhiko retaliated.

“…!” Mikan zoned in on the yakuza’s light injuries. “C-Could you come with me? I don’t think those wounds have been treated well.”

“I refuse.”

“I-I insist.”

Two birds with one stone - - damn, I’m good. To no surprise, adding Peko to the board resulted in a checkmate for Fuyuhiko.

“Guess you’ll get rid of me too.” Mahiru sighed.

Kizakura rested his legs on the table. “You can stay so long as it means my shut-eye goes undisturbed.”

“Why are you even a teacher?” Hiyoko gazed with disgust.

“Because I was good at scouting, and that got me a cushy job in a big wig school. I didn’t even attend college.” Too busy seeing the world and racking up experience. More bad than good. “Get what I’m saying? You kids were chosen for your skills. Instead of listening to me talk all day, go hone the talents that you’re needed for.”

“Needed?” Mikan perked up.

“At the very least, go wild and have some fun. Youth doesn’t last forever.”


“It was alright to leave her there. Kanon, was it?”

Hifumi was the first to speak on the torturously quiet elevator ride.

“There was nothing we could do for her.” Kyoko replied, standing beside her. The detective concernedly looked at the unconscious Chihiro, being carried by Sakakura.

“She was really important to him.” Makoto said, his eyes shifting towards Mondo, whose arm was draped over Sakura’s shoulder. The biker hadn’t regained consciousness just yet.

“You’re going to join him if your heads aren’t in the game.” Ruruka led them out of the elevator and down another narrow hall. They’d gotten used to the brazen girl. Even the more impulsive ones didn’t rise to the bait.

 “Answer a question of mine, if you truly do intend to be helpful - Are there more of these intricate rooms and hallways?” Celes inquired.

“Sure are. Each floor will be different, suited to the game.”

“I see. Allow me another question then. Where are we?”

Ruruka stopped and turned around “A casino?”

“I combed this casino top to bottom on the first week. I’m sure these rooms weren’t there before.” Hifumi replied.

“Guess you were wrong.”

“Oh. Not going to let ‘magic’ explain that one?” Kyoko mocked.

Ruruka shrugged.

“Fine then, but at least tell us if there will there be more hostages.”

“That depends on what you mean. Will we use more? I can’t say. Do we have more? Certainly.” Ruruka’s implications were chilling.

“Where did you find them and how did you all get on the island? Same as the people on the first floor. Why didn’t they react to us at all?” Makoto raised his voice.

“…”

“Interesting. You could lie, instead you choose to remain silent.” Munakata brought a finger arrogantly to his temple. “Then I’ll direct the question to someone else.” His gaze landed on the newest addition to the party. “Tell me what happened 2 years ago, Mikan Tsumiki.”

The nurse withered under the silver-haired man’s glare and hid behind Kizakura’s back.

The odd choice confused most until Munakata said. “That reminds me.  These were your students once, Kizakura.”

“What?” The students’ eyes unanimously fell on the fedora-fitted man.

“Like I’d qualify. I never even taught a full class and most of the time, a handful of the brats ever showed up. There’s no attachment between us.” He explained.

A crestfallen Tsumiki stepped out of his shadow.

“It’s not like you to get defensive.” Kyoko noted.

The scene served to amuse Ruruka. “Look at you bullies, picking on a little girl. Mikan, come over here.”

“That’s…fine.” The purple-haired girl was content to remain by herself.

“Still banged up about the whole witch hunt thing. It was an accident.” Ruruka puffed her cheeks and continues guiding them to the next room.

Koichi and Mikan fall behind the others, courtesy of the girl tugging on his sleeves.

“Did you mean that?” She asks quietly.

“I don’t think I was lying.”

“I-I was really fond of you.”

Koichi stared at the girl in shock. “Why?”

“You never forced me to do anything, a-and you said I could be needed for doing what I loved.”  She clasped her hands.

He had only made excuses… “What happened back then?”

She looked at him with unnerving strangeness. “Shouldn’t you know?”

 

Ruruka leads them to the next stage of wildly disparate aesthetics compared to the last. A wide, traditional Japanese decor. Trophies, ornamental weapons and statues filled the room. The floor was made of tatami mats. Where the previous room had 16 seats, there were 16 covers, each with a cushion in front, and a tablet placed on them.

Three adolescents waited there ahead of them, dressed similarly to the other casino workers. Behind them was an oversized door that looked like it slid open. A natural light seeped through the cracks.

“Took long enough for you bastards to show.” A short blonde boy in a standard black and white suit, sat cross legged on the mat. A dragon shaped emblem was nipped to his lapel.  Standing on side were similarly dressed men. The one to the left accessorized with a purple scarf and eerie makeup. The right was more casual; a giant that towered over Sakakura.  

 “You, I’m the next gamemaster. Name’s Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu.” They all knew what that surname meant, but none cringed as much as Yasuhiro.

“Nekomaru Nidai. The other one’s Gundham Tanaka.” The beefcake spoke for the quiet, red-eyed man.

“Nekomaru? Cute name.” Ryoko said.

Fuyuhiko’s gaze followed, he squinted. “Do I know you?”

Ryoko gawked. “A-Are you hitting on me?”

“You’re going back to your old self.” Toko rolled her eyes.

“Heh. At least one of you’s got fire. The rest look like you’ve been put through hell. No fair, I haven’t even gotten started yet.” Fuyuhiko grinned.

“Please stop this. We’ve done nothing to earn your hatred.” Sayaka said softly.

“Technically true, but so what? Whatever I feel, we’re doing this either way.” Fuyuhiko sighed. “Funny. Alive or dead, I’ve never had the freedom to show someone mercy.”

“And you’re not even a glorified thug anymore. Just a lowly butler.” Ruruka grinned crookedly.

“That’s how it is.”

That’s how it is?” Koichi was a man of few words and chose them carefully. That’s why it shocked him most of all, that he spoke without thinking.

Fuyuhiko gave him a curious look. “Did I stutter?”

“…No. You didn’t.”

Fuyuhiko huffed. “Now then, we’ll be doing things differently this time. You kids have cavalry battles back at the academy yet?”

“It’ll be a team battle then?” Kyoko caught on.

“The three of us, against four of you, but it ain’t gonna be a simple shoot out. More like free-for-all against four deadly sons of bitches. Look at the big screen.” They’d come to expect a monitor wherever they went. Whoever was behind sure had a thing for screenings.

The feed switched to a forest area. Faces went pale at the miniature hills of bone and skulls surrounding a cage. The thick steel bars served as the only barrier warding off the animal responsible. If It could be called that. By form alone, it was a feline on all fours. Yet its composition was neither flesh or bone, but pure metal, coated over by white and black paint.

“We’ll have to kill that?!” Yasuhiro freaked.

Them.” Fuyuhiko corrected. “We’ll be up against the monobeasts.”

“You’ll be prepared. Now sit and look under those pillows.” Nekomaru instructed. Class 78 fell into place and found gold-plated guns laid under. All pair of eyes hardened as they took the firearms in hand.

[Golden Gun Acquired]

“Is this a toy?” Hifumi asked.

“Shoot yourself with it and see? I promise you’ll be in for a surprise.” Fuyuhiko’s warnings had the doujin author shuddering and laying the gun down flat.

“These’ll be our starting arms for the game. There’ll be more weapons scattered in the forest for us to kill that son of a bitch.” Fuyuhiko said.

“You phrase it as though we would cooperate instead of compete.” Kyoko said.

The man in the scarf bristled but otherwise did little else.

“By the way, the winner isn’t who kills the monobeasts. It’s who gets through the door on far south of the forest.” The monitor switched scenes to an average-sized door. Its composition was solid metal, contrasting the surrounding greenery and moss growing around it. “Problem is there’s an automatic lock and our prey needs to die before it can be opened.”

“Would these be enough to kill that monstrosity!?” Hifumi asked.

“Who knows, there might be a [secret weapon] that can let you take out these monsters in one hit.” Fuyuhiko alluded.

“Might? And I’m sure the existence of this item won’t prove a huge advantage for you.” Kyoko scowled.

Advantage?” Fuyuhiko said as if the word was alien. “Did Izayoi fuck up or something?” Fuyuhiko asked Ruruka. A second later, he whistled. “Pretty pointless asking you now though. I’d say, ‘serves you right’ but considering you’re the one who killed him 2 years ago, you probably don’t care.”

The confectioner’s expression was blank. “Don’t you have a job to do?”

The two shared a silent, but tense stare down. Up until Nekomaru broke the stalemate, answering Kyoko’s inquiry. “No, we don’t know where the prize is. The setup of every game was handled beforehand.”

“What guarantees do we have that you’re telling the truth?”

“None and feel free not to trust us. But take my word for it,” Fuyuhiko smirked “We’re all in the same boat here. We’ll sink together so we may as well swim together too.” The blonde’s gaze dropped on the peculiar couple. “You two. Handcuffs. What are you doing?”

“It’s a long story.” “We can’t take them off either.”

“Gundham. Cut em’ loose.”

Gundham took one step, and only one step before Makoto spoke up “No thanks. Aoi and I are fine together.”

“I don’t care what you want. Those cuffs are a problem.”

The luckster didn’t back down. “That’s why I won’t let you remove them. And you can’t either. Going by your rulebook…

Under no circumstances is a game master permitted to attack or aid in the attack of a participant outside the confines of the subgame”.

Fuyuhiko seethes at Ruruka. “As usual, you’re a pain in my ass.”

“Them’s the rules.” She was laughing it up despite having similar gripes. There’s some bad blood going around.

Fuyuhiko proceeded to ignore his begrudging partner in crime. “You know this might not work out in your favor.”

“Maybe, but anything that throws your games off is worth holding onto.” Said the defiant luckster

Surprisingly, the show pleased Fuyuhiko. “You’re a riot. Tell me, which one are you?”

“…Makoto Naegi. The Ultimate Lucky Student.”

“Like Komaeda…eh? Here’s hoping you get picked.”

Fuyuhiko snapped his fingers. Moments later, 4 of the tablets shone red.

“Will the lucky contestants stand?” Ruruka asked.

“Nooooooooo!” Yasuhiro clawed at his hair.

The other chosen contestants were a tad more graceful. Then again, Celestia, Sayaka and Kyoko rarely weren’t.

Fuyuhiko clicked his tongue at Makoto. “Too bad, but I might get the chance yet.”

“Let’s get it on! It’ll be class 77 vs…what year are you in? 80? 81?” Nekomaru asked.

“78. We’re second years.” Sayaka said tersely.

Their three adversaries went still. Four, if including Mikan. The exaggerated became as stone as Gundham’s had been the whole duration.

Right until Fuyuhiko laughed uproariously. “Hahahahahaha! So that’s it. You’re a real piece of work, teach!” His eyes swirled in a similar manner as Izayoi in his last moments.  

“You’re right about that.” Koichi dusted off his pants and took a stand. “And as what goes around comes around, why not let me take Kyoko’s place?”

“Once participants are selected, there are no takebacks.” Ruruka stepped in.      

“Make a new rule. You can do that right?” Koichi’s gaze didn’t leave the game master.

“Why should I?” Fuyuhiko asked.

“The kids aren’t involved at all with what happened 2 years ago. But me? I’ve been there a long time. What better way to settle a grudge against Hope’s Peak administration?” The teacher smiles.

“I never thought I’d see the day when he’d want to get involved with us.” Fuyuhiko glanced at the detective. “Or is this chick special to you or something?”

“Something like that.”

Fuyuhiko made his decision and started tapping on his tablet.  

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Ruruka glared.

“New rule: Participants can switch places so long as they are approved by the game master. However, the game master decides who gets switched.” Fuyuhiko said. “I’ll meet you half-way. You switch with doll-face.”

“Doll face.” Celes quirked an eyebrow.

“Why not me!?” Hiro cried.

“I don’t like you.”

The clairvoyant squeaked. In contrast, Celes appeared as pleased as could be. “I welcome the change. Physical labor is not my strong suit.”

“Deal.” Koichi said.

“Hmpf. The game starts in fifteen minutes. Should give you time to prepare.”


“Must’ve had something in my ears. Could you repeat that, Jin?”

“Classes 76 and 77 have gone missing.” Jin was a serious man by nature, even moreso after the became the headmaster of the prestigious academy.

Poor Chisa. Those kids must’ve dragged her into another mess. “Save this for the police, not me.”

“The authorities will not be getting involved.” 

He always was good at catching bad feelings. “Excuse me, but I thought you’d told me we had a pretty bad situation over a school-sanctioned.”

“The steering committee made their decision earlier this morning.”

 “They…are missing, correct?”

“Those old men have never pressed me to silence this much before. It’s like they wanted to be wash their hands off this mess as soon as possible… No, they were already finished. I’m sure of it.” He unloads his drawer and spreads out a table-full of letters. “I was told to have them sent out before the end of the day. In total 300 million yen for the families, and letters of apology.”

It was a rare sight for the infamous drunk to be stunned while sober, but the administrators of HPA were exceptional in so many ways. Few he would claim were positive. “You think these parents are going to just accept that?”

“I was told a rejection would be fine. I would only need to inform them of which families refused, and they would personally see to the rest.” Jin crossed his fingers.

Koichi chuckled darky. “Hey, Jin. Call me crazy but, I thought you were the headmaster.”

“I answer to the board.”

“32 of your students are MIA – No, little Chisa just graduated, so let’s make that 33. And your immediate response is to bribe their families to silence?”  Koichi repeated, to be absolutely clear he was on the same page. The lack of response is his confirmation. “I’ve fought in a war, but I’ve never been given an order that cold-blooded.”

The neutrality in Jin’s expression didn’t falter one bit.

“Sorry. That was out of line.” Koichi said. “If you’d already made this decision, why tell me?”

“I shouldn’t have. But I had to.” The headmaster pauses. “I had to tell someone.”

Koichi nods slowly. “I see. S’pose I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t share your burdens.” This was a pity…but clearly, there was nothing to be done about it at present.

If there was any justice in this world, this whole thing will just blow over and those kids will come home safe and sound.

Koichi pocketed his hands and sneered. ‘Early partings are also a fact of life.’


Free-time, or so Koichi liked to call it was a pretty anxious period. The kids just did whatever they wanted or could. Like he was going to stop them. For some, it might be their last hours. Yasuhiro wisely spent this time in prayer. Sayaka had excused herself, needing time alone. He kept watch on Kyoko.

 “You’re gonna be ok, right Kyoko?” Aoi asked.

“Have I ever given you a reason to worry about me?” The lilac-haired girl smiled faintly.

“But Leon…” The baseball star’s death had left a mental scar. It was likely the first time these kids had seen someone die. Was it wrong that he thought they were lucky to have seen it through a television screen?

“Leon’s death was his own fault, regrettably. We’ll need to keep him as a reminder not to lose our heads.” Kyoko said. “That sounds cold coming from me, doesn’t it?”

“We’ve come to expect it. We know you mean well.” Makoto said awkwardly.

“If there’s anyone we should be worried about, it’s that dummy, Hiro.”

“Yasuhiro is a survivor. For all his stupidity, he’s come this far.” Kyoko replied. There was some logic to that, in the teacher’s mind. Not necessarily good.

“Hina and I have something to talk about, so in case we don’t see each other before you head off…take care of Sayaka.” Makoto said.

The swimmer looked him over. “You’re not the most reliable adult ever, but we’re counting on you, teach.”

“When little Hina’s got me in her thoughts, I’ve got to pull through.” Koichi waved his hand.  “Now run along and always be mindful of where you are.”

Once the duo was out of earshot. “Kyoko…” He warns.

“I know he’s suspicious.”

“Doesn’t necessarily mean he’s our culprit but it’d be unwise to let your guard down around either of them. “

She soured. “Excuse me if I have reason a doubt a friend of my father’s, and an employee of the school that has strong ties to our present circumstances, has my best interests at heart.”

“Haha, that’s the spirit. Keep a distance from everyone.”

 It’ll be how you survive.

- [Sakura Ogami] -

 

Meeting a man as imposing as Nekomaru Nidai alone would daunt most under normal circumstances. In this twisted game, almost suicidal, to those who not acquainted.

“It’s been too long, Sakura.”

“It has.” Time changes people, for the better and worse. She wished to verify which.  “I had hoped to have heard wrong when your name came up. Are you truly on their side?”

Nekomaru picked his ears, unconcerned by the inquiry on his dignity. “Depends on what you mean.”

“That which approves the kidnapping and murder of the innocent.”

Nekomaru’s response was voiceless but impactful.

Physically so - Sakura mused as she blocked Nekomaru’s fist.

“That a good enough answer?”

“A telegraphed straight. As honest as you are, but I don’t remember your punches packing this much weight back in the mountains. Have you been training?”

“If I dedicated time to training myself, I’d never have become the ultimate team manager so quickly.” Sakura silently acknowledged that as truth. The fighter sacrificed much to reach the peak. “If you’re asking if I’ve gotten stronger, then I’d say it’s that I have a responsibility.”

“That is the source of your strength?”

“…It’s a shame you weren’t chosen, Sakura. With you, I feel like we could accomplish anything.”

The praised warmed her as much as it did confuse. Nevertheless, “Do not underestimate my teammates. They will surprise you, as they have me, many times.”

“I look forward to it.” Nekomaru gladly accepted her reassurance. His mind was an enigma, but what about this predicament wasn’t?

“I remember dying.”

Three words left Sakura rapt with attention.

“I remember it so vividly that being here feels like a dream. This body of mine isn’t real.”

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

“…”

“-_-“

“…”

“0_0”

“…”

“>_<”

“Dare I ask?” Toko looked on the silent conversation between Ryoko and one of the new game-masters. Wanting to distance herself from this vile game, Toko was instinctively drawn to the few who were sitting it out. That being Ryoko, Chihiro, Mondo…and the self-proclaimed nurse. Mikan Tsumiki watched over the still asleep Mondo and Chihiro. Toko watched over her, because the other ditz couldn’t be trusted.

Out of nowhere, the tall, dark-haired man approached them. Common courtesy necessitated a greeting, an offering, or well, anything else but wasting time…with whatever this was. But all of this seemed to sit right with their resident amnesiac who for some reason took the man’s silence as a letter of challenge.

“It’s not my fault. He’s not saying anything.” Ryoko said. “What do you want already?”

Gundham Tanaka’s expression was fixed in a perpetual glare.

“Um…could you two keep it down?” Mikan said, meekly. Obviously referring to the birdbrain, because the other guy wasn’t talking at all.

One-sidedly, he came and excused himself, without granting them a single response.

“What was that about?” Ryoko asked.

“Maybe you pissed him off before.”

“I’ve never seen him in my life.”

“It’s…not like you’d remember that.”

“Good point.” Ryoko nodded to herself “Lucky for me, I got to sit out these dumb games.”

Toko seethed, both in envy and disgust. “Letting the rest of us carry you to safety. I can’t expect anything else from a useless bimbo like you.”

Ryoko took a dramatic step back. “I-I’m not useless.”

“B-But you won’t deny the ‘bimbo’ part?”

“That’s just another way of calling me gorgeous.” Ryoko puffed her chest with pride.

“…If I wrote a murder mystery, you’d be the first to die.”

“So mean!”

“Shhhh!” Mikan said with a finger to her lips.

“Oops.” Ryoko muffled her mouth.

Toko withstood the urge to roll her eyes, if only because it was becoming her default reaction to this brainless woman reaction. Instead, she observed the boys’ conditions. They’d expected Mondo to have woken up by now, but he settled back into a deep sleep. The author still hadn’t quite come to grips with Makoto of all people leaving the biker in that state. They could use a brawny dumbass right about now.

Then there was Chihiro, whose breaths were ragged from stress. Like they weren’t all going through the same struggles.

“Must be nice being weak.”

- [Various PoV] -

 

 “You kids ready yet?” Nekomaru said impatiently.

“Pretty sure I’m older than you.” Yasuhiro Hagakure regained his composure.

“With teeth like that, you might as well be newborns.” Nekomaru jerked her finger at Koichi. “If I’m wrong, I’m looking forward to finding out! Don’t disappoint me, Kizakura.”

‘I didn’t even get this much respect when I taught them.’ Kochi mused. Then again, it wasn’t like he was a gym teacher. Physical education was probably the only courses that would get through.

 “Looks like my luck with the kids is finally turning around. Wouldn’t you say, princess?” Koichi said to their most silent participant. In more ways than one. Hiro had screamed his despair for the whole world to hear, but he hadn’t noticed her at all. Poor thing must be scared out of her wits.

Yet Sayaka Maizono answered with a polite giggle. “You do have a peculiar charm.”

“Listen up, chumps. I’ve got a hint that might save your lives, literally.” Fuyuhiko “Boss baby” Kuzuryu said. “Everyone, stick out your left hand.”

Ruruka, moved between the designated 8 non-contestants. In each hand, Ruruka slipped an inexpensive looking ring down their finger. The insignia was painfully familiar.

[Hope’s Peak Ring Acquired]

“Until the game is over, none of you are permitted to take these off.” Ruruka instructed, then motioned to the prominent four. “Look at your tablets.”

Kyoko, Koichi, Sayaka and Yasuhiro quickly peeked at their screens.

“There are digits in there and you’ll keep them to yourself, if you’re not feeling like getting executed.”

Yasuhiro quickly turned his tablet off.

“Those numbers are linked the ones on your friends’ bracelets. Whoever you got will be your lifeline.” Fuyuhiko continued. “One treasure out there has a ring just like that one. If you find it, all you gotta do is say the words ‘Tag in’, followed by your given number and you’ll swap conditions with them.”

Fuyuhiko’s choice words resulted in resounding confusion amongst the group.

“We’ll need more specific explanations. What do you mean ‘conditions’?” Kyoko asked.

“Wherever you are on the field, you’ll instantly switch places with your lifeline. You’ll be out of the game and replaced with them.”

“More nonsense.” Munakata shook his head.

“Up to you whether you believe or use it. I’m just doing my job and spitting the facts.  And to be clear, when I say you’re swapping conditions? I mean everything, that includes your inventory, your stamina and your health. For example, if you accidentally got shot and swapped, you’ll be just fine once you’re back here. The other guy or girl won’t be. Capiche?”

“And…if I were to question the logic this principle runs on?” Kyoko’s voice carried a hint of frustration,

“Don’t think. It’s like video games, where a tag-team shares health bars and MP.”

“Health…bars? Are you treating this like a…game?” Makoto asked.

“We’re playing one now, aren’t we?” Fuyuhiko replied.

The luckster’s face darkened.

“Nice glare, but you’re wasting your time. Take my advice and enjoy the moment. You’ll go crazy if every detail bothers you.”

‘Your ‘advice’ isn’t worth much when you barely had a semblance of sanity left’ Kyoko thought.

“Let me get this straight. You’re saying at any time, if those four find a ring, any one of us can be endangered in their stead?” Celes inquired.

“About the gist of it. If your buddy’s having a bad time, you can lend a hand and take their place. Isn’t great to have trustworthy friends?”

His mockery wasn’t lost on even the dimmest.

“Shit.” Juzo spoke for all of them.


*ching*

Hifumi had a point. Even if Hiro never stepped foot in the casino before, this area was waaaay too wild to fit in the building. Quite literally, the wild. “Where are we?” Hiro shielded his face from the sun. Which…was somehow inside the casino. Just on the other end of the sliding doors was a dense forest. No roads, only grass everywhere. At least it wasn’t muddy. He’s wearing sandals for crying out loud.

His left hand brushed through the large leaves in front of the path.  His right glued to the pistol for dear life. Everyone’s favorite clairvoyant was no stranger to guns, but all his experience dealt with running away from the damn things. He suppressed thoughts of what’d happen if someone found out he used one without a permit. He was fighting to survive here, and that meant he had to put a bullet in those 3 leisurely walking in front of him and his classmates.

If you think about it, they’re already dead. So, legally, it’s not murder.

*ching*

‘Yeah, I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m the victim here.’

 It’d take 3 shots. He could get at most two of them like this. But the other would strike back. That’d be bad, unless he had some backup.

He glanced in the direction of the others. Kyoko and Kizakura walked side-by-side, more on the intention of the latter than the former. Meanwhile Sayaka trailed behind. All of them had their guns facing downwards.

‘Come on guys, we’ve got a good shot here.’ Hiro waved his gun, quietly sending signals to take the chance of a lifetime.

Kyoko faced forward, as if she couldn’t see him. That chick is cold.

Kizakura coyly shook his head. Unreliable as usual.

Sayaka tensely looked away. He probably couldn’t expect her to be a good shot anyway.

*ching*

He tried to drown out the bells in the distance. Focusing on class 77, a little farther ahead. ‘I gotta take matters into my own hands.’

His chance came soon when they approached a small clearing. They’d be wide open while Hiro would have some cover from the forest. If they fired back, his classmates would have to join anyway.

The shaggy-haired man raised his gun, pointing at the one he considered most dangerous. The Kuzuryu clan had been a pain in his butt for a long time.

“You seriously pointing that at us?” Fuyuhiko voice stopped Yasuhiro’s finger from pushing down on the trigger. Hiro jumped back in terror, no longer even feigning. “Y-You got eyes behind your head?!”

The yakuza scoffed. “As if. I just pictured a coward like you would do that about now.”

There went his surprise. The others tensed, gripping their firearms tightly. Yet their captors made no move to retaliate.

Why are they so calm again? “Uh, call me crazy. But aren’t we duking it out something?”

 “The party’s not started yet.”

“Seeing as I don’t suppose you’re sticking around to be friends, am I to presume you have a temporary offer?” Kyoko expected that much, at the back of her head. Their targets didn’t look like it’d be easy to take down, even with their guns. There wouldn’t be a need to mention that grand prize otherwise.

“More or less. The best course of action would be to get the monobeasts out of the picture and take the opportunity to snipe you guys in the back.” Fuyuhiko casually laid out his plans.

“You’re a poor negotiator.”

“But liar, I am not.” The ex-yakuza wagged his fingers. “Oh well, you’ll realize you don’t have a choice in a few seconds.” He took their confused looks in stride. “The bells are getting closer.”

The vague declaration had them preparing themselves for the worst. What was certain was that the chimes were getting louder. The source wasn’t coming from inside the forest but…

“Oh hell.” Hiro nearly dropped his gun when ‘it’ descended on the clearing.

Talons of metal scarred the Earth, the rumble alone nearly making the students lose their footing. Bells were attached to the pointed tips of skeleton wings. Once flexed, pelted their ears with waves of intrusive ringing. The jagged tail passively rested on the ground. A multi-colored Hope’s Peak Academy insignia squared on the machine chassis. Scar-shaped lenses were poised on them.

The term ‘hawk stalking its prey’ had never held such sobering meaning. If they had known to prepare, they would have protected their ears most of all.

A sudden scream - loud enough to shatter glass - caught them off-guard. Kyoko’s winced and shielded her ears. An act of vulnerability that would normally shame the detective, but circumstances weren’t usually so rare. She hadn’t been alone either.

“AAAAAAAAH!” Yasuhiro pointed the barrel of his gun and let loose a slew of bullets in quick succession, battering the machine. Its armor wasn’t as sturdy as it looked. Some of the rounds bounced off, but others burrowed into the frame.

“Hiro, run!” Sayaka screamed, as the eagle focused its attention on the shooter, who in fear, kept pressing down on the trigger, even as the ammunition ran empty. Just as the wings started flapping, Nekomaru scored a blow to the side of its head. The ultimate team manager had used the trees to find high ground. The attack had only halted its momentum at best. “Aren’t you tough?” Nekomaru spun and kicked the eye of the beast. A pained howl followed as the trainer created distance.

“Sturdier than I thought.” Nekomaru’s reddened fists shook.

“This is why we have weapons, dumb ass. Use em!” Fuyuhiko joined Gundham in the shootout.

“I spotted something real weird-looking on the way over. Hold him off for now.” Koichi ran.

“Can you fight?” Kyoko asked Sayaka, who nodded in turn.

“I’ve been ready for a long time now.” With practiced ease, the lilac-haired girl and idol joined in on pelting the monobeast with as many bullets as they could. A frightening reality was what would happen when they ran out.

Their enemy let out another baleful screech that made their blood run cold.

‘Just what is this creature?’ Kyoko wondered.

“I’m back.” Koichi returned, holding

“Bubble-gum?” Kyoko’s brows raised to the limits

“Is this really the time!?” Sayaka freaked.

“They were in in one of these…heh, treasure chests.” The teacher said smugly.

[Bubble-Gum Bomb – Handle with care]

Koichi bit and tore the wrapping, then tossed the pink bar at the monobeast. His confounded allies observed the ineffectual confection fly in the air. Only getting a sense of the unusual when a pink flash blinded them. An explosion followed, clouding the area in pink smoke.

Kyoko felt his arm pull and drag her off. Briefly she thought about something Togami would say, had been alive,

The game is afoot.


“Never seen grenades like that one.” Koichi laughed. He and Kyoko maneuvered through the deep forests. It wasn’t smart to stay in the open where they would be easily spotted. “Looks like we got away.”

The cock of a gun behind the instructor had him plant his feet in the grass. “Just us. Why is that?” Kyoko asked.

Koichi angled his head back. “Looking out for ya.”

“I’m going back.”

“Bad idea. Remember what Fuyuhiko said? There are four of those things. Wanna bet loudmouth called more to that area?”

Kyoko lowered the gun. “All the better. The more we know about them, the better off we are. Someone will have to perform reconnaissance.”

Smart plan, for a not-so-intelligent reason. “I don’t know when you girls got so close, but you shouldn’t let your guard down.”

“I know that better than anyone.” The detective frowned, lowering her pistol. A keen eye scanned the weapon.

“Did you notice off about these guns?”

“Besides the wacky color? I’m surprised they work. Someone’s got a twisted sense of humor.”

“They’re surprisingly easy to use.”

“Really?” Koichi cocked his head.

“Are you used to handling firearms?”

“Yeah. I’ve cycled through more of them than people. Why?”

“There’s no recoil. I’ve only used guns a few times in the past, but I was never good with them. I’m fairly certain Sayaka and Yasuhiro have no experience either, but they handled them just fine.”

… It’d slipped his mind in the chaos, but that is interesting. “What do you think’s going on?’


An unlikely trio ran through the deep trenches of the forest, praying they’d lost their pursuer. In Yasuhiro’s case, at least 35 prayers to as many different gods. Though, none were cause of his fatigue.

“You tired already? Your life’s on the line here, you know?” Nekomaru said in an expectedly dissatisfied voice.

“I don’t hear it following us.” Sayaka asked. They had only been able to get away because the monster had had been entrapped by the gum-like substance.

“Or it went after the others…” Nekomaru replied.

“I saw this with Ruruka and Izayoi too. You all…don’t care about each other. Do you?” 

“Those two can take care of themselves.”

“Eh, she’s still got a point. What I don’t’ get is why you’re hanging out with us.” Yasuhiro recovered.

“Scouting out the competition. And from what I’ve seen, it isn’t much.” His discerning gaze fell on Hiro first. “You’re weak.”

“Well, it has been a while since I last hit the gym.”                             

“And what’s the excuse on your brain?” Nekomaru folded his arms. “I’ll admit you’ve got some good reflexes, but not much better than a cornered cat lashing out at whatever moves. Trying to off us from behind without knowing your situations tells me all I need to know. You’ve got no precision or strategy, and definitely no guts.”

“Why you gotta be so harsh?!”

“Hiro. He’s not worth it.” Sayaka said.

“As for you.” Nekomaru addresses the girl whose breathing remained steady even after over a dozen minutes of sprinting. “Good stamina, I can tell you’re trained.”

“I’ve had to practice exercises since I was a girl. It’s paying off in ways I never wanted.” She said in a neutral voice.

“Sounds like you’ve got dedication too, but not much else. You were the last to spring into action.”

“None of my experience pertains to survival. Sorry if I’m out of my element.” Sayaka said, unphased by the taller man’s criticism. “Well now that you’ve ‘scoped out the competition”, you’ve got no reason to follow us or else.” She threatened with the golden gun.

“Okay, let’s all calm down. No need to start fighting.”  Hiro voted for keeping the peace. Between the big guy and them? He didn’t like their chances.

“Not bad. Calm under pressure…and good at bluffing. I know your cart’s empty.” Nekomaru challenged.

“Want to test that?” The idol didn’t back down.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not here to fight with you two, yet. I’ve got a proposition.” Nekomaru took a less menacing stance. “I’ll act as your guard, while we find the chests and resupply.”

“Why would you help us?” The bluenette hesitantly asked.

“So, he can snatch the treasure at the last second!” Hiro blurted out.

“I…don’t think so. He didn’t have a gun to begin with, and…he doesn’t need us to do that.”

“In exchange for my help, I’ll ask for yours with beating the monobeasts.” He proposed something seriously outrageous in the clairvoyant’s mind. “That tiger you saw before we began...that one’s my target.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? Come along.” Hiro nodded flippantly.

“S-should we trust him so easily?” Sayaka had to double-take at the older man’s sudden change of heart.

“These jock types are always honest stupid, and we don’t have a reason to say no. You saw that bird from earlier? No way we can take those things on our own.”

“To begin with, this game can’t be won by a single team. Not unless you find that secret treasure.” Nekomaru said.

“Alright.” Sayaka accepted.

Yasuhiro palmed Sayaka’s shoulder. “Atta girl. If anything goes wrong, I’ve got your back. Your boy’s got a knack for survival.” If those monsters come back again, we’ll just throw Nekomaru at it. Everybody wins.

Just as negotiations were cleared, Nekomaru posed a final question. “What do you two plan to gain out of this, if you win? What’ll you be fighting for?”

What a dumb question. “To survive, duh!”

Again, Sayaka goes second. “To survive.”

A tentative truce was made out of necessity. That didn’t mean they had to like it. Which, in Hiro’s case, was fine by him. The Kuzuryu was one thing, but it’s not like he knew this cat. Holding grudges is lame anyway.

Sayaka may or may not have had similar thoughts. Distrustful eyes flickered towards Nekomaru in a pretty obvious way. The awkward silence wasn’t helping any either. Thankfully it doesn’t last too long.

“What…is that?” They stumbled onto something weird again.

“No clue.” Nekomaru replied.

“Ah, that’s the monomono machine.” Sayaka said.

“The wha?”

“There’s some on the island, you’ve never seen them?”  Hiro shook his head. “Oh. Well, If you slip coins in, you get a prize.”

“So they’re gacha machines.”

“Ga-cha?” Sayaka cocked her head to the side.

Yeah, makes sense a pop princess wouldn’t know a thing about the dark life.

“Sounds like these are the treasure chests.” Nekomaru sounded like he actually didn’t know. What’s with these guys? Even Hiro knew the house always stacks the deck to get an advantage. But after Izayoi, they were all coming across like goofballs.

Sayaka approached the machine, looking it over for any slots. Finding none, she twisted the panel. A clunky noise followed, an [Earnest Compass] dropped.

“What a rip off. We can’t fight with that.” Hiro twisted the panel over and over, to no avail.

“That’s compass will lead you right to what you love most.” Nekomaru said. Yasuhiro thought it was weird how he’d never known about the machine, but they did know this ‘secret weapon’. Maybe they had knowledge of what to find, just not where or what it looked like?

Jehovah, they’re idiots.

“What we love most…how is that useful here?” Sayaka inquired.

“If what you love most is presently ending this game, then that’ll take you to something that can do that.” What Nekomaru alluded to was obvious even to the fortune-teller.

He swiped the compass from the idol’s hands. “Alright. We’re going after that secret weapon!” He cheered.

“You’ve cheered up.” Sayaka said.

“Nuh uh. I’m still cared shitless, but you can get out of any bad sitch if you hang in there long enough.” And If you can’t find a loophole, you make one.


“This field trip has been illuminating.” Kyoko remarks, assessing the intricately designed weapons they’d found in the MonoMono machines.

“Think of it as an experience.” Koichi said coolly, lying on his front on the cliffside. He peers down at the forest with a tacky pair of [Passionate Glasses]. Koichi had heard of far-seeing glasses before, but this little item took the cake. He scans the forests like he was looking through the scope of a rifle. A bow and arrow rests by his side.

“If that’s true, I would think you’d have been somewhat closer to Ikusaba.”

“Are you particularly close to other homicide detectives?” Koichi shot back. “It’d be one thing if we were from the same unit, but that’s not something to bring up in conversation.”

“And yet you’re doing so here because…”

“To tell you that the one with experience should call the shots while you take a back seat.” Was his blunt admittance. “Do me a favor and watch my back, I’ll scope things out from here.”

“Have you killed anyone before?”

Koichi sighed. It’s never easy with this girl. “Where is that coming from?”

“Your answer may affect whether I give you my trust.” She distrusts everything about this situation, and it becomes less believable the more she progresses. All she can believe, are the elements before the world went crazy. Her class. Of which Koichi was a part of.

“What does it mean to ‘kill’ exactly?”

“To deprive another of life.” Kyoko replied.

“In war, it’s best not to think or feel deeply about anything.” War makes monsters of men.

“The guys on the other team aren’t people, they aren’t even alive. There’s you, your brother and sister besides you, and some very lifelike dolls to shoot on the other side.”

“Thank you.” Kyoko nods to herself. “How you can easily detach from what ought to matter most…I can see how you could be a friend of my father’s.” One final condemnation.

“Ouch- “Koichi cut off

“What?”

“Found number three a kilometer off number two.” He removes the glasses. Kyoko scrunches her nose and debates with herself. As always, a powerful curiosity wins out.

The blue spectacles display what Koichi had sighted. One of the monobeasts, sharing the same monochrome format as the flier, but altogether larger. A hulking culmination of metal as tall as the trees. It walked on six legs, each sharp end digging into the land. It’s two arms were held forward in a peculiar position. The detective likened the machine to a praying mantis. Only the arms were sleek and sharp as blades.

“I’m beginning to see a pattern here. A sensible one, for once.”

“Still doubting the whole ‘magic’ thing? Well, I’m not exactly a believer myself. But I’d love another explanation at this point.”

“Here’s one.” Kyoko began. “You would think we’d be facing real monsters if that were the case. Not these machines.”

Koichi shrugs. “Same deal to me. Think about it. What country do you know that can develop this kind of technology, only to waste on a sick joke like this.”

“Are you going to tell me not to think too hard about this as well?” Kyoko hid the bottom part of her face with a gloved fist.

“Magic or not, we’ll have to kick their ass anyway. No reason to sweat the details.”

“Skimming those details might lead to crucial mistakes.” Kyoko returns the glasses to the older man.

Agree to disagree. The instructor keeps one knee down to the ground and raises the other to balance himself. In his hand was a [Meteorite Arrowhead]. The bow and arrow that marked the closest thing to a long-ranged weapon they’d found.

“I’ll take the shot and see how it reacts.” The bow bends, Koichi pulls the string back far, steadying the arrow. Without taking a single breath, he released the shot and watched it fly. The spear tip zipped through the air, poised to strike the mantis’ head. It was a feat no ordinary man could achieve. However, with or without his abilities as an Ultimate, Koichi Kizakura was skilled. Unfortunately, that principle applied to the target to a more extraordinary degree.

The arrow came shot through the treetops at a slanted angle. Once within the 5 meters, the mantis’ blades – that pointed downwards – shifted unnaturally to the side. The arm moves swings with terrifying speed and precision, slashing the arrow in motion.

Given the surreal nature of their enemies, Koichi expected that possibility. But even he was taken aback when the trees tumbled as well. The untouched tops were cleaved in half along with the arrow.

Koichi whistled.

“Getting in close is suicide.” Kyoko stated, without need for the glasses.

“Let’s hope it blocked because that shot would hurt it.” If not, they were beyond screwed.  We’ll need to take it off-guard somehow.”

“For now, let’s test the other.” Kyoko inched her head to the right while lobbing a pack of bubble hum up and down.  Koichi followed, sighting the first of the targets they had found a while back, and seen even earlier. The mechanical feline showcased on the monitor prowled the forest, unbeknownst to the two observers. Its form was every bit as intimidating as the other monobeasts. And if its agility was anything like the animal it was designed after. That, too, would be a suicidal confrontation at close range.

This time Koichi pulled the bow back to the absolute limit, to the point that it looked like it would snap in half to the lilac-haired girl. The scout made his second shot. The arrow moved even faster than the first and was no less accurate. Lady luck finally graced them. This monobeast lacked the reaction of the previous. It was thoroughly unsuspecting and unprepared for the meteorite arrowhead to smash into the left side of its face. Sparks crackled from its exposed eye socket as it made a pained howl.

At least…that’s what it sounded like to them. “We can hurt them. That’s good news.” Koichi said, despite the bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face. While his sniping was exceptional, it was not his Ultimate talent. What Koichi excelled at most…was intuition. The ominous feeling reared its head in full when the panther ran towards the direction the arrow flew.  

Towards them.

 Koichi held out his hand. Kyoko dumped the bubblegum bomb in it.

While the scout ripped open the wrapper and thew the odd explosive, Kyoko’s mind raced through the newfound information, and coming possibilities.

The bomb should signal anyone else, friend and foe.

The mantis was dangerous in close quarters

The panther’s agility made its namesake appear slow. Its savagery would likely follow.

The eagle was out of reach, but also didn’t have a way of detecting them

Their weapons can effectively damage three of them.

They were missing one.


Yasuhiro was feeling good. Better than he had in days. Who said packing heat didn’t give you confidence? It wasn’t exactly the secret weapon they were looking for, but they stocked enough to give them a fighting chance against those monsters for sure.

Hiro followed the compass’ directions. “Nekocchi. You’re sure this secret weapon exists right?”

“We’ve been led to believe so.” It was probably useless asking who led them to think that.

“How long have we been at this?” Hiro blocked his eyes from the sun’s rays. He’d been holding up pretty well then. The clairvoyant normally wasn’t good with the heat, and he figured the thirst would do him in by now.

“Less than 2 hours.” Sayaka replies, still shooting the team manager weary looks. Damn girl, he’s suspicious but no need to give him the evil eye all the time-

The ground rumbled from an explosion.

“That’s not too far from here…” Nekomaru gazed in the direction of the rising pink smoke.

“Meaning we run the other way.” Yasuhiro was already turning back.

“How much longer do you plan on running?” Nekomaru asked, thoroughly unimpressed. “Chances are where’s there’s activity, our friends could be there fighting.”

“How do we know it’s not just your friends?”

“And if they were only yours? Would you take the chance?”

“At the very least,” Sayaka spoke up “we should investigate. If there’s nobody there, we’ll high-tail it.”

Yasuhiro wanted to smack his forehead. First rule of survival. Never compromise. Start thinking about anyone else and it’ll be the death of you. “Don’t fall for it, he’s setting us up for an ambush.”

“I don’t think Nekomaru is that sort of person. Call it my intuition.”

Now she’d thrown him for a loop. She’d been glaring at the dude like he was going to stab them in the back any time. If he’d been wrong and she wasn’t worrying about that, what was her deal?

Oh! I guess it’s true what they say about girls and jocks.

“It’s nothing like that.” An icy stare accompanied the idols stiff tone.

“Woah! Get out of my head!”

The bluenette was overcome with exasperation for her classmate. “I’m certain Nekomaru is after something, and while we might have to fight eventually, I don’t think he’d do it this way.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. But you’ve made one mistake.” Nekomaru added. “There’s no ‘might’. If any of us make it to the end, we’ll have to fight to leave.” As if that marked the end of delegations, the ex-ultimate team manager made his way to the source of the smoke.

Sayaka silently followed, and Hiro behind her. It was relaxing in a way, having nobody watching him behind his back. The psychic glanced downwards, following the needle on the compass. He clicked his tongue when he saw the needle pointed in another direction.

Yasuhiro Hagakure faced forward, casually dipping his hands into his pockets. He stared at Nekomaru’s back, mumbling words he’d never speak aloud.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Nekocchi. There’s one way to ditch this dumb game. I gotta find my secret weapon – my ticket out of here.” The ring, along with the numbers that would set him free.

Sorry, Makoto, but you’re more cut out for lucking through danger than me.

 

Notes:

This is gonna be a long one. I planned to finish the entire game in one chapter, but it just wasn't happening with the length. I wanted to capture the playful vibe of SDR2 here, where even at their worst, class 77 don't lose that happy-go-lucky atmosphere. To that end, I also put a spin on the monomono machines and made the gifts an active part of the story.

Chapter 31: Queen of Hearts (IV)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [Koichi Kizakura] -

 

Koichi usually avoided the library, but it was the likeliest location to find the brat who, in a single action, reached the top of his shit list. Normally, he would praise one of his students for actually picking up a book outside of class. Now it just annoyed him.

“What?” Togami addressed the teacher who sat across him in an obnoxious way.

“Did the mascot rope you into this?”

“I don’t go out of my way for anyone.”

Koichi clapped. “Then you can rescind that offer. They’ll probably hate you for a little while, but that’s nothing you’re not used to.”

The heir finally peeled his eyes away from the book. “Why are you so bothered by a simple vacation?”

“Maybe you’re seeing things?”

“A lesson I learned early on was to spot when an adult wanted something. It’s doubly obvious when the man in question hasn’t spoken 10 sentences to me before.”

“You're the anti-social, not me."

Losing interest, Togami returned to his hobby. “If you have nothing but deflections, leave.”

“Withdraw the funding.” Koichi dropped all pretenses of a request.

“Naegi could never have convinced me to sponsor the expenses. And I didn’t.” Togami flipped the pages. “What happens is out of my hands, and yours.”

Koichi made a racket of standing. Childish, but hey, he never feigned maturity. Just as he latched onto the doorknob of the dusty library,

“Instead of wasting your time, the proper course of action ought to be doing everything in your power to make the most of this opportunity.”

“As if anything good could come out of going there.” Koichi said.

 

- [Yasuhiro Hagakure] -

 

Yasuhiro's dear hopes that the situation would resolve itself before they got there were shot down by a spine-shuddering roar. The silver lining was that their mechanical feline friend was stuck in the same gummy substance that caught the eagle.

Now we can run away – Or so he would have liked! Nekomaru wanted to have a go at it!

That monobeast was the size of an elephant, had sharp claws and had a very, very intimidating Gatling-gun attached to the end of its tail.

The tail flexed, the canon spun, bullets chased Nekomaru wherever he ran.

“Where’d you learn to aim!?” Nekomaru boasted, outrunning the gunfire. He might have sounded a lot cooler if the tail wasn’t hindered by the bubble-gum before they arrived. So far, the team manager had managed to stay alive by circling around, hoping to find an opening.

‘Fat chance of that!’ The monster probably had unlimited ammo or something. At least, it should have run out way after 7 minutes!

“We have to help.” Hiro tries so desperately to ignore the insanity coming from his classmate, hiding in the trees beside him.

“What can we do that he can’t? Besides, if he gets himself killed, that’s good for us.”

 “What do you think will happen if we lose him now? Can you fight that off?”

“Fair enough.” But being right wasn’t exactly comforting right now. “Check out the eye.” Sparks flew out of in a frenzy from the arrowhead in the monobeast’s eye. “Is that why it won’t stop yelling?”

“A robot can feel pain?” Sayaka shook her head “We can’t keep running, and it’s best to fight when there’s many of us.” She jumped into the fray.

Yasuhiro smacked his forehead. These hotblooded minors were going to get themselves killed.

Sadly, she’s right about one thing. “I can’t get out of this by myself.”

Oh well…Team psychic go?


The golden guns ran out fast, but luckily, they found new weapons on their way. Sayaka aimed the [Raygun Zurion] at the tail. A tool straight out of 80s sci-fi. Whatever jokes he had of its making went deaf when the silver beam swept through the machine gun. The resounding explosion of its appendage roused the panther in their direction. Fangs bared and the one remaining eye glowed. It struggled savagely against its bindings.

“Hit the head before it breaks free!” Hiro yelled.

Sayaka held up the ray gun. A lone bar blinked, reminding Yasuhiro of a phone battery on its last legs. “I-I think it needs to charge.”

“Why’d you aim for the tail!?”

“For thiiiiis!” Nekomaru jumped atop the monobeast’s head, wearing a set of boxing gloves. He punched the dome. Once. Twice. Thrice until his fists became a blur. The panther screamed as its body caved from relentless blows.

“Is he gonna crack its skull open?” Hiro’s arms shook, first with excitement, then dread. It was the idiot’s nature to get carried away. Hiro was more than that. He was also a coward, and they think of the worst, most of all. “If he comes after us. We’re kind of screwed huh?”

Unless.

Thing about self-preservation is that the body (instincts) works faster than the brain. Yasuhiro, who was nothing if not a survivalist. Years of being on the run from various loan sharks – and worse – had that effect. This wasn’t the time for guts or feelings. He had to play it smart. The [Electric Tempest] - oddly like a water gun you'd find at a toystore - zoned in on the Panther’s head, and Nekomaru.

“Hold it!” The idol reacted too late.

Without (Before) thinking, he sprayed acid at the two. Sayaka’s yelling warned Nekomaru in time to gracelessly fall off the monobeast.

The monster wasn’t so lucky with its size. The acid hit its body square on. An ear-splitting howl followed. The bubble-gum turned to flame, spreading around its body, and the general area.

“What are you thinking!? There’s nothing holding it down now.” Sayaka’s composure snapped.

“…I just wanted to lend a hand.”

The team manager's reaction was little more than what ought to be expected from someone who knew he’d been targeted “You’re unbelievable.”

Hiro nervously tore his head to the fire “At least, it’s dead for sure now.”

“There was no way around it.” Nekomaru said, as the bright pink flames that burned away the, right down to its visible exoskeleton.

“Only three left. If the others haven’t gotten to them first.” Sayaka put on a brave smile.

“We can only hope.” Nekomaru’s lips moved in a similar position. For a moment. He tensed. “Do either of you hear something?”

The younger students shook their heads. At first. Soon they detected low rumbles. Again, at first. Seconds later, the ground shook.

Hiro lost his balance and fell on his backside. “Is it an Earthquake?” Hiro had never spoken of such a disaster with so much hope.

“As if we’d be that lucky. He’s coming!”

“He?” Sayaka asked.

A tower erupts from the ground, wider than the grandfather oak of the forest. It threatened to reach for the sky until its sections whipped in fluid motion, circling…coiling around the forest, mowing down an all trees in its path. A parade of birds fled in every direction.

The final monobeast settled. A serpent, white as ash, made of the same metal as its brothers and towered over them all.

Yasuhiro and Sayaka were awestruck, cast in the giant snake’s shadow.

“So that’s where you were. Underground.” Nekomaru said.

Dumbfound expressions aplenty when parts that slithered on the ground sectioned off and broke down. Like a they were magnetically attracted to the other killing machine.

“What is it doing?”  Deep down, Sayaka knew, when the parts began to mesh with the exposed sections of the defeated monobeast.

Once defeated.

They realized as much when its eyes – repaired – flickered.

“No, you don’t!” Nekomaru readied his gloved fist to pummel it before fully healing. His impulsiveness allowed one fatal oversight. The adhesive that kept it at bay was gone.

Sayaka and Hiro blinked, and missed it. Nekomaru hadn’t. Just in time, he’d managed to successfully dodge the panther’s charge. That is, it was a success that he was mostly in one piece.

The class 78 were reminded once more of the zombie-like humans’ resilience. How else could they explain how Nekomaru remained standing with his side, left arm, gruesomely ripped out, presently underneath steel claws.

Nekomaru staggered and fell to his knees. “Got me…”

A silver ray shot at the machine. Unbefitting its size, and true to its namesake, the panther dodged with catlike agility. Sayaka stole that small window of time and ran over to the team manager, slinging one heavy arm over her shoulder.

The panther flicked its tail at them. A second acid wave came its way. The panther needn’t look. A wall of metal moved to block the blast from Yasuhiro’s shot. The clairvoyant looked up to the interloper. The serpent leered from above. When its body moved up, the feline’s turret spun.

“Sayaka. Run!” Hiro screams were unheard amidst the storm of bullets. Clouds of dust kicked up not the air as the ground, trees, anything in the tail’s path caved in.

Bile kicked up Hiro’s throat, and spilled over the floor. That’s life for you. Look out for anyone besides numero uno and you’re out to lose.

The gun stopped its rotation.

The dust cloud slowly cleared

Hiro squinted, seeing an armored figure behind the smokescreen. He rubbed his reddening eyes to get a better look.

Wearing black, purple scarf flowing, Gundham Tanaka stood proudly. Behind him were an unharmed Sayaka and Nekomaru.

The clairvoyant tactlessly ran over, waving his hands. “You’re alive!”

“Sorry about this, Gundham.” Nekomaru lamented.

Gundham looked to his classmate, and his underclassman and inched his head towards the back of the forest.

Sayaka warily stared at the man, before turning to Hiro. “Help me carry him out of here.” With surprising strength, the idol picked up the team manager for Hiro to grab onto. Together, the three limped away.

The lack of attention would have been fatal, had both monobeasts not entirely been focused on the newcomer.

 

- [Koichi Kizakura/Kyoko Kirigiri] -

 

“Finally came out of hiding.” Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu said, far away from where the two monobeasts and his teammate were fighting. The snake’s surfacing sent quakes all the way over. The mobster grips [Zantetsuken]. “Probably won’t cut it against that size, huh?”

“You’ll never know unless you try.” Koichi smiles crookedly, hiding the small pants of breath. It wasn’t easy running away from a sword-wielding maniac after your head. It shouldn’t have been hard either, but it was.

“What happened to our truce?” Kyoko asked.

“No point teaming up if I don’t uh…get somethin’ out of it. I figured I’d at least test you two first. You are failing by the way.”

“You caught us by surprise. I don’t remember you being able to use a sword. Or fight at all. Wasn’t that Peko’s thing?” Koichi felt silly for tensing up as much as he did.

“I learned new tricks. Gonna give me a star, teach?” His attempt at riling up the blonde man missed the mark.

“I suspect his body has been modified somehow.” Kyoko said.

“You’re taking this too seriously. Live a little.” She counts at least two layers in that dark joke. “Never played a game where you spend ages learning how to properly use gear, right? You pick em’ up and all of a sudden you’re a master.”

“Interesting gimmick. How about you toss me that sword so I can verify it.” Koichi brushed against his facial hair.

“Sure, how about I lunge it right through that shit-eating grin of yours.”

Funny. I don’t remember you being funny.” Koichi tossed away his patented fedora and wraps a [Dark Belt] around his forehead.  “Just like the kids, am I right?”

“Maybe 20 years ago, grandpa.” Fuyuhiko tightly held the sword in one hand. One of two swords he’d acquired in a short time.

“I’ll handle this.” Koichi told Kyoko, while holding up three fingers.

The detective nods.

“Beating on my students ain’t my idea of a good time. If anyone asks, you got schooled by a delinquent.” Koichi sprinted towards Fuyuhiko, drawing his fist back.

“It wouldn’t be far from the truth.” Fuyuhiko swung in a clean arc just when he thought the older man was in range. Koichi plants his feet in the earth, killing his momentum early so the blade hits nothing but air. A swift kick to the back of Fuyuhiko’s shins follows the fake-out.

Fuyuhiko rolls away just before a foot stomped in the area his head laid moments before.

“Okay, I believe you. Army training definitely didn’t teach me that.” Koichi felt like he'd practiced karate all his life.

Fuyuhiko dusted off his suit. “You’re making this fun.”

“Ready when you are.” Koichi raised two fingers. Fuyuhiko closed the distance. His first tactic wasn’t going to work again. No matter how light the belt made him feel, fighting barehanded left him at a disadvantage. Still, the teacher neither ran around nor created distance. All he could do was evade the swings coming his way. Each one enough to take his life.

‘How nostalgic’

 Two stages of his life were culminating here. A bloody battlefield, and a classroom.

 Both the stuff of nightmares.

“What’re you so happy for? It’s creeping me out.” Fuyuhiko said.

“It’s just…I’ve heard that some teachers go out drinking with past students after they graduate college. As proof that they’re equals in society, and a job well done.”

 “Well, I’m sure as shit not your student anymore, but I get ya. Although I’d like a drink myself, caving skulls ain’t too bad.”

“We’ll agree to disagree. Now then, how about we wrap this up in round 3.” Koichi held three fingers.

“Sure, why not?”

Koichi ducked. In his line of vision as the detective, crouched, bow drawn, and a [Meteorite Arrowhead] locked on to him.

Fuyuhiko flipped the blade, placing the wider surface in front of him. The arrow knocked into the sword, blowing the wind out of Fuyuhiko. A web of cracks is his only warning before it shattered, and the arrow pierced him. Right through him, and flew farther off, disappearing into the crumbling forest.

Fuyuhiko touched the hole in his chest. “Not bad! You didn’t even flinch while shooting me in the fucking heart!”

“Stop. You’ve proven already that only a blow to the head will kill you. That’s still on the table, by the way.” Kyoko gestured to the bow. She still had two arrows worth.

“Fair enough.” He glowered at Koichi. “Dick. You never had any intention of a personal fight.”

“Like I said. I’d prefer a toast than a brawl. Besides, it’s not like you were honest yourself.” Koichi walked over to the broken half of the sword. He picked up the shard and pressed it against his finger. “I wonder if you could even cut butter with this dull blade.”

“You pass.”

“Good now let’s hold hands and be friends.”

“For now.” He felt tremors under his feet. The freckled man turned to the ongoing battle farther off. “They’re having a real party down there. Want to join in?”

“Is that your advice?” Kyoko asked.

“That snake’s a problem. It can heal up the other monobeasts using its parts.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s the first one we should destroy?” Koichi’s forehead creased.

“Nah. I can’t fight it anyway. Gundham called dibs, so let him have it.” He sounded confident enough to leave it at that. “We’ll either go for the cat or the mantis. Either of those would be bad to deal with if we’re running on fumes.”

“I fail to see how you could assist against that last particular monster.” Kyoko said

“You’ve seen It then. That’s why I need some backup. Good backup.” Hence the test.

“You missed one. The eagle.” Koichi interjected.

“Eh, that one’s annoying, but that's all.” Fuyuhiko said.

“I see.” Purple irises flittered upwards.

*ching*

“Will you be saying that in about…5 or so seconds?”

That Fuyuhiko didn’t tense at her implications suggested he’d been aware of the monobeast flying their way. Sensible, the bells attached to its flapping wings removed any option for subterfuge. The lack of apparent canons or firearms installed wasted the advantage of flight.

Kyoko would daresay whoever designed the robot had a warped sense of humor.

When its mouth opened, she remembered. Its voice at least was a nauseating weapon. She drew back the bow.

“Don’t waste that.” And was stopped by a warning from Fuyuhiko. That split-second delay is all it takes for her focus to be broken by that hellish wail yet again.

Kyoko and Koichi were brought to their knees, shielding their ears from the scream. The detective (with great effort) managed to keep one eye open. At some point, Fuyuhiko’s second sword came off its sheathe. A longsword with a sleek white blade.

‘From that distance?’ She thought as Fuyuhiko’s gripped the hilt the same way a late classmate would swing a bat. Leon’s personality left much to be desired, but even the detective had raised a surprised brow or two whenever he punted a baseball into the atmosphere.

It was so much less impressive than the results of Fuyuhiko’s swing. A slab of metal drops to the ground as it was slashed apart by thin air. The loss of the left-wing stripped its balance away before it crashed.

“See? No problem at all.” Fuyuhiko snorted.

“Bit early to be confident, don’t you think?” Kyoko stood up, pointing to the one-winged avian. Flight was anatomically impossible now, but it stood, nonetheless. Kyoko was prepared for many surprises. Other auxiliary features.

The last thing she expected was for their target to literally turn tail and run.

She clicked her tongue, preparing to shoot the surprisingly animal-like…animal from behind.

“Didn’t I tell you not to waste that?” Fuyuhiko planted his body in her way.

“If you think that’ll stop me from shooting…”

“No. This will.” He threatened with that peculiar weapon of his.

Kyoko stands down. It was clear that the yakuza’s earlier actions were as much a defensive measure, as they were a power play. ‘He was toying with us.’

“You didn’t stop us when this game began. Why are you getting in our way now?”

“The first time was to get you four in the groove of things. I didn’t expect you’d kill it with those shitty guns.” Fuyuhiko said. “Forget the bird. Sure, it might rip us up with those talons, but if all its gonna do is yell real loudly, that’s not a threat.”

“To you.” A minute of that noise, and she may well have passed out, if not worse.

“My point stands. It’s not in my best interests to kill it off just yet.” She’d credit Fuyuhiko on shrewdness. “Honestly, I’d prefer it just go die off and save me the trouble.” A self-deprecating smile formed.

“As you say, it’s not in our best interests. So how do you plan to compensate us for this inconvenience, partner?” Koichi returned after going off to retrieve his fedora.

“Saving your lives isn’t enough?”

“Not when we could have handled things before you interrupted us.” Koichi said. “You’ve admitted to needing us, you haven’t given us a single incentive to work with you.”

“Ugh, these shitty politics remind me of back home.” Fuyuhiko raked his hand through his hair. “Okay, here’s your cut. I’ll give you two what you want most: Information.”

“Finally speaking my language.”

“As the lead game-master, there’s things only I know. The others are aware of all the treasures in the arena, but I know where all of them are located.” 

That explains a few things. “Is that sword the secret weapon?”

“I wish. While I know where that is. The rule is that I can’t grab it for myself. Wouldn’t be much of a game with that kind of advantage. But you’re onto something either way. Yeah, that’s where I got the [Muramasa]. It’s about the second or third best weapon you’ll find here. That meteorite arrow packs a solid punch too and has the range.

“Adding onto that. We’ve got some far-seeing specs. A martial art’s belt (Dark Belt). And Bubble gum.” Koichi pleasantly emphasized the last.

“And that’s all you got? Scout's honor?”

“Goes both ways, don’t it?”

Fuyuhiko thought over the terms. “Okay, so you’ve got a few. I’ve shown you two. And you’ve seen the golden guns. That means there’s still:

[Electric tempest] – Looks like a water gun. Spray it on someone and they’ll melt like the witch of Oz.

[Mac’s Gloves] – Champion gloves. Tough enough to smash concrete

[Raygun Zurion] – Lasers. Think that’s pretty self-explanatory.

[Earnest Compass] – A compass that points the way to whatever you want most. The catch is that it only works for the one who picked it up first. I'd say keep that detail in mind, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. As long as you stick by me.

[Berserker Armor] – Full-body gear. It’ll make you  invincible, but the nasty side-effects are more trouble than its worth.

[Hope’s Peak Ring] – I talked about this one before. This’ll let you switch out with one of your friends

And the secret weapon.

“Yeah that, but a few of those others sound like they could come in handy.” Koichi said.

“Oh? Who’ll you be swapping with? I’m curious.” Was his former student’s not-so-subtle dig.

“If you mean my number, that’d be Toko’s. Not like it matters, I’d never sleep at night if I put my cute students in harm’s way.”

Fuyuhiko hummed. “It’s not that you’re a shitty teacher. It’s just that we weren’t worth caring about, so you pawned us off to Yukizome?”

Even less subtle.

“The two of you can argue some other time. We have friends to find and a game to win.” Kyoko interjected.

“You heard the lady.” Koichi said.

“Loud and clear.” Fuyuhiko replied. Perhaps as proof of their temporary alliance, he turned his back on them.

 

- [Yasuhiro Hagakure] -

 

Leon was an idiot

Yasuhiro sincerely believed that, while lamenting his cracked crystal ball. Well, he’d always kinda sorta thought that anyway. Like the guy could never read the mood. Not to mention saying a lot of dumb stuff that’d be better kept in his head. No. Now more than ever, Hiro was sure Leon was a dumbass.

Sayaka wasn’t looking too much better. Physically and upstairs.

“Why did you stop?” The idol asked when his feet planted in the ground. He wasn’t old enough where he felt he could lecture youngsters, and speeches weren’t his thing either. So, Hiro’s reply would be as direct as could be, had he gotten the chance.

“Why’d you risk your life saving me?” Nekomaru beat him to the punch. The big guy didn’t look so imposing when he was leaning on a girl half his size just to keep standing. Hiro guessed losing an arm knocked him off balance or something.

Sayaka looked to Hiro for confirmation. He nodded. “Call me crazy, but I thought we were on opening sides. Now I’m cool with alliances or whatever, but isn’t it a problem if you die in the process?”

A young life of being the center of attention played a major role in how she could maintain her composure against the disapproving glances of both older men. “Is it wrong that I didn’t want to watch someone die?”

The words Hiro wanted to hear the least. He can’t depend on her if she’s saying naïve crap like that at this point.

They were way past the point of worry about who dies. (The orchestra of bullets encores in his head)

“If that’s your endgame, no. Otherwise, what you did was shortsighted at best, and outright stupid at worst.” Weird how Hiro oddly found himself in agreement with Nekomaru for a lot of things. “I’ll say it right now. If the circumstances were flipped around, I’d have left you to die.”.

“I don’t believe you.” Sayaka replied. “One of the reasons I saved you is because I don’t think you’d go back on your word just to save yourself.”

“And how would you know that?”

He recognized the pattern of this questioning, and with the pop sensation’s smile, predicted the answer. “I’m psychic.”

 “WHAAAAAAAAT!?”

Faint giggles bubble. How she could at a time like this was mind-numbing. “Just kidding. It’s my intuition. I may not be a gambling queen, but I’ve taken my fair share of risks, and I’ve relied on my guts every step of the way.”

“Hate to burst your bubble, Sayaka, but none of that applies here.” Hiro groaned. She was holding onto a raygun for crying out loud! (Imagine how much bank he could make outta that if they got out of here?)

“It can, a bit.” Sayaka held two fingers up. “Low risk and high reward. Of the three game masters, Nekomaru's the one I feel won’t stab me in the back.”

 Something about the way she said that put Hiro on edge.

“Izayoi gave away that you guys hate us, A lot. I don’t know why. I am angry that we’re on the brunt of a grudge we have nothing to do with. But I’ll put those feelings aside, in order to survive. I knew it after I saw you hold your own against that monster. You’re too important to waste, so I staked my life on saving you.”  It was a cute speech, but if Hiro didn’t know better, he’d think she might as well have said “if you weren’t useful, I wouldn’t have saved you.”

As far as the girls in his class went, the idol was probably the most chill, after Hina. That didn’t say much when the class was filled with savage chicks. In Sayaka’s case, there was always a crowd where she went, so he didn’t hang out with her much. Maybe that’s why he never noticed that a conversation with this her was like speaking to two different people.

Nekomaru threw his head back with laughter. “You got me! I harbor no ill-will towards any of you!”

“Making us suffer is all you guys have been talking about this whole day!” Hiro yelled.

“The others, yeah. Not me. It’s just like sports. If the other team wins, they were just better. Instead of holding a grudge, I’d find out what they have that we don’t, learn and beat them next time.”

“Is that why you joined up with us?” Sayaka asked.

“Partly, and I’ve got to admit, I like you. It’s never a dull moment with my class, but you guys have a spark that I don’t dislike. Leon must’ve fit in nicely.”

Hiro felt a pang of annoyance at the name of a friend. “Did you know each other?”

“Since middle school. He was one of my pupils.” Nekomaru’s face turned grave. “I’m disappointed he didn’t make it here. I wanted to see if that idiot had improved.”

“He’d have been home free after winning one game of darts – which he did. Then he blew it by getting pissed over one girl.” Hiro definitely wouldn’t have blown a fuse in that situation. And what he wouldn’t have given, because darts sounded a lot better than frickin’ monster hunter!

Nekomaru laughed. “A death fit for an idiot.”

“You said it.”

“He lost family. Anyone would have reacted that way.” Sayaka's said in a low voice.

“Doesn’t make it any less stupid. It’d be one thing if he was trying to save her, but even I could see was already dead.” Hiro scoffed.

“That short-sightedness is like him, so I’m not surprised. But, that guy…really lacked drive and dedication. It must’ve been quite a sight, watching him passionately run into the grave. Nekomaru contemplated.

 “I can’t believe you two." Sayaka said with contempt.

“And your intuition’s telling you this guy’s trustworthy?” Hiro interjected.

“Moreso than you, that’s for sure.”  The team manager directed that scathing remark towards him. “I’m surprised you didn’t run while you had the chance back there. Or maybe cowards find loneliness the scariest thing of all?”

Yasuhiro glared back. “If you’re calling me a chicken…then you’re damn right. What normal person wouldn’t be scared shitless right now!?” 

Damn that felt good.

Hiro had been the least shocked to find Togami’s body. After all, with that guy there was always a chance it was a prank to get them riled up. But he couldn’t ever buy Taka playing along, not like he could act to save his life.

Hiro still remembers the moral compass' body being cold to the touch.


Another of those funky monomono machines stood within eyeshot. Hiro gulps from inside the bushes, a fine spot to scope out the area without being seen. The compass’ needle points forward.

Freedom was less than a hundred meters away and guarded by the last thing Hiro wanted to see, and a few things he found outright weird.

The panther rested with its eyes closed. He shouldn’t be surprised that it somehow beat them to the punch. What with how fast it stole Nekomaru’s arm and all.  

As for what made Hiro do a few double takes, that would be the 7 critters playing around next to it.  They looked like kitten-sized models of the beast. It’d be cute in any other circumstance.

“Are they its cubs?” Sayaka asked.

“No clue. I only know of the four. Whatever those are, they’re not part of the objective.” Nekomaru said.

Oh good. That means they were probably as helpless as they looked.

Even daddy wasn't so hot right now. The clairvoyant took a dark satisfaction at the monobeast’s fractured armor and dismantled jaw. The tail was still intact though.

“That Gundham pal of yours must’ve done a number on it.”

“I don’t see him around.” Sayaka searched the area.

“He can take care of himself,” Nekomaru replied hastily. “We have to worry about ourselves and think up a plan. I’m all ears.”

“I’m happy you’re not thinking of jumping in there on your own again.” The bluenette said.

“I learned my lesson. This is to show my faith in you guys.”

“…let’s pull back and plan for now.” Yasuhiro advised. He was antsy to sneak past the machines, but that’d be suicide.

The trio retreated into the forest, setting up “camp”. They sat in a triangle formation, with the weapons and tools they acquired sprawled out in the middle. The water gun, the golden gun, the gloves, and the compass.

Hiro stared down at his crystal ball. More cracks. There were so many opportunities where it could’ve been broken that it’s pointless trying to pin one down.

“How are you feeling?” Sayaka asked the giant.

 Nekomaru held up one of his combat gloves. “Still off-balance. I can’t help fight that thing like normal.”

“What if one of us acts as bait?” Hiro suggested.  “We’ll draw the monobeast’s attention like before, while you stay out of sight until there’s an opening. Meanwhile, I go for the secret weapon and we’ll have a fighting chance.”

Nekomaru nodded. ‘I’m surprised you could come up with a plan like this.”

“My life’s on the line here.”

“You sure? I think it’s something else. You’re different-” A low rumble from the girl’s stomach throws them off. “Sorry, I never ate today.” She blushed.

Nekomaru blinked. “You’re…hungry?”

“Can you blame her? I’m still queasy from remembering our friends that eating’s the last thing on my mind.” How could he be hungry after what happened to Taka and Ikusaba?  One hell of a vacation this turned out to be, huh?”

“I thought the same thing myself 2 years ago.” Nekomaru added. “From the sounds of it, Hope’s Peak got away with it.”

It’s never going to be the same again. Whether we get off this island or not. He might have to go back into hiding.

“About that. If it’s alright, Hiro. Could you tell me more about former headmaster Tengan?” Sayaka looked him straight in the eye. Makes sense she’d be curious, but there wasn’t much to say.

The conversation still gives him the shivers. It happened during the final days of his escape from the Kuzuryu. All because of one bad fortune, that ended up true. Serves them right for not listening, but he’d lost countless hours on the run and was flat broke. Walking in the sunlight without having to worry about being hunted – that feeling of freedom led him to seeking out more customers. He opened up shop and spread the word. Tengan found him. The old man looked frail in that senior way, maybe even dopier. Hiro saw an easy mark and a fortune waiting to be read.

Hiro regretted it almost immediately. Tengan’s future was like a murky fog. The clairvoyant couldn’t make heads or tails out of it. The results weren’t so unusual. He’d seen them many times before. Sometimes It was just total darkness.

Whenever he couldn’t see a proper future, that meant bad news. Given he’d just come out of a bad scrape with the Kuzuryu, he wasn’t about to tell a bad fortune. But he wasn’t going to lie either. He’d accepted the payment already and he never lied about fortunes. That was his one principle.


“What do you see?” Tengan asked

“You’re gonna die. Dunno when.”

He’d been blunt. Fortunately, Tengan hadn’t taken offense. He was old already, maybe it was acceptance. “Don’t feel too bad. My rates are only 30%.”

“How did you obtain that statistic?”

“That’s what the feedback says. I get 1 out of 3 right. Which is still way better than anyone else.”

“I understand that logic. But doesn’t that presume only one future exists?”

Hiro blinked. “Yeah, I’ve heard some of those theories, but I don’t believe it.”

“It would be terribly difficult to prove either way.”

Hiro had his reasons.

“It doesn’t need to be money. The customer just has to give up something worthwhile for my talent to work.  Your guess is as good as mine why, but the patterns speak for themselves. I don’t think it was always that way. My mom might know but she never talks about my childhood and I’ve never bothered pressing her on it. Why get in the way of making money, know what I mean?” (Yasuhiro Hagakure, Chapter Five)

“…I used to be better at this fortune-telling gig. Back when I was a kid, I could see the future clearly every time.” However, the world was bleaker to him back then. At least, he didn’t have any good memories that far back.

Tengan rubbed his beard. “I’ve heard that children may be more spiritually attune.”

“You believe in superstitious crap like that?”

“There’d be no profit for you if men like me didn’t.” Hiro didn’t know about that. Fortune-telling was real because he could do it. Ghosts, spirituality and the rest of that crap? Who’d believe that?

“In any case, I must say you’re a talented young man.”  An envelope slid onto the desk. “An invitation to Hope’s Peak Academy.

Hiro’s eyes nearly popped out at the emblem. He wouldn’t think twice about rejecting any other offer to school (sooo done with that), but even he’d heard of HPA, and all the bank the alumni made off the name.

“This better not be a scam, old dude.”

But it was. Of course, it was! Nobody ever gives anything away for free, nothing worthwhile. If you’re good at something, you profit from it. Only idiots and dreamers don’t know better.


“Hiro.”

Sayaka snaps him out of a trance.

“You started sweating in the middle of your story.”

In the clairvoyant’s repressed anger, he gripped the fractured crystal tightly. Its foundation collapses and splinters into countless tiny fragments. Each grounded shard reflects him, and the red on the outer ring of his eyes.

“Okay.” Makoto said, but not before addressing the boys. “You three. You should try to think more seriously about how to survive.” (Makoto Naegi, Chapter 29)

 “I’ve got a good reading, but I need you guys to trust me.”

Nekomaru and Sayaka listened intently.

“Nekomaru. How good are you at climbing?”

- [Kyoko Kirigiri] -

 

“This’ll be far enough. Any closer and we’ll be mincemeat.” Fuyuhiko said.

“I thought you were leading us to the secret weapon?” This direction seemed familiar. She knew why soon after. There was a crude, artificially made clearing. The result of their attempt, and failure, to snipe the mantis.

“What do you think it’s guarding?” Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes.

 Their goal would have the very worst gatekeeper to face. “Why don’t they destroy the machine?”

“They’re programmed not to.”

“It’s likely too late to ask, but does your employer have a shred of rationality in them?”

“You’re right. It is way too late.”

“I’m guessing a distraction isn’t going to lure that thing out of there.” Koichi noted. “It won’t leave that position and it doesn’t need to when it can take our heads off from a distance. But, I’m sure you have a contingency for that which includes us.”

A fact that displeased Fuyuhiko. “I admit it, that thing can rip us to pieces in one hit, but the same is true for us.” Fuyuhiko gestures to his sword.

“I thought the way you sliced off the eagle’s wing was familiar.” Kyoko pressed a gloved finger to her chin. “And the reason you didn’t want to waste any arrows was for ranged support…”

“I’ll leave one of you two to find an opening. Meanwhile, I’ll go through the front.” Fuyuhiko said. “The last has to get to the treasure.”

It sounds safe at first, but whoever ended up with the final role would be unarmed. If the monobeast catches them at close range, that would be fatal.

“Guess that’ll be me.” Koichi raised his hand.

“No. You’re a better sharpshooter. I’ll get the weapon.” Kyoko argued.

“Out of the question.”

“I don’t care which of you does it, but don’t expect me to give up my role.”

“What grievance could you have? This is our best chance for success.” Kyoko folded her arms.

“And the most risk to yourself.”

“Do you even understand our situation? We are all at risk.”

“The answer is no. That’s an order.”

“On whose authority?”

“Your instructor’s.”

A whistle interrupted the spat. “This is tedious, but illuminatin’.” The amused Fuyuhiko flittered between them. “I thought you two had a unique relationship before, but now I’m sure. For Kizakura here to pull the teacher card means he’s desperate. Desperate for you to survive, even at the expense of anyone else.”

“Why would-…” Kyoko absorbed his words, then glared at the older man. “Is this about my father?”

A malicious grin spread on the gangster’s face. “Ooooh. For a second there, I actually thought you’d wised up on the whole, teacher responsibility thing, but you’re still the same old self-centered bastard.”

The lilac-haired girl ignored his input. “I won’t burden the others with this twisted game because of my failure. If you’ll get in the way of our success, then you’re no better than them.” The detective’s enmity was directed at the obvious third wheel.

“Heh. Seeing as she’s the one with the arrow for now. She’s the one I need the most. Hope you know who it is I’ll back.” Fuyuhiko said.

"...About that Destroyer Armor. Anyway we can nab that nearby?" Koichi asked.

"Don’t bother looking, I told Gundham where to find that one. Besides, that thing rips through your HP like you wouldn't believe. That'll be a surefire way to get girlie killed."

"HP? You're still speaking like this is a game?" Kyoko inquired.

"It is." Fuyuhiko shrugged haphazardly. "The Survivor Game."

"No choice then." Koichi tipped his hat, shadowing the top half of his face. “If it turns out that she’s in danger, I’ll abandon you on the spot.”

Fuyuhiko’s expression darkened.

“You're going to get what's coming you. And I hope I'm there to see it.”

 

- [           ]-

 

The first monobeast rests on her stomach, both recovering and guarding the monomono machine. A makeshift ball collides with its declawed limb and unfurls into a miniature replica. 4 of the smaller machine’s brothers and sisters imitate it, patches of mud clings to their steel frames as they unwind. The final two played elsewhere

The panther’s synthetic tongue laps over the nearby cubs. They squirm underneath while their bodies were cleaned off. Once finished, she strained to approach the other children. The two male wrestling and competing against each other.

A low growl ends the bickering. The two sat on their bottoms, with their tails lying flat on the surface. Their heads hang low.

Electricity streaks from open wounds. She pets the heads of the cubs with its damaged paw.

Artificial purring transforms into loud cries, preceded by the sound of gushing water. The panther turns back. Where the five children played, was a small pool of acid, with an electrical fire burning on the surface.

The assailant stood in plain sight. Yasuhiro was quick to fire another wave of acid.

The monobeast swiped against the fluid. The price was the loss of the limb. The chemicals burned through the exoskeleton and tore off the leg. The panther quickly destabilized but remained standing.

Twin cries echoed from behind, and her body relaxed. Instead, the tail whipped forwards, and the turret fired again. None hit the mark before the clairvoyant ran to the side, keeping the gun pointed towards it. Her barrel locked him in his sights, but he was gone before the first bullet penetrated the ground. Yasuhiro dodged by jumping back and running to the other side. The deadly game of chase persisted and each time, he avoided certain death. Each time, he had predicted the machine’s movements and acted 2 steps ahead, positioning himself in the spot that with the highest odds.

If she had the capacity to advanced thought, she might have been awed

If she knew anything about Yasuhiro’s history, she might have felt humiliated.

If she hadn’t fought alone, she might have noticed the trap before it was too late.

Light flashes behind, followed by the scent of smoke. The turret halts its rotation. The panther rears its head backwards to see the monocubs, each with a hole in their heads. The deed accomplished by the songstress’ raygun. Sayaka claimed the panther’s blind spot amidst Hiro’s distraction.

The monster’s jaws opened wide, a loud roar rang through the far and wide enough to paralyze Yasuhiro, who the beast no longer paid any mind to. Its full body faced Sayaka. Claws – sharp and broken - dug into the Earth as the monobeast prepared to pounce.

In the blink of an eye, the girl’s body would be torn asunder.  There wasn’t any hope of dodging or countering, nor any obstacles in the clear path that separated them.

However, that small window was enough to seal its fate.

“Just like you to get carried away, lose sight of your surroundings,” Nekomaru’s voice came from above. He’d bided his time, waiting until the most opportune moment. He jumped from the tallest tree in the area and pulled his sole arm back.

“and to fall for the same trick twice.”

A heavy blow from high altitude crashed into panther’s head.


“Sis” “Bis sis.” “Play with us!” It’s like they practiced how to annoy her best. Crowding around her worn bed first thing in the morning.

“Can’t. I’m tired.” She flung the covers over her body. It was her first day off all week. The last thing she wanted to do was get up early.

The tallest boy smirked. “Okay. We get if you’re feeling too weak right now!”

The sleeping girl’s eyes snapped open and threw the sheets over in an uproar.

“WHO’RE YOU CALLING WEAK!?” She dug her knuckle into the boy’s head. “Get some meat on your bones before you can talk, shrimp.”

“Quit it. That hurts.” He whined, to the amusement of his 6 younger siblings.

She stopped. Not because he told her to, but because a certain word triggered an all too prominent desire. “I’m awake now so whatever. But I need to get some meat in me before I do anything first.”

“Let’s get pizza!”

“That costs a lot.” The tanned older sister’s hesitance melts at the sight of several frowns. “Then again, there’s no point working my butt off if I can’t treat you.”

It wasn’t as if her parents would. She was the sole source of income for her family. A situation most fourteen-year-old girls wouldn’t wish on themselves. But she bore the responsibility without complaint. In front of her siblings, un-happiness was the furthest thing from her life.

“Someone grab me a phone.”

 

- [Yasuhiro Hagakure] -

 

“You’ve got guts. One mistake and it would have been game over for all of us.” Nekomaru said.

“You were really cool back there.” Sayaka added. “Nobody back home’ll ever believe this.”

Even faced with those compliments, Hiro still retained a grim expression. “Let’s get our prize.”

“Right.” Sayaka said, turning to face the monomono machine. Just as she took one step, a hand pushed harshly pushed her forwards. The idol fell on her front. “W-Why’d you hit me?” The sentence came to an abrupt. Her face awash with shock.

The panther’s jaws opened wide, the only thing blocking its fangs from reaching her was Nekomaru’s body. The wounds would have killed an ordinary man on the spot. Nekomaru was neither normal nor human. He retaliated with a fist just as his body was bit in half with a sickening crunch.

The light in the monster’s eyes dimmed and finally faded as it collapsed.

The giant of a man fell on his back, while his lower body laid in the machine’s mouth. Still, he lived. If that could be called living.

“Nekomaru…” Sayaka’s voice was a whisper.

“Ain’t this a fine mess?” The team manager said.

The bluenette crouched in front of him. “Why did you save me?”

 He spoke with the clarity a man in his position shouldn’t have. “I was always going to die young way, before walking into this death trap, so I never stopped to think about myself. Only how I could help everyone around me reach their full potential. But that also meant I could never play favorites. After all, there’s always a chance my pupils may go head-head someday!” He coughed. “Maybe that’s why I don’t care to hold a grudge like the others.”

 “I can think of more than a few managers that could learn a thing or two from you.” Sayaka said softly.

“Heh. Don’t hold me to a pedestal. I lived the only way I knew how…but I’ve had enough. Care to do the honors?”

It took a few moments for it to sink in.

“As long as my head isn’t damaged, I can stay like this forever. Doesn’t mean I can’t feel pain.”

Sayaka’s grip on the ray gun shook. She stole a cowardly glance at Yasuhiro, whose stone expression drove her back to square one.

“I could never be like you.” Her hands steadied.

“Like there’s anything wrong with that.”

It was simple as pulling the trigger. She did so against the machine children, she did so on a doll. A mannequin that had once been human, that still had traits of a man more human than many she knew. He wasn’t anything now. A burning hole in the center of his head made sure of that.

Sayaka stood up. “In your prediction…did you see this?”

“Yeah. We got rid of two birds with one stone.” To survive.

“Didn’t you think there might have been a chance we could all leave here together?”

“I’d be dreaming or lying.” Hiro said dispassionately and turned his back on the idol. Consequently, he remained ignorant to her icy gaze.

 “You are different.”

“I’m being realistic. Try it and you might escape in one piece too.”

Yasuhiro calmly approached the machine. The compass pointed sharply towards the owner’s desire, to the ridiculous contraption that held his ticket out of here. It was as simple as drawing a raffle.

The machine clunked and a ring fell.

 

- [Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu] -

 

Fuyuhiko fixated on the behemoth, its stature reached the treetops. Its frame visible through the openings in dense bark. Two silvery blades reflect the sunlight, both captivating as they were lethal.

A full red bar hangs over the monobeast's head. Fuyuhiko directs his attention to a distant hilltop, there was a green bar there, significantly smaller than the other and closer to Fuyuhiko's own.

He stalls his breathing, stalking closer to the mantis using the trees as cover. One of the reasons he suggested going alone was to draw as little attention as possible. If all went well, he could take her out in one hit before things got messy.

But as the saying goes ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’

His sword was drawn as soon as eyes – red as lasers – homed in. As the main game master, he’d known beforehand that this particular pain in the ass had enhanced sensors compared to the others. Something as small as stepping on a branch might as well have said “I’m right here, start killing me.”

The wind sheared and the trees blew like paper in a storm, steel clashed with steel. Fuyuhiko grit his teeth as he tried to repel the scythe-arm locked with his blade. The sword didn’t give in to the opposing sharpness. The weight pressing against Fuyuhiko was a different story.

“Oof” He flew back, rolling far off from where his feet were planted. It felt like he’d been run over first by a truck. But that was all. It just hurt. His frozen HP wouldn't drop, not unless his head was damaged. Although compared to the monobeast whose bar was capped out, this advantage didn't level the playing field.

He wiped the dust off his clothes and looked square at her.

“Ain’t you diligent?” Fuyuhiko walked. He was in no rush at all. The guard wouldn’t chase him lest it leave the post.

Once Fuyuhiko got within range, the mantis went for another round. The distance was too wide to reach him – physically – but the air current heading for the yakuza was a visible stream of air. In that moment, Fuyuhiko did the same.

The gusts of wind collided and dispersed. The act repeated itself many more times. Had Fuyuhiko chosen to remain in place, she'd never stop. The mantis unthinkingly followed a pattern of striking whatever got close. With those arms, that normally wouldn’t have been a problem, but that sword countered it blow for blow.

His advance went until he was a handful meters away. The large arm came down on Fuyuhiko as it had minutes ago.

He sidestepped the slash and the blade cut the Earth cleanly. Seeing his chance came, Fuyuhiko finally ran with his sword raised.

The machine’s other arm moved to intercept.

Fuyuhiko was forced to block. His knees caved at the weight bared down on him. Despite the sensation of being crushed, his confidence only grew. “Gotcha.”

An arrow shot out from the sky.

 

- [ Koichi Kizakura ] -

 

“Talk about inhuman.” Not just the monobeast, but how Fuyuhiko walked off injuries that would hospitalize even the fittest men. He gazed at the battle from the cliff he’d shot from earlier. It gave him a good view of the battle. But honestly, his attention threatened to veer elsewhere. It was hard not to be distracted by the view of an incident far off. More likely kilometers away.

The serpent’s body was so large that he couldn’t miss its motionless form.

“I can’t even begin to wonder how that happened.” He whistled. Then returned to his rebellious former student. He observed the way Fuyuhiko’s sword repelled the mantis. Like they were made of the same material. Whatever material in the world that could such a thing. Still, it didn’t take away from Fuyuhiko’s near-suicidal charge.  What was he after?

He didn’t have long to ponder. He drew his bow back to the limit when Fuyuhiko closed in. When the mantis’ second arm moved, he let loose the shot.

 

- [Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu ] -

 

“Gotcha.”

The meteorite arrow was about to strike home. The tip invaded the mantis’ space beyond where its arms could reach. For a moment, it was sure to end the struggle. Until it was sliced clean before hitting the mark.

“Huh?” Fuyuhiko’s eyes went wide. The scythe – the arm sectioned in two, the top half ejecting upwards to intercept the arrow. He caught silver in motion. Fuyuhiko pushed the mantis’ arm out of swordlock and spun to block the incoming assault from the other side. The same occurrence was present with the other side. 2 arms became four. Or…it was always meant to be four.

Fuyuhiko’s slumps. “Guess I didn’t get the memo.”

The Earth cracks, the wind shifts from three angles, and death comes again.

 

-[            ]-

 

“Hey, let me have a turn.” A young Fuyuhiko demanded.

“You’ll hurt yourself. I can find you a wooden sword.” Or rubber, preferably.

“No. I want that one.” He pointed at the steel katana held in her trained hands.

“You’re not ready. Maybe in the future.”

“You’re not my mom. We’re the same age!” Fuyuhiko scowled.

How wrong he was. “I’m a tool. If something happened to you, I wouldn’t be forgiven.”  

So, you don’t need to use this, young master. I will protect you.


The top half of Fuyuhiko’s body hangs in the air, held in place by four blades puncturing his body.

“I’m getting…nostalgic here.” His saddened face betrayed the monotone in his voice. A blue light shines in his peripheral vision. “…Guess I bought enough time.”

“Just enough.” Kyoko said, holding their vaunted trump card in her hands. The [Megaphone-model hacking gun].

The mantis was alerted to the new presence. Before it removed its blades from Fuyuhiko’s body, the yakuza used the last of his strength to stab Muramasa through the side of a blade. In the next second, an arrow lodged itself into the monster’s head.

Kyoko sent an electromagnetic wave towards the machine.

The hacking gun invaded her thoughts and functions. Her will was taken away. Just as it had been when she was still flesh and blood.

“Don’t give me that look. I’ll cry too." Fuyuhiko said softly. The explosion from the monobeast’s meltdown engulfed them and shook the forest.

 

- [ Kyoko Kirigiri ] -

 

“Glad to see you’re safe.” Koichi said. Kyoko slowly approached his side atop the cliff. “I saw it all from up here. Stayed here in case you needed any backup.”

Her unusually rigid steps halted. “I killed him.” She said as a matter of fact.

 “You’d be stupid to burden yourself with that. Those kids had no future.” Koichi gave a dismissive wave.

“That doesn’t bother you?”

“Never said it didn’t.” Koichi waved his glasses. “By the way, while I was scouting. I found the door and the princess. From the looks of it, we’re almost home free.”

They would be home free when they were on a boat off the island.

The following trek within the forest was filled with a tense silence. Kyoko stared at her teacher’s back. He seemingly trusted her enough to give her that reprieve. She could not in confidence say she would dole the same courtesy.

He was an enigma at the best of times. A man with a sharp mind, who would be more reliable in fields that didn’t involve dependability or caring for others. Yet, she can’t deny the concern he’d shown for her.

And the lack he’d given to his former pupils. Victims of the academy he worked with…

She could think of a few reasons where this special treatment arose – All having to do with her father. But that wouldn’t explain where the devotion came from.

She could ask. But she won’t.

Partially out of projected resentment.

Their journey lasted nearly over a full hour until they reached the edge of the forest. In the middle of a rocky mountain where steel doors, with cords attached to an electronic panel on the side.

A blue-haired classmate awaits them with hands folded behind her back. “You made it.”

Kyoko restrained a relieved smile. She glances back and forth, scouring the area. “Where’s Yasuhiro.”

Sayaka hangs her head low. “When we were searching for the secret weapon, he was killed.”

The declaration shocked them

“That monkey.” Koichi sighed deeply. “He was looking in the wrong place.”

Kyoko held out the megaphone. “This is the secret weapon. A hacking gun that transmits programming codes into the machinery. I used it to make one of the monobeasts self-destruct.”

“Do you have anything else that amazing?”

 “We ran out of just about the only other weapon we had.”

“...Either way, that megaphone would have been useful…but I don’t think it’s what Hiro wanted.” The idol brought forth one of her palms. Inside was a [Hope’s Peak Ring] “This is one of those rings. The one Fuyuhiko said could swap out with the others.”

“...We should have stuck together.” Kyoko apologized.

Sayaka giggled. “It’s fine! I can handle myself. I managed against two monobeasts you know.”

“Both?” Koichi arched an eyebrow.

“Nekomaru – ah he’s dead as well – helped us take down the panther. But then…”

 

-[            ]-

 

Screams followed wherever she ran.

Near and Far. Familiar and unfamiliar.

Acquaintances and friends turned on one another.

Were made to turn against each other.

She’d cautiously overlooked Hajime’s warnings. The boy was eerie.

She’d deliberately ignored Ruruka’s prejudice. She had never been trustworthy.

Others listened once their numbers mysteriously lowered. The seeds of mistrust sprout in their hearts. The result was this nightmare – The first death occurred on one rainy night. The second not long after, then the third. After that, murders began indiscriminately. Killings out of self-preservation, of fear and anger.

A plague spread across the island. Those who changed the most also did on the outside.

The musician was one such person. Her knees were planted on the ground as she stared blankly at the ground, less than 2 meters in front. Faint traces of blood stained the floor. There had been two bodies there the last she blinked. One alive. One not.

Fuyuhiko was not. The sword sticking out of his chest proved that. The way he didn’t budge when Peko drew it out reaffirmed it.

She fell to her tired knees, the scene proving that their world had turned upside down. A world where Peko would kill Fuyuhiko was a nightmare. One she wasn’t waking up from.

Peko stalked closer, with sword in hand.

Her crimson eyes had never seemed so unnatural. The swordswoman raised the weapon overhead.

Before the blood-stained metal fell, she closed her eyes and screamed.

She was alone when they reopened. Peko. Fuyuhiko, along with everything in her surroundings had been blown away like a storm hit.

She was alone, With only the echo of her own screams. Her voice became a shield and sword. Everyone who approached, her voice sent back. Soon the only noises she heard were her own.

Even after waking in this strange forest, when faced with friends enemies, familiar and unfamiliar, she screamed.

As long as she did that, she could survive. Even with her wings clipped.

However, in the face of one anomaly that her voice couldn’t reach.

The eagle roared as loudly as she could, but that person, frail as they appeared, walked closer, unperturbed, even as the vibrations cracked the ground around her.

A different kind of fear roused, even moreso than when Fuyuhiko (why was he alive?) slashed her wing. The irregular pointed the ray gun at her.

“For what it’s worth. I think your voice is lovely. If only you applied yourself differently.” Light flashes before the darkness engulfs her.

The screams stop.

Finally.

 

- [Multiple PoV] -

 

“I lucked out on that one.” Sayaka said.

“Got that right. But that’s good news. The monobeasts are all down. I caught the snake…or what was left of it.” Koichi remarked.

“Gundham must have destroyed it. But I never saw him afterwards. You think they…” Sayaka led on.

“It’s a possibility. One that works in our favor. All we need to do now is open the door.” Koichi marveled at the steel gate

“There’s no handle.”

Koichi kicked the door. "Can't they make it easy for once?"

"Fuyuhiko said destroying the monobeasts was one of the conditions. Not the only one.” Sayaka said.

“Maybe it could have something to do with our tools?” Kyoko mused.

“I thought the same.” Kyoko raised the megaphone and shot at the panel. A red light flashed, and alarm blared.  “It didn’t work?”  No, there’s one step they were missing.

“Can I ask something? It’s about this ring.” Sayaka said out of the blue. “Just out of curiosity, who did you have to swap with?”

“Toko. But it was out of the question from the beginning.” Koichi replied.

“Chihiro for me.”

“That’s great!” Sayaka chirped

“How?”

“There’s nobody who’s more talented in this area. If you swap places, we might be able to figure something out.”

“Chihiro was unconscious last we saw him.”

“We can wait for him to wake up, if he hasn't already!” She said, more desperate than the last time.

“I can’t condone placing more stress and responsibility on him or any of the others. My stance is the same Kizakura’s.” Kyoko admitted.

Why that statement disappointed the idol so, confused Kyoko.

“That’s a shame.”

“Why…!?” Time slowed for the lilac-haired girl. In what felt like slow-motion, Sayaka revealed what laid in her other hand. A [Golden Gun] pointed and locked Kyoko in its sights.

Gunshots echoed, but only after Kyoko was knocked to the floor by Koichi. A bullet pierced his chest and he fell over.  

Before Kyoko could even get off the floor, a bullet lodged itself into her shoulder. The burning sensation was almost comforting, a reminder that these dreamlike chains of incidents were real.

Sayaka held a gun to her face.

The deadpan expression on the girl’s face made her look like a different person. “If you remember, when we first started fighting, I started shooting last.” And she stopped the same time as Kyoko.

The meaning wasn’t lost on the detective. “From the beginning. You planned to betray us that far back?"

“…Only one person can open that door, and only one can walk out of it. Fuyuhiko told me.”

 


Sayaka had been chosen as the next participant in this death game. One similar to what claimed the baseball star’s life a short while ago.

Her captors lacked the decency to give her time to her thoughts. “Yo! Fancy meeting you here.”

The idol stared coldly at the yakuza, who’d caught her alone. “I’m not feeling accommodating today. I’d like if you get to the point.”

“I want you do me a little favor, and before you refuse, listen to what I gotta say first. Cuz' I heard you’ve got a fancy band back home.”

“And?”

“Watch the glare, I’m just saying they may be closer than you think.”

“What do you want?” Sayaka broke any pretenses of courtesy.

“It’s more what you will want. Because I guarantee, the one gaining most out of it is you.” Just as she’d prepared to leave the boy speaking in riddles… “In case I bite the dust early, I want you to kill Kizakura.”

Ah, a bribe. How strangely common in this abnormal situation. “In exchange for letting the band live?”

“That, but so you can live.” Fuyuhiko continued. “To open the door needs more than killing the monobeasts. Straight up, only one person can win this game. That door will only open for the last survivor .”

Given her shock and undivided attention, Fuyuhiko continued.

“See, aren’t you glad I told you? Whether you want to share this with your friends, I’ll allow it. Just be careful of what’ll happen once it’s voting time. Or do you think Kizakura will pick you?”

“You think I’ll kill them to save myself.” Sayaka deduced.

“And your friends. Do we have an agreement?”

"No."

Fuyuhiko paused. "Excuse me?"

"No." She repeated. "I don't make deals on uneven terms."

"Think I've been pretty upfront and real generous when I didn't have to be."

"That's exactly why I don't believe you. There's no benefit telling me all this when you plan to kill us in the end." Sayaka's hands fell in front of her pleated skirt. Her eyes bore into Fuyuhiko, seeking to unravel his intentions. "That means you're either lying or withholding a more important secret."

"Weird. I was led to believe your IQ would drop to single digits after being told your friends were in danger. Did the boss make a mistake?" Fuyihiko observed her with minor intrigue.  "...You're right that I've got a few cards of my sleeve, but I wasn't hiding them. They're just not relevant to you." He proceeded without the bravado or sardonic behavior she’d come to expect. For a moment, he was…normal. “…We’ve got friends to rescue from this shitty game. They take priority.”

Sayaka flinched. “You...have more allies in there?”

“Bold of you to assume friends have to be on your side.”


"Then this was Fuyuhiko scheme?" How thorough. Although Kyoko couldn't argue it was unjustified after taking his life.

“There was a chance he was lying to me, so I decided to wait it out. But at this point, it’s probably the truth.” Sayaka said. “I didn’t want this, but to accomplish my goals, I’ll do anything.”

Kyoko gripped her bleeding shoulder. “What really happened to Hiro?”

The idol’s mouth opened…then sunk into a practiced smile. “I had to make sure he couldn’t use the ring.”

How easily she confessed her crimes… “Why would Hiro escaping this game be problematic?”

“For all I know, he’d switch places with Munakata or Sakura. That would…complicate things.”

“Liar.” Kyoko observes the gun rattling in the idol's hands. There were several leaps of logic in Sayaka’s testimony, in her disposition. She shouldn’t have been this calm when they found her. But Kyoko had just been relieved to see her alive. She took the another’s word at face value. against the teachings that brought her up. “I know you well enough. I’m not terribly surprised you’d do this. Disappointed, but if pushed far enough, you were capable. I just thought your sphere of friendship extended to us as well. Or was I just not good enough to trust over our kidnappers?”

“Hate me if you want. You deserve that much. But don’t get me wrong, I didn't accept Fuyuhiko's deal.” Sayaka said.

“Then why!?” Kyoko mentally reprimanded herself for the outburst

“I- “A bang cuts Sayaka off. The second, tips her forward with wide eyes, while she loses her grip on the firearm. It falls to the dirt, as does the blood dripping from her lips. The back of her white sailor uniform is stained with the same color.

Kyoko peers over Sayaka’s slumped shoulders.

A wheezing Kizakura holds his chest with one hand. The other held the same gun Sayaka did. Briefly, the detective recalls the start.

“I spotted something real weird-looking on the way over. Hold him off for now.” (Koichi Kizakura, Chapter 30)

He never fired a single shot.

Sayaka’s fingers clawed against the dirt, grabbing the gun’s handle

Kizakura met her glare with his steel of his own. “You’ve…gotta know that’s meaningless.” With the amount of blood she was losing fast and lack of supplies, she probably wouldn’t make it.

The bluenette’s vision blurred. The faces of the others became a haze.

Sayaka let the golden armament fall for the last time. The pain from standing was excruciating, walking the bullet lodged in her back even moreso. The traitorous idol managed both, limping to the door that barred their freedom.

“Let me out.” Her curled fists made bangs “I have to get out of here. I need-” Her voice quieted and the knocks stop. She unfurls her palm.

Kyoko squints, noting that she stopped moving. Her thoughts as to the reason don’t go far before Sayaka collapses on her side.

Expressionlessly, Kyoko returns to her feet. The pain in her shoulder was an afterthought compared to what Kizakura was going through. The man breathed raggedly nearby.

 “Looks like the end of the road.” He laid on his back.

Kyoko scanned the wound. She reached the same conclusion Kizakura gave Sayaka. She couldn’t get him out of here with that injury. She couldn’t get him out at all without that door open.

“I should have noticed the holes in her explanations, and I didn’t question any of them.”

“Don’t be too hard. On yourself, or her.” He said. “I don’t think she had the wrong idea. If I had to pick between the two of you, I wouldn’t have hesitated.” Terrible thing for a teacher to say, but Koichi had not once feigned being a good instructor or person. “At least, I don’t feel as bad for self-defense.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Can’t even go easy in this situation, huh.”  Koichi smiled grimly.

“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t been so careless…”

Koichi drew a deep breath. “You asked if I’d ever killed anyone. There’s your answer.” He pointed over to Sayaka.

“You had me thinking, maybe there’s a flip side to that. If pumping bodies with bullets didn’t make me a murderer, what could?” He averted his eyes away from so much spilled blood that he couldn’t justify it to himself anymore. “I tried to bury those kids in my mind without even trying to find the bodies. We all did, and in a way, that’s the worst thing of all.”

“…Did you want me to disagree?” Kyoko wasn’t one to sugarcoat the truth. He and Hope’s Peak Academy had made mistakes. That fact comforted nobody. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Live.” Koichi’s faded eyes looked straight in hers. The last embers of life were snuffed out.

*Clank*

Kyoko followed the source of the noise. The electronic panel lit green, and the doors slid open. Like they were mocking her.

Wordlessly, Kyoko left her teacher behind. She paused by the second corpse – a hand reached for exit, even to her last breaths.

A glint caught Kyoko’s eye. In her curiosity, she inspected Sayaka’s closed fist.

“This is…” The Hope’s Peak Ring. What was left of it after being crushed in the idol’s hand.

The item had slipped her mind.

“Up to you whether you believe or use it. I’m just doing my job and spitting the facts.  And to be clear, when I say you’re swapping conditions? I mean everything, that includes your inventory, your stamina and your health. For example, if you accidentally got shot and swapped, you’ll be just fine once you’re back here. The other guy or girl won’t be. Capiche?” (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Chapter 30)

“Why didn’t you use it?” A trail of curiosity mixed with frustration

 If she had, she would have survived…and somebody would have died in her place.  

Kyoko rummaged through the idol’s belongings for the only clue to assuage the riddle. She found the tablet hidden away. A quick search on the device led Kyoko to the assigned digits.

The number thirteen popped up and sent the detective into further confusion.

 “Aoi?” That wasn’t convincing. The two were on good terms, but certainly not more than she and Kyoko had been…

Kyoko’s glove covered her mouth as realization dawned on her. And with it, more questions.

“I don’t understand what you were thinking. Maybe I never did.” Kyoko told the girl who could no longer hear her.

Kyoko cast a glance to Kizakura before walking through the exit. The doors closed behind her, with a noise so obnoxiously final that it had to be intentional.

To remind her that she would be the sole survivor of the forest of death.

 

- [Koichi Kizakura]-

 

It was your everyday morning at Hope’s Peak Academy, and the usual suspects were absent. Luckily, Koichi knew exactly where his three top misfits would be hiding.

Honestly, pick a better hangout spot to play hooky than the roof.

“What’s the deal, Kizakura? Shouldn’t you be in homeroom?” Leon Kuwata asked. The deflective sentiments were shared by Mondo and Yasuhiro as well.

There was a certain smell in the air that he was do desperately trying to ignore.

“You’ve got guts telling me that. Get over here, we have class.” Koichi knocked the class attendance list on his shoulder.

“To hell with that. We ain’t learning nothin’.”

“You got a D on your last test, Mondo.”

Leon snickered. “Dumbo aside. Rockstars don't need math.”

“Sides’, classes are optional.” Yasuhiro added.

“It’s amazing how stupid you three are. And you don’t even get skipping is exactly why you’re so stupid.”

“Hey!”

“You are. If you really think the point of classes is to drill numbers in your heads.”

The trio of numbskulls made various confused and insulted faces.

“I’ll leave these words of wisdom: School is just a simulation. To test and prepare you for a world that you’re not ready for. Where opportunities won’t fall in your lap, unless you go the extra mile for them. You want to be a carpenter or a musician? (not happening by the way) Fine.” Mondo turned red in the face from embarrassment at having one of his secrets exposed out of the blue. “But just remember that’s all you’ll ever be. Because you limited your options too soon. By then, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself.” He waited for a response. Seeing as none came, his job was done.

The blonde man turned around.

“Hey wait up.”  “We’re coming!”

Koichi whipped his head back, grinning. “Wow, that actually worked. You kids sure are simple.”

“Shut up. Getting lectured by you of all people’s got me feeling like a bigger loser than Hiro.” Mondo roared. “Don’t do it again.”

“I’m coming cuz the other guys are. Just one favor.” Hiro clapped his hands in prayer. “Save us from Taka’s lectures. We’ll never hear the end.”

“I’ll try.”

 

Notes:

That was a messy chapter. Honestly, I think I lost track of who the antagonist was supposed to be, but hey, there was a ton of character povs to run through. Of these, I'm hoping Hiro and Sayaka came off as strange, if not OOC. That's intentional, as they're the core characters of this episode and I've had (and still have) plans for both of them for a long time. That's why Hiro's death occurs off-screen and Sayaka doesn't get a proper PoV in the present.

Chapter 32: Interlude V: Her name is Envy (Invidia)

Notes:

In this story's planning phase I mapped out 7 (technically 8 but you'll see) cardinal chapters that'd be spread throughout the story, probably in interludes. Each chapter corresponds to an equal number of core themes/characters/cliches. This one was planned to come a little later, but after hitting a 20k milettone, I switched the order. Plot developments ahoy.

Chapter Text

The serpent collapsed with a resounding cry. Gundham Tanaka stood atop its head, the only weak point he found. Attacking the lower segments its lower segments had gotten him nowhere, while it split off to heal the second monobeast.

The fragments of the destroyer armor break off. True to Fuyuhiko’s word, the armor protected his body from any damage. But only on the surface.

The ex-ultimate breeder falls on his knee. This fake body too, began breaking down as the price for invulnerability.

“…” He grimly watches his foe.

 This is the second time Gundham had killed him. He would do it again. As many times as necessary, so long as he or any of their friends continued down that dark path.

He hears a growl from behind. He turns to find the second predator stalking towards him, even with its grievous injuries. Meanwhile his legs were as heavy as stone.

The panther’s jaws open wide.

Gundham had no qualms about his fate. He was an affront to the cycle of life.  However, he had some regrets. Now. Just as he had moments before his death.


The ominous silence bothered him, as disingenuous as that sounded. Omen implied there was misfortune to come. For those on Jabberwock island, tragedy washed over the island along with the storm.

The torrential rain pelts Gundham’s jacket. His bandaged hand grips onto his stomach, the blood on his fingers persists despite the shower. As testament to sins that couldn’t be hidden or forgiven.

He wandered from the fifth island back to the first, aimlessly. If he ran into a comrade – who was still a comrade – they could form a plan of action. If they were hostile, more blood would be spilt.

Gundham found neither. Bodies, yes. There weren’t so many of them on the island that they could be discovered everywhere. But if you looked, you would find them without much difficulty.

The dark-haired man stopped in front of Hotel Mirai with a confounded expression. This was where all hell broke loose. A council in the halls of the hotel turned into a dispute, one that shouldn’t have been had amongst frightened and suspicious teenagers. It only took one spark to light the powder keg, and everything came crashing down after that.

It might explain why he was lured back, but not what he saw inside. The interior was just as he remembered when they arrived. Clean, orderly, things expected of a resort diner, and everything it shouldn’t have been.

The perplexed Ultimate was drawn to the stairs leading to the upper floor.

Light shined through and a pleasant smell lured him forward. It reminded him more of Teruteru’s cooking the further he traveled up the staircase.

Just before the top, he freezes. A shiver runs down his spine as he stared at the wall.  What was on the wall. He excuses himself by pursuing the aroma turning his head to the center of the room. There, was the first living human he’d crossed since leaving the fifth island. A woman he’d never seen ate at the center table. It wasn’t a cause for alarm by itself. Two classes had vacationed on the island, and Gundham hardly remembered the faces of his upper classmen. That was hardly an excuse for an individual who left this impression. Golden hair reached her waist; a portion was kept to the side in a ponytail. She wore a long, daringly white dress that was held together by X-shaped straps over her shoulder. It would only mortify the wearer if a speck of dirt grazed it. The silver choker on her neck reminded Gundham of an insignia he’d seen frequently before.

The elegantly dressed stranger brought a plate of broth to her lips.

*Slurp*

“Haaa. That hits the spot!”

She only notices his presence when half-way down a glass of red wine.

She blinks thrice. Then places the cup on the table with far more grace than the plate. With the faintest traces of pink dashed on her cheeks (he counts two opened bottles) she coughs into her hand. “Sorry. I would have made enough for two if I thought anyone would still be awake at this hour. If you’d like to wait, I can prepare another.”

Her casual tone (more controlled than before) and demeanor ill-matched her appearance and the situation at hand.

Gundham was frozen in place. He’d widened his search of the diner and discovered two occupied seats on opposite sides of the room. He recognized them instantly as Sonia and Chiaki. Both were unconscious. Their presence wiped away the infinitesimal possibilities that this stranger was ignorant of the dangers prowling that night.

“Name yourself.” He commanded.

“Not interested? Five-star chefs have praised my cooking you know?”

He growled lowly.

“Ah well. It’s good manners to give your name first, but under these circumstances, I can overlook it.” She crossed her legs under the table, and with practiced courtesy said “Shinobu ‘Maria’ Togami. At your service."

“Togami!?”

She stopped him with an extended hand. “I’m not related to that guy. Call me Shinobu if it helps squash that association.” A flagrant lie. The sigils on her accessory were the same he’d seen on Togami day in and out.

“What is your talent?”

“I’m not a fancy Ultimate. Just a rich girl on a mission.”

“…Presuming you deceive me for the moment, I’ll give you the opportunity to make excuses for yourself.” He signaled to his face down friends.

“What makes you think I’m responsible?” The vixen tries his patience.

“I already know the full extent of your crimes! An apparition who manifested only now on this ill-fated night, feasting in a hall that should have been burned to cinders!”

“Even if you feel that way, you’ve got the wrong girl. I am not a stranger.” Shinobu pointed to Sonia. “Sonia and I have been friends for years.” Then to Chiaki. “Second, I’ve been on this island before you even got here and spent boatloads of time learning how to play games from Chiaki. I never had the time as a little girl.”

“…That one hadn’t breathed a word of consorting with you.”

“Probably. I told her to keep it under wraps. I’m very shy.”

“Yeah I’ve been hanging out with one of the girls I met when we arrived. I’ve never seen her before though so she's probably an upperclassmen.”

“That so? What’s her name?”

“Sorry, she made me promise not to tell and I’m assuming she’s someone famous. What I can say is that she’d be like a hidden character with maxed out specs in an rpg.” (Chiaki Nanami & Hajime Hinata, Chapter One)

“How convenient that she isn’t awake to affirm your excuses.” He studied her closely, searching for the faintest hint of a lie.

“Two can play that game. You’re harassing me because I happened to be in the same room as them. But from where I’m sitting, a guy giving off dark vibes and with blood on his hands is way more suspicious.”

 “Hmpf, flattery will not spare you my judgement.” He smirked.

“That’s what you got from that?” The accused giggled. “I was trying to say that this game of ‘he said’ ‘she said’ goes nowhere if there isn’t a third party. Sadly, the only ones left alive on this island are in this room.”

He chose to see the positives in that declaration. “They’re safe then?”

“Want to check?”

Gundham would not be baited. A hunter never takes his eyes off his prey.  

“What’ll you do then? Wait until they wake up. If they wake up? Could take minutes, hours, days or never.” He tensed when she pushed her seat back. “Suit yourself but I don’t have that kind of time. I’ve got business waiting on the fifth island.”

“A rendezvous with the beast, I presume?”

The way Shinobu looked at him, changed. She had only now seriously acknowledged him. “You’ve seen it? Kazuichi did good work.”

Hearing the pitiable fool’s name out of her mouth roused his anger. “So, it was you who filled his head with that nonsense!”

“Oh. That’s his blood then?” Her face softened

He neither confirmed nor denied the assumption.

Shinobu stood and faced the back entrance - - the staircase leading outside the diner.

Gundham balled his hands into fists. “You’re brave to flee in the middle of your trial. Shall I take it as an admittance of guilt?”

“…Wouldn’t that be cowardice, not bravery?”

“I do not hear a refutation.”

She responds with a loud sigh. “…for some reason, you’re always the one who finds me.”

The stroke of lightning illuminated the building.

“Who are you?” Gundham asked the question.

“…Fine. It’s over now that Hajime’s given up, it might not be so bad to tell you.”

“Hinata? Are you in league with that man?” One of the instigators behind the murders. Gundham had met the reserve course student a handful of times. Each time, the red-eyed boy regarded them with disdain and disinterest.

“I can’t tell if you’re giving me too much credit or too little.” She almost sounds offended. “I have nothing to do with him. Honestly, I have no idea how that girl can watch people suffer for so long without getting tired. I’m at my wits end already.”

“Your words betray you as a collaborator.”

“I can’t deny that I knew this would happen, but I didn’t hurt anyone or even lie. If anything, I did my best to stay out of your way. Except Kazuichi of course. Making sure Jabberwock was ready was my only priority.” Shinobu confessed.

Gundham smirked victoriously. “Allow me to be the bearer of bad news. Whatever plans you had for that monstrosity will never come to fruition. Without a soul, that hollow puppet couldn’t even wake.”

To his disappointment, Shinobu wasn’t the slightest disheartened to hear that fact.

“I hoped Kaz could figure something out…oh well just having it’s body ready win me a seat in the future foundation. Not even Nevermind and Kuzuryu will be able to deny me after that.”

He started thinking this woman fell short of the basics of two-way communication. “What are you blathering about? What do the dark queen and insidious dwarf have to do with you? What is the future foundation?”

It was something to be said of her confidence when she brazenly poured out another glass of wine. “Care for some? It’ll help digest what I’m about to tell you.”

Gundham folded his arms and scoffed. “I am underage.”

The comment amused her. “So am I…but there’s a group who have the power to get away with any kind of crime.”

“I take it that is this Future Foundation?”

“…The answers you’re looking for don’t come cheap. The price will be your life.”

“You believe you can manage that?”

“Totally. I didn’t kill any of your friends, but that’s a separate matter from you knowing too much.”

The threat on his life may normally have been reason to pause, but there had been several this night already. He had survived and would continue to.

“Speak. Gundham Tanaka is no coward.”

“Well…that’s true.” Shinobu said. “They have lots of silly names, mostly given, some they couldn’t decide on: Illuminati, the shadow council, World Ender. Whatever you go by, they all originated some 800 years ago by one ambitious man.”

Empires were built with wealth, land and connections.

He had none. He washed up on a mainland in Europe with nothing. No money prestige to his name. What he did have surpassed the material: knowledge.

In those times, he cured illnesses, garnering fame as a doctor. Power came after. Connections were built by saving the lives of rich merchants and politicians. Slowly, he divulged wisdom that extended beyond medical practice and into the realm of business, and abnormal predictions. Powerful men and women from across the globe sought him out, forged alliances and made deals in the shadows. Over the centuries, households fell to ruin, but others persevered. Their names...or their positions are well known today.

Kuzuryu. Nevermind. And Togami stood out. Byakuya often prattled on about his great lineage, but it sounded like a mortal’s arrogance to Gundham. “The truth comes out at last.”

“Oh no, I’m not falling for that one. Like I said at the start, I’m not related to your friend, and I’m not in the foundation…yet.”

“Tch. You’re consistent… but you concede the future foundation is my enemy.”

“It’s slightly more complicated. As direct heirs, Sonia and Fuyuhiko were technically closer to it than I was, even if they didn’t know it.” Shinobu clapped when Gundham’s face darkened. “Yes. Since Sonia outranks me, she could be the mastermind who’s only playing dead.”

“Fu-fuaahaha! You’d do well as a jester!  However, I’m not in the mood for jokes. I do not know of what vile rituals their family practices, but they would never betray us.”

Shinobu was non-plussed. “That’s a little too optimistic. I’m sure they didn’t know everything, their parents are scary, you know? Even if it bent the rules of non-interference, they’d never pass up the chance to use this occasion as a pretext to undermine me…and each other. I would bet my arm that assassin at least knew, so I had to hide until the job was done.”

“Hmmm…you desire a position of power. That means one was open to be filled by another…” He didn’t appreciate the implications of a power struggle.

“The current future foundation has 14 seats. Two are empty. Togami is the first, but let’s forget that for now. A little ceremony occasionally, and the spot is suspended until the heir comes of age. The more important slot is Fenrir.”

“The monstrous wolf of the Norse? You claim that to be among your ranks?”

“It’s…just a name. Was just a name. A short while ago, that military unit…fell on hard times, so to speak, and someone had to fill the seat.”

“And in that chair, more influence.” Infighting and subterfuge. Exactly the kind of vultures he expected would be at the heart of this chaos.

Shinobu continued. “It was hard, given my lack of resources, but wouldn’t you know it? Sticking around a think-tank of geniuses like Hope’s Peak Academy let me stumble onto a golden egg.”

“Kazuichi.”

“Villain, to have summoned Cerberus itself into our midst! Were you a high priest of Hades all along!?”

“Dude, chill. It’s just a robot dog…er wolf, I don’t really know what I was thinking.” Kazuichi explained “And doesn’t Cerberus have 3 heads, idiot!?” (Gundham Tanaka and Kazuichi Souda, Chapter 20)

“I had him create Jabberwock, which I intend to present to the foundation, and make up for Fenrir’s loss. Although somehow, information always leaks out. And that’s part of the reason things came to this. Sadly.” Shinbou smiled sardonically.

“The stars may align to make your testament somewhat believable, however you have failed to explain the powers that mortals are not permitted to wield!”

Shinobu cupped her mouth, trying and failing to contain her laughter.

“Do I amuse you?”

“N-No, you were spot on…exactly right.”  She wiped a tear from her eye. “But before I answer that, let me ask: what do you think they are?”

Gundham was pressed into silence. How could he explain the feats of fantasy he’d witnessed? His stomach creaks from when Teruteru made his stomach boil. His vision still swirls from Hiyoko’s hypnotic dances and his bones creak from moving to her whims. Fortunately, he had been among the few who didn’t drop at the snap of Mahiru’s camera, never to rise again. Before he knew it, he had been staring at Shinobu for over a minute. The one he was certain was behind the tragedies, took mercy on him.

“Don’t worry, it’s not all that magical.” Shinobu said. “On the off-chance…have you ever heard of the Izuru Kamukura project?”

“The evil eye has seen all…but if it pleases you, feel free to explain.”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to belittle your intelligence with redundant information, so I’ll skip to the end.”

Gundham cursed inwardly.

“Those red eyes – are the culmination of the Kamukura project. A sign that the disease is active in your bodies.”

For the first time since the conversation began, he was at a loss for words. “Disease. You mean a worldly affliction did this!?”

Shinobu nodded. “It was difficult to spread, harder to get the timing right, and hardest of all to predict who succumbs first, or even when. But they all do, with the right trigger. All except you.” She twirled her finger in a circle. “The mutation is very selective and Ultimates are the most susceptible. You of all, have even gotten close to Jabberwock. How have you gone this long without symptoms?”

Crookedly, the side of his lip twitched upwards. “The dark one is resistant to all manner of curses. It was folly to think I could be controlled.”

“You don’t make a lot of sense.” The harbinger tilted her head ever so slightly. “All this talk about sorcerers and magic is hollow.”

“…What?”

“Superstitions, faith, things that can’t be explained through modern science. A rational man like you shouldn’t believe any of it, that’s why you couldn’t answer my question.” Gundham was petrified under the lizard-like gaze, unravelling him down to the bone. “That you obsess over this persona in spite of it all…maybe you’re running from reality? Past trauma, perhaps? Unless you tell me, I’ll have to keep guessing.”

“Shut up. That is none of your business!” There was pain behind that shout.

“… I think the Q&A is over. And you know what that means.” Shinobu calmly brushed off his indignation. “But leave it to Sonia to have good taste. Such that I think you’d make an excellent entourage. So how about you join up with me? If you’re affiliated with me, that also means you’re part of the future foundation, so there’s no need to kill yo-”

“I refuse.”

 Shinobu chuckles. “I’m a woman of my word and I’m very serious, so do put more consideration into your answ-”

“Denied.”

Her bafflement was one for the ages. “Ha!? Whyyyy? I’m telling the truth, you know? You’ll get a ticket out of here and live in luxury, you know!?”

“I won’t fall for your temptations, witch.” He declared.

“…Where did that come from? Fantastic dialogues don’t suit you, my friend.”

“You lead men astray with words. You claim salvation, but destruction is all I see around you.  You deflect responsibility, but happily admit to conspiring with monsters. Doing nothing to protect those you feign friendship. What are you, if not a witch?”

The wine glass shakes in the girl’s hand. Her fingers wrap around golden locks, twirling the strands as she looks away from him.

“…What are you doing?”

“Read the mood, you ill-mannered brute! Even if you accuse me of being a witch, I’m still a woman!” The blonde snapped. “Get a grip, girl. It’s not like anyone (who matters) will ever know of this.”

“Spare me this farce. I will not buy your act any longer.” Gundham gleamed the siren’s true nature spilling from her tirade on his own. The ruthlessness to dissect without caring about the subject. He could not trust her, much less befriend her.

 His confidence in that judgement was reassured when a shade of a smile warped on Togami’s face.

“Whenever I happen on a more interesting person, I can’t help my curiosity.” She brushes the two front pieces of her hair. “However, calling it an act is going a bit far. I’ve been told I work too hard so having fun where I can Is all that stops me from going mad.”

 “If you’re ready to take this seriously, I have no complaints.” Beads of sweat streak down his face.

“Yes, let’s talk business. What do you want to do? Get revenge? Survive? If the latter, go back the way you came and wait for the storm to pass. If the former, then ahead and attack me…and end up like him.” Shinobu pointed over Gundham’s shoulder.

“Oldest trick in the book.” His breathing was level, as to not give himself away. He’d known from the beginning that Hajime Hinata was lying next to him. Slumped down with his back to the wall, one might have entertained he was unconscious with the absence of any injury. However – on the way upstairs – Gundham couldn’t mistake his state: red eyes open and lifeless.

 “A good hunter also shouldn’t let his prey know he’s terrified.” Said the monster disguised in human flesh. “This whole time, you’ve been too afraid to take one step forward, but not so much of a coward that you’d run. What a difficult way to live.” Shinobu brought two fingers to swipe over her eyes. A pair of contacts hangs on the tips. Ruby reds stare him down.

“Even to yourself? Are there no limits to your depravity?” Gundham asked.

“It’s good to doubt, but better to pay attention, Mr. Rational. I am not the culprit. I’m a participant in this killing game, just like you.”

 “Then who is?”

“…I’ll give you one final chance. Join me and live, then you might be able to find out.” She extended the wine glass invitingly.

His heart thumped loudly.

“…My judgement stands. I cannot trust someone who would discard her friends.” Even without the four devas at his side, he wouldn’t back down “Do your worst.”

“Your call.”

Gundham looks in confusion when Shinobu let the cup slip through her fingers and shatter. Red liquid seeps into the wooden floors, but not a drop reaches Togami’s dress. “Haven’t you gotten the wrong idea? Kaz had an inferiority complex towards you. It’s only natural he couldn’t win.” Her words were barely audible over the harmony ringing in his ear. “Don’t worry, a woman’s touch is gentle.”

The noise grew more intense. He didn’t feel pain, he felt…warmth. The sheer cold from being drenched in the rain dissipates. The aches in his bones depart with it. The next to leave were the negative emotions, from the betrayals, the murders. The last was his life.

Gundham fell over, eyes wide open and hauntingly at peace.

“You could have pretended to join my side, leave alive and get the information you wanted, but that would have gone against your honest nature.” Shinobu made slow strides over to him. Her white shoes tainted in red. “I understand. I wouldn't easily accept someone who was involved in the death of my loved ones.” She closed his eyes.

With this, she's one step closer to erasing her past humiliation.

Low groans has Shinobu turning to the table where Sonia stirred. The sole survivor of her class blissfully slept away.

"Jabberwock didn't wake up...huh?" That was disappointing but within expectations.  Though she could do nothing about it, It was only a matter of time until she found another capable. Hope's Peak Academy was riddled with superior talent, after all. "It makes me jealous."

Chapter 33: Queen of Hearts (V)

Chapter Text

- [???] -

 

A small meeting of three went down near the school gates.

“I’m going to miss this outfit.” Chisa admired the brown school wear. If she wore them after today, it’d be a costume instead of a uniform.

 “Really? All I’ve been thinking about since orientation was when I got to take em off for good.” Juzo was all too quick to rain on her parade. Typical.

“You’ve got no class. We just graduated. Where’s your spirit?” The two bickered.

“Uniform or no, your time in this academy isn’t over just yet.” Even among close friends, Kyosuke talked like he was running a business.

Chisa took it in stride but Juzo’s misgivings were written on his face. “Do I have to work security? I don’t want to look out for brats.”

“Would you prefer teaching?” That was probably the closest Kyosuke would get to teasing his friend.

 “Never mind. Good luck.” Juzo’s face was the picture of disgust before passing the baton to his female friend.

“Unlike you, kids love me. If I land a class full of a rotten-oranges, I’ll whip em’ into shape.” The title of Ultimate Housekeeper wasn’t for show.” She inspired the unconventional confidence of one of the more promising graduates that year. Like all alumni, their lives after Hope’s Peak would be roses. One of HPA’s great mysteries was how students like the two would listen to a request to jump from Kyosuke and reply with “how high?”. Whatever the reason, it was a bond that went unspoken and understood only by the three in question.

“Let’s take a picture to celebrate!” Chisa wagged her phone. Without consent she scoured for an unlucky volunteer. “Hold on. I’ll get someone to snap all three of us.”

A chill ran down his spine when he was spotted sitting underneath the oak tree. It was too late to run by the time she approached.

“Take a picture of us, Takumi-kun~”

The price of eavesdropping is steep – Takumi Hijirihara thought.

“I don’t want to.”

“Pleaaaase?” There was a threat in that smile.

“Yes, ma’am.” He sighed.

Chisa forcibly dragged him over to the others. Juzo looked about as happy to see him as the other way around. “Here ya go.” The girl tossed him her phone, strayed between the two boys and locked her arms around theirs.

That excitement of hers was fine but . . . “Uh. Are you two going to smile?” He asked, only to be met by unintelligible grumbling.

“Forget about these grumps. I’ll smile for the four of us!” The housekeeper beamed.

“I’m included too, huh?” How magnanimous of her, so much that even her companions took that for granted. If they hadn’t, they would certainly be smiling as widely as she did.

The camera lens flashed,

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

Water drips from the crack in the steel beams that ran across the compact room – a near empty space that reminded Aoi of an unfinished construction site, or the interior of an abandoned building. Either could be true. Both could be false. The team of three had wandered in from the door behind them after being selected as the new participants in the next game. Just like when they entered the casino, the door was gone by the time they looked back.

From a homely bar to a forest, she didn’t have a clue where they’d ended up.

“This place gives me the creeps.” She said, part in fear, and most to start a conversation. It wasn’t a surprise even Sakura wasn’t up for talking. Not after watching their friends fight for their lives…and Kyoko being the only one to return with hers.

 “Do you guys think Kyoko’s gonna be okay?”

“It’s unreasonable to expect that she would be, but Kyoko is strong. She will overcome the trauma.” Sakura said. “For now, our concern should rest with our own lives.”

Fear of her own mortality sprouted like a bad, festering weed. 

A gentle but firm hand landed on her shoulder. “Do not worry, I will protect you.”  Sakura said, before turning to their silent number 3. “And if by some fate I cannot. Makoto will.”

It spoke volumes of Makoto’s despondence that Aoi briefly forgot they were chained together. “Sure, count me in." He said with a brittle smile.

“No thanks.” Aoi interlocked her fingers with his and grasped tightly. “I don’t need protecting. We’ll have each other’s backs.”

Though his smile became a touch real, the weariness in his eyes remained. He’d been this way ever since they met the newest game master.

Aoi led them towards a strange door. Strange as in its clean frame clashed with the rest of the broken-down room.

Aoi wasn’t the least bit surprised when it didn’t open.

“There’s no knob.”

“Look over there.” Makoto pointed to a blinking-red sensor on the bottom left corner. Next to it was an envelope waiting to be picked up. “It says ‘the door will open when the sensor is turned off’.” He read aloud. “I think we need some identification.”

“I imagine it’s pointless to ask whether any of us would carry one.” Sakura said.

Aoi checked her pockets on impulse.

“This is a puzzle we’re meant to solve. It wouldn’t be much of a game if the pieces aren’t where we can find them.” Makoto pointed over to the far corner of the room. “Cover that side, Sakura. We’ll search over there.”

The trio split up half the room. Aoi (obviously) followed Makoto. Minutes of searching and digging through the rubble ended in “Nothing.”

“Where exactly are we.” Makoto murmured the rhetorical question.

“Did you find anything?” Sakura rejoined the pack.

He shook his head. “How about you?”

“Nothing we can use. If anything, I suggest you stay away.” They followed the direction of the fighter’s finger to an electrical cable. The cord had been snapped and buzzed with electricity.

“You didn't find a clock?” Makoto asked.

"I did not notice any." Sakura replied.

Aoi’s head swayed in every direction, looking at the walls. No clocks but the water dripping from the cracks and beams was worrisome. “Is that important?”

“The timer, you mean?” Sakura caught on.

“Chisa definitely said that we were under a time-limit, but she never gave definite numbers, and there’s nothing here that passes for that. I’m worried.” It bugged Aoi how familiar he was with the game master.

“Is there a chance you are overthinking this?” Sakura asked.

 “Would you bet your life that I am?”

“Better think of something soon or we’ll be swimming with the fishes.” She points to the widening fractures on the concrete. “I don’t like water THAT MUCH!”

Makoto blinked, as if something Aoi said just clicked. “There’s our time-limit.”

The swimmer’s jaw dropped. “You don’t mean…they really do plan on drowning us!?”

“Only if we cannot get out of here in time.” Sakura drew her arm back and launched her fist against the door. Not a scratch.

“What do we do now?” Aoi whined.

Makoto pulled on their links, leading her over to a pile of rubble to climb over. Once there, he sat, dangling his legs in the air. “We wait.”

“Has everyone gone wacko?” Aoi’s jaw dropped.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans.” He vaguely elaborated on his reasoning. “This is a puzzle. The pieces are already here even if we don’t know it.”

“We didn’t find anything.” Regardless, Sakura joined him atop the miniature hill of rocks.

“We found 4 things.” He held four fingers “First, the door has an electronic lock that’s weirdly low to the ground. Second. We can’t brute it open. Third. We know this place will be flooded in a little while. Finally, there’s an electric wire laying around. One touch and we’re in for a shock.”

“It’s concerning you stumbled onto such a reckless conclusion, but I understand.” Sakura sat down.

 

- [Hifumi Yamada] -

 

The surrounding atmosphere in the lounge-like waiting room had taken a turn for the worse ever since the second game. Leon’s death sewed apprehension and fear into their hearts, but Hiro, Sayaka and Kizakura’s murders were sobering by comparison. The void they left made class 78 fully cognizant of their situation. Death was on every corner and the lines between friends and enemies were blurred.

Hifumi had realized this earlier than the others,

The writer was fixed to the TV screen, as he was an audience to a third round of killing.

“Sleeping beauty is finally up? Great, I was tired of dragging dead weight around.” Nobody dared to sit next to Juzo when the man was radiating frustration from every pore. The recently awoken Mondo made for a good target to vent his irritation.

Born of the same cloth, the biker and boxer stared each other down. “Got no time for your shit right now.” Mondo was forced to sit down by the nurse flanking him from the other side. She terrified Hifumi even more than Ruruka. The sweets-loving femme fatale at least kept a distance. Mikan Tsumiki was still tending to the disoriented Mondo like she was a real nurse, and not conspiring against them…

And speaking of creepy. “He’s right, Mondo. You’ve been super-duper-ultra high school level useless today.” Ryoko got in Mondo’s face, to the boy’s chagrin.

Mondo brushed her off in favor of the screen. “Those four? And the rest are goners? Even the teach?”

Mondo was silenced by Chihiro, who’d woken up a little earlier. No later than he could stand, Celes had roped him into her service once again. The programmer's eyes were weary and his posture straight as an arrow. The mistress by his side wouldn't have accepted any less even if he were a dead man walking.

Chihiro pointed to Kyoko, huddled over in a corner by herself.

“She gonna be okay?” Mondo evidently had no practice whispering when everyone could still hear loud and clear.

“That’s tactless, even for you.” Celes answered from her spot at the center table. “After what she’s been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if she couldn’t speak for days.”

“Let's hope Makoto and the others get through this.” Chihiro muttered, before turning to Mikan. “Um, when you're free, could you look after our friend?”

“I tried earlier. She refused my help.” Mikan stole glances at the haunted detective, who was locked to the screen. It was a well-kept secret of his, but he'd always felt a tiny bit afraid of Kyoko. Those penetrating amethysts could set any teenage boy who valued secrecy on high-alert. Though the color of life had drained from Kyoko's face, the trauma only refined and sharpened her insight. Hifumi pulled away just when he saw that gaze veer in his direction. He breaks out into a cold sweat, not just from whom he ran, but where he ended up. Hifumi found himself staring at the center table. Visual disappointment from narrowed ruby reds spun him again.

His dry throat hitched as he faced the screen, where Sakura, Makoto and Aoi leisured around a rising pool of water. The swimmer had 'horror' painted all over her face. Sakura's arms were folded, but the reckless tapping of the fighter's fingers on her forearm gave her unease away. Makoto was the only one who kept fully calm.

"M-Mr. Naegi feels very out of character today" Hifumi started "If I were put it into words, he's like a protagonist in a different genre."

The mention of the luckster lit Mondo’s fuse. “…It’s his fault I feel like shit right now. What the hell is his problem!?”

“I want to say you asked for it but . . . you did not. Drugging you was excessive.” Celes sympathized. Makoto actions were still a mystery to them.

“Maybe our Makoto’s been replaced by an imposter!” All eyes fell on Ryoko.

It spoke volumes about their present situation that the idea was being considered by some of them. Only Chihiro rejected the notion outright. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Why? It’s possible.”

Too possible for their tastes. “Remember what that blacksmith said?” Hifumi slapped his cheeks.

If you’re like us, maybe an exception can be made.” (Izayoi Sonosuke, Chapter 29)

 “C-Could Mr. Naegi be on their side?”

“This is exactly what ‘they’ want us to do. We’re going to fall apart if we start suspecting each other.” A tense silence followed Chihiro’s sensible advice. “Talk some sense into them, Kyoko.”

 His plight fell on deaf ears there as well.

Assistance came in the most unlikely place.

"I wouldn't put it as pathetically as Chihiro has, but he is correct. Makoto is the last person we should doubt.” Celes said, earning Ruruka’s mild surprise.

“I didn’t expect the cliché from you.”

“I’m not speaking out of sentimentality. Makoto cannot be an impostor. Not unless Aoi has also been replaced.” The gambler’s explanation set the bulk of them at ease. “Those two have been tied together the whole time. A crime could not occur without the other being an accomplice. And what would the other gain from that?”

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

After a day of many surprises, twists and tragedies, there were many things Aoi couldn’t forgive. The latest in that line was her first taste of aquaphobia.

The crackles of electricity flowed non-stop through the currents. Water gushed through the hole and slowly filled up the room.

*click*

The door slid open as the electrified water short-circuited the panel. “It actually worked.” Aoi gaped.

“Is there a way to get us across?” Makoto questioned.

“Leave it to me.” Sakura grabbed Makoto and Aoi. The swimmer’s hair blew backwards when her best friend shot out like missile landing just outside the perimeter of water.

“Should’ve expected that.” Makoto said as his feet touched the ground. He anxiously stepped backed from the growing pool and scanned the hallway. “Over here.”

Aoi bit back a groan. “Great, more corridors.”

“This place looks familiar.” Makoto mused. The pink walls gave a brighter ambience than any of them expected. Where the previous room was a broken-down wreck, the hallway was . . . serviceable.

Aoi counted every second of the way. She knew she wasn’t as bright as many of her classmates. If she were alone, she’d probably have never made it out of that room. But she was still here, and that meant she had to be useful any way she could.

5 minutes passed when they finally reached the next door. “Guess we can open this one.” She twisted the knob.

 “Oh, it’s you three.” A welcome call from everyone’s favorite writer.

 “No thanks to you, Toko.” It said a lot that the pessimistic girl was probably the highest on Hina’s liked list compared to the other two.

“Looks like you all made it. I hope nobody got wet.” Chisa Yukizome’s fake courtesy and concern drove Aoi up the wall. 

“If you cared at all, you wouldn’t be holding us here.”

The former teacher brushed off Aoi’s anger with a smile. “I see your point, but these are some unfortunate circumstances for me too.” Her words were directed to Aoi as well as the silver-haired man who hadn’t taken his eyes off her. “As nice as it is to see you again, I really wish you hadn’t been chosen.”

Even Aoi could see Kyosuke was gloomier than usual. “I have said all that I need to. The woman I knew would never do this, and I do not have much of a reason to believe you are her.”

“Cynical as usual.” Chisa shook her head. “Oh well, whether I’m real or not doesn’t matter.  The important thing is that I’m the game master, and you’ll have to get passed me.”

“Hold on a minute.” Makoto raised his voice. “Who’s the blackened this time?” He said, expecting she would tell him.

Chisa tilted her head to the side. “Blackened?”

Makoto caught himself. In a lower tone, he replied. “Whoever’s controlling you.”

“Can’t tell you even if I wanted to. If you want to know then find your answer at the top.”

“Bring it on!” Aoi threw down the gauntlet.

“Shut up. You’re giving me a headache.” Toko’s lack of energy was on the opposite side of spectrum.

“Don’t be that way. She’s just psyching herself up.” The maid-in-black said.

“Nobody asked you!” “Nobody asked.”

“Let us proceed.” Kyosuke said.

“That’s my Kyosuke. I’ve always thought of myself as belonging at your side but going up against you isn’t bad at all.”

“…”

“Take a look around if you haven’t already.” The game master advised.

They circular room was divided into three by colors. Pink, green and orange. There were three elevator doors on each side as well, each having the same number of fruit decorations. “Strawberry, grapes and . . . oranges?”

 “The funhouse.” Makoto said.

“Do those doors have some meaning?” Sakura asked.

Makoto folded his arms and explained “In the funhouse, there’s Grape House and Strawberry House but they’re all the same building. Strawberry House is on top of Grape House. The lighting and elevators are designed trick you into thinking they’re separate buildings.”

“What about Orange House?” Aoi asked.

“There wasn’t one.” He scanned the room.  “And there aren’t supposed to be multiple lights on at the same time.”

“That’s because this isn’t the fun house. You’re in a casino so I wonder if it’s the same…” Chisa’s teasing manner couldn’t be further from Kyosuke’s monotone candor.

“So you all say.” Kyosuke challenged.

Aoi had to agree there. How could they still be in the casino after going to all these wild locations?

“All 3 groups are going to enter separate elevators one after the other, now pick a flavor.” Chisa said.

“Strawberries!” Aoi raised her hand.

“Why are you getting excited? It’s not like you can eat them.” Toko said dryly. “We’ll take grapes.” She eyed her partner.

“I don’t mind.”

“Then it’ll be oranges for me." Chisa said. "When you get in, you’ll receive a question at every stage. Each of these are timed so be quick. Answer right, and the elevator will rise. The team that’s last to reach the top will also meet a tragic demise!”

How can she say all that with a smile?

“Now, this part is important. We’re able to communicate with each other through speakers so be careful of what you say. Oh, but if you want to turn comms off, feel free. Just don’t be surprised if there might be consequences…”

“Such as?” Kyosuke spoke up.

“I would never spoil the surprise.” Chisa pressed a finger to her lips. “For anyone who thinks the teams might be unbalanced, we were supposed to have three teams with a maximum of two…but we’ve got one bad orange who tagged along. And that’s fine! It’s summer after all!”

Aoi bit back a sharp blush. “What’s with this lady?”

“Depending on how you look at it, she created a convenient rule for us.” Sakura said.

  • The numbers on your bracelets are your assigned roles. If they are called you will be required to participate, if able.
  • There are 12 floors in this casino. If you wish to survive, take the elevators up the final floor. To do so, you must defeat the four game masters holding the keys to each elevator.
  • The elevators will let you ascend 3 floors until you reach the next game master. The last game master will be on the eleventh floor.
  • The challengers are free to face the game master as many times as they can.
  • Under no circumstances is a game master permitted to attack or aid in the attack of a participant outside the confines of the subgame.
  • A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.
  • Likewise, a challenger may not assault any of the casino’s workers.
  • Rules may be added at our convenience, but no rule may be removed.
  • All rule infractions will be penalized.
  • Participants can switch places so long as they are approved by the game master. However, the game master decides who gets switched. (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu)
  • Lovers who share the same fate will never part, not even unto death (Chisa Yukizome)

Isn’t it til death do us part? “Even so, I got picked. Makoto shouldn’t have been roped into this.”

“I would have joined in regardless.” The luckster was stricken with pain and steeled with determination.

“Makoto, was it? Sorry, but I really don’t remember you.” Chisa expressed her sympathies. “Seems like you know me though. Where did we meet again?”

Makoto stared a while longer. “I had the wrong person.” That was a hard pill for anyone in the room to swallow but in this sea of ambiguity, there was no foothold to object.

“No hard feelings when we win.” The luckster said.

“You sound prepared to do whatever it takes.” Kyosuke left his post. “I have many questions for you, Makoto Naegi. But I’ve waited two years for answers, I can wait a little while longer.” He cast a final glance at Chisa before departing.

Toko followed him shortly after.

“He’s always gotta be the first.” There was a nostalgic twist to her happy sigh. The maid-teacher bid the trio a wave and “good luck.”

“I don’t get her either.” Aoi pouted. She always liked meeting new people, but these guys – er, technically they were like zombies and not people. But still, they acted normal for the most part. Then they were vengeful killers the next.

“We should enter the elevators.” Sakura said. “Let us also hope we will come out of them alive and well.”

“It has nothing to do with hope. We just have to keep calm and play smart.” Makoto said. With the press of a button, the strawberry elevator slid open for them. Aoi had never been to the funhouse before, but the interior was straight wacky. The floor, walls and ceiling were designed like a child’s puzzle.

They trio faced the elevator door as it closed.

Then the lights went out.

“Wha-” The elevator shaft shook violently.

“Ugh.” Makoto lost his balance, dragging Aoi down with him.

“Hina!” She heard Sakura.

“What’s happening!?” It felt like an Earthquake rocked the area. A minute felt like several before the vibrations stopped.

Aoi hitched her breath, afraid to even move in fear of making their situation any more unstable.

The light switch flickered back on.

Aoi looked sharply to the left and right. Miraculously, the elevator was fine. Sakura was huddled against the wall, looking every bit as confused as she was.

Aoi froze. Something hard was rubbing against her stomach.

“Um . . .” Makoto called from below, his head facing away from her. “Can you maybe get off?”

“Eeek!” She backed off. “Y-You pervert! You’re the one who couldn’t stand upright. That is not my fault!”

“Why do I have the feeling that wasn’t an accident?” Sakura’s irritation was a welcome distraction.

“How’s that for a surprise?” Chisa’s spunky voice came through clear as a whistle.

“Not funny! Where are you?” Aoi asked.

“If I recall, she said there were speakers in here. . .” Sakura pointed at the intercom stationed opposite side of the wall. Just below was a button with a microphone icon.

“At least someone listens to me! That rattling just now was just a little preview. Something to expect if you lose, only it’ll hurt a lot more, probably.”

“I don’t think there’s any probably about it.”

 “Now if you take a good look at your monitors…” Whether the display at the center of the elevator door had always been there would be a tough question to answer. Her head was still swimming and not in the fun way. “In just a little bit, we’ll all get the same question. Once up, there will be a 60 second time limit to answer. Be sure to think it over because you’ll get one shot. Each question gives you a set of points that represent the number of floors you ascend. The harder the question, the more they’re weighted.”

“It’s like I’m back in school!” She did awful in tests. Why couldn’t this be a physical exam?!

“Tap one of the three buttons on the elevator panel and call out A, B, C, D or E. Choose wisely!”

Aoi scanned the so-called panel. It was located where you’d typically find one in an elevator, but like everything else in this place, it took a weird turn somewhere in development. At the top were strawberry, grape and orange. The floor numbers split into these three rows. Each row was numbered from ‘1’ to ‘16’, with the lowest floors being lit up.

“That number again?” Makoto cocked his brow.

“There’s weirder things than that. It just me or can we press all three rows?” Aoi asked.

Before Makoto could answer, Chisa’s voice rang out “Of course, each of those buttons corresponds to the elevators in the other team.”

“Then we also hold the fates of the others in our hands?” Sakura couldn’t hide her discomfort, but it just left Aoi even more perplexed.

“What’s the point of that?”

“I fear we will find out.”

“In total, you need 16 points to reach the top. And be sure to think your answers over again! Once you’re locked in, the count drops to 5 seconds!”

 The flicker of the monitor punctuated the end of Chisa’s instructions.

What is the maximum number of students in Hope’s Peak Academy’s Reserve course? [1 Floor]

A) 2294

B) 3600

C) 2360

D) 2500

E) None of the above

“It’s about the academy…but I do not know the answer.” Sakura apologized.

“Neither do I.” Makoto grunted.

Aoi’s snickered “I got this.” She pressed the strawberry switch and called out “C!”

“Are you sure about this?” Geez, talk about a lack of faith.

“I said I got this.”

Their answer was verified at the count of 0. The number ‘2360’ lit up. The lift of the elevator was smooth enough that she couldn’t tell they were moving. It was a big welcome compared to the quaking from earlier.

There were lights on all three rows on the second floor.

“See?” Aoi had the faintest hint of a smirk.

“How did you know the answer?” Makoto inquired.

“It was in a brochure I read when I applied.”

“And you remembered?”

“I wrote it down on my palm once. That way I never forget.”

“I didn’t expect any less of you.” Sakura praised.

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

“Are those three classmates of yours competent or was it luck?” It had been silent until that point.

Toko hugged her knees on the back corner. She hadn’t bothered to stand after the ruckus.

Red eyes moved upwards at Kyosuke’s prompt. They had come to an agreement over the course of their partnership. He would take charge of everything. She only needed to offer advice if asked. “Hina’s as smart as the donuts she eats. Sakura’s more muscle than brain. It was probably Makoto. He knowledgeable in a strange way.”

 “A man of many surprises. And just as many secrets.”

He was one to talk.

When was Izuru Kamukura Made? [5 Floors]

A) 967

B) 1803

C) 2010

D) Izuru Kamukura was aborted.

E) All of the above

“When was he ‘born’, they mean?” Not that it made the question less confusing in her opinion. Those were a lot of points too.

“They would have used that terminology instead.” Kyosuke probably knew all that had to be known about the elusive founder of the world’s greatest institution.

“But they also said ‘aborted’.” Toko argued.

 “His birthdate was 1739 and that is clearly not an option.”  

“Maybe it’s a trick question. It could about the founder’s statue.” It was made in 1803. It was written at the bottom of the stone statue in the center of the academy.

“That would be sensible.” Kyosuke pressed down on the grape button “B.”

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

The light on the panel stayed on the second floor.

“Darn it. I thought for sure it was the statue.” Aoi stomped on the floor.

Their troubles weren’t over. Orange elevated five floors. “She was the only one who got it right!?”

Aoi turned on the intercom. “I’m calling foul. How do we know you don’t know have all the answers already?” It was totally unfair, like a baker trying to guess the taste of their own sprinkles.

 “It’s not much of a game if I’m set to win by default. Haven’t you learned anything yet?” was Chisa’s reply.

Sakura rose to the teacher’s defense. “So far, none of the game masters we’ve seen were set on victory. It’s like . . . they were looking beyond that.”

“To what?”

“There is danger still in wait.” Sakura said grimly.

“What was the answer to that question?” They heard Kyosuke on the other side.

“All of the above…apparently.” Chisa replied.

“Apparently?” Aoi gaped. “That’s the answer that made the least sense. How could he have been aborted and made multiple times!?”

“Beats me. The points meant the question wasn’t easy. The founder’s birth date isn’t listed there, but the day the statue was created is. And I know for a fact that a third Izuru never saw the light of day.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of this.”

Aoi sensed the traces of frustration in Kyosuke’s silvery tone.

“It was one of the academy secrets you wanted me to look into. Where the funds of the academy were being allocated. The school planned human experimentation operation on one of their reserve course students.”

“And I wasn’t told because…?”

“I only found out at the end…and it wasn’t important anyway.” Chisa continued. “The project was scrapped. They gave up on human experimentation so Izuru was never ‘made’. From there, that meant two answers were right, so the answer could only be D or E.”

“That’s absurd. The first date was over a millennia, and the latest was merely 2 years ago. How would you explain that?”

“Maybe they're descendants? Don't get mad at me, I didn't come up with these." Chisa repeated.

Aoi practically heard Kyosuke banging on the wall through the comms.

“It sounds crazy, but you’ll learn that anything’s possible. Just like I have.” Chisa said.

“Well, isn’t this a cryptic spat.” Aoi shrugged her shoulders and sighed in exasperation. “If it was just a guessing game, you should have pushedthe button, Makoto.”

“…”

Aoi blinked. “Earth to Makoto.” She snapped her fingers over the transfixed boy’s face.

“Izuru Kamukura is the name of the founder?” He whispered, pale as a white sheet.

“Duh. Even I knew that.” Aoi said.

“We have a new question.” Sakura called them to attention.

The highest authority in Hope’s Peak Academy is ___ (4 Floors)

A) The Steering Committee

B) Jin Kirigiri

C) Future Foundation

D) Izuru Kamukura

E) None of the Above

“This one’s easy!” Aoi prepared to answer, only for Makoto to overtake her. 

“C.”

- [Hifumi Yamada] -

 

“Future Foundation?" Hifumi squinted while he read the answer.

"I would have remembered a gaudy moniker as that.” He could tell his dear Celestia was amused. The crossing of her fingers, the manner of speech and the way her eyes glimmered.

The doujin author gulped, while watching the contest from the safety of a monitor. The footage didn't carry any sound and the screen was split into four. The upper left corner listed the questionnaire while the other three recorded the respective groups. The cameras had to be stationed awkwardly overhead, as they could only capture those who approached the elevator panel. Makoto/Aoi, Kyosuke and the strange Chisa were all they could see.

“Even I don’t know what this future foundation business is about. Yet your buddy knew on the spot.” Ruruka, who had consistently taken pleasure in these games, now wore a deep frown. It was hard to doubt her sincerity when it appeared even Yukizome had failed to answer correctly.

“Ain’t that a kick to the balls.” Juzo clicked his tongue. “Formally, the steering committee board of directors are the bigwigs of the academy. That’s how I’ve always known it and I worked security. You’re telling me someone else’s has been given the orders?”

“Future Foundation sounds like a whole group to me.” Hifumi said.

“If I was a thinkin’ woman, I’d say they’re the ones pulling the strings and keeping us here. At least, they’d have to be in the know.” Ryoko’s theories were looking less and less crazy with each passing question.

“How then, does our dear Makoto know?” Celestia ever so slightly leaned back on her.

“He’s probably one of them.”

It was a shock when the words that should have gone unsaid were boldly spoken by the timid nurse. She recoiled when everyone set their sights on her, silently demanding an explanation.

“We don’t know what the Future Foundation is, not even the game master. That means only our master does because she makes the rules.” Mikan fumbled with her fingers and smiled loosely. “I hope he survives. I want to talk to him too.”

“About?” Ryoko got in the nurse’s face. “I’ll have you know the bestie position is already taken.”

“I-I knew it. There’s no way someone like him would want to be friends with meeee.” Mikan wailed.

Juzo looked ready to blow a fuse. “What the fuck? We want to know why you think he’d be one of them.”

Mikan bounced back amazingly quickly. She stared off into the distance. “Well, since he’s a spy, I’d want to know more about the people who killed me. Isn’t that natural?”

Hifumi didn’t see anything normal about any of the statements she made.

Mondo patted his ears. Assured he’d heard correctly, he addressed Mikan. “Hey, girlie. I dunno what your deal is but I got a couple things to say.” He gave her a thumbs up. “Thanks for doing a bang-up fixing me up. I appreciate it.”

Mikan beamed. “Y-You’re very welcome. To be honest, even without me you’d have woken up”

 “But if you weren’t a chick, I’d have knocked all your teeth out.” The biker cut her off.

“Don’t hurt me!”

“He just said he wouldn’t.” Ryoko corrected.

Mikan paused then continued. “It’s bad to repress yourself. If you’re angry enough to hit me, you shouldn’t hold back.”

“Did I hear that right?” Juzo smacked his right ear.

“This is why I can’t get along with her.” Ruruka palmed her forehead.

Hifumi wiped the sweat off his brow, wanting to be nowhere near that chaotic discussion.

 

- [Toko Fukawa]-

Strawberry Elevator – 6th Floor  

Orange Elevator – 7th Floor

Grape Elevator – 5th Floor

“Excellent work.” Kyosuke’s praise sounded like mockery in Toko’s ears. Thanks to her intimate knowledge of a certain psychopath, they pulled ahead with 3 points. “My count would have been off by 4. I take it those victims never made the news.”

Toko’s reply wasn’t immediate. The question of Genocider’s total kill count took her off-guard. “I record all of them.” She gripped her left leg.

“Split-personality or not. It’s hard to believe you’re the infamous killer.” He’d probably look like an idiot trying to convince anyone that a recluse like her could have a body count nearing 40.

“You really aren’t scared.” Toko continued “Most people would crap their pants if they knew who they were sharing an elevator with. Especially the target demographic.”

“I don’t let my guard down against anyone, and you seem too resigned to be a threat.”

That she could only express apathy towards that not-so-subtle attack on her character might have proven his point. She couldn’t explain it herself - the constant drain of energy she was experiencing. “Let’s hope those boasts help us against the game master.” She struck a nerve. Since they met the game master, his demeanor had changed for the worse.

Whatever he’d planned to retort with was replaced by a new curiosity. “I happened to notice you’re not your usual stuttering self.”

Toko ruminates over his observations for a moment.

Until she decides it doesn’t matter.

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

“37 people?” Aoi covered her mouth.

“I’m sure each of them weighs heavily on Toko.” Sakura grimaced.

“I doubt her other half cares though.” Aoi liked Toko…in small doses, but her wacko counterpart was on off-the-table. “But nice to know we can expect more unfair and one-sided questions.”

Moving to the beat of sarcasm, the next question popped up.

Kyosuke Munakata is a chronic___? [2 Floors]

A) Liar

B) Manipulator

C) Cheater

D) Alcoholic

E) Smoker

Aoi groaned in frustration. “Why are they so weirdly personal? We barely know the guy!”

“It’s too specific for us to find a real answer, we’ll have to guess.” Makoto advised.

“I’ve never smelled nicotine on him before.” Sakura chimed in.

“Mr. Munakata doesn’t seem like they type to cheat at anything so we can rule that out.” Makoto said.

That meant they had 1/3 chance. Great.

 “D”.

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

“B, huh?” Toko’s succinct remark carried an accusatory subtext.

“Guess I know you better than you know yourself, Kyosuke. Or so I’d like to say but as A wasn’t the correct answer, you’re totally aware of how terrible you can be.”

Cold blooded – Toko thought of them both. The past few days had taught her anything, it’s just how fragile relationships could be. Even ones that weren’t outright broken could be twisted.

Kyosuke finally spoke. “There were many times where the safety of my friends took a backseat to my ambition. But when you aim high, there’s comes a point where you must use everything in your disposal to succeed.”

“Even your friends?” Toko inquired.

“Who better to trust to get the job done? They were both aware of my methods and wished to assist me.”

“From the sounds of it, your ‘friend’ here doesn’t accept that.”

“She never fully did.” Toko sensed there was a story there. “No. Right now, I cannot even confirm if that is her.”

 “…If you say so.”

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

“Damn it. We’re falling behind.” Aoi fumed. It made her angrier that she was the only one. Makoto and Sakura were cool as ice.

“Those were two questions only those involved could have answered. It’s probable our turn will come around.”

She knew Sakura was trying to console her, but she couldn’t get rid of the bad feeling hanging over her- “Heads up.” Makoto warned. In hindsight, it was funny that he of all people said that, because the next quiz for them was the biggest joke yet.

How many times has Makoto Naegi died? [4 Floors]

A) Never

B) 1

C) 2

D) 3

E) 4

Aoi blinked. “Now these are getting dumb.”

She only had to inch her head to see Makoto, paler than when he mouthed the founder’s name, or during his first meeting with Chisa. There was more than shock this time. A fist clenched tightly enough to tear skin, the twitch of his eye, his clenched jaw, and bared teeth all made him look like a different person.

“…Makoto?”

Without even looking at her, he submitted his answer.

“E.”

Only their elevator lifted.

What sane person would pick anything other than A?

The intercom blared with indignation “What is the meaning of this?” “Oh cool. Are you a zombie too?”

Kyosuke and Chisa’s voices poured out.

“If you stabbed me, I’d bleed.” Makoto’s response was directed to the last of the bunch.

“We cannot ignore that, Makoto. Explain yourself” Sakura inquired.

“What’s to say? I’ve died 4 times already . . . and came back every time.”

“…Is this a riddle?” Toko spoke up.

“I’m the ultimate lucky student. With my bad luck, I’ve had one or three deadly experiences, but I’m a survivor.” It didn’t sound like a lie. Makoto was pretty terrible at that.

“So, they were hyperbolic statements.” Sakura nodded.

“More or less.” He shrugged.

“I kinda wanna hear about these hijinks.” Aoi started. The look he gave her quickly changed her mind. “Or maybe not.”

“Chisa. These questions. Are they meant to be interpreted literally?” Kyosuke asked.

“As literally as possible. If it said you’ve died 4 times, you have died three times. Not close. Just D.E.A.D.” The teacher said cheerfully.

“What do you say to that, Makoto Naegi?”

“What can I say? Besides returning from the dead?”

“Evidently, there are such examples.”

Makoto sighed in frustration. Another uncharacteristic display that was becoming increasingly common, in Aoi’s opinion. “How many times have you died, Chisa?”

“Once! Last I checked.” The orange-haired woman replied.  “And I don’t remember seeing Naegi on the island when it happened.”

“And from what I remember, you said you weren’t in charge of the questions. That means we can’t trust your knowledge on what is or isn’t taken out of context.”

“You’re colder than you look, Naegi.” Chisa said.

“Well, if anyone else has a likely explanation for how I could die 4 separate times, I’d be happy to hear it.” Sarcasm and a roll of the eyes.

Aoi expressed her worries over to Sakura. Her friend simply shook her head, as much at a loss as everyone else.

What was going on?

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

“As I suspected, this has become a confessional.” Suspected? He had a habit of speaking like he was in control. It reminded Toko of one of the male protagonists in her novels. Confidence and determination won the day in her script, but what separated Toko from Hifumi (that so-called writer) was distinguishing fiction from reality.

Even when the those same were blurring by the second in this place.

Makoto made sense, as much as she hated to admit. Without any solid evidence, only an idiot would take that question at face value.

Kyosuke seemed to realize that himself. Whatever tricks were up here, it would be over for him if he bought into the enemy’s illusion.

“Initially broad questions became highly personal. We now have to divulge innermost secrets to stay alive.”  

“Why?” Toko asked.

“Why do you hide your identity from the public?”

“Because they’d turn against me.”

 

- [Chisa Yukizome] -

 

“Looks like nothing’s change. No matter what year, the students at the academy are real characters.” Chisa giggled, an attempt to lighten the mood. “Don’t you think?”

Her partner in the background didn’t budge from their position. Their only response was a simple warning. “You’ll regret it if you take them lightly.”

“I know. I’ll get serious in just a little bit.”  Chisa smiled. “It’s not like either of us wants to die after all.”

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

Aoi finally knew what had bothered her since the second round. The most recent question forced her to realize the purpose of the game.

Aoi Asahina’s most shameful secret is ____? [3 Floors]

A) Accidental murder

B) She poisoned her competition

C) A history of violent outbursts

D) Betraying her best friend

E) A femininity complex

The violation of her privacy left her speechless. Why-How did they know?

“What’s the answer?” Makoto’s voice was a far-off echo.

“H-Huh?” Her attempt at stepping back was fruitless when the luckster was still attached at the arm.

“The answer. We’re running out of time.” He pressed bluntly.

In her weakness, she turned to Sakura.

“This is something you must overcome yourself.” Sakura advised.

She was on her own, and the elevator panel hadn’t seemed as distant as right now. “I . . .” She froze. Unaware of how much time passed while she holed herself up in her own thoughts.

“B.” She’d heard Makoto and looked up to see the timer mere seconds from 0.

The orange elevator was the sole to rise in the aftermath.

Makoto’s face darkened.  “I thought your secret was cheating on a swimming competition?”

“I-I never said that.”

“You didn’t say anything!” Makoto suppressed a growl. “Why?”

 Aoi flinched. “I thought you’d think less of me.” Not just him. Like the other rounds, she knew whatever was going on would be broadcasted to the others.

Makoto palmed his forehead and groaned loudly enough to unsettle the girls. “Put that aside. Our lives are on the line here.”

“That’s easy for you to say when you’re keeping secrets from us!” Talk about nerve. She hadn’t pressed him on any of the weird stuff that was happening around him because she understood the importance of privacy.

“Any secrets of mine aren’t worth telling, and I did answer in spite of them.” Makoto crossed his arms. His gaze lingered a second longer before he sighed.

He faced the front of the elevator, dismissing her without a word.

Sakura watched the ordeal unfold in silence.

Aoi gripped her wrist. “The answer was C.” She began. “B was true too. It was the worst thing I ever did, but it wasn’t the most shameful. Years ago, in my old school, one of my rivals laced my protein shakes with laxatives. A friend of mine helped me figure it out, then I gave them a taste of their own medicine.”

“You can’t say they didn’t have it coming. As long as there wasn’t any permanent damage, you didn’t do much wrong.”

 “Thanks, but It was my fault that happened in the first place.” She swallowed her spit. “I had a bad rep for being hyperactive…and hot-headed.”

His forehead creased trying pin down the vague confession. “Like Mondo?”

A bit on the nose there. “I think I was born with too much energy. Whenever people pissed me off, I lashed out. With my strength, it ended up pretty badly sometimes.”

Makoto winced. With the feats of strength that he’d seen from the girl, he never wanted to be on the receiving end.

“…You know how I’m the Ultimate Swimming Pro? Well, I actually played a lot of sports.”

“You’ve told me before. Then the reason was…”

Aoi nodded. “To cool off. Hard to be angry when I’m too tired.”

“…And that’s the reason those girls tried to sabotage you?”

“I got away with a lot. The adults tend to look the other way when I became the star of whatever club I joined. Even after what I did, I didn’t get punished at all.” That was the first time she realized how much talent mattered.

“I wouldn’t judge you on just that. You’re overreacting.” Makoto interrupted her thoughts.

“I don’t feel like I’ve changed. Whenever I get stressed out or I don’t have enough exercise, I feel like I’m a timebomb waiting to blow.” Just seconds ago, she’d felt the urge leave one deep handprint on his face.

 “We’ll talk about this later.” The next question appeared. “Just remember, winning matters more than anything else.”

Chisa Yukizome’s Most Precious Possession. [2 Floors]

A) A Necklace

B) A Handkerchief

C) Her Memories

D) A ring

E) None of the above.

“B” Makoto answered correctly.

“Thank goodness.” Aoi sighed.

“It was a 1/5 chance. Even if it’s just guessing, we still have a shot.” He explained.

“We’re close. Only a little further.” Aoi cheered on.

Among her classmates, Sakura Ogami had secret meetings with _____? [2 Floors]

A) Byakuya Togami

B) Mukuro Ikusaba

C) Sayaka Maizono

D) Mondo Owada

E) Yasuhiro Hagakure

“Oh I know this one." Aoi was about to answer, before stopping. She motioned towards Sakura. "Wanna give it a go?”

Sakura shook her head “I am fine. You do the honors.”  

"Suit yourself." Aoi pushed the strawberry icon...and nothing happened. "Huh, where's the timer?" She tapped the button repeatedly.

Makoto mimicked her and ended up with the same unsatisfying result. “What’s going on?”

 “Hey, your system’s bugged. We can’t respond.” Aoi yelled at the intercom.

“I wonder~” Chisa said coyly.

Just before Aoi hurled insults, Sakura requested. “Might I try something?”

“Go ahead.” Makoto acquiesced.

Sakura pressed the ‘orange’ panel. Not a second later, the counter started. “E.”

Makoto’s eyes shot up, realizing what Sakura revealed. “Chisa inputted the wrong answer for us?”

“She can do that?” Aoi covered her mouth.

“Nothing in the rules says she cannot.” Sakura reasoned.

“Yeah well, if she’s gonna play it that way, we’ll get even.”

Sakura disputed Aoi’s suggestion. “We would be wasting points impeding her progress and not furthering our own. It would be a stalemate at best.”  

“Then why’s she messing with us in the first place?”

“I am not sure yet, but I fear we will soon find out.”

Sakura was right. It became increasingly obvious and frustrating when the instructor had gotten in their way repeatedly. Strawberry and Orange elevators were kept in a deadlock.

“Quit it already!” Aoi was red in the face.

“No can do. It’s my responsibility to teach you life’s unfairness!”

Makoto didn’t look ready to give up yet. “What are you stalling for? It can’t be just to annoy us.”

“I’m not stalling. I’m really trying to win . . . but it won’t be much of a victory unless Kyosuke survives too.”

“So that’s how it is.” Makoto accepted her reasoning.

“What’s she talking about?” Aoi asked.

“She means that we could be in trouble.”

 His worries were verified in the coming round. Orange and grape moved up a floor, leaving them in dead last.

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

Toko’s judging gaze bore into Kyosuke back.

“I can’t afford to have Chisa die here.” Was his excuse after choosing to, quite literally, elevate the game master. His apologetics rang even more hollow with solid steel pointed at her.

“I know about your transformation. The second you so much as sneeze, you head comes off.” She would ask where he’d kept that sword, but then she’d be the hypocrite.

“What happened to your promise of keeping us safe? Did you decide to give up when the going got tough?”

“You’re slow to adapt.” He narrowed his eyes. “These trials have long stopped being ‘us’ against ‘them’. The last game should have verified that for you – no, it is unlikely that the words ‘I can’t trust anyone’ didn’t cross your mind.”

Accusing her of cowardice while making excuses for himself. “. . . Pathetic.” Toko felt disappointed, but not surprised. She recognized there was some truth in his words. At the very least, Toko herself had lost confidence in him from the second they’d met Chisa Yukizome on this floor.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been betrayed by a man. That’s where her story began after all.

“Chisa and I will be the winners of this game. I will accept whatever grievances you have afterwards.” He declared into the intercom.

Meanwhile Toko couldn’t bring herself to care.

 

- [Aoi Asahina] -

 

“I don’t believe it.” Aoi was at a loss for words.

“I’ll tell you what I told Fukawa. There can be no trust among us. If you haven’t realized that yet, you will never overcome the mastermind that has been walking with us this entire time.” Kyosuke said.

While Aoi was boiling from rage, Makoto calmly addressed the older man. “She could be a fake, you know.”

“If you were in my shoes, would you take that chance?”

Makoto turned off the intercom. “Looks like we’re on our own.” To call their odds grim was an understatement.

Their progress from thereon was barricaded on two fronts until...

Strawberry Elevator – 12th Floor

Orange Elevator –13th floor

Grape Elevator – 14th Floor

“The moment two teams started working together, it couldn’t be won by the third.” Sakura remarked.

“Is Toko going along with this?” Aoi bit her thumb.

The luckster furrowed his brow. “Do you think he convinced her to help him?”

She looked at Makoto like he’d grown a second head. “What the heck are you talking about?”

“I thought you were implying that…”

“Are you crazy? I wanted to know if she could bail us out somehow. Why would Toko ever side with him over us!?”

“I don’t want to doubt Toko, but she does tend to…obsess over certain types of men.” It was no secret to whom Sakura was referring to.

Aoi couldn’t see it though. “Munakata’s nothing like Togami. At least that lemon head wouldn’t go back on his word just because it was inconvenient!”

“I didn’t think Toko or Togami were that high on your list.” Sakura said.

“They’re usually not, but the more I think about it. The more I should believe that they wouldn’t turn on us.”

“That’s some faith.” Makoto said skeptically.

“I though you’d back me up on this.” When’d he become Mr. Pessimistic again?

“I don’t think the others would betray us either, but ‘what I think’ isn’t good enough here. The last round already proved that for us.”

Aoi shook her head. “You think too hard…”

Wait a second.

“That’s it!” Aoi snapped her fingers. “I’ve got a plan.”

Makoto and Sakura shared a look of concern. ““What plan?””

“Shotgun!” She taps the strawberry icon at the start of the next quiz. “C!”

Makoto and Sakura had nothing but bewildered expressions on their faces when the elevator lifted.

“D-Did you read the question?” Sakura asked.

“I’m not smart enough to answer them anyway.” She proudly exclaimed. “Either take our chances and press head on or just standing there while they rip us off. Even I know which is dumber.”

“Your plan is just to luck our way through?” Makoto asked.

“Duh. Haven’t you ever bluffed your way through multiple choice before?”

A moment of silence passed before the shock subsided.

Sakura was the first to recover. Her lips twitching upwards and accompanying a soft chuckle. “Sometimes the simplest answer is best.”

 “It’s hard to argue against it in our position.” Makoto tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Guts and luck aren’t my strong suit but looks like we’ve got no choice.”

Aoi grinned. “And don’t forget that we’ve got Toko on our side.”

The others weren’t quite as optimistic. There’s no way they could have known what was going on in the grape elevator.

 

- [Toko Fukawa] -

 

Kyosuke gripped his side, painfully aware of the blood staining his white-suit, and the scissors embedded in the wound.  A moment’s lapse in judgement ended with him on his knees.

Toko stood over him, having 7 more scissors waiting. The biggest surprise of all was that she neither sneezed nor transformed.

 “You were Genocider Syo all along?”

“Dunno.” That was the honest truth. “That wacko gets off to killing handsome men, but I don’t really care for you.” She also didn’t feel the hesitation that should have come from taking a man’s life either. “If I killed you, I don’t think it’d be breaking any rules.”

More importantly she was sick of waiting. The faster they cleared this game, the faster they’d get closer to the truth of whoever killed her master.  “No more games. Get us to the top floor or I’ll gut you the next time you turn around.”

The two exchanged heated glares.

The flickering screen broke the stalemate. The silver-haired man stood on his feet with enough grace that one would think he hadn’t been impaled 5 seconds ago.

How many survived of the academy’s 76th student council survived the fatal crash? [1 Floor]

A) 2

B) 8

C) 12

D) 0

E) 1

 

“. . . I hear the president of that year barely escaped with his life.” Kyosuke said with his back facing her.

“He died of his injuries in the hospital.” Toko replied matter-of-factly.

“Hope is cruel indeed.” If he disobeyed, he’d be killed and still lose Chisa again. There wasn’t an out for him here. He met her halfway with a glare.

Her sole response to the silent curse was to prompt him with the snip of her scissors.

 “D.” He finally answered.

Neither of the two celebrated the achievement of their goal.

Kyosuke only motioned towards the speaker, hesitantly switching on the intercom. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Chisa.” He said slowly.

. . . A tense silence hung in the air as he awaited a reply.

“You can always count on me!”

From the look on his face, it hadn’t been what he wanted to hear.


The green gleam on the grape elevator dimmed as it reached the 16th floor. One down. Two to go.

“Looks like it’s just us left.” Chisa’s voice filtered out.

“No hard feelings but it’ll be just us in the end.” Aoi declared.

“We’ll see about that.”

 “I think if you really tried, you’d have been at the top instead.” Makoto interjected.

“That was the plan.” Chisa’s laugh was cheerful as it was hollow. “I was supposed to help you out at first.”

“For what purpose?” Sakura inquired.

“So Kyosuke would take the fall and I’d get my revenge.” Revenge. A motive they’d heard several times over. “When it comes down to it, I’m a weak woman who always drops the ball when it counts.”

“I understand how Munakata feels.” Makoto said.

“You’re a funny kid, but don’t think I plan on losing just because I like you guys.”

It sounded like she was finally going to play fair.

Brimming with confidence, Aoi exclaimed, “I’ll say it as many times as I need to: Bring it on!”

Chapter 34: Terza Obiezione / The Third Objection

Notes:

Danganronpa chapters always end with a trial, but does it have to be a class trial?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

- [Multiple PoV] -

“Look at that. You do bleed.” Those spine-tingling words were the first Kyosuke uttered after the game of majority concluded. The winners had taken only a few steps out of the elevators. Any plans of celebration were prematurely cut down. Makoto would have been too, if not for quick thinking. He managed to push Aoi aside, just as the silver blade swung down on them. The only casualty was the chains linking their cuffs.

 Toko had been right about one thing, attacking the non-staff hadn’t been against rules. At least there weren’t any chains dragging the not-as-sane-as-usual Kyosuke off to the metaphorical (?) gallows.

Makoto didn’t respond, wary of the blade tip stroking his cheek as the ex-council president stood over him.  Aoi and Sakura weren’t far away but frozen all the same. They’d never run faster than Kyosuke could move his arm.

But that fact didn’t stop the swimmer from eloquently expressing her grievances towards the situation. “Have you finally lost it!? He’s not a zombie!”

“The mastermind, then?”

“You know that’s not true.” Makoto continued. “I couldn’t have done anything when I’ve been stuck with Hina the whole time.”

“With the many tricks at the mastermind’s disposal, it’s not impossible for you to have deceived that girl somehow.”

“If I was anywhere as capable as you wanted me to be, do you really think you’d be the one with the advantage right now?” Makoto argued back.

The warped shade of black and white in those narrowing eyes had been what prepared the luckster for the attack. “Even if you weren’t the mastermind, one thing is clear: You know far more than you’re telling us. Moreso than the mastermind’s followers.”

 “It was us or her. You can’t hold it against us for trying to survive any more than we can hold it against you for stabbing us in the back.”

The blade trembled. It may even have cut deep flesh, had a strong arm not locked Kyosuke’s wrist in place.

The silver-haired man turned towards the owner.

“Let it go, man.” Juzo said. The tower must have been linked to the waiting room, as more came through the entrance.

“I soooo didn’t want to get involved in that.” Ruruka in particular grinned widely and clapped at the mayhem. Her hands stopped just as she stood in front of Kyosuke, just so she could hold out her palms. “Now if you don’t mind, hand it over.”

“Pardon me?”

“I can’t have you boys killing each other off when there’s only so many of you to go around as it is.  I’ll be confiscating all deadly toys.” Ruruka motioned towards Toko, who’d observed in silence. “That includes scissors.”

The novelist regarded the confectioner with a silent challenge.

“If You refuse, it’ll be made a rule.” Ruruka pressed harder.

Toko clicked her tongue and lifted her long skirt.

 Ruruka watched scissors drop like rain, littering the floor. “I have issues but you’re something else.”  She snatched Kyosuke’s sword and approached Toko to run a body search.

Satisfied, the evil tour guide happily announced. “Now we can go meet the final game master.”

There were mixed feelings of relief and dread in response. The group hesitantly trailed behind Ruruka. Aoi helped Makoto onto his feet and shot Kyosuke the dirtiest glare she could muster before dragging Makoto and Sakura along.

“I couldn’t save her. Even when she was right next to me.” Kyosuke lamented.

Juzo patted his shoulder. “I hate to say it, but you were wrong there. With all the crap we’ve seen, there’s no reason to think that was Chisa.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

“Then we make whoever’s responsible pay.” Juzo cracked his knuckles. “Besides, there’s a bright side you haven’t seen yet.”

Kyosuke looked at his best friend with a confounded expression. “What good could come of this?”

“If Chisa really died and this mastermind brought her back, who’s to say they can’t do it again? They might need a little persuading. If you catch my drift.”

Kyosuke let out an involuntary snicker. “Haha. That is worth looking forward to.”

“Don’t sweat it. The faster we catch up, the closer we’ll be to ending these 2 years of pain.”

Kyosuke’s smile hadn’t been the gentle one Juzo wanted to see, but the dark-skinned man was satisfied with the former taking his first steps forward.

Juzo didn’t immediately follow. 

He angled his head back to the elevator(s). Strawberry, Orange, and Grape were huddled together. The Strawberry and grape doors were open. Orange was closed, and the shaft had plummeted to the ground, certainly dooming whoever was inside.

“Catch you later, Chisa.”

- [Aoi Asahina]-

Of all the things Aoi expected on the final waiting area, it wasn’t something she would be thankful for. The swimmer’s mouth watered at the buffet sprawled over the long table, and she meant loooong. It was like those fancy-looking furniture you’d see in those old mansions. A haunted one, which fit the entire décor. The three-pronged candles were the only source of light in the dark room.

“You’re drooling, Hina.” Sakura remarked.

The tanned girl swiped her bottom lip. She smiled at her best friend sitting beside her. They were among the few who did stay together. The table’s length was conveniently enough for everyone else to sit at least one chair apart. Some left a space of three.

“Feeding a beautiful lady is, always has been, and always will be, the dream.”

If anything stopped Aoi from chowing down, it was the dubious chef, Teruteru. The last game master. A creepy little guy sitting at the head of the table.

“You’re crazy if you think we’re eating anything you serve.” Mondo said.

“Why not? You must all be starving!” Teruteru looked between each member of the party. Nobody had so much as picked up a fork. Aoi wasn’t hungry at all, surprisingly, but the food smelled and looked delicious. 

“Are you hungry, Sakura?” It felt like hours, maybe even a full day since they ate anything.

The gentle giant shook her head.

“Must be the adrenaline.” Hard to get hungry when your head’s on the chopping block. But she could only speak for herself. She counted four whose eyes were glued to the feast. Chihiro and Makoto were no surprise, but even Toko and Kyosuke were taken in.

“Ever consider that we’re not foolish enough to consume whatever kidnappers’ hand over on a silver platter?” Celes asked. 

“Murder and meals start with an ‘m’, but they’ve got no relation, Mademoiselle.” The address nearly cracked Celes’ composure. “Good guy. Bad guy. Friends. Enemies. Save it for the ring. Everyone needs to get fed…and even convicts get a good last meal.”

“I wonder if you’re implyin’ something there.” Mondo sneered.

Teruteru sighed loudly. “The rules, people!”

(A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.)

“To gain an advantage. How do we know you wouldn’t mess with us for the fun of it?” Aoi noted the distinction.

Murmurs arose in response to her commentary.

“That’s…exactly right.” Ruruka said, at the tail-end of the table. “Here I thought you were just a stacked bimbo. Don’t tell me the last round pumped some oxygen into that brain.”

Aoi flipped her off.

Celes snapped her finger, calling Chihiro to attention. The boy had remained standing at her side. “You seem famished, dear. I’ll let you have the first bite.”

“Eh really?” The programmer asked.

Mondo’s fist slammed onto the table as he glowered at the gambler. “If you think he’s gonna be your poison tester…”

“It’s no problem, Mondo!” Aoi couldn’t blame Chihiro’s eagerness but Mondo had a point here.

“You are not eating that, kid.

Celes quickly moved on. “Good grief. Then you taste it, Hifumi.”

“Me?” Hifumi pointed to himself.

“Is there anyone else by that name?”

“Miss. Ludenberg. With all due respect, it could be poisoned.”

“Why would that bother you? Even if it was dangerous, it wouldn’t be the first time you tried to kill yourself.” As always, Ruruka’s voice was as deadly as any poison. This time, the venom rocked her system, and the sadist’s smile made her want to vomit.

“Kill himself…like a suicide?” Mondo asked, puzzled. The uncomfortable atmosphere rose several by an order of magnitude.

“H-How could you tell?” Eyes darted over towards Hifumi. The boy was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

“What the fuck? You mean she’s not pulling our legs!?”

“It’s only what I’ve heard anyway.” Ruruka shrugged.

“Don’t bring morbid talk up at the dinner table. Have some class.”  Teruteru groaned. “This is an insult to all chefs everywhere but fine, I’ll do it the hard way.”

  1. The numbers on your bracelets are your assigned roles. If they are called you will be required to participate, if able.
  2. There are 12 floors in this casino. If you wish to survive, take the elevators up the final floor. To do so, you must defeat the four game masters holding the keys to each elevator. The elevators will let you ascend 3 floors until you reach the next game master. The last game master will be on the eleventh floor.
  3. The challengers are free to face the game master as many times as they can.
  4. Under no circumstances is a game master permitted to attack or aid in the attack of a participant outside the confines of the subgame.
  5. A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.
  6. Likewise, a challenger may not assault any of the casino’s workers.
  7. Rules may be added at our convenience, but no rule may be removed.
  8. All rule infractions will be penalized.
  9. Participants can switch places so long as they are approved by the game master. However, the game master decides who gets switched. (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu)
  10. Lovers who share the same fate will never part, not even unto death (Chisa Yukizome)
  11. A game master may not poison or tamper with any meals, condiments or refreshments served to contestants or anyone involved with the proceedings, for any reason, at any point in time. (Teruteru Hanamura)

“Normally, I wouldn’t be able to do that, but as I am the last game master, the crème de la crème, I’m sure nobody minds.”

Even with the new rule, nobody was eager to eat after what they just heard. “You guys are killing me here. Do I have to make a rule to force you to fill your stomachs too?”

It astounded just about everyone how quickly Hifumi complied. His face positively glowed at the end. “I-It doesn’t taste funny. Well, it tastes fantastic.”

She couldn’t tell if his words were praise, whether his hunger was real, or just a desperate distraction.

“Duh. The only reservations to my cooking should be the ones you put in, so you don’t have to wait in line.” Teruteru boasted.

“The Ultimate Chef. What a waste of talent.” Celes said.

“Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly accept the compliment madame.” Aoi had to hand it to the guy. He took verbal abuse like a champ.

“If there’s nothing wrong with the food, why do you want to force us to eat?” Kyosuke inquired. He’d made it clear he trusted nobody but his right-hand man.

“Because I was ordered to make all this. And dead or alive, wasting food is unforgivable.”

The next hand to shake the furniture was Juzo’s. “There we go again. I’m real sick of your cryptic orders. How about you tell us the name of your boss? We’ll just beat it out of you in the end anyway.”

 “Go ahead, if you want to waste time. I couldn’t tell you if I wanted to.” Teruteru straightened out his hair with a comb. “After all, I don’t even know who she is. None of us do.”

That was a little shocking.

“You address her as female, but you don’t know her identity?” Confusion was written all over Kyosuke's face.

“We heard a woman’s voice when we woke up. We aren’t allowed to know anything else.”  Mikan spoke up. “Anything beyond the fact that she is in this building and will be on the top floor.”

Ruruka cut in at that point. “The food isn’t laced with anything so if nobody wants to eat, we’ll skip right to the game. It’s your call but I wouldn’t pass this up if I were you. This is about the only thing fatso’s good for.”

Aoi raised her hand to pick up the fork. She was a little glad to have those cuffs removed (even if the method wasn’t exactly safe) but…it wasn’t all rays and sunshine.

Makoto sat near the end of the table by himself, on an angle to Ruruka. The boy made no move to unfold his arms.

“I would like to place a request.” Celes raised her hand. “Would you make me a cup of Royal Milk Tea.”

Teruteru cupped his chin. “If I remember, that’s the fancy stuff from back in the academy. Sure, not like I have to worry about finding the ingredients.” Teruteru motioned to stand. “Give me a few minutes.”

“You will need roughly 20.” Celes smiled sweetly.

“Could I have some too?” Makoto added.

Aoi had seen him drink some back at the hospital. Is that fancy stuff actually good? 

She raises her hand next.  “Grab some for me too.”

“Two extra cups of hot tea for two hotties, coming right up~”

Aoi groaned. “I could do without the womaniz-Wait, two? You’re including Makoto in that!?”

Ruruka rolled her eyes. “Get him started and he’ll never stop.”


No sooner than the last morsel of meat was ingested, the final round’s selection went underway.

“Oh la la, what fine men and woman will be accompanying me.” Teruteru smiled lewdly.

Celes, Kyosuke, Makoto, and Hifumi weren’t exactly thrilled to have been chosen. The four stood in a line just before Teruteru.

“Hopefully, the game won’t involve intensive labor. I have a crick in my back and could not bear to partake in events like the second round.” The gambler expressed her grievances.

“No labor involved. Whether it’s unbearable is up to you.” Teruteru retorted.

“What are the rules?”

“This round’s a lot different from the others. There might be no survivors at all.” It had been too late in the game for that information to surprise Makoto or Kyosuke. Celes maintaining her composure wasn’t that off either. She didn’t expect Hifumi not to flinch though. Maybe he was gutsier than she thought. “Ever played musical chairs, doll?”

“I leave those tedious games to the plebes.” Celes sneered.

“If you say so. Ruruka, be a darling.” Teruteru clapped his hands.

The guide had disappeared throughout the meal, for nearly a full 30 minutes. She came out from one of the doors, rolling a weird-looking chair on wheels. It was a piece of wooden furniture with belts and cuffs attached.

“Is that an electric chair?” Ryoko cuts of her thoughts. The amnesiac had the most bewildered expression.  “Don’t tell me…”

“Beauty and brains. There’ll be 4 more of those coming soon.” Teruteru said happily. “We’ll be zapped by a certain amount of electricity each time. We’ll keep raising the juice each round until I’m dead. That can be mean all of you could be left standing or one of you.” Teruteru snickered. “Or none.”

“Makoto. You're not doing this.” Aoi grabbed the luckster by the arm.

“I can’t exactly refuse…”

She wanted to slap him. “He’s trying to fry your brain!”

Teruteru tapped his foot. “Hey, hey hey. If he’s good for it and I’m not, it’ll just be me getting my brain fried.”

As if anyone could survive that.

“Well ain’t this a kick in the balls for everyone.” Mondo strutted up to the floor. “These rules don’t sound fair to you, little man. Got a death wish?”

“Dead men don’t get choices or wishes, handsome. Besides, I’ve never been one to shy from a little pain, if you catch my drift.”  Teruteru wagged his brows.

“Good to know. I don’t have to feel too bad about this.” A sucker punch to Teruteru’s face knocked the chef off his feet and sent him crashing into the wall.

Aoi let out a sharp gasp.

“Stop, Mondo. You can’t attack him!” Chihiro ran to the biker’s side.

“Can’t? I just did.” Mondo pried Chihiro off. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to let off steam ever since I found out what happened to Taka, and after that ‘explanation’, game boy here won’t mind being my punching bag!”

“NONONO, not like that! I don’t mind a fist of love, but there’s clearly nothing but hate in there!” Teruteru struggled to stand.

“Down, boys.” Ruruka stepped between Teruteru and Mondo.

“I knew you cared, Ruri.” Teruteru sighed happily.

The confectioner didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a response. “You were asleep when I was explaining the rules, so I’ll let you off with a warning: Attacking the game masters is punishable by execution. Your buddy learned that the hard way when he attacked Izayoi.”

“Thanks for the warning. But no thanks.” Mondo gently pushed Ruruka out of the way. He gazed down at Teruteru with a murderous gleam. “If you dying is what it takes to end this game, then I’m a better fit than some chair.”

Mondo drew his fist…and was stopped by the unlikeliest party.

“What’s this? You getting uppity trying to make up for being useless this whole time?” Juzo said smugly while latching onto the gang leader’s wrist. “Do us all a favor and back off.”

“Yeah yeah, listen to the good man.” Teruteru pleaded, trying to scurry away.

Mondo swiped his arm free. “You gonna get in my way next? Unlike the kid, I got no problems putting traitors in their place.”

“I’m shaking.” Juzo butted heads. “Not because of that lame ass threat though. I’m pissed off at how much I like your style.”

In a flash, the ex-boxer clawed at Teruteru’s collar and lifted him into the air.

“Whoa! I thought you were helping me out!” The cook flailed in mid-air.

“Who’d stick up for you? I just didn’t want that kid to steal my thunder.” Juzo glowered.

“Unhand him.” Kyosuke interjected.

 “Denied.”

Juzo said without a trace of hesitation.

“What?” Kyosuke’s eyes widened. It must have been the first time his old friend had refused him.

“Sorry, but I’m not backing down even for you.” Teruteru choked when Juzo’s grip tightened. “I don’t know if that Chisa was real or a fake, but just for the audacity, I’ve been itching to beat one of you to death.”

“Jokes over. H-Hit me even once and you’ll get executed, you know.” Teruteru wheezed.

“Doesn’t matter. This sick game will be over and nobody else has to die.”

“We don’t have to do this. You can put him down, Mr. Sakakura.” Hifumi proclaimed

“There’s only one way out of this and it’s not playing along with these dicks.” Juzo replied.

“There is another way, without sacrificing anyone else.” Hifumi started. “We can get the mastermind right now.”

Juzo almost dropped the chef, as he fixed Hifumi the same look of confusion everyone else did. “We don’t even know where they are.”

“I do. I’ve always known.” Hifumi balled his hands into fists.

“You…do?” It had felt like ages since Kyoko spoke. Enough that it was enough to forget the lavender-haired girl despite the presence she normally commanded.

Hifumi nodded.  “They’re right here.” He loosened the tension in his arms and raised a pointed finger, indicting the accused.

“Isn’t that right, Celestia Ludenberg?”

The mastermind was finally unveiled.


 

“Have you perhaps misplaced whatever little sense you had left, Hifumi?” Celes wasn’t taking the accusation well, despite her composure.

Like the calm before the storm, the tension in the room plateaued at an awkward stage. Not just for the group, but even the casino staff fell silent as Hifumi’s claim settled in.

Celestia was behind everything.

The words “how”, “why” and “impossible” ricocheted in their minds like the craziest of ping pong imaginable.

Any delusions of a prank or attempt to distract Mondo and Juzo flew out the window when Hifumi doubled down on his claim. “I lost it a long time ago for going along with these awful schemes, but no longer!”

“Is he serious? Is he serious right now-TELL ME HE’S LYING!” Mondo grew red in the face.

“It makes sense to me.” Ryoko started. “I mean, why not? She is a girl…and we’re in a casino.”

That…very obvious detail sunk in for a lot of them.

“I’ve always thought you were shady.” Toko snarled. If Ruruka hadn’t collected her scissors, she might have done more.

 “Wait a minute. Yeah, Celes has the whole gambling theme going on but that doesn’t mean she’s the mastermind!” Aoi said.

Ryoko nodded in agreement. “Righto, Hina. So do you have a reason to suspect Celes, big guy?”

“Before that…why did you wait until now to tell us?” Kyosuke sized Hifumi up.

The writer didn’t wither under scrutiny. “If I didn’t keep quiet about what I knew, she threatened to take my family hostage.”

 “Is that true, Celes?” Sakura urged the gambler for an immediate answer.

“That you would have to ask that question at all is proof Hifumi has learned well from me on how to lie.”

“Not exactly something you want to boast about right now if I were you.” Teruteru advised. The chef was ecstatic to be out of the crosshairs of two violent men.

“You deny it?” Kyosuke asked.

In her defense, she replied with “Of course. I have neither the means nor the motive.”

“Is that true?” Makoto butted in, eying Celes with suspicion. “You told me that witches ‘fascinated’ you. I also may have heard something about you dabbling in the occult. I don’t know if that passes for a motive, but you definitely have an interest.”

“She’s spent the most time in this casino, damn near treated it like her own backyard. She had all the time in the world to set this up.” Mondo added.

Little by little the pieces started to fit. But Aoi still felt uncertain.

“These are all just accusations and coincidences. You have no evidence of my guilt, just Hifumi’s word.”

“…Why would he lie?” Kyoko tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Celestia had a fast-timed and concise response for that. “Have you perhaps thought he might be an accomplice to the mastermind? Mondo and Sakakura’s rebellion at this stage in the game must have been quite a shock to them.”

Now we’re suspecting Hifumi?

“Odd that you won’t accuse him of being the mastermind himself.” Kyosuke said.

Celes laughed haughtily. “That’s a good one. The best that fool can do is be an obedient lapdog.”

You could almost hear the grind of Hifumi’s teeth. “You were the only one I ever told my secret to, and you promised never to tell anyone else.”

“And I have kept that promise.”

“Liar!”

An uproarious, vicious cackle pierced their ears, stifling the argument. “This is great, perfect. It’s just like old times!” Ruruka was besides herself with glee.

“If you’re not going to help then buzz off already. We don’t need you.” Aoi told off the guide.

“And here I was coming to your rescue.” Ruruka said in-between giggles. “Let’s say Celes is the lady of the house – very possible, might I add – so what? What are you going to do?”

Aoi hadn’t thought nearly that far. From the looks of it, neither had anyone else.

Taking silence as an answer, Ruruka continued. “Right now, the only reason you chumps are alive is that you’ve been playing the game. And let’s be fair, the rules have been fair! Loopholes here and there but no outright breaking them. If you stop playing, there’s no reason for her to continue either.”

“And how does this knowledge help us?” Celes inquired.

“If you want to win, play the game…your way this time.” Ruruka said.

“Can we do that?” Aoi looked around.

The confectioner merely smiled. “My lady, there’s been a new development. I want a transfer of power to reorganize the final game.”

Out of self-preservation, nobody responded to that request.

“Currently, only she has the power to make the games. We just follow the instructions. But if none of you are going along with our current game, I say we compromise. That or we end the death casino prematurely. The choice is hers.” Ruruka’s explanation ran on. “And any privileges I get will be limited to the game.”

“Typical. You just want a chance to be in charge.” A rare bitter remark from Mikan.

“You know me too well, but it’s not just that. I want to set things straight.” Ruruka faked courtesy, clasping her hands together and putting on the crocodile tears. “Back then, we turned on each other like animals…when we should have done things properly.” The charade was dropped almost instantly. “Through the proper procedures . . .”

“What do you propose?” As the involved party, Celes found it necessary to ask.

“Same way adults solve any dispute that can’t be settled indoors.” Ruruka spread her arms wide. “We take it to court.”

“You want a trial?”

“A witch trial. To discover the identity of the mastermind. But fair warning. After all this whining, there needs to be an appropriate penalty. Winners take all. If you vote wrong, then everyonegets the rope. Guess right, then the witch is burned at the stake.”

All or nothing – Aoi gulped.

Ruruka twirled her finger up as high as her mood was lifting.  “So things are fair. I need to be a bit of info…including the mastermind’s true identity under the condition that I never tell anyone, living, dead or undead.” Without a doubt, she fully enjoyed the situation they found themselves in. Right until she froze. Her posture stiffened and her eyes widened.

“You okay there, Ruri?” Teruteru voiced his concern.

Ruruka neither moved nor replied.

Mikan slowly approached the baker, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ruruka didn’t react, facing forward like a stone statue.

“Is she bugged?” Teruteru tilted his head.

“I’m fine!” Suddenly, Ruruka defrosted and shrugged off the nurse’s hand. “I guess that’s that. Now, what’s your answer?”

“What just happened?” Aoi asked.

“I got the okay, along with a few perks. Now it’s up to you. Will you play the final game or deal with the consequences for backing out early?” Ruruka proposed an ultimatum.

“Talk about kicking me out of the driver’s seat, but then I’d expect nothin’ less.” Teruteru chuckled. “Glad I don’t have to die again.”

“Where are you going?” Aoi caught the chef before his sneaky departure.

“Oho. Would you miss me? Say the word and I’ll stick by your side forever.” He said too eagerly.

“Only if it means I get to eat more.” Aoi gladly accepted.

“Hina, he’s being a creep.” Mondo clicked his tongue.

“I-I know that, but he’s a great cook so he can’t be that evil.” Her sentiments had very few heads nod in agreement. “At least, I can’t let someone so dangerously talented out of my sights until he’s baked at least one delicious donut!”

“Cook?” Teruteru’s eye twitched. “Mon chère, I am a chef…and just a donut? That’s low brow.”

“What did you say about donuts?” Maybe he was evil after all.

Celes had grievances of her own to share. “Your attempt at Royal Milk Tea is worth a B-rank at best. Not bad, but not quite the standards your title demands.”

“Those are some standards. I thought I made it just right.” Teruteru’s shoulders sagged.

“Yeah, even I thought it was delicious.” Aoi wouldn’t mind having another right now.

The gambler shook her head. “Merely delicious is not enough. Preparing fine tea is a complicated art.”

“We accept your terms.” Kyosuke steered the wayward train back on track.

“Kyosuke-” Juzo began.

The white-haired male raised his hand to silence his friend. “We couldn’t ask for a better chance. Nobody has to die and when we win, we’ll have all our answers. However, I wish for the opportunity to question the mastermind before they are executed.”

“Don’t you mean ‘if’?” Ruruka snickered. “But fine, requested granted.”

“I’ve got no complaints.” Makoto agreed.

“I’ve added some new data to your tablets.” Ruruka said.

Aoi discovered a new page, second to the rulebook. It was a set of instructions on how to run a trial.

“How’d you do that? We’ve been watching you the whole time!” Aoi eyes bugged out.

Ruruka wagged her finger. “A new magic trick. I’ve got a few more…like this.” She draped a white napkin over her hand in one moment. She dramatically took it off the next, revealing a brown, sealed envelope that couldn’t have fit in that small space. “Here you go.” Ruruka handed it over to Aoi.

“What’s this?”

“A gift. I like you so I'll let you have it; an [Autopsy Report]. For all of your friends. You’ll need them to discover the identity of the mastermind.” Ruruka explained.

Chihiro raised his hand “Um…who will be participating?

 “All of you. It’ll be a trial, so we’ll need a defense, a prosecutor, witnesses, a jury, a bailiff and a judge.” Ruruka smiled. “We already have a witness, but feel free to find more. As for the bailiff. You boys seemed eager to use your fists, how about one of you take on the role?”

Juzo looked at Kyosuke, who simply nodded. “Alright, I’m in.”

“I will accept the role of prosecutor.” Kyosuke asserted. “Any objections?”

“Right here.” A reinvograted Toko stood off against Kyosuke. “The mastermind is mine. I’m not sitting out the right to make the one who killed master squeal.”

“I question your qualifications.”

“Work together then. I don’t think anyone cares.” Ruruka flippantly waved her hand.

Neither Toko nor Kyosuke refused to back down, and silently, grudgingly accepted their ‘partnership’ would not end just yet.

“And I suppose I’ll have no choice but to defend myself.” Celes said. Nobody objected.

Well then… “I’ll do it.” Aoi raised her hand.

The gambler covered her mouth. “I wasn’t aware you were so fond of me, Hina.”

“You seriously gonna defending her?” Mondo had made his judgment already.

“If no one else will, then I don’t see what’s wrong with me stepping up to the plate.”

“Do not fall for her tricks. I’m telling you she is the culprit.” Hifumi was adamant in a way she’d never seen.

Still, she had her doubts. “I can’t believe any of us could be behind this. Even a weirdo like Celes. Call it a hunch.” Aoi said.

“I won’t put my faith in your guts, but the gesture is much appreciated. I assure you.” Celes giggled. Aoi couldn’t help thinking she was being mocked right now. “But if Hina is on my side. What of you, Makoto?”

She made the luckster the center of attention. Everyone was of the open mind that he would have believed in her. This was Makoto, they were talking about, which why “Count me out.” Came across as mildly shocking.

“I thought you’d back me up on this.” Aoi fumed.

“Sorry to disappoint you.” He averted his eyes. It was so pitiful, she felt the uptick of anger leave her.

He turned to Celes. “I don’t know what to believe, so I can’t defend you.”

“Better than outright belief in my guilt, I suppose.” Celes thinned her lips.

“Oh Oh! Can I be the judge!?” Ryoko got up in Ruruka’s face.

The pinkette stepped back. “Er…no. That’s already covered. You can be part of the jury at the end along with the leftovers. You’ll have reserved seats until it’s time to vote and help the judge make a verdict.”

“Hmmm, okay.” Ryoko relented.

“Great, now can you get out of my face!?” Ruruka shoved the amnesiac.

“Geh! Talk about mean.” The redhead stabilized.

“We have a prosecutor and one assistant prosecutor. The defense. A bailiff. A witness. So the rest of you will have to be the jury.” Ruruka’s finger moved between Mondo, Sakura, Makoto, Chihiro, Teruteru, Mikan, Ryoko and...

The last moved away from Ruruka’s finger. Aoi’s smile widened thrice-fold when Kyoko strutted over to her side. “I'll give Hina a hand.”

The anti-Celes faction recoiled from having the ultimate detective as an opponent.

“Yes! Thanks, Kyoko!” Aoi hugged the lavender-haired girl with all her strength. She really hadn’t wanted to do this alone.

The swimmer half-expected Kyoko to shove her off. When Kyoko just stood there, with a complexion as drained as it was subdued, the swimmer knew something was wrong.

“Now that is reassuring.” Celes said happily.

“If you’re innocent. If I found out otherwise, prepare yourself.” Kyoko narrowed her gaze.

“Then I have nothing to fear.”

“You’re making a mistake.” Hifumi balled his hands into fists, glaring hatefully at Celes.

“Our investigation will be the judge of that.” Kyoko smoothly replied.

“The way you move a crowd feels just like old times, Ruri.” Teruteru told his former upperclassman.

“I want to do things right this time.” Ruruka repeated with a straight face.

“No matter what you do, I’ll never forgive you.” Mikan glared daggers at the femme fatale.

“Suit yourself.” Ruruka moved away from the nurse and chef to the elevator behind the electric chair.

“I’ll be getting the stage prepared, so all of you carry out your investigations. I know this room is small so feel free to head back to the old waiting rooms. In 2 hours, I’ll call you back. Be ready by then.”


 

“Just so we’re clear, I don’t know anything about investigating or arguing.” Why’d she do this again?

Kyoko crossed her arms, gloved fingers tapping on her shoulders. “I’m no defense attorney, but I have been asked to testify in court proceedings. I’ll guide you through the trial but for now, we should form a plan of action.”

“I’d have asked Celes about what she knows but…” Kyosuke had whisked her away and had Juzo keep them out of the dining room. Sakura had left ahead of them to find Makoto.

“Munakata and Toko are interrogating Celes, Hifumi, and Chihiro. While it’s more than likely to be Munakata asking the questions, but Toko can be an intimidating presence.” Kyoko mused.

Like good cop bad cop or . . . bad cop and worse cop?

Wait. Which of those two is worse?

“My head’s spinning. Why’d they take Chihiro again?”

“Those three are closely related. Hifumi accused Celes of being the mastermind. If that is true, it stands to reason that Chihiro could point out any discrepancies or lies in her testimony.”

“And Munakata probably wants the deets on everything Hifumi knows.” Scratch that, she felt waaaay worse for Hifumi right now.

“Munakata is in a very good position right now if you think about it." Kyoko pursed her lips when Aoi offered a suggestive look. “I’m not going to spoon-feed you. Think about it.”

Telling me to work the ol’ noggin, eh? “It’s a bit late in the game to get cryptic on me."

“The nature of the game has changed, but our approach remains the same. We’re in danger of trusting each other too much.” Kyoko looked her over. “Why did you choose to defend Celes, if I may ask?”

The question of the hour.

“I think everyone jumped to conclusions. Yeah, Celes likes gambling and dresses a little freaky, but accusing her of being the nutjob behind all this craziness? No way. We never saw any of that back in school.”

Kyoko’s reply was fast as if she’d calculated every word ahead of time. “That ‘hunch’ then was because it doesn’t align with the Celes we know. True, in the years we’ve been classmates, there have been no signs of psychotic behavior…presuming she hadn’t hidden that side of herself.”

 “And why would she do that?” We’re talking Celes here. She’d ask for your head to roll if you were a gram of sugar off her tea. Subtlety wasn’t her style.

“Who do you think is behind this?” Answering a question with another question wasn’t cool, but she doubted Kyoko would budge on that.

Everything, including the questionnaire in the third round, pointed to “Hope’s Peak Academy…”

“I agree. We know enough to safely deduce that, but what about their motive? HPA wouldn’t waste time and resources on mindless entertainment. They mean business with us, and there’s no easier way to monitor the subjects than placing a spy in their ranks.”

 “And you think Celes is that spy?”

“If I was sure of that, I wouldn’t be on your team. I’m confident the mastermind is connected to Hope’s Peak, but their identity is a mystery. Ultimately, the point is that Celes could be that person. Knowing that, would you still defend her?”

“Yeah, I think I can.”  Aoi said with a confidence Kyoko hadn’t expected, judging by the brief flash of surprise on the detective’s face.

“Celes may have been joking but she wasn’t wrong. The two of you aren’t close enough to warrant that faith.”

Aoi bit her lip. “…I know a little bit about being public enemy #1, and the atmosphere’s changed for the worse since Togami was murdered.” Everyone had been on edge, staring at each other’s backs or wandering off on their own. “You should have seen Leon at the time.”

 “Oh I did. He looked like he’d run into a ghost in the dead of night. It was Sayaka’s little scare.” Kyoko smiled, faintly.

Regretfully, they had to move on to the morbid subject. “Then Taka and Mukuro died, and things got worse. Nobody came into the room, and nobody left. If we didn’t suspect each other before, we definitely did then – Like it was part of the mastermind’s plan.”

“That may not be far from the truth…”

“Then Sayaka and Hiro betrayed each other. I think at that point, we gave up cooperating.”

“I’ll tell you what I told Fukawa. There can be no trust among us. If you haven’t realized that yet, you will never overcome the mastermind that has been walking with us this entire time.” (Kyosuke Munakata, Chapter 33).

 “The bad feeling I had was that everyone would pile up all that paranoia and suspicion on Celes. She looks the type, but that doesn’t make it fair when we don’t know the truth yet.”

“And if that is the truth?” Kyoko posed.

Aoi crossed her arms in defiance. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then, I don’t want to distrust anyone. That’s what the mastermind wants, and what they’ve been trying to do all along. I won’t fall for it!” She’d be different from Kyosuke.

“So it’s not Celes you want to protect, but you think it’s an effective way to fight the mastermind?”

Aoi waved her hands defensively. “You make it sound so scummy. I want to help her too.”

Darn it, I suck at expressing myself!

“Don’t underestimate yourself. I think you’ve conveyed your thoughts clearly. I wasn’t wrong in siding with you.” Kyoko said.

Aoi smiled wildly. If even Kyoko approved, they might have a chance after all. “…Wait, how’d you know I was doubting myself?”

“That’s because I’m,” Kyoko paused. Her mind caught up with her words, then changed course. “It was a reasonable deduction.”

Aoi tilted her head. What was she going to say?

 “I just have one more question: When you said, ‘public enemy number one’…were you referring to that secret you kept?” Kyoko asked.

Aoi sighed dejectedly. “It was rough back then. The bullying I went through and the fights I got into nearly made me explode.” But there were good times too. “I might’ve if not for a friend who had my back. Without her, I think I might’ve ended up a bitter, antisocial jerk like Munakata. So I thought Celes needed someone like that in her corner.”

Kyoko digested the information at a rapid pace and connected the pieces. “That explains a few things. Makoto aside, you were the fastest to make friends in the classroom with Sakura. Friendship must mean a lot to you.”

“You know it.” Aoi grinned toothily.

“And if you were betrayed by that friend?”

Way to bring down the mood…

“I’d punch em’ in the noggin, then sit them down for a loooong talk. By the end, they’d wish they were still friends with me.”

Kyoko winced. “I see. That option isn’t available for me.”

Aoi gasped. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing important at the moment.” Kyoko defused the situation. “Now that we’re officially a team. Let’s find out how much you know.”

“Ready when you are.”

“In your opinion, what do you think the defense’s job should be?”

That’s an easy one. “Make sure Celes isn’t found guilty.”

“And how will you do that?”

 “I gotta argue and argue good.”

“Partially.” Kyoko was definitely laughing on the inside. Aoi didn’t need to be psychic to see that.  “Have you ever heard of ‘burden of proof’?” The athlete’s face said it all. “In an argument, the side that makes the claim provides sufficient evidence to back it up. In other words, the burden of proof falls on Hifumi and Munakata. So what do you have to do?”

“Beat down any argument that comes our way!” Aoi exclaimed.

Kyoko shook her head. “Why work yourself that hard? Don’t play their game. Instead, you need to open up possibilities that protect Celes. So long as their truth isn’t the only truth, you won’t lose.”

Aoi nodded slowly. “Guess we had it easier than I thought.”

“And that’s why I consented to Munakata having the first go around with the others. He’ll need all the advantages he can get.” Kyoko held out the brown envelope. “While they’re busy, we’ll investigate those possibilities with this report."

Sayaka Maizono, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Koichi Kizakura, Leon Kuwata etc

On each page was a dossier on their friends, their backgrounds, time and cause of death, and a photo of their bodies.

Aoi’s stomach twisted and curled inwards. “We don’t need to look at some of these, do we? We already know what happened.”

“If they weren’t helpful, Ruruka wouldn’t have provided them.” Kyoko skimmed to the next page. “Here’s Togami’s. Estimated time of death was 1:13. Cause of death was poisoning. Exact toxin unknown. It was painless and instantaneous.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Aoi said.

Kyoko gave her a surprised look. “Is it really?”

“It’s not! I meant he didn't suffer.” She said in a low voice.

“I’d be more careful with your words at this stage, Hina. In a trial, that would have turned heads.” Kyoko admonished her.

“Next are Kiyotaka and Ikusaba. Kiyotaka’s estimated time of death was 5:58 in the morning, and Ikusaba’s 5:59. Both died from having their throats slit. The entry point matches the knife we found on Toko…interesting.” She continued reading while Aoi instinctively clutched her throat. “Traces of a chemical called Hypnostase were found in Kiyotaka’s body. He was drugged before dying.”

Aoi froze. “Like Byakuya?”

“No. This is a sleeping agent. It’s the same formula that Makoto used on Mondo. I checked the stash in the kitchen myself." Kyoko gave her a disapproving look. "Although I’m sure you knew that.”

The swimmer looked to the side and played with fingers. “I really didn’t know what Makoto was searching for at the time.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Kyoko’s forehead suddenly creased. “This next page is almost empty.”

Aoi read along with her. The name was blacked out, as was the photograph. The only legible part was the cause of death. “Broken bones, lacerations and severe head trauma.” Kyoko read aloud.

“Who the heck is this for?” Aoi freaked out.

“Ruruka said the reports were about our friends, so it’s for one of us. I would have fielded Leon, but we’ve been through his profile.” Kyoko said.

“Could It be a mistake?”

“…There’s someone we can ask.”


 

They crossed paths with Mikan on the way to the lower floor. Just a little while ago, they’d ended the third round here.

“How may I help you?” Sadly, Teruteru had been right by Mikan’s side, as eager to see them as the nurse was flustered.

“Mikan Tsumiki. We require your assistance.” Aoi half-expected Kyoko to flash a detective’s badge on the nurse with that opening.

Kyoko’s cold dismissal didn’t dent the young man’s spirit. “I don’t dislike being given the cold shoulder.”

“It’s about the autopsy reports, I’m assuming.” Mikan said.

“There’s a page detailing an unidentifiable person with only the cause of death specified. What’s the meaning of that?”

“Never heard of spoilers?” Teruteru replied. The implication that he knew threw any chance of an error out the window.

“If it’s not readable, that means Ruruka didn’t want you to know.” Mikan explained without an ounce of her trademark meekness. “I can’t mention anything about that, but I can help with narrowing down what could have led to this…”

“That would be helpful.” Kyoko said.

The nurse skimmed over the autopsy report. “Contusions, hemorrhage, lacerations and bone fractures all over the body. From the looks of it, the cause was a violent crash. It’s also possible they could have been crushed to death.”

“You’re certain this is accurate?” Kyoko asked.

“Ruruka told me it was all true. All the murders that happened on the island are there.”

“Hmpf. And how did she acquire that information? I highly doubt she was at the scene of any of these crimes.”

“The lady of the casino probably gave that information to her when she froze.”

Teruteru shivered. “I hate when that happens. It’s like our bodies get put on ice, and all we can do is listen to her voice.”

“How does she control you guys? You think could Ruruka have been brainwashed by her?” This time, Aoi presented the question. She still couldn’t get over how…murder-y her seniors were.

“Nah, it’s nothing like that. You might not believe it, but we have a decent bit of freedom. The boss lady can’t just brainwash us to doing what she wants. And If we didn’t want to follow her, we could just say no.” Teruteru’s casually states.

“Then you’ve been doing this to us of your own volition.” Kyoko said, frowning.

“Didn’t the game masters you met give the whole vengeance spiel already?” The chef recoiled at the looks Kyoko and Aoi gave him. “Hey, hey, hold the phone. I never said I was in it for revenge. The whole ordeal 2 years ago was like a dream to me.”

“So why are you against us?”

“Cuz I don’t wanna end up like Chiaki, duh.”

With how little she knew of Teruteru, it might not have said much to write him off as a joker, but his expression – stone as concrete – shattered first impressions.

Mikan followed his act with a furious stare. At whom was anyone’s guess.

“Chiaki Nanami, I presume.” Kyoko said.

“You know her?” Aoi asked.

“No, but you should have had heard her name before. Back when Munakata was listing off the missing students from class 77.”

“Eh? So we weren’t totally forgotten. How nice.” Teruteru returned to his usual snarky self.

It feels so fake now.

“What happened to her, and where are the rest of your classmates?” Aoi asked.

“Might as well tell ya. No problems, Mikan?” Teruteru shrugged.

“It doesn’t really matter now.” Mikan said.

Kyoko and Aoi shared a look.

“I can tell you because I was the third of the dolls to be made, so I know a lot about what goes on in this place.” He explained.

Kyoko zoned in on that statement. “When was this?”

“Not that long ago. Think it should have been around the time your two buddies were killed while you were asleep.”

He was right about that not being long at all… “For some reason, I thought you guys would have been running around longer than that.” Aoi said.

“I was one of the lucky ones. Most of the kids from the 76th class weren’t brought back. From our class, it was me, the teacher, Nekomaru, Fuyuhiko, Gundham, Mikan, Chiaki, and those guys. I kinda miss the others.” Teruteru placed his hands behind his back and solemnly kicked the floor. “For Chiaki. Well, she wasn’t having anything to do with what the boss lady was selling. The class prez was a one-of-a-kind angel, y’see. Shame, she paid the price and got herself disassembled.”

“She got killed for not going along with the mastermind’s plan...and you call that freedom?” Aoi gawked.

“It’s the freedom to choose. Life or death, I’ve had enough of dying and a lot of us had some unfinished business.” Teruteru combed his hair.

“I thought dead men didn’t get choices. Why the sudden change of heart?” Aoi glowered.

“Let’s just say I get to be a little more free out here than in there.” Teruteru said vaguely. “Anyway, Chiaki was made an ‘example’ out of: Her body broke down until there was nothing left but dust… Even though we just got to meet again too.”

Kyoko looked him over. “You think you’ll be any different once the mastermind is through?”

“That’s assuming everything goes get her way.” Teruteru sneered.

Kyoko arched an eyebrow.

“Before we get going, have you seen Sakura anywhere?” Aoi asked.

“Them? They passed by here with the spikey-haired kid and the red-haired model.” Teruteru rubbed his chin. “Oh. One of your buddies went there a little after. The angry one…”

Mondo was the only one who came to mind. “Thanks.” Aoi said.

“I don’t think I did all that much, but I live to serve.”

Kyoko had already began walking away. Aoi was about to follow before she remembered something. “Just to let you know…one of your friends is alive.”

Teruteru looked at Aoi like she grew a second head.

“Run that one by me again?”

The swimmer banked he didn’t know. Chisa hadn’t either. “In the last round, the final question was about the survivor 2 years ago. A girl named Sonia didn’t die.”

Teruteru smacked his cheeks. “Pardonez-Moi!? Is this true, Mikan!?”

Mikan blushed and looked away. “Yes. Sorry, I forgot to tell you.”

It spoke volumes that Teruteru neither took offense nor had the heart to be angry at that neglect. “That’s fantastic news. A cause for celebration!”

He jumped into the air. There wasn’t a trace of envy, just joy.

“Aoi Asahina, was it? I’ll repay this good dead real soon. I promise.” Teruteru took off where Kyoko and Aoi came from.

“Where’s he going?”

“When Teruteru’s happy, he cooks.” Mikan replied.

“That’s a great hobby.”

In a different world, maybe they could’ve been friends.


 

In hindsight, Aoi had no idea what to expect when they reached the second round’s waiting area.  A small group of teens hanging back until they were called up, maybe? If so, why wasn’t she surprised to wind up front and center of another fight?

Even if fighting amongst friends was the new normal, Ryoko pinning Mondo down in an armlock just wasn’t something she could take seriously.

“For the last time, let go of me!” The biker yelled.

“No!” Ryoko screamed back, sitting on the man.

“My apologies, I wasn’t able to stop them.” Sakura apologized, coming to stand besides Aoi and Kyoko. “Mondo walked in and almost immediately picked a fight. This is the result.”

“Why aren’t you stopping them now?” Kyoko questioned.

“Ryoko threatened to dislocate Mondo’s shoulder if I approached.”

Aoi flinched and looked the troublemakers over. Yeah, she probably could get it done from that angle. “What’d you do, Mondo?”

“When do ya gotta make it sound like I’m the one in the wrong? Ain’t it natural to throw a punch after you got suckered first?”

“Fair. I deserved that.” Makoto said. Aoi’s muscles tensed when she spotted his bruised left cheek.

“See? We’re even, so call her off.” Mondo whined.

“Let him go.” Makoto told Ryoko.

The amnesiac pouted and speedily separated from Mondo “Next time you have any trouble with my manservant, you take it up with me, got it?” She pointed.

“I don’t remember being your servant.” Makoto looked at her strangely.

“Huh? You’re not? But it was written down here…” Ryoko flipped through her diary.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

She snapped the book closed. “Gotta be! You’d be an awful servant. You haven’t paid any attention to me at all!”

“You saw the rides on this island, right? I’ll play with you after this is all over, and we’ll see If we can jog your memories. Behave until then.”

Why’d it sound like he was trying to bribe his younger sibling?

“Donezo. I’ll be the most well-mannered beauty you’ve ever laid eyes on!” It worked!? “I’ll also do my part.”

“What part?” Kyoko snapped at attention.

“Oh, tha- “

Makoto coughed and gave Ryoko a look.

“Nothing.” The amnesiac deflated.

Kyoko frowned deeply. “Keeping more secrets. I’d say it’ll become a habit but we’re long past that point.”

Makoto looked between Kyoko, Mondo and finally her.  Without a word, he walked past them to the exit.

“Where are you going?” Aoi said.

 “It doesn’t look like I’m wanted, so I’ll head back.” He replied.

“Don’t you want to do some investigating together?”

He refused her invitation with a concise and bewildering “I’ve already finished.”

Then he left.

Aoi grimaced, turned around, and slowly walked up to Mondo.

“What’s up- Fuck! “He was cut short by the jab to the torso.

“How can you go around picking fights at a time like this!?” Aoi roared.

“I believe you just did exactly that.” Sakura remarked.

“Pain in the ass couple.” Mondo wheezed. “I didn’t even come looking for a fight, just an explanation.”

“Then work on your temper!” Aoi said calmly.

“I think we all need to calm down.” Sakura placed her hand on Aoi’s shoulder. Aoi took deep breaths and settled her anger.

Just then. “Psst. Hey. Girl with the hair like whipped cream.” Ryoko whispered…loudly.

“First? You can call me Aoi, or you can call me Hina. But my hair’s so not shaped like cream.”

“That lack of awareness could be problematic in the courtroom.” Kyoko said lowly. I can hear you know?

“I got something for you.” Ryoko held out a white cloth. “It slipped out of Makoto’s pocket.”

“You should’ve given it back.”

Suddenly, Kyoko swiped the handkerchief and studied the splotches on white fabric. Her brows knitted in a line before she said. “I'll return it to Makoto later.”

It wasn’t a suggestion, so Aoi could only nod.

“Welp, that’s it for me. Good luck you two and try not to mess up!” Ryoko saluted and skipped away in the direction Makoto left in.

“And there she goes.” What were they doing back here? “Any ideas, Kyoko?”

“I have some questions for Mondo.” The lavender-haired woman glanced at the biker. “Do you think Celes is the culprit?”

“I don’t want to, even if that chick bums me out. Like fuck, you ever seen Hifumi like that? Ever? The guy was pissed.”

“I would agree. Hifumi’s rage was genuine.” Sakura said.

“We’ll have a ton to sort out when this is over.” Aoi wouldn’t be opposed to therapy.

“And let’s be honest, between a dweeb like Hifumi and the queen of liars, who’re you gonna trust?” Okay maybe she could see Mondo’s point there a little.

Damn it, Celes. Couldn’t you have picked a different title?

“We’ll find out during the trial, but I advice you don’t let your biases cloud your judgement,” Kyoko said.

That’s it! We can call out their discrimination. “Yeah, Mondo. Even before all this, you had it out for her.”

The delinquent didn’t deny the accusation. “She’s pretty much number 2 on my shit list after Togami. You seen the way she treated Chihiro? I thought it was messed up when she did it to Hifumi, but at least that guy kinda liked it.”

“Yeah…I felt bad that Chihiro lost that bet. I’d never be able to serve Celes for this long.” Aoi said.

“She treats him like a pack mule and the kid doesn’t have the heart to tell her off. Drives me up the wall.” Mondo shoved his hands down his pocket and scowled. The cute gesture made her annoyance towards him fade.

“You sure care a lot for Chihiro.” Like a mom practically.

“I promised the kid I’d show him what it meant to be strong, and I keep my promises.” He kept his head down. “Damn, if it ain’t hard sometimes.”

With head slightly tilted, and cheeks puffed, Aoi asked. “If that’s what Chihiro wanted, why didn’t he come to Sakura and me?”

“I’m more than enough.” Mondo said confidently.

“Me and Sakura could totally take you in a fight.” Aoi punched the air.

“Out of the question. Chihiro wants to be a strong man. The first rule for any real man is to never hit a woman.”

“Sounds like excuses to me.” Aoi folded her arms.

 “Let’s have this conversation another time. There is something I wish to make clear,” Sakura ended the spat. “Did you see anything out of the ordinary during your shift that night?”

Mondo straightened up. “That Night…” His hands balled into fists on reflex.

“Was the night Kiyotaka was murdered,” Sakura added. “If the culprit was Celes, I wondered if you would have heard something.”

“Wouldn’t that incriminate her?” Aoi worried.

“If that was the case, so be it. But I was hoping he didn’t.”

Mondo scratched his hair. “Everything was real quiet on our watch, but not totally boring. Your majesty had us play cards on the floor.”

“What sort of game?” Kyoko pressed.

“Poker. I ain’t the greatest but sheesh.” He must’ve had some bad memories. “I knew Celes plays a mean game, but even Chihiro kicked my ass.”

Aoi guffawed. “Wow, you really suck.” Chihiro was the only one who Aoi had some leg on in blackjack. “Hope you didn’t lose any bets.” She grinned widely.

“Just on my dignity. ’sides that, not much happened. Leon and the others took over and we went our separate ways. Celes dragged Chihiro off with her.”

 “They’re a boy and girl. They could’ve been up to anything.” Aoi whispered.

Not lowly enough.

“Weren’t you sleeping next to Makoto?” Kyoko admonished her.

“They’re hitched right. It’s fine in that case.” Mondo gave her a thumbs up. And she repaid that approval with another punch to the gut.

Kyoko ignored his pain. “The syringe Makoto used on you contained a serum that induces sleep. “There were traces of that same sleeping agent in Kiyotaka.”

Mondo didn’t look surprised to hear that. “…I had a feeling. There were a whole lot of empty syringes in here.”

“There’s no chance of that particular syringe being what was used on him. It was administered differently. Kiyotaka was likely tricked or forced to ingest the serum orally. That also begs the question as to why it was kept so openly in the kitchen?”

“Bro found a bunch of sketchy-looking bottles, then he stashed them. I guess he thought it’d be fine leaving them in a cabinet for the night.” Mondo explained.

“I get it. Hidden in plain sight.” Aoi remarked.

“Worked about as well as it should have, I suppose.”  was Kyoko's dry attempt at sarcasm.

Yeah, Makoto had no problem finding it, and dragging her along.

“Meh. I looked up all the junk that was in there when we found them. They had labels so we knew what they did. One of em’ looked like piss if you ask me, and I’m betting that’s this Hippo thing.”

“Thanks for the image.” Aoi said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome.” Mondo paused, looked skyward, then back. “I don’t know if this means anything, but that bottle was half empty.”

That was weird.

“It was half?” “Just half?”

Aoi and Kyoko faced each other.

“The bottle I found had yellow residue, but it was nearly empty. Can I presume we’re all talking about the same thing?”

“You sure about that?” Mondo asked with a frightened look.

“Positive.” The detective answered.

Mondo’s shock transformed into anger in a flash. “T-That bastard. Was he trying to kill me!?”

Sakura grip on Mondo’s shoulder was all that stopped the boy from stomping to the exit. “Hold it. What do you mean, and where are you going?”

“One punch wasn’t enough.” Mondo roared. “Springing half the bottle on me could have put me 6 feet under. No wonder I feel like shit.”

“I-Isn’t that just a sleeping drug?” Aoi asked.

“Hypnostase can be lethal in large doses. The bottle is roughly 400 ml. The label said the amount necessary to induce sleep was 100 ml, and that going over the maximum amount of 150 ml could be fatal.” Kyoko explained. “But as you’re still around Mondo, I don’t think he went over that limit.”

“Bro and I checked the bottle the night before, it was half. Where’d the rest go, if it ain’t in me?” Mondo pointed to himself.

“It wasn’t half.” Aoi stamped her foot. “I was there when we found the container, there was less than a quarter left in the tank, and Makoto didn’t even use it all.”

“You sure?”

“It’s probably true.” Kyoko continued. “The syringes we had in the infirmary were also 100 ml  so you had even less than that in your system, Mondo.”

The delinquent sighed with relief. “So where’d the rest go.”

“Good question, and not just the amount that went missing after you found it. Before you discovered it too.” Kyoko assumed a thoughtful pose. “As long as every user followed the safety regulations, there should be roughly four uses, and three injections. We confiscated the Syringe Makoto used. We know Taka wasn’t given any. Ah, I almost forgot. Toko was attacked and subdued as well. We never found that one.”

“This doesn’t add up.” Sakura said. “A total of two dosages were taken after Mondo discovered it. Yet we have three victims of this drug: Mondo, Kiyotaka, and Toko. Does that not suggest the culprit absconded with the other half"

"Then why come back? They’d be done for if we caught em'.”

Aoi agreed with Mondo there. The killer should have just taken 3 doses worth in the first place.

“It’s too early to jump to conclusions, but I share your concerns. Can we run a real trial when we’re missing so much evidence?” Kyoko wondered.

In the absence of an answer

“Yo.”

Juzo entered. “We’re done with Ludenwhatever, you can have a crack at her.”

Aoi whipped around. “Finally.”

 “The autopsy report, if you please.” The older man demanded.

Kyoko signaled to Aoi.

“Thanks.” Juzo said once the envelope was in his hands. “Break a leg.”

He left as quickly as he came.

“Is it just me, or was he nicer than usual?”

“Tch. Just leave him.” Mondo said. “Got any more questions for me?”

“None on my end.” Sakura replied.

“I have one more. Do you recall the sleeping arrangements we made that night?” Kyoko asked.

“Like it was yesterday.”  Had it even been a full day since then?

“Good. I need you and Sakura to draw a map detailing the positions of all our sleeping bags that night. Is that fine?”

“Leave it to us. Chihiro and Celes were hanging around the back.”

Sakura didn't share Mondo's enthusiasm. "You'll be on your own, Mondo. There is a mystery related to the upcoming trial that I must ponder alone."

"Is it about the mastermind?" Aoi inquired.

"The previous round, to be exact. My concerns may be unfounded but I believe I may discover the mastermind's motives through it."

"This sounds important. Kyoko and I should help!"

Sakura refused. "You must focus on your investigation. For Celes' sake. When the time is right, and I am certain, I will share what I know with you."

“Thank you.” Kyoko said. “It’s time we had a talk with our client.”

Finally.


 

“I hope the investigation is going well, detective.” Celestia’s smile was strained.

“Hey, I’m here too.” Aoi said. She along with Kyoko sat across the gambler. Kyosuke and Toko had vacated the dining room for them to have a talk with their defendant.

“Oh, but you’re my lawyer. I wasn’t aware investigating was part of the job description.”

“It totally is! Even I know that.”

“I was merely joking.”

“Argh…it’s insane how calm you can be. You know how much hot water you’re in?”

“Don’t you mean how much hot water we are in? If I am found guilty, that will be the end of all of us.”

“I’m happy you’re so confident in your innocence. Then you should have no problem recounting your actions during the past few days.” Kyoko crossed her legs over and dissected the queen of lies.

“Do we have time for all of that? I’m quite the active woman.”

Girl, I bet you’ve never walked a kilometer in your life. No…between walking or catching a bus or taxi…she’d probably walk across the country if she had to.

 “The important bits will do, starting with your intentions in the casino. Why were you so desperate to catch Togami in your scheme back then?”

“Foresight. Togami may have had more money than he cared to spend, or even cared for at all, but he was not a generous man. From the beginning, I had been uneasy about this trip. Fair to say I was proven correct.”

“I would prefer you not lie to me.” Kyoko shot back.

“I spoke nothing but the truth.” Celes crossed her fingers.

“Withholding the whole truth can be worse than a blatant lie. Your suspicion may have been founded, but why did you want to make him your servant?”

Celes was silent, for a moment, then decided to speak. “I wanted to kill two birds with one stone. If I put him under my thumb, his pride would not let himself go back on his word to submit to me.” That was sensible. What came after, wasn’t. “That, and I just wanted to tear that pride of his to shreds.”

“That’s why you roped us into that card game?” Aoi gaped.

“Has there been a single one of us who hasn’t been slighted by that sharp tongue of his? I thought you of all people would understand…or did I misread your emotions?” Celes thinned her lips.

“I dunno about that, but Togami being a dick doesn’t mean-”

“Anyone who treats Celestia Ludenberg like a fool for any reason will rue the day. It’s only a matter of when.” Celes cut her off.

 “I hope you realize what you’ve just established a motive.” Kyoko said with a raised brow.

Celes faux-gasped. “To murder? Perish the thought. Chihiro was with me that night, he can vouch for everything.”

Aoi hummed. “And what were you two doing that night?”

“Training. Chihiro may look the part but his skills as a butler were E-rank, the lowest of any who’d ever served under me. I needed to train him from the ground up.” Celes wrapped her finger around those black drills.

“Did Hifumi help with that?” Aoi questioned.

“No, he did not. I had Hifumi resign from his position.” Her nonchalance was trumped only by how little sense that decision made in Aoi’s mind. “He was no longer needed, and I could barely tolerate his presence.”

Aoi slammed her hand on the table. “Even I see something weird here. Hifumi could have taught Chihiro, then you could have given him the boot. This is just more work for you.” And everyone knew how much she hated that.

Celes sighed loudly and exaggeratedly. “I truly despise having to repeat myself but if I must: I wished to train him from the ground up. Hifumi was a failure in all respects. Chihiro was a novice but that made him malleable.  Anything he learned from that lout would end in mediocrity at best. No, I wasn’t going to pass up this chance to mold a perfect servant.”

“And what did you have Chihiro learn?” Kyoko interjected.

“How to serve tea. There is nothing more important than getting one of my few sources of joy done correctly.”

Kyoko nodded her head. “Is there anything you think we need to know? Something Hifumi might bring up in the trial perhaps?”

It was an innocent question. One that for some reason, had Celes visibly concerned.

“Humiliating as it might seem, there is.” Oh no. “A long time ago, I had an…unhealthy occultist hobby. I was interested in witches in particular.”

Aoi groaned loudly. “Couldn’t you have done laps around the neighborhood like a normal girl!?”

“I assure you it has nothing to do with this case and it is in the past, however, I’m certain Hifumi will use that knowledge to smear my good name.” She side-stepped Aoi’s example of the mundane entirely. “Especially as he believes I told the casino staff of his darkest secret. Good grief, how did they find out about it?”

Aoi waved her hand dismissively. “You don’t have to worry about it. I never told anyone but Sakura about my secret and they still found out somehow!”

“That is comforting.”

“Anything else? Such as…why Hifumi would think he’s been threatened.” Kyoko said.

“Nonsense. It’s merely his attempt to spite me.”

“If he’s wrong, he’ll die.” Obvious, but it needed to be said.

“Presuming he’s not working with the mastermind.” Celes stuck to the accusation she made of Hifumi earlier. “Munakata must be quite pleased with this situation.”

“Huh? Why him?” Aoi tilted her head.

“Oh my. You haven’t realized? This is a great situation for us, though at my expense.” Celes giggled. “If I am guilty, they have caught the mastermind. If I am innocent, then…”

“Hifumi would be guilty of accusing you at the expense of his life!” Aoi deduced.

“Indeed. I alluded to that earlier.” The detective eyed her.

“Oh yeah, so that’s what you meant.” Aoi grinned.

Celes hid her mouth behind her fist. “You are full of surprises recently. I always took you for a dullard, but you’ve shown some promise.”

“I’m not sure if I agree with that though.” Yeah, she wasn’t the brightest bulb, but she wasn’t stupid.

“This situation is rather iron clad. All or nothing.” Celes said.

That do-or-die dilemma would come at the expense of one of her friends’ innocence. She believed in Celes, but she believed in Hifumi too. There had to be a different explanation. A different possibility.  “Hifumi doesn’t have to be the mastermind’s lackey. If he’s being tricked somehow, then he could have made accused you by mistake.”

Celes didn’t look convinced, but she had no rebuttal to that alternative. “I admit that is a possibility.”

Aoi blinked, then beamed. “Wow, so that’s how it works. I’m so ready for this!”

Kyoko smiled to herself.

They interrogated Celes as much as they could for the remainder of the time but there wasn’t much of anything to use.

She only hoped that was for the best.


 

The moment of truth was fast approaching. They were one step away from freedom.

Nobody spoke when they ventured into the last elevator and rode to the top floor. Sakura, Kyoko, Mondo, Makoto, Ryoko, Chihiro, Celes, Hifumi, Toko, Kyosuke, Juzo, Mikan, and herself. From their original class, that made 10 out of 17.

Aoi wiped the wetness streaking from her face. She turned to an impassive Kyoko, who looked over the schematics Mondo had drawn for them. “You okay?”

If the detective noticed she’d been crying, she didn’t voice it. Aoi was thankful for that.

Kyoko clutched the paper. “I’m worried about that mysterious person on the profile. If it wasn’t an error, then what could it mean?”

“Could it be anything else? Everyone’s accounted for.”

“Can we say that? Can we really say we can trust everyone here?” Kyoko led her on. “If there had been a spy for the future foundation amongst us, I think that would explain everything.”

“We’ll figure it out together. Don’t lose hope just yet.”

That’s something Makoto might have said.

At the time, she couldn’t have known that was the problem.


 

The elevator doors opened.

One by one, they stepped out, blinded by the sharp sunlight. The red carpet laid in front of them, cutting through the spectators’ seating and leading to the Judge’s bench.

When Aoi thought of courtrooms, what came to mind was ‘quiet’ ‘stuffy décor’, ‘stale air’ and ‘avoid at all cost’.

 Only the last held up here.

Murmurs from a gallery of people swept the area.  The decorations and air part flew out the window. There weren’t any walls, or even a ceiling, just sunny skies above them and an overlooking view around a rectangular platform.

“What’s with these guys?” Ryoko’s head swayed between the stands of onlookers, chattering about.

“They’re dolls, like the ones you should have met on the first floor.” Mikan explained.

“You make it sound like they’re different from you.” Kyosuke said.

“They are.” She said, quietly.

It had a nice view, there was only one problem. “I-I thought the top floor was where we played blackjack.”

“It appears they’ve done some renovating.” Celes strode off, admiring the craftsmanship on the stands with a swipe of her finger.

Hope nobody was afraid of heights.

“I-Is it too late to mention I’m afraid of heights?” Chihiro looked half a step from fainting again.

“Stick by me.” Mondo held Chihiro’s hand and walked him down the middle until they passed the gallery. The witness podium was right in front of them. Aoi’s gaze flittered left and right. There were two stands on opposite sides of the area, facing each other. Further up in the middle was the judge’s area. The station was elevated and fortified. The center of attention and overseer of the courtroom.

“Yeah, definitely fits Ruruka.” Aoi mocked.

“I know, right?” Speak of the devil and she appears.

Dare I ask from where?

“I was hiding in the gallery.” Ruruka read her mind. Hopefully, not literally. “Not bad for a rush job, dontcha think?”

“I so wasn’t expecting we’d be going all the way with this…” Aoi said.

“You only live once, might as well make the most of it.”

Yeah yeah, real funny.

“Now, before we get started, does everyone remember their roles?” Ruruka asked.

There were nods aplenty.

“Great, cuz there are no takebacks,” Ruruka gave them a thousand yard stare. “excluding the ‘witness’ role. Any of you can be made to testify, but that’s all I can do. Any further exception will be up to the judge.”

Aoi gulped. It was time.

“Mikan, if you’d be a dear…”

The nurse nodded slowly and brought them to their locations one by one.  Juzo stood in front of the gallery.  Celestia was taken to the accused bench. Mondo, Makoto, Ryoko, Chihiro, Sakura, Hifumi, and Mikan made their way to the reserved seats.

Aoi and Kyoko stood in front of the attorney table, staring straight at Juzo and Toko on the prosecutor’s side.

“I’m getting nervous.” Aoi said weakly.

Shame that her partner’s many skills didn’t include a talent for pep talks. “Better now than when the trial is underway. More importantly, I feel Ruruka is taking this a lot more seriously than she lets on.”

“You think?” Aoi glanced at the pinkette, standing in the middle as she prepared her announcement. Even now, they didn’t know all that much about Ruruka. She was out-of-place even compared to the other casino staff. Was it because she was in a different class…or was there another reason?

Come to think of it, Aoi remembered someone saying was the catalyst for the tragedy 2 years ago… “What is she thinking?”

“The trial of the accused witch, Celestia Ludenberg, will begin.” Ruruka said in a grandiose voice.

The spectators’ chatter grew louder.

“Hold it.” Kyosuke interrupted. “I noticed earlier you said all exceptions will be ‘up to the judge’. Are you implying you won’t be taking that role?”

“That was the original plan, but He practically begged me for the chance. Might as well, it’ll be easier on me to be a coordinator.” Ruruka smiled.

“Who is he?”

Just then, the elevator doors opened, commanding the courtroom’s attention. A man walked down the red carpet in a jet-black robe. Contrasting a sickly-pale complexion

In that moment, Juzo's sour expression was reminiscent of a man staring down a meal that once gave him a severe case of food poisoning. In contrast, the new arrival had a light spring in his step that gave his eagerness away. The gentle smile he showed her while passing more than did the job.

Aoi followed his back as he made his way up the judge’s bench. The judge took his seat, and all others were made to stand.

“All rise for honorable judge Nagito Komaeda presiding.” Ruruka said.

Nagito banged his gavel and declared,

“Court is now in session.”

 

Notes:

All the casino games have been references to death games from various media

Round 1 - Death Parade
Round 2 - Monster Hunter
Round 3 - Virtue's Last Reward
Round 4 - Ace Attorney

I recently played 999-VLR, and AA trilogy. Both were perfect for what I had in mind (and great games)

Chapter 35: Terza Maestro/ The Third Master

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [COURT RECORDS] -

-> PROFILES

(Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, Byakuya Togami, Kyosuke Munakata, Toko Fukawa, Juzo Sakakura, Koichi Kizakura, Sayaka Maizono, Celestia Ludenberg, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Mukuro Ikusaba, Ryoko Otonashi, Sakura Ogami, Leon Kuwata, Hifumi Yamada, Chihiro Fujisaki, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Mondo Owada, ???, Ruruka Ando, Izayoi Sonosuke, Mikan Tsumiki, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Nekomaru Nidai, Gundham Tanaka, Chisa Yukizome, Teruteru Hanamura, Nagito Komaeda, Future Foundation)

That’s everyone linked to this case…

-> AUTOPSY REPORT

(Mysterious Person. Byakuya Togami. Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Mukuro Ikusaba. Leon Kuwata. Yasuhiro Hagakure. Sayaka Maizono. Koichi Kizakura.)

A record after the time and causes of death for all the members of class 78.

-> HYPNOSTASE

A fast-acting sleeping drug that induces sleep within seconds. We don’t know about any after-effects but it was found inside Toko, Kiyotaka, and Mondo.

-> MONDO’S TESTIMONY

There’s an entire bottle of Hpnostase missing. There was enough to fill 4 syringes…but we only know that 2 were used that way.  Apparently, Mondo found half originally, so a quarter had to have been taking afterwards.

-> THE DOLLS

Teruteru was the third doll to be made. And it was the same day Kiyotaka and Mukuro were murdered.

-> AUTOPSY REPORT VERIFICATION

Mikan says everything here is legit.

-> MISSING SYRINGE

We never found the syringe used on Toko.

-> DEATH CASINO

Is it really the casino?

-> CELESTIA’S TESTIMONY.

What was she doing on the night of Togami’s murder and did she really lack a motive?

-> TERUTERU’S TESTIMONY

Chiaki Nanami’s death and the dolls of class 76/77.

-> SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

Mondo made us a map of the room we were stating in on the night of Ikusaba and Taka’s murders.

-> NIGHT SHIFTS

A list of the guard rotations. Hifumi, Leon, and Yasuhiro were on watch before the murder victims.

-> INVITATION

The letter send by the mastermind. It was written in Ryoko’s journal…how’d they do that without waking her up?

-> MAKOTO'S HANDKERCHIEF

Ryoko picked it up after Makoto dropped it. Kyoko’s holding onto it.

- [Court is in Session] –

(Music - Trials and Tribulations: Trial)

“We stand here today to deliberate the case of the mastermind versus the students of Hope’s Peak Academy. The mastermind is presumed to be the lady of the casino, and if her guilt is justly proven, the killing game will end swiftly. Is the prosecution ready?” Judge Nagito Komaeda called.

“Ready…your honor.” Kyosuke Munakata said flatly.

“And the defense?”

“Super ready…er, your honor.” Aoi replied energetically.

“Great to hear. Sadly, I’m not.”

“Huh?” The crushing tension slid off Aoi like a cold shower.

“I was having pre-courtroom jitters. It’s the reason I was late…haha.”

“Isn’t that something you’d expect of the defendant?” Aoi wondered.

“Miss. Celestia Ludenberg is one of the Ultimates chosen by Hope’s Peak Academy. She’s no ‘mere’ defendant.”

Nagito gave a serious if incomprehensible answer.

“That man…” Kyoko eyed Nagito, just as Makoto did from the stands.

Aoi only vaguely recalls the name. “He’s one of the students from the list, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

Kyoko didn’t react as strongly when she’d heard Chiaki’s name. Aoi could relate. That fluffy hair made her itch for some cotton candy. But those innocent suspicions were brushed to the side when the judge started to speak.

“Will the prosecution give its opening statement?”

The ball was passed to Kyosuke, whose hardened gaze was enough to make a lesser man look in every other direction. And…woman in this case.

“Are you scared?” Kyoko asked.

 “A little. We fought back in the elevators too, but besides each other. It’s different when he’s standing right in front of me and all glowery.”

“Besides, huh?” Kyoko murmured. “If you want to protect the- our friendships you hold dear, then you’ll have to face him, and every consequence that comes afterwards.”

Aoi steeled her nerves, and not a moment later, Kyosuke began to speak.

“There are three stages to this case: First, a string of disappearances occurred on this island two years ago. The missing were students and teachers of Hope’s Peak Academy’s 76th and 77th class. Some, who claim to be among that group, stand before this court. The veracity of those allegations aside, it is a fact that a similar incident took place over the course of nearly 3 days.

 Byakuya Togami was found dead in the library on the second island. Following him, Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mukuro Ikusaba were murdered. The murder weapon is a single knife, and was used in a locked room where class 78, myself, and Juzo were staying. The defense’s Kyoko Kirigiri can attest to that using a piece of paper as a wedge to determine if anyone opened the door. There were no signs of entry or exit. Only a drugged Toko Fukawa, and a letter written in Ryoko Otonashi’s notebook.

Within this supposed casino, the “missing students” placed us through a number of trials, at the behest of ‘the lady of the casino’.

The prosecution asserts that this mastermind is Celestia Ludenberg. She frequented this area for several days before the second incident and we have a witness pinning her to the crime.”

Nagito shook his head in disbelief. “An ultimate reduced to a mere criminal. Downright blasphemous.”

“Murder’s all the rage these days, pretty boy.” Toko’s comment was something Aoi expected of her crazy alter ego, but it was getting hard to tell who’d snapped and who was just going through a rough day.

“Heh. Maybe I need to get out more. And I hope the defense is prepared for their rebuttal.”

 “You got that right! You don’t have any proof.”

Kyoko winced. “Calm down, Hina. Jumping the gun will only hurt us or worse, get us penalized.”

“T-That can happen?”

“Yup. But I love your enthusiasm, so I’ll allow it.” The albino smiled gently.

Kyosuke was much less forgiving. “The judge’s opinions aside, you will wait to hear the witness’ testimony. Then you may begin your futile cross-examination.”

Aoi deeply furrowed her brows. “My foots-what?”

Kyoko promptly explained. “A cross-examination is when we hear the witness’ testimony and pick out whatever inconsistencies we discover."

 

- [Witness Testimony] -

 

Kyosuke

 Hifumi

(Music – Ace Attorney: Questioning ~ Moderato 2001)

 

“State your name and occupation.”

“Hifumi Yamada. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator.”

“How well do you know the accused?”

“Too well, and not nearly enough.”

“Refrain from vague and/or dramatic commentary. The more direct, the better the testimony.”

“Celes was my friend. Close enough that I could share my darkest secrets, despite her quirks. I was wrong.”

“What quirks were these?”

“Delusions of grandeur and a fascination for witches, queens and alike.”

“To what end would you question her character in light of your newfound change of heart?”

“She’s as deceitful and selfish as they come. Murder would be no problem for her, so long as she doesn’t stain her own hands.”

“What made you doubt this once-friend this severely?”

“After Ms. Ikusaba and Mr. Ishimaru were murdered, Celes made me swear not to talk or she would take my family hostage. That, and the revelation of my secret is how I deduced she was the mastermind.”

Kyosuke faced the judge. “Let us remember that the witness has little gain and everything to lose from lying about the accused.”

“Damn it. I was afraid of this.” Aoi cursed.

“It’s exactly what you should expect. The information you don’t see coming is what you need to watch out for. There's plenty to do here. You noticed it, didn’t you? The holes in Hifumi’s testimony.” Kyoko murmured in her ear.

“C-Can’t say I did.”

“Then press him. One lie begets another, until the entire story unravels.”

“The defense may begin its cross-examination.”

 

- [Cross Examination] -

 

Aoi

Kyoko

Hifumi

“Hifumi Yamada. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator.”

“Hmm...Ultimate Fanfic Creator, huh?”

“Um…yeah. I just said that, Miss. Asahina.”

“Just making sure.”

“No need to play by the nose that much.”

“I’m going somewhere with this! *Ahem* What exactly does the Ultimate Fanfic Creator do?”     

“Good of you to ask. Doujinshi is an art form where writers like me honor the source material. I expand the universe and explore possibilities for the reader's enjoyment.”


“Eh? It was really something so amazing.”

“Of course!”

 “Cut the crap!”

(Music – Justice For All: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2002)

“You gave your word, Fukawa.” Kyosuke addressed the irate novelist who spoke out of turn.

“Like I could keep quiet after hearing that blatant lie.” Toko snarled before dramatically pointing a sharp finger at Hifumi. “I don’t care if you brainwash that swimming idiot, but don’t you dare spew that bullshit to the public! Art? Give me a break. You’re parasites without any real creativity. Instead of using some originality to come up with your own ideas, you pervert hours of painstaking work. Often literally.”

The court went into an uproar, with Hifumi being the loudest. “I’ll have you know there are acclaimed authors who have canonized fanfiction!"

“and their names are Traitor and Hack!” Toko shot back.

“Desist!”

The white-haired prosecutor snapped his fingers. “This debate is of no importance.”

“Order! Order.” The judge’s gavel rang. “That was for you, Mr. Munakata.”

“Excuse me?” Kyosuke stared dumbfounded.

“Two hopes clashing until the strongest wins. What you're calling a tangent is the soul of this courtroom.

“Uh, I dunno about all that but I think it’s relevant too. Because what Hifumi’s talking about sounds very creative, Toko.” Aoi grinned.

“That word isn’t even in your 2-page dictionary.” Toko hissed.

“She’s really asking for it.” Aoi growled.

“Bear with it. I think you’re on the right track.” Kyoko smiled calmly.

“Hifumi, are you sure Celes threatened you?”

“You doubt me?”

“I don’t think you’re lying, but you are the Ultimate Fanfic Creator. I think it’s fair to say you’re a lot more imaginative than most people…where most people wouldn’t be. I think it’s possible you misunderstood Celes somehow.”

“You are badgering the witness!” Kyosuke snapped.

“Nuh-uh . . .” Aoi paused. “What’s badgering mean?”

 “I counted too many pages.” Toko smacked her forehead.

Impatience radiated off the stoic man. “You are attacking his character to weaken his credibility. It is a contemptible tactic in court.”

"Is that a fact?"

“Did you, or did you not just tell Hifumi to stop dramatizing his very important testimony?” Kyoko's implicit challenge of Kyosuke’s earlier comment had the man glaring daggers at them. All of which, Kyoko brushed off with the flick of lavender hair. “I think Hina is right to call the veracity of Hifumi’s testimony into question. At the very least, we require a more elaborate description of events.”

“The witness will carry on with his testimony.” Kyosuke begrudgingly allowed.

(Music – Spirit of Justice: Detention Center ~ Cold-Glass Elegy)

“Celes was my friend, close enough that I could share my darkest secrets, despite her quirks. I was wrong.”

“Hold it!”

Aoi couldn’t be sure what face she made while addressing Hifumi.  “I’ve been meaning to get this off my chest. Did you really attempt suicide?”

“An ignoble chapter in my life, but a chapter nonetheless.” He replied matter of factly.

Aoi took deep breaths. “I’m going to step back for a second and speak as your friend: How could you think to do that?”

“It was a suggestion.” He said. “On my way to school one day, a girl stopped in front of me. She didn’t wear the uniform and I’d never seen her before, so there really wasn’t any reason for her to tell me to die. But that’s what she did.”

It took a moment to digest those words. Several to tip toe over the metaphorical shards of glass. “You did it…because some random jerk told you to?”

 “I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was because she was a complete stranger that I listened. My classmates always said my life was a dead-end, a road paved with unhappiness. Even my parents looked down on me. The only reason I’m breathing before you, is my older sister who stopped me.”

“I can’t believe it.” How awful.

Hifumi cocked his head in confusion. “It sounds fairly normal to me. It’s not like you guys take me all that seriously either.”

Aoi whipped her head back and forth. “T- That’s so not true.”

Hifumi appraised her, then nodded. “I’d believe you. But that doesn’t go for everyone. I’m sure at least some of you have thought I'm plain creepy. On the totem pole, I think I was slightly above Mr. Hagakure. If nothing else, I appreciate Ms. Fukawa's candor.”

“Tch. You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.” Toko bit her finger.

“I hadn’t noticed you had so many negative thoughts, Hifumi.” Kyoko remarked.

“Don’t misunderstand. I am not pessimistic. I am stating the facts. What bothered me in the past no longer does. I’ve long made peace with my impotence in reality. I’d much rather seek salvation in the realm of fiction. Call me whatever you want, but I’m not delusional. Merely ashamed of my past weakness and wish it never came to light.” The boy bared his teeth and jabbed his finger at his culprit. Reminding the girls where they were, and what they had to do.

(Music – Ace Attorney: Questioning ~ Allergo 2001)

 

“And you think that’s because of Celes.”

“She was the only one I knew enough to tell.”

“I don’t remember you and Celes ever being close. She treated you like a slave.”

“We saw a chance in each other. She was a figure I could admire, and I was a subject to serve her. You may not understand, but it meant a lot to me.”

“You’re right that I don't get it, but I’m not here to judge you. I just want to know the truth.”

“She’s as deceitful and selfish as they come. Murder would be no problem for her, just as long as she doesn’t stain her own hands.”

“You really think Celes is bad enough to murder all our friends? The same Celes you were close enough to share your darkest secret with?”

“I didn’t want to believe it either. However, after Ms. Ikusaba and Mr. Ishimaru were murdered, Celes made me swear not to talk or she would take my family hostage. That, and how Ruruka knew my secret is how I deduced she was the mastermind.”

“I’ve got you!”

“How exactly did you find out that Celes killed those two?” Aoi asked.

Hifumi stiffened. “I-I heard her discussing it with Mr. Fujisaki.”

He was panicking, clear as day.

This is it. This must be what Kyoko told me to watch out for.

“I find it hard to believe that those two would discuss a murder in broad daylight, while we were all on high alert and roaming around. Unless you have proof that this incident took place, it’s not worth talking about. And believe me, I know it didn’t, because Kizakura and I had our eyes on everyone. I also know that you were never alone with Celes that morning. You were with Leon and Hagakure.” Kyoko said.

“Why are you lying to us, Hifumi?”

The fanfiction writer was sweating like he’d run a marathon as he declared. “Actually, I was talking about the evening before the murder."

(Music - Trials and Tribulations: Telling the Truth 2004)

The abrupt confession left them at a loss for words.

The first to break the courtroom silence was the judge himself.

“Hmm. Just so we’re clear on this, wouldn’t that mean you were aware about the murder before it took place?”

“I was in denial at the time, but…yes.” Hifumi confessed.

“What happened exactly?” Kyoko pressed the witness.

“Mr. Fujisaki and Celes were together the evening before the murder in the kitchen. I was just passing by and happened to overhear Celes naming Ms. Ikusaba and Mr. Ishimaru. I was discovered apparently.”

“Apparently?” Aoi echoed.

“Celes found me later on, knowing I’d eavesdropped on them. . . she threatened me.”

The gallery flipped their shit.

“You knew she was after my bro and didn’t say anything?!” Mondo shouted from the stands. His fingers dug into the front and threatened to crack the material.

“Bailiff.” The judge sounded.

“Keep it down.” The look Mondo gave Juzo could kill. In fact, the biker was ready to jump off before Juzo put him in place with the following words,“Or do you not want to find out what happened to your friend?”

Mondo’s mouth opened, then closed without a word. The man took his seat and crossed his arms, settling for mustering the dirtiest look imaginable at Hifumi.

“I hoped it was my misunderstanding or that It was a nightmare. I couldn’t believe they would do such a thing.” Hifumi pleaded.

The next outburst came from Chihiro. That’s a lie, Hifumi. Celes and I never had that conversation! And I never saw you there.”

“This little thing as an accomplice? That’s tough to believe.” Ryoko agreed.

“I’m certain even now, Mr. Fujisaki is also being threatened by that evil shrew.” Hifumi said.

Aoi wasn’t sure about that, but this could be the break they’d been waiting for. “Chihiro clearly doesn’t think so. I think we should listen to him.”

“Overruled!”

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth: Court ~ Guardians of Law)

“Order. Forgive my impudence but I have to live up to my role, as you should yours, Mr. Fujisaki. Ms. Asahina.”

“Chihiro’s testimony could be important!” Aoi questioned the judge.

“Irrelevant. Mr. Fujisaki is not the present witness. The ones who have a right to speak are the defense, the prosecutor, myself and those on the stand. Presently, that is Mr. Yamada.” Nagito chuckled. “Get with the program. This isn’t some trial where classmates can jump in and say whatever they want. It's a court of law.”

Kyosuke smirked. “Here I thought you were judge of this kangaroo court in name-only. As stated, Yamada is the witness, and his word will be heard.”

“Damn it they killed our momentum.” Aoi slumped onto the table.

“Then he should go ahead and speak already. Particularly about how he witnessed the murder.” Kyoko wasn’t discouraged and cut Kyosuke’s mirth short.

(Music – Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2001)

“Celestia killed Kiyotaka and Ikusaba. Is that the witness’ claim?”

“Yes.” Hifumi shirked away from the detective’s confidence.

For good reason. “Then how did they commit the crime?"

How…could they have killed Mukuro and Taka? It would have to be physically…

Aoi’s eyes snapped open.

That’s right. They had this evidence!

-> Present Evidence: Night Shifts

“Do you remember the groups and rotations for our nightshifts, Hifumi?” Aoi grinned from ear to ear.

“It…might have slipped my mind.”

Not falling for that one.

Kizakura, Kyoko and Sayaka.

Aoi, Sakura and Makoto

Munakata, Ryoko and Sakakura

Celeste, Chihiro and Mondo.  

Hagakure, Leon and Hifumi.

Toko, Mukuro and Kiyotaka

(Night Shifts, Chapter 27)

“Celes and Chihiro had their routine finished 2 shifts before the murders. You of all people should know neither of them could be the killer when your shift was after theirs.”

“T-There could be many other ways! They could have woken up while the rest of us were asleep and did the deed.” Hifumi’s glasses gleamed just as he tipped them towards the sun.

“That’s convenient.” Aoi murmured.

“But it is possible. All of us were sound asleep. Not even Ms. Kirigiri or Mr. Munakata were awake at the time. Their archetypes are far more advanced than yours, Defense!”

You better sleep with one eye open from now on, Hifumi…cuz I never want to be looked at the way those two are looking at you right now.

Aoi crossed her arms, her smirk unyielding  -Then again, he's got more to worry about at this point.

(Music - Spirit of Justice: Pursuit ~ Cornering Together)

“I bet that’s what you want us to think, but no dice. Neither Celes nor Chihiro could have made it to the others without waking someone.”

-> Present Evidence: Sleeping Arrangements

“I had a feeling this would come up, so I asked Mondo to draw a map of our sleeping arrangements. I can confirm it checks out from my memory.” Kyoko presented the crude drawing. The detective guides their eyes to Chihiro and Celes’ positions on the sheet. They were at the far back of the beds, against the wall and under the clock. "They would have had to walk through us, including you, and somehow not be spotted by Ikusaba, Taka, and Toko on the opposite end of the room.”

“I’ll say it right now. I didn’t see or hear anything. I must’ve been knocked out cold at the time.” Toko covered her bases.

“There’s more than that.” Kyoko tapped her chin. It was an innocent gesture that made it appear that she was lost in thought and not leading the witness to an ineffable trap. “Earlier, you said it was possible that they could have committed the crime. Isn’t that an admittance to never witnessing the murder yourself? Interesting how you could have even slept at a time when you knew two of our classmates could realistically have been killed.”

“W-Well-”

“Better yet. Wasn’t it you who said Celestia would never kill someone herself? Doesn’t that mean she delegated the role to Chihiro? Is your argument, then, that Chihiro alone killed our trained Kiyotaka and the ultimate soldier?”

“That is rather hard to believe. But maybe nothing is impossible for an Ultimate?” Nagito proposed.

“This definitely is." Aoi said. "Just because I’m an Ultimate doesn’t make me the guy who wrote the laws of thermodynamics.” Is this judge crazy?

“Like you know who those people are.” Toko challenged.

“Isaac Newton…right?”

“Let’s…try to keep focused, shall we?” Kyoko gripped her shoulder, visibly pained.

“Gotcha.” Aoi pumped her first, then compulsively said “Nice job, Kyoko.” She raised her hand.

Kyoko blinked.

“You’re…not gonna leave me hanging here, are you?”

With a sigh and a suppressed smile, the detective went for the high-five.

“Hehehe.” Aoi was feeling good about this case. Together, they were unstoppable.

“Don’t get cocky yet. Something Toko just said worries me.” Kyoko warned. Aoi had no time to reflect on it before Hifumi mounted his counterattack.

"OBJECTION!"

 “I concede that it was unlikely for them to have physically committed the crime, but what if they had an accomplice?” Hifumi posits.

(Music – Dual Destinies: Simon Blackquill ~ Distorted Swordsmanship)

“Oh, now you’re just reaching. Who would help them!?” Aoi asked.

“Is there not one among us who was at the crime scene, with direct access to the victims, and stained in their blood? Someone with a thirst for murder from the onset?”

“You can’t mean…”

->Present Profile: Genocider Syo/Toko Fukawa

“You rat…” Toko sneered.

“Interesting. That is a possibility I hadn’t considered.” Kyosuke calmly replied.

“For good reason, in case you forgot. We agreed that Toko was most likely a scapegoat.” Kyoko argued.

“Circumstances have changed, and we have new information. Right from this very court at that. If Genocider was an accomplice - even unwittingly - then that solves everything. She did not have to be the one who planned the murder, merely the one who carried it out.”

“Even if Kiyotaka matched Genocider’s M.O. Ikusaba doesn’t.” Aoi retorted.

Sporting a grin, Kyosuke tapped his forehead.  “A serial killer’s routine is not sufficient evidence. A simple change of mind, or desperation after being starved of good victims for so long could have provoked her and enticed the accused’s offer.”

“You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?” Toko glared daggers at the man standing across her.

“Don’t blame me. You are the last person who could prove otherwise, Toko Fukawa. Did you forget that you just told us that you were indisposed the entire time?”

(Music - Apollo Justice: Thrill Theme ~ Suspense)

Toko winced.

“That’s exactly right. If you lost consciousness, that means Genocider Syo would have woken up."

“I so don’t like where this is going.” Aoi complained. Is he gonna say Toko killed them?

Kyoko wasn’t looking too good herself.  “We have bigger problems. If – and that is if – Genocider was awake...”

“It is impossible that she would have failed to witness the killing." Kyosuke added. "Nor would the culprit have brazenly committed a murder with her present. Actually, there is a better question we should have asked ourselves from the beginning. Why don’t you tell us, defense? If you’re up to the task, that is.”

Aoi growled. “If you know the answer, just say it already.”

“His points stand regardless. We were too hasty to dismiss Toko earlier that morning.” Kyoko said. “Think about it. Why were the other two killed? Why leave Toko alive?”

“Wasn’t that to pin her as the culprit?”

“That’s one explanation. Isn’t there another? What if Toko had to survive?”

Had to survive? Besides being a scapegoat, the only thing that made Toko special in this case was her alter ego.

Gears began to turn. “If the culprit knew anything about is, they would have known Genocider could have taken her place. And she’s a way bigger threat than Toko.”  So if they had any reason “It had to have been part of their plan. They wanted Genocider to wake up.”

“There’s holes in your theory, idiot.” Under fire, Toko shot back. “First, I’ve never been drugged like that before now, so there’s no guarantee she could have woken up using that method. Second? She shares my emotions. She'd never work with that witch knowing that she killed Master Byakuya. But trust me, we’d still be talking about a body.”

Surprisingly, the one to counter was Kyosuke himself. “That presumes that Byakuya Togami’s murderer, and the mastermind, are one and the same. I posit that the mastermind could have offered Genocider assistance, or perhaps persuaded her with a lie.”

(Music - Justice for All: Tricks and Magic)

“You’re getting ahead of yourselves. Who is this Genocider Syo? I can’t keep up.” Nagito asked.

Oh right…

“She’s Toko’s murderous alter ego. She’s killed a whole bunch of pretty boys and strung them up.” Which, weirdly enough, wasn't even in the top 10 weirdest things Aoi had ever seen or heard anymore

“Ah. Makes sense.”

Does it!?

“But if she’s so important to this case…why not question her?”

 

. . .

. . .

. . .

“I…suppose we could.” Kyoko said slowly. “Assuming Munakata is alright with it.”

“Go right ahead.” He acquiesced.

Your funeral, dude.

Toko sneezed.

And Aoi prepared herself for the atmosphere to reach toxic levels. She couldn’t deal with Genocider whatsoever. Toko was crude and perverted, but her other half took it a full bar ove-

“Nothing’s happening.” The swimmer blurted out.

“Seems that way.” Toko said.

“I’m not surprised.” Kyosuke gave his partner an even stare. “Who are you? You don’t share Fukawa’s anxiety, but your insanity isn’t nearly that of Syo’s.”

Now the center of attention, the irate Toko exclaimed “Does it matter? This is me. The real me, and I can tell you I was asleep that night and didn’t hear or see anything. And if you want to call me a liar, you better be prepared for what happens.” Scissors slid down the red eyed girl ‘s sleeves as she swiped at the air.

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations II Miles Edgeworth: Dane Gustavia ~ Brandished Flavor)

Aoi blinked…before noticing strands of familiar brown hair falling to the table. Her ponytail came undone and flowed downwards. She did what any sane person would at that point, and dove under her desk! “I thought Ruruka confiscated those scissors!”

“From that distance…!?” Kyoko couldn’t believe her eyes.

The onlookers broke out into discord. Only the casino staff remained perfectly calm.

“I knew it. It was pointless.” Ruruka shrugged.

“She is one of us after all.” Nagito wore a nostalgic smile.

“Say, Toko…C-Can we call you that?” Aoi said, peeking over the furniture.

“If you’re going to ask me questions then come up where I can see you.”

“Yes ma’am!” Aoi shot up. “What’s the last thing you remember, before being drugged?”

“It was 5:52.” Toko began. “I was being restrained before dozing right off. By someone strong.”

 That testimony doesn’t check out. “I can only think of a few people who could restrain Genocider enough to drug her. Maybe Sakura and Mondo, but that’s out of the question…”

“Instead of deciding the crime is impossible, we should ask ourselves 'what could make it possible'.” Kyoko advised.

Time to think outside the box.

(Music – Apollo Justice: Prologue)

“You seem pretty sure of the time. Why?”

Toko bit her fingernail. “Hell if I know, It’s just one of the last things on my mind.”

If she remembered it that well, something had to have triggered it. Like a watch or her cell phone…scratch that. Toko probably didn’t have one.

“Going out on a limb here, but could it have been…because you were looking at the clock?”

Toko folded her arms, tilted her head and closed her eyes. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Can I see Mondo’s map?” Aoi took the schematics from Kyoko. Some of the beds were huddled together, others apart. Near the door were those on watch duty. They all had a fair view of the beds…and the found the clock at the back…

That position. For her to not have seen her attacker means “You were jumped from behind.”

“That much is obvious, yes.” Toko rolled her eyes.

“Hey, don’t get snappy. I’m onto something!”

“Wanna think twice before talking to me that way.” She punctuates her statement with a snip of those sharp, metal scissors.

“N-No, I’m good.” Aoi laughed nervously. “I was trying to say that you could see all the beds from that position if you were facing clock. So if you were attacked from behind, the attacker would have to come from the the door.”

…Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

(Music – Dual Destinies: Dark Age of the Law)

Toko gave her a confused look “So?”

“It means whoever attacked you would have been seen by Ikusaba and Kiyotaka, and that’s kind of…strange, isn’t it? They would have been the only two there…and would have warned all of us unless the killer was either…”

-> Present Profile: Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mukuro Ikusaba

“Following that possibility it’s rather obvious who among them was responsible with that evidence.” Kyoko said.

-> Present Evidence: Autopsy Report

Aoi read the report aloud. “Kiyotaka was drugged the same way Toko and Mondo were, but if you look closely…we don’t see that substance on Ikusaba.”

“Normally you would think the killer would have applied it on the bigger threat. Why even bother with Kiyotaka?” Kyoko explained.

"Cut the crap!"

“Did Tiny slip something into your drinks? You’re accusing one of the victims!” Toko yelled.

It sounds crazy to me too, but I’m gonna wing it. “There’s nobody else who could have done it! Not to mention that this makes something else possible.”

-> Present Evidence: Invitation Letter

“Ikusaba would have had easy access to Ryoko’s diary. They were sleeping together.”

“She had no motives. Don’t pick on her because she wasn’t one of you rays of sunshine!” Toko argued aggressively. Almost a little too fiercely.

“You’re being oddly defensive of Ikusaba.” Kyoko noted.

“None of your business.”

Kyoko nodded. “We don’t know her motives, but there’s a lot we don’t know. We can fill in the ‘why’s after. What we need to do now is to figure out the ‘how’s. And only Ikusaba could have done it.”

Just as Toko was about to provide a rebuttal, A helping hand came from the unlikeliest of sources.

“Agreed. It is likely Mukuro Ikusaba committed murder and suicide. Though her reasons remain a mystery, we cannot dismiss the sequence of events.” Kyosuke said.

“Exactly. See. We’re even on the same page.” Aoi smiled smugly.

“I doubt it’s as pleasant as you think.” Kyoko said, arms-crossed.

(Music – Ace Attorney: Suspense)

“Therefore, does this not add credibility to the witness’ claim? Mukuro Ikusaba was the killer and wrote the letter, therefore the mastermind did not physically have to commit the crime.”

Oh…

"Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Aoi screamed. Craaaaaaaaap! He tricked us into doing his dirty work!

Kyoko broke out into a cold sweat. “I can’t see a flaw in his logic right now. Worse, we advocated it, so I must accept it as a possibility.”

Aoi felt like she was in hot water.

“I’m pleased you aren’t being ruled over by bias, Kirigiri. Now if we accept that Ikusaba is the murderer, it validates Yamada’s testimony, and leaves the accused with no room to maneuver.” Kyosuke said.

Kyoko wasn’t the defense, if the truth was stacked against Celes then . . . she’d lean towards the prosecution.

Think Hina. Think!

(Music Stops)

“Yamacchi and Ikusabacchi had a chat before her shift. She must have woken up early.”

Aoi blinked once.

Kyoko tipped her head to the side.

Kyosuke furrowed his brow.

Toko smacked her ear.

“Who said that just now?” Nagito voiced their collective thoughts.

“That was me.” Makoto’s lone hand raised from the reserved seats. “Sorry, I was just talking to myself.”

"Please refrain from further outbursts or you'll have to deal with Mr. Sakakura."

"Got it."

“Nearly gave me a heart attack.” She thought Hiro had been resurrected…

Oh yeah, I think Hiro said something like that once…how’d it go?

“Now I remember!” Yasuhiro slammed his fist on an open palm. “Yamacchi and Ikusabacchi had a chat before we switched. Man, I just thought she was an early riser.”

Makoto turned to Hifumi. “What did you talk about?” (Yasuhiro Hagakure and Mukuro Ikusaba, Chapter 28)

Aoi gasped loudly, the stares that lingered on the luckster fell to her. “You’re the best, Makoto!” She waved.

The boy couldn’t help a small smile.

“I think there’s something we need to consider. Two things actually.” Aoi held out two fingers. In her most lawyerly voice, she admits “Ikusaba could be an accomplice. But if you don’t want to talk about her motives, then how about when she got offered to side with the mastermind! And where’d she get the poison from?”

A frown settled on Kyosuke’s face.

“Hifumi. While Leon and Hiro were busy, you spoke to Ikusaba right before the murder.” Aoi pointed at the witness.

Hifumi was quick on the uptake, to his credit. “I-that was-It wasn’t anything important.”

“Everyone knows you’re afraid of her and you’ve barely ever talked before! You knew she was being targeted so you definitely mentioned it.”

“I-I was warning her about Celes’ plot! I had no idea she was a filthy accessory. I placed myself at risk!”

Lies beget more lies. Yeah, I’m seeing how it works now. “That’s funny. You risked your life to warn Mukuro, but what about us? What about Taka?”

The white prosecutor broke his silence. “What do you believe they discussed?”

This was going to sound crazy, but it’s now or never.

-> Present Evidence: Hypnostase

“I think...Hifumi was giving Ikusaba the poison!”

(Music – Ace Attorney: Pressing Pursuit ~ Cornered)

Kyosuke’s eyes snapped open wide. “The first is speculation, and the second without evidence! Where could he have stored the Hypnostase? We looked all over and found nothing.”

Aoi rubbed her head and smiled weakly. “Maybe you… missed a spot?”

“Absolutely” “Not!”

“Okay, I get why Munakata’s on my case but,” She gave Kyoko a sidelong glance “Why are you taking his side!?”

“I searched every suspicious nook and cranny. I did not miss anything.”

“How about…his backpack?” Aoi laughed nervously.

Kyoko's stare coulda burned holes through Aoi and frozen her solid at the same time. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“If you keep making these absurd claims, you’ll lose all credibility, Ms. Asahina.” Hifumi chimed in with a weary, relieved smile. Yet he couldn't hide the shade of uncertainty behind it. “My backpack was searched thoroughly.”

Oh… “…can I check it again?”

“No!” Hifumi snapped. “I-I mean, there’s no point to it. I had nowhere else to hide it in the room.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem with me looking through it.” Aoi regarded him with suspicion.

Hifumi was sweating again.

"Silence!"

“Your reek of desperation, defense.” Kyosuke scoffed.

“You're right. I am the defense, and I never got the chance to investigate Hifumi when you were hogging him!” Aoi argued.

The gavel sung.

“Very well. We’ll allow a search of Mr. Yamada’s possessions. But be careful Ms. Asahina. If you’re wrong, you'll lose my favor...for whatever my opinion's worth anyway."

"...Aren't you the judge? Isn't that worth a whole lot." Aoi sweatdropped.

"If that's what you think, still want to proceed?”

“I don’t agree with this course of action.” Kyoko advised.

Aoi gulped. She hoped she wasn’t wrong about this. “The defense asks we examine Hifumi’s bag.”

“Bailiff. Search the witness’ belongings.”

Juzo folded his arms, unmoving and glowering at the judge.

. . .

“Search the witness’ belongings.” Kyosuke repeated.

“Gotcha.” Juzo said and approached the witness’ stand.

These two have serious issues.

“Don’t squirm.” The newly appointed bailiff stripped the cowering Hifumi’s bag away. He opened the zipper, dug through and retracted his arm. A conspicuous, empty syringe in hand.

“What the hell!?” Juzo couldn’t believe his eyes.

(Music – Trials and Tribulations: Pursuit ~ Caught)

“Impossible.” Kyosuke folded over the desk.

“Judge, would it be alright for Mondo take a look at that?” Kyoko requested, looking nearly as humiliated as Juzo's boss did.

"Hmm. I guess I'll allow it."

Mondo squinted at the clear object Juzo showed him. “That’s it. The gunk left in there’s the same color as the sleeping drug.”

“T-This is a misunderstanding. Someone placed it there!” Hifumi said.

“Yeah, you! Who else, and when could they have stuffed the syringe in your bag without you noticing?” Aoi demanded.

“They searched me, and it wasn’t there. Where else could I have hidden it!?”

Aoi closed her eyes and took a sharp guess. “In your clothes? I don’t think anyone would check there, and since you couldn’t walk around comfortably with it, you could have just dumped the syringe back inside later.”

“…That’s…That’s an unfair assertion!” Hifumi pointed. “You have no proof.”

“We can get some.” Kyoko interjected. “After all, we found out the knife had Mukuro’s fingerprints. We can get these, right?” Kyoko addressed Ruruka, who watched the scenario play out with transparent amusement.

The confectioner snickered like she’d heard a low-brow joke. “I will confirm, only to speed things up. The syringe has the fingerprints of Hifumi Yamada and Mukuro Ikusaba.”

“No way!” Even Aoi had to express her shock. Sure, they were her ideas, but that didn’t make the result any less insane!

Kyosuke’s hand firmly and loudly crashed against the prosecutor’s table, as he glared menacingly at Hifumi. “It is time you speak truthfully, witness. Any more lies dig bigger holes for yourself, and more importantly, us!”

“You’ve been caught red-handed, fraud.” Toko’s eyes narrowed.

All eyes were on Hifumi. “I admit it. I lied about being threatened by Celes in the infirmary.”

“He lied!” Aoi cried. “He should get penalized!”

Nagito nodded fiercely. “Yes. Perjury and lies in court are serious offenses. But it’s not like I can punish anyone for it so feel free to lie till the cows come home, everybody.”

“No!”

“Continue.” Kyoko urged Hifumi.

(Music – Trials and Tribulations: Dahlia Hawthorne)

“I was an accomplice to the crime. An unwitting one, but an accomplice nonetheless. It all started the night of Togami’s murder.”

Aoi held her breath. Finally, they were getting real answers.

“Celes invited me for tea, and afterwards, said she no longer required my services. Then she demanded I vacate the casino.”

“On whose authority?” Aoi asked.

“Hers.”

So none at all…

“I-I was so confused at the time.  Even later that morning when I woke wet as rain, I actually don’t even remember how I got home. Just that, as I was on my way out, Celes was waiting for me by the exit...”

Kyoko tilted her head.

- [Hifumi Yamada: The Night of the First Murder] -

“Here.” Just as Hifumi was on his way out, downtrodden and lethargic, his mistress appeared before the exit. She held out a syringe, filled with a yellow liquid.

“What is this?” Hifumi asked, finding it difficult to look at the ‘friend’ who earlier dismissed him.

“Something from the infirmary. Keep that in your backpack. If you wish to get back into my good graces, you will hand it over to the first person who asks for it. If you fail, know the consequences will be dire indeed.”

“Dire how?”

Her red eyes gleamed. “You’ll find out starting tomorrow.”

- [Aoi Asahina] -

“And that person was Ikusaba?”

Hifumi nodded. “She approached me. I asked what her intentions were, but she said I was better off not knowing."

“So you still insist you were threatened.” Kyoko said.

“I was. I had my suspicions after Mr. Togami died, but I couldn’t have known the full scope of her plan.”

“Then why lie?” Aoi groaned.

“Because I didn’t want to implicate myself. Celes is guilty either way, no need for me to get dragged down with her.”

                         “I guess that makes sense.” Nagito accepted his testimony.

Aoi, however, wasn’t so lenient “It’s only logical upfront. Hifumi had no reason to give that syringe to Ikusaba. He admitted he was aware of the dangers. Who would go that far to appease a potential murderer and become their slave again?”

“Heh.” Hifumi chuckled darkly. “You have a clean, bright way of thinking. I envy you.”

(Music  - Ace Attorney: Recollection ~ Brokenhearted Maya)

“You’re serious? You did all that, just to get in Celes’ good graces again?”

“And why not? Unlike you, it’s not easy for me to meet someone who knows how dreary reality is.” Hifumi locked eyes with her. “Not everyone is strong enough to keep going. Some of us just want to escape. That’s why I write. To find happiness, even in a 2D world...and share that happiness with others. Just like my sister did for me during a dark chapter of my life. That's why I helped Celes, as someone who understands how hard she works, and how similar we are.” His voice grows low as reality sinks

“But…Mr. Ishima-Kiyotaka and Ikusaba died, then Leon, Sayaka, Hiro and even Kizakura. There had to have been different, better ways to offer my support and win back her affections. I just wasn’t smart or brave enough to think about them...” Tears streamed down his face.

Neither the defense, nor the prosecution had any further questions. The only sound that could be heard were the witness’ whimpers.

One person had a smile plastered on his face throughout that ordeal.

“I suppose now’s a good a time as any for a recess. We’ll reconvene in 20 minutes.”


The defense team had taken refuge in the dining room, the floor below.

“You two are doing quite well out there. Far better than I expected.” Celes smiled, seemingly unphased by Hifumi’s confession.

“Thanks. Got anything you want to tell us while we’ve got the time.” Aoi prompted.

“Only that I have no idea what Hifumi’s talking about, and I don’t believe I’ve spoken three words to Ikusaba. Believe me, I am surprised at the role she played here.”

“Then Hifumi’s lying.” Kyoko said. “And that could prove him the mastermind.”

“No way.” Aoi agreed with Kyoko 99% of the time, but the 1% was now. “If Hifumi was lying to us, I’ll give up swimming and donuts.” She was fighting here because she believed in her friends. If she doubted Hifumi after that, there was no point.

“I agree with Hina.” Celes said, surprisingly. “Though my reasons are not remotely sentimental. Hifumi can only be an unwitting pawn at best. I believe he may be capable of murder, but he doesn’t have the courage to plan one. Thinking through the details is much too hard for him then merely acting out on another’s instructions.”

“I can’t tell If you’re praising him here.” Aoi couldn’t help but express a tick of anger towards the gambler.

“You’re defending him?” Kyoko questioned.

“Our efforts are meaningless if we guess the culprit incorrectly.” Celes pointed out. The entire time, her fingers had been crossed together. “He wasn’t lying.”

“If he was telling the truth, then you are the mastermind.” Kyoko barked.

 “No. It is not that simple.” Celes showed them a rare, genuine frown. “He was not lying in that moment where he accused me of giving him those instructions, but I guarantee that I did not threaten him or allude to any plot. I didn’t even meet with him. Any words I could have said would have been at a less awkward time, like say…before he was de-commissioned?”

“Is your intuition hard evidence I wonder?” Kyoko asked.

Celes took it as a letter of challenge. “Tell that to the droves of men I’ve crushed beneath my heel.”

“I believe you.” Aoi proclaimed.

To Kyoko’s displeasure. “The truth is impartial, Hina. When searching for it, it is wise to put aside your biases.”

Is that even possible? Can anyone remove their own feelings from anything they do? “I can’t make any promises, but I won’t look away from the truth.”

Kyoko eyed her with concern but acquiesced in the end.

“I’ll hold you to that. But just so you know, Hifumi's testimony was...off to say the least." Kyoko said. "Is it absolutely true that you never met him afterwards? Did you even go downstairs?"

Celes answered. "Whether or not you believe me, I can only answer 'no'."

"It doens't really matter if you didn't. Even if you had, you couldn't have reached the exit before he did."

 

- [Court is in Session] -

(Music - Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth: Court ~ Guardians of the Law)

“The defense will believe the witness’ testimony.” Aoi said.

“Oh? And here I thought it was your chance for a breakthrough. Mr. Yamada looked seriously guilty to me.” Nagito rubbed his chin.

“I think we need to discuss things over before jumpng to conclusions. We should know more about what happened to the casino that night.” Aoi proposed.

“. . . And where would that get you? Logically, you should be pushing for Yamada’s guilt.” Kyosuke admonished her.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to distrust my friends. That’s why I’m going to find out the real truth.” Ikusaba was somehow involved as well, and she’d get to the bottom of it.

“…You didn’t listen to a word I said in the third round.” Kyosuke shook his head mockingly. “How naïve to ignore the perils of risking leg and limb for an uncertain truth. Or is ‘youthful’ the proper term here?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Aoi snapped.

“It’d be one thing if you wanted to create or determine your own truth, but you’re scouring for one you pray has your ideal outcome. That reckless hope may be the death of you.”

“That’s my choice to make.”

The silver-haired man chuckled. “So be it. Let us see where that choice takes you, Aoi Asahina.”

Did he just say my name?

“It appears he’s finally acknowledged you.” Kyoko said.

“For whatever good that does us.”

“I call the next witness to the stand.” Kyosuke snapped his fingers.

- [Witness Testimony] -

Kyosuke

Chihiro

(Music –  Justice for All: Questioning ~ Moderato 2002)

“State your name and occupation.”

“Chihiro Fujisaki. Ultimate Programmer and servant-in-training.”

“Tell us what you and the accused were up to on the night of Byakuya Togami’s murder.”

“After I lost the gamble, Celes was really pushing me to get to work asap. I spent the first night learning how to make Royal Milk Tea from scratch. It’d have been nice if Hifumi was around to help, but for some reason they had a falling out. Celes left me instructions on how to prepare milk tea just the way she likes. It’s … a lot harder than you’d think, but I managed a decent mix in the end. I think I was done by 2 am. Then we went to sleep.”

Kyosuke looked displeased when Chihiro finished his testimony.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything worthwhile to be found here, but the defense may cross-examine the witness.”

 

- [Cross Examination] -

Aoi

Kyoko

Chihiro

Kyosuke

Toko

After I lost the gamble, Celes was really pushing me to get to work as soon as I could.”

“You were being bossed around by Byakuya just the other day, weren’t you? Could you tell us about that?”

“Is that important?”

“Shut it. I want to hear this too.”

“Togami and I had a collaboration project for Hope’s Peak. It’s not something I’m supposed to talk about, but after everything that’s happened, I might not have a choice.”

“You don’t.”

“I thought so. The project is called Jabberwock. It’s a really big piece of machinery, a little similar to the monobeasts. B-But it’s not dangerous like them. Hope’s Peak needed me to turn it on…in layman’s terms. Currently, an A.I is working as the brain so its harmless.”

“What was Togami’s role in that?”

“He was the benefactor, supposedly. He didn’t seem all that interested given the insane amounts of money that went into development, but he oversaw my work anyway. Makoto can vouch a bit of this for me.”

“Why, Makoto?”

“The three of us went to check up on Jabberwock that night. We even stopped by the funhouse. Oh, Syo was there too, but I’m not sure if Toko remembers.

“I remember.”

“There you go. Did that help with anything?”

“Not really…”

“Then perhaps we should get back to asking the relevant questions. Continue with your testimony, witness”


“I spent the first night learning how to make Royal Milk Tea from scratch. It’d have been nice if Hifumi was around to help, but for some reason they had a falling out. Celes left me instructions on how to prepare milk tea just the way she likes. It’s … a lot harder than you’d think, but I managed a decent mix in the end. I think I was done by 2 am. Then we went to sleep.”

“I've got you!”

Aoi stopped Chihiro. “Um, you spent that much time learning how to make tea?”

“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it.” Chihiro said, teary-eyed, like he recalled a horrific experience. But why?

“Isn’t it just boiling water and putting the tea in?”

“Incroyable!”

Aoi paled and turned to the accused. Celes’ right eye twitched as she sneered at her own protector in disgust.

“H-How uncultured! You speak of preparing fine Royal Milk tea as you would cooking instant noodles!?”

“If you think about it, it’s kinda similar.”

Bubbles foamed from Celes’ mouth.

“Before you instigate any other murders – namely your own – I believe we should get back to the trial.” Kyoko warned.

“Celes is really particular about her tea. It has to use milk as a base and it has to be heated, not microwaved. It also has to be done at a certain temperature and on time. Then-” Chihiro’s explanation continued for another 5 minutes.

He never finished, by the way. Kyosuke interrupted him. The man retained his stoic demeanor, but all Aoi saw was pain in his eyes.

“The rest can be found here!” The ex-council president said uncharacteristically quickly as he held up a long, double-sided sheet of paper. “Evidently, the accused left Chihiro instructions that night for him to follow.”

-> Present Acquired Evidence: Royal Milk Tea Instructions

(Music – Spirit of Justice: Questioning ~ Allegro 2016)

“Chihiro. You said Celes left you these instructions. Does that mean she wasn’t there with you?” Aoi asked.

At that, Kyosuke smiled in that way she hated. “Well well, I didn’t expect the defense to do my work for me.”

Chihiro’s eyes didn’t meet hers. “She wasn’t there the whole time, no. It’s a big casino, after all. Even if someone came and went, I wouldn’t be able to tell where to. She came back near 1:50 and tried the tea I made afterwards.”

“In other words, Celes doesn’t have a standing alibi for Togami’s death.” Kyosuke said.

Something’s up. After all that talk about training Chihiro from scratch, Celes didn’t oversee him?

“Can I say something?” Chihiro raised his hand. “It might have been possible that she left, I admit. But it was stormy that night, and when Celes returned, her clothes were dry and spotless. I don’t think she could have left the casino.”

"Desist!"

Kyosuke startled the boy with. “We have been over this! Do not let your emotions towards the accused cloud your judgement.”

“But.”

“But nothing. Risk your own life on sentimentality if you will, but not mine. When did the two of you split up?”

“Around 12…”

“The time of death for Togami is 1:13. Plenty of time to get there, and back. An easy explanation is that she dried off before you reconvened.”

“I’ve got you!” 

 “It was a storm! And have you seen Celes?” Aoi jerked her finger at the overdressed gambler “That tacky outfit and makeup she wears. There’s no way she could have cleaned up that fast.”

“You’re really asking for it, hm.” Celes said emotionlessly.

Kyosuke clicked his tongue. “I concede it may have been difficult for her to carry out the crime that night, but do not forget, the culprit had ample assistance that could in the form of the game masters.”

Is there anything she can say to dispute that?

-> Present Evidence: Doll’s Birth.

(Music – Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice: Confess the Truth 2016)

“What’s this?” Kyosuke asked.

“According to Teruteru, he was only created on the day of the second string of murders. And he was the third.”

“One incredulous claim after another.” Kyosuke’s face turned grave.

“Why are you freaking out? There’s still the first two!” Toko said angrily.

“Fool. The dolls can be created on such short notice, even when we were all together? Don't you see what that means?”

“After all we’ve seen, that’s nothing to be surprised at.” Aoi didn’t really have an explanation.

“It’s worth keeping in mind.” Kyoko suggested.

“Fukawa’s point remains. There was still the first and second dolls that could have been made earlier.” Kyosuke said.

“The dolls were all probably made at the same time.” Aoi guessed.

“No they weren’t. The first of us was created shortly before Togami’s death.” Nagito shot down her argument.

“Where is your proof, judge?” Aoi asked slowly.

I am that proof. An honor I don’t deserve.”

“Not Ruruka?” This flaky guy was one of the first of these zombies? He wasn’t even supposed to be a game master.

“Incidentally, another doll was made at the same time."

“Therefore, it is possible.” Kyosuke’s confidence returned.

“Who is it? Who was the other doll?” Kyoko asked the judge.

“Can’t say.”

“Why? They were part of your class.”

“It's not that I won't. I can't. I didn’t know their name even back then.”

Kyoko furrowed her brows.

Aoi was similarly stumped. “Is this a riddle?”

“As I thought. The pieces are falling into place.” While the defense stewed in confusion, Kyosuke said “It is quite ironic, but I know who Byakuya Togami’s killer is.”

“I’m certain you’ll tell us.” Kyoko resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“I cannot.”

“Not you too. Is it a ghost?” Aoi freaked.

“In more than one manner of speaking, yes.”

Aoi broke out into a cold sweat. “I-I might actually be just a little scared of them, so please explain in a less crazy, more down-to-earth way.”

(Music –  Spirit of Justice: The Last Rites Prosecutor)

“The killer is, or was, certainly a living being. And their name is…” He smirked. “Byakuya Togami.”

The courtroom went dead silent.

“I think you’ve finally lost it.” Aoi said.

“They are not the Togami you know. It is an identity they adopted. Among the class 77, there was one student without a record, no name, no real appearance, or background. All the academy had on record was his talent. The Ultimate Impostor.” Kyosuke explained.

Kyoko gasped. “No…”

“This is why not even Kizakura could give you a name back in the infirmary. The impostor has masqueraded as Byakuya Togami for his time at Hope’s Peak and it would only muddle our affairs if either of us mentioned him. All this knowledge, I gained from Juzo and Chisa.”

An impostor? Could that really be true. “So this guy was disguising as Togami again? Then does that mean the real Togami is alive?”

Kyosuke blinked slowly. “That would make him a strong candidate for the mastermind, but no, Byakuya Togami is absolutely dead.”

“How can you be so sure it wasn’t faked?”

“Shouldn’t you know? The evidence is right beside you.”

Aoi followed his gaze to Kyoko, who grew pale. “Kyoko?”

“You searched his body. Was there any doubt that it was Togami?” Kyosuke inquired.

The detective took a moment to compose herself before returning to the trial. “None at all. However, we ought to remember who it is we’re dealing with. A perfect copy is not out of the question.”

“You deny it then? Very well.” Kyosuke faced the judge. “Is it possible for us to get a blood sample of the body to compare?”

“Asking me, are you?”

“You recreated the fingerprints on the knife and syringe. I know you can do this.”

“How demanding. I’d like to skip this part, so I’ll get to the point. Byakuya Togami was the body you found, not the impostor.”

A loud cough drew their attention to an irritated Ruruka. “That's a bit too much help.”

“Something like this is well within my power. I’ve overstepped no boundaries, and we’re finally getting to the good part.”

Ruruka’s glare was cold as ice.

“There we have it. The autopsy report had no errors after all.” Kyosuke said.

She couldn’t shake off this creeping unease at the direction this trial was heading.

“Hina. From this point on, the truth is something you’ll have to discover yourself.” Kyoko said out of the blue.

“Why?”

The detective was silent.

Sadly, Kyosuke couldn’t do the same.

“You impress me, Asahina. I can see you wavering, so I’m sure you have realized, even if subconsciously.”

The athlete pouted. “Thanks for the compliment, but I don’t really get it.”

“Hm. Many years ago, I relegated the role of teacher to Chisa because I wasn’t suited for it. Out of respect for her, I will try my hand here. You wanted to find the truth, so I will guide you.”

Why do I get the feeling your truth and mine are going to very different?

“You doubted that the Togami you saw was an impostor. Sound logic and reasonable doubt. Your only mistake was the choice in target. It is a fact that we have been infiltrated by the impostor.”

“Do you have any proof?” Aoi stood her ground.

“How quickly you forget. You had the autopsy report in your hands.”

-> Present Evidence: Autopsy Report

She had a feeling that it’d come down to this.

“There was a name left blank in the autopsy report. One that ranks among the class 78 and their dead.” Kyosuke said.

“That’s why you think there’s an impostor among us.”

“Wrong. They were among us. And we have already discussed that individual’s strange actions.”

Someone whose actions haven’t made any sense, and could have been impostor he thinks was working for Celes…

He means that person!

-> Present Profile: Mukuro Ikusaba

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations II Miles Edgeworth: Confess the Truth 2011)

“The pieces fit. The impostor killed Togami, impersonated Ikusaba, infiltrated our ranks, killed Kiyotaka and then committed suicide.” The prosecutor rendered their closing argument.

“That’s crazy! Not to mention convenient! If Ikusaba was an impostor, then Ryoko would have known!”

“Who's to say she didn’t?” Toko interjected. “In case you didn’t know, the only alibi those two had were each other’s.”

Makoto ends the sibling bickering. “What were you two doing last night?”

“Is this an interrogation coming on?” Ryoko cuts to the chase.

“Just getting my stories straight.”

“We were in our room the whole time and never saw Byakuya. How’s that for an alibi?”

“Fair enough.”

“How?” Toko said. “They’re twins, idiot. What makes you think they wouldn’t cover for each other?”

“Ding ding, as expected of our pessimistic Toko-chan! She got the right answer!”

 “Stop making this difficult, Ryoko.”

(Makoto Naegi, Ryoko Otonashi, and Toko Fukawa, Chapter 26 )

"Is what they said at the time. But what if Ryoko was lying to cover her older sister?”

“Then I vote we call her up as a witness!” Aoi said.

“Are you serious or just seriously stupid?” Toko deadpanned.

“What’s wrong with that?”

The novelist sighed. “Fine, let’s ask her. Hey, redhair, big tits and brainless. What were you two doing on the night of master’s death?”

“How the hell should I know? Oh wait…” Ryoko flipped through her notebook. “Nope. Nothing in here.”

Aoi gaped. “How did you forget something that important-”

 “Ryoko.” Makoto cut through the verbal dispute. “What’s your surname?”

“…Ikusaba.” She fumbled.

Leon smacked his forehead.

“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Aoi gasped.

(Makoto Naegi, Ryoko Otonashi, Leon Kuwata, Aoi Asahina, Chapter 28) 

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Aoi yelled at the top of lungs.

“And so, Ikusaba has no alibi.” Toko restated.

“I’m surprised you would fight this conclusion.” Kyosuke genuinely wondered. “You realize this means Mukuro Ikusaba and Byakuya Togami are innocent of any crime here. The killer was not your own, therefore you can continue to believe in your friends’ innocence. For you, this is the best truth. Or perhaps you didn’t consider either of them as part of your clique? Fair enough, if so.” He smirked.

He’s wrong…but he’s right. This is the best-case scenario.  One she’ll have to work around.

Aoi nodded “I agree.”

Kyosuke smiled. “Now that we’ve established that truth, let us move on-”

“Is that a fact?”

All momentum grinded to a halt with a mere four words from the ultimate detective.

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations II: Justine Courtney – Goddess of Law)

“You think Ikusaba was the impostor?”  Kyoko faced forward but her question was directed squarely at Aoi.

“Huh?”

“Is that really the truth you were searching for?” Lavender eyes urged her to say no, but wouldn’t that mean doubting someone else?

“I didn’t expect an objection, Kyoko Kirigiri. Didn’t you decide to leave everything to her?” Kyosuke interrupted.

Kyoko spoke, eyes closed and after a period of silence, “You are avoiding a very important question. If the Mukuro Ikusaba that was with us in the infirmary was an impostor, where did the real one go?”

“Out of kindness, I didn’t want to affirm it. Her death that is. She is the missing person on that file.”

Without missing a beat, Kyoko replied “Well then, it appears your search for the truth has led you to a contradiction. Just earlier you said the words ‘The autopsy report had no errors.’ Wouldn’t the idea that Ikusaba was the impostor result in a false report?”

The man pursed his lips. “In what way?”

Kyoko patted the papers with the back of her hand. “The report on Ikusaba dying alongside Kiyotaka would have been a lie under a false name. While the genuine article was filed under an obscured name.”

“I see your point.” Kyosuke was forced to admit.

“If crucial evidence could be warped to such a degree, then this trial is meaningless.”

“No, that is not enough evidence.” Kyosuke denied. “If you recall, the impostor was once named Byakuya Togami. They were a specialist who mimicked and breathed the very identity they stole. In deference to that perfect imitation, the autopsy could have pronounced him as a double Mukuro Ikusaba.”

“Semantics. I’d be lying if I didn’t see it coming.” Kyoko sighed. “Would the judge verify this for us? Was the impostor Ikusaba?”

“I won’t. Ruruka is already quite angry with me, you see.”

“Then it remains a possibility.” Kyosuke said.

“Do you remember what I said, Hina? About how the truth is impartial.” Kyoko said.

Aoi tensed “Yeah.”

“Do you remember what you promised me? I want to hear it again.”

 “I-I won’t look away from the truth.”

Kyoko locked eyes with her. “If you meant that promise, then prove it now. Everything you need to break Munakata’s argument is in the evidence.”

No pressure.

“I think we should talk about the possibility that Ikusaba wasn’t the impostor.” Aoi said nervously.

“Sounds like a waste of time. Suit yourself.” Toko shrugged.

“If she really is dead . . . how’d it happen? And when?”

“The autopsy report doesn’t specify, but the injuries suggests a grave impact of some kind. Hm, It’s hard to say how it could have happened.” Kyosuke remarked.

“There’s not much on the island that could do something like that.”

“Or isn’t there?” An idea sprung into Kyosuke’s mind. “Come to think of it, Mukuro Ikusaba was the ultimate soldier. Not exactly the easiest person to subdue. Doubtfully without anyone noticing. But don’t we know of something that could have quite literally crushed her? Something mobile and well-hidden.”

The only that came to mind was, “That Jabberwock thing.”

“H-Hold on.” Chihiro called from the stand. “That’s insane. Jabberwock would never do that. It’s practically a baby-” Chihiro quieted when a pair of scissors flew past him and pierce the wall on the other side.

He stared at Toko, wide-eyed.

“You’ve been buddying up with Celes just like Hifumi. For all we know, you’re an accomplice. Your words means jack shit here.”

“What’d you say?!” Mondo roared. “If you’re gonna accuse Chihiro, then you better pay the piper. Even if you are a lady.”

“Bailiff.”

“Sit your ass down.” Juzo groaned.

Aoi tuned out the argument in the background. The alarm bells ringing in her head were much more pressing. “It’s possible but it doesn’t feel right to me. Where could that have happened? It’s not like Ikusaba got around. She either followed her sister or stayed at home. Are you saying that she got called out somewhere and there wasn’t a trace of that impact?”

“It doesn’t have to be on this island. Jabberwock was merely an example. She could have been displaced even back at Hope’s Peak and the spy had been amongst you from the get go.” Kyosuke theorized.

Aoi shook her head. “That can’t be true, and this is why.”

-> Present Evidence: Autopsy Report Verification

“Mikan said all the deaths happened on the island.”

Kyosuke frowned.

“Then the big ol’ monster did it.” Toko said.

“Where? It’s not like a force strong enough to crush Ikusaba to death wouldn’t have left some sign. And it would take planinng, with no guarantee of Ikusaba showing up where they wanted.”

“Then she merely fell.”  Kyosuke recovered.

“Huh?”

“Ikusaba was lured somewhere and pushed off a high location, falling to her death. That would explain everything.”

She…fell?

“Is there a place that could happen from? We’re surrounded by water, and jagged cliffs. I don't think a fall alone is enough.” The autopsy report would have been either too violent or not violent enough compared to what they had.

“Not enough? You make it sound as if you know more.” Kyosuke arched his eyebrow.

“Huh, I didn’t mean it that way.” Aoi waved her hands defensively.

“Didn’t you?” Kyoko eyed her.

She felt it, the same sensation from the third round.  The creeping terror looming over her.

She was missing something. Had been missing something.

“I thought you were getting over your head.” Kyoko’s expression turned apologetic. “To be honest, I hadn’t thought much of your ability to defend Celes. So I jumped in to balance the scales and make it easier to find the truth. But I was wrong. You have proven to be much more capable that I gave you credit for. I am glad to be your partner.”

“Thank…you?”

“But why am I the one here?”

Aoi blinked.

“Isn’t that what’s bothering you? Why am I the one by your side right now? Was there nobody more suited to that role?”

“Like?”

Kyoko faced the prosecution.

“You three are in a blindspot, so I’ll fill in the gaps for you. In the third round, while we watched from the monitors, there was no sound. All we could do was read instructions and your answers. Whenever the three groups talked amongst each other, we couldn’t hear anything. All we could see was the small area near the elevator panel. We couldn’t see Toko who hung back, for example.”

“I wasn’t aware of that, but I assume it bears significance to this trial?” Kyosuke knitted his brows in a line.

Kyoko wouldn’t bring that up for no reason…

“Amongst each other?” Aoi whispered, then looked between Toko and Kyosuke, the two partners in the last round, who stood besides each other again. “You were there before us. Was there anyone asides Yukizome you saw?”

“No.” Toko said succinctly.

“But Yukizome said,”

“For anyone who thinks the teams might be unbalanced, we were supposed to have three teams with a maximum of two…but we’ve got one bad orange who tagged along. And that’s fine! It’s summer after all!” (Chisa Yukizome, Chapter 33)

“Each team could have had a maximum of two. So wasn’t it a huge handicap for only one game master?”

“There were only three game masters against four of us in the second round.” Toko retorted.

“Those game masters had knowledge we didn't even out the odds.” Kyoko countered.

“As the lead game-master, there’s things only I know. The others are aware of all the treasures in the arena, but I know where all of them are located.” (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Chapter 31)

“It’s true. Fukawa’s help was essential. With support, Chisa might still be…” Kyosuke paused. A flash of anger marred his features. “Only that wasn’t the case. She was the only game master.”

“Can you say that for a fact? Because I can read lips. And I know that Chisa Yukizome was speaking to someone inside an elevator.” Kyoko revealed.

(Music – Spirit of Justice: A Cornered Heart)

“What?!” Kyosuke staggered back. “There was nobody else through that intercom.”

“Not even that,” Toko started. “Let’s say there was another game master waiting in an elevator. If you didn’t know, we were allowed to choose, and that broad went last. If there was someone waiting in her elevator, and we picked that one, it’d be pretty awkward.”

Kyoko recognized Toko’s point. “Did any of you have a particular reasoning for your choices?”

“Fukawa chose. But I’m partial to grapes of the choices.” Kyosuke said.

“I…like strawberries.” Aoi muttered.

“Judging from Hina's statement, would I be correct to assume that Yukizome favored oranges?” Kyoko asked.

“…she did.” Kyosuke replied.

“There was a 1-out-of-3 chance. A fair gamble that could turn the tides…and she won.” Kyoko declared.

“Uh, no. She lost, and nobody was helping her.” Besides Kyosuke, but it wasn’t the time to bark up that tree.

Kyoko gave her a side glance. “You presume the victory condition was winning the game. Out of every game master we’ve faced, have any of them cared about that?”

“I-I don’t know about the second round, but Yukizome said she originally wanted to get at Munakata. And Sonosuke wanted to hurt Leon. Even Teruteru was going to sacrifice his own life just to take some of us down with him. They’re just trying to hurt us.” Aoi answered to the best of her ability.

Kyoko closed her eyes. “That's right. Let me tell you one final thing you may not be aware of regarding the elevators, considering how preoccupied you all were right after winning." The remark was a silent dig at Kyosuke, who turned a shade of red.

"What of it?"

"Those doors were side-by-side when you left. You noticed this too, Hina.”

We fought back then too, but besides each other. It’s different when he’s standing right in front of me.”

Kyosuke lost all composure. “Enough! You’ve been giving us the run-around to god knows where. What is the point?”

“…”

“Well!

“…”

“Answer me!”

“Give us a minute!” Aoi yelled back. Kyoko wasn’t saying anything, so she had to. Whatever the answer was, Kyoko trusted she’d figure it out. All this started when they were discussing the matter of the impostor and the way Ikusaba died. “The point is…the impostor…and the fall… The impostor should have had a fall…”

It would have taken more than a fall.

The nurse skimmed over the autopsy report. “Contusions, hemorrhage, lacerations and bone fractures all over the body. From the looks of it, the cause was a violent crash. It’s also possible they could have been crushed to death.” (Mikan Tsumiki, Chapter 34)

A fall.

A high place.

A crash.

Side-by-side.

A spy.

These thoughts were like pieces of a puzzle flinging from end-end in a storm, and at the center was the biggest riddle of all.

One of their friends died.

“Hina!”

“What’s happening!?” It felt like an Earthquake rocked the area. A minute felt like several before the vibrations stopped. (Chapter 33)

Aoi’s eyes dilated. The voice that spoke didn’t feel like her own.

…Sakura.”

“Yes?” The giant heard her name from the stands.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.” Yeah, that’s what Sakura would say, so her friend should also have been able to answer.

“The last night we spent in the infirmary, you told me that you had a secret meeting with someone back at school. Who was it?”

“Pardon me?”

“The person you met up with for cooking lessons. Who was it?” Aoi repeated.

“…”

“Who. Was. It?”

“You didn’t answer back then either.” The reply came from another on the reserved seats. Makoto didn’t even glance at the person sitting right next to him.

“Oh I know this one." Aoi was about to answer, before stopping. She motioned towards Sakura. "Wanna give it a go?”

Sakura shook her head “I am fine. You do the honors.”  (Aoi Asahina and Sakura Ogami, Chapter 33)

“In fact, you haven’t helped us at all since then. Even when I was attacked by Munakata. You’re always the first to jump in when things got violent. Then again, you’re not Sakura.”

(Music – Ace Attorney Miles Edgeworth Investigations: Confess the Truth 2009)

With a small smile, they said, “Correct” and leapt out of the seats with agility that wouldn’t have been unexpected from the identity they stole. Chihiro barely dodged before the impostor landed on the witness stand.

“Name and occupation.” Kyosuke's tone was dangerously low.

“Name? I don’t have one. Occupation? The Ultimate Impostor. It’s been some time since I was exposed like this.”

“I don’t care about that. Where’s Sakura?” Aoi demanded.

The impostor faced her and had the gall to keep speaking in her friend’s voice. “After coming this far, that’s a simple riddle to solve…but fair enough, I’ll explain the trick. Are you aware of how the funhouse elevators operate?”

“The tower has an optical illusion to have the guests mistake the location.” Kyosuke explained.

“You aren’t about to tell us that everyone entered the same elevator, are you? That would be a flagrant disregard for your own rules.” Kyoko said.

The impostor shook his head. “They are three separate elevators, however they all share the same circular shaft. Before any elevator lifts, there’s a mechanism installed that moves Grape and Strawberry elevators laterally until all three are directly side-by-side.”

“With orange in the middle.” Kyoko uttered in resignation. One vital mystery had concluded in the detective’s mind. “I presume those doors could slide open?”

They nodded. “It was easy. With the lights out, nobody could see me entering from the Orange elevator, while the vibrations made for an excellent distraction. Not just to obfuscate sound, but to throw you all off-balance. Under those conditions, even an expert martial artist could be caught off-guard.”

“Easy? From where I’m standing, the only thing easy is how you could have bungled that up.” Toko interjected in a harsh tone. “You were dressed as Sakura, right? Then she was your target from the beginning. What the hell would have happened if someone else was in that elevator? Hell, what if you grabbed those two idiots instead and switched places with them? You going to dress up as two people?”

“I won’t deny there were many gambles involved, but Ogami wasn’t specifically my target. She was just the most effective choice. If for example, you had been in there, then I would have copied you before the lights came back on.”

“You look nothing like me!” Toko barked.

"Tsk Tsk. Watch and learn.” The impostor gripped the side of their face, tore into it and peeled flesh like it was fabric, right down to their legs. In the uncomfortable, shell-shocking silence that followed, a twin Toko Fukawa stepped out of the oversized costume of muscle. “Is this better, or do you want me to strip for you next, you pervert!”

Toko didn’t…couldn’t respond.

Juzo rubbed his eyes. “Holy shit.”

"A perfect copy." Kyoko's breath hitched.

“Your disguises have gotten even better. I’d like to say that I’d expect nothing less from you, but I take it you had some outside help with these improvements.” Nagito remarked.

“No matter how well I copy someone, I could never change my body type…until that cowardly boss of ours gave me this power.”

“So they did…”

“Ah, to answer the girl’s question ‘What happened to the real Sakura Ogami?’, shouldn’t you already know? You won the game.” Imposter said suggestively.

Aoi’s blood ran cold.

“This is it. This is where the truth gets you.” Kyosuke said with affirmation, and a touch of pity.

In contrast, the woman besides him offered nothing but vitriol for the spy. “You’re not my type, but I wouldn’t mind making confetti out of you right now.”  

“Why have you done this?” The ever-productive Kyoko inquired.

"The lady is a coward, you see, and they really wanted to hurt that girl.” They pointed at Aoi, “If you want someone to hate, hate her. Just as we do.”

“Who are, they? Who the hell are they!?” Aoi’s voice trembled.

“Under normal circumstances, I can’t tell you as a faithful dog.” The impostor grinned “But I’ve had enough of that. I quit.”

“Excuse me?” Ruruka lifted her head sharply.

“I have found the answer I was searching for. That Ogami girl never uttered a peep while working with my teacher, Ruruka. While you lot were chasing after the mystery of the mastermind, I was trying to rationalize Ogami’s motives. I found only one.” He turned to the defense. “As her friends, I’m hoping at least one of you realizes it.”

I don’t know. I don’t know anything.

I didn’t even know my best friend was…

In the waves of nausea, she nearly missed the impostor’s answer.

“If you knew she was on the other team, would you have sent her to die?”

The lunch that Teruteru serves violently erupts from Aoi’s bowels and spills onto the floor.

“You guys are fucking vile.” Mondo teared up.

Kyoko silently shared those sentiments, as she caressed Aoi’s back.

Nevertheless, the impostor continued. “I agree but know that I respect Ogami’s sense of responsibility. A far cry from our weakling of a master. In deference to her sacrifice, I will lend my assistance and expose the mastermind.”

 “Who is this snake in our midst?” Kyosuke spat.

The impostor’s sneer was unbefitting the form they stole. Their hand targeted the stands.

“Makoto Naegi.”

 

Notes:

I tried doing something different with the third round. Instead of making a standalone game like the others, I wanted to bridge it to the final trial. The inspiration comes from THH's chapter five ending unsolved as a lead in to chapter six. Putting it bluntly, there are thematic reasons for cutting the start and conclusion of Chisa's round. One was to build the key players in the finale.

Chapter 36: The Fire

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [COURT RECORDS] -

-> PROFILES

(Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, Byakuya Togami, Kyosuke Munakata, Toko Fukawa, Juzo Sakakura, Koichi Kizakura, Sayaka Maizono, Celestia Ludenberg, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Mukuro Ikusaba, Ryoko Otonashi, Sakura Ogami, Leon Kuwata, Hifumi Yamada, Chihiro Fujisaki, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Mondo Owada, Ultimate Impostor, Ruruka Ando, Izayoi Sonosuke, Mikan Tsumiki, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Nekomaru Nidai, Gundham Tanaka, Chisa Yukizome, Teruteru Hanamura, Nagito Komaeda, Future Foundation)

That’s everyone linked to this case…

-> AUTOPSY REPORT

(Sakura Ogami. Byakuya Togami. Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Mukuro Ikusaba. Leon Kuwata. Yasuhiro Hagakure. Sayaka Maizono. Koichi Kizakura.)

A record after the time and causes of death for all the members of class 78.

-> HYPNOSTASE

A fast-acting sleeping drug that induces sleep within seconds. We don’t know about any after-effects but it was found inside Toko, Kiyotaka, and Mondo.

-> MONDO’S TESTIMONY

There’s an entire bottle of Hpnostase missing. There was enough to fill 4 syringes…but we only know that 2 were used that way. Apparently, Mondo found half originally, so a quarter had to have been taking afterwards.

-> THE DOLLS

Teruteru was the third doll to be made. And it was the same day Kiyotaka and Mukuro were murdered.

Addendum: Nagito and The Ultimate Impostor was created the same night Togami was murdered.

-> AUTOPSY REPORT VERIFICATION

Mikan says everything here is legit.

- > MISSING SYRINGE

We never found the syringe used on Toko.

Addendum: Hifumi held onto Syringe after taking it back from Ikusaba

-> DEATH CASINO

Is it really the casino?

-> CELESTIA’S TESTIMONY.

What was she doing on the night of Togami’s murder and did she really lack a motive?

-> TERUTERU’S TESTIMONY

Chiaki Nanami’s death and the dolls of class 76/77.

->SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

Mondo made us a map of the room we were stating in on the night of Ikusaba and Taka’s murders.

->NIGHT SHIFTS

A list of the guard rotations.

-> INVITATION

The letter was sent by the mastermind. It was written in Ryoko’s journal. How’d they do that without waking her up?

-> MAKOTO’S HANDKERCHIEF

Ryoko picked it up after Makoto dropped it. Kyoko’s holding onto it.

-> NAGITO’S NOTE

A letter that was written by the judge. Kyoko found it in the hospital.


 

(Music – Trials and Tribulations: Trial)

“Naegi is the mastermind? Are you absolutely sure?” asked the judge.

“Crystal.” The impostor answered with absolute confidence.

“Do you-” Kyoko stopped herself. The fabric of her gloves tightened. “Where's your evidence?”

“He told me himself, just before Mondo interrupted us.” The impostor smirked in the delinquent’s direction.

Mondo shot him a nasty glare, then transferred it to Makoto.

“Now you’re betraying that confidence he showed only you. Why?”

“I was inspired by Sakura’s sacrifice. I won't stand being given the run around by a coward who watches watch the fires burn from the seats.” They explained.

“Considering our lives hang in the balance, forgive us if we can’t take your word for it.” Kyosuke glared daggers at the witness.

“Fair enough. I don’t know if it’ll be airtight proof, but you’re getting one any minute now.” Ultimately, ‘any second now’ would have been a better use of the phrase. ‘It’ began with a crack running down “Toko’s” face. A spider web pattern formed afterwards. From the legs upwards, their body disintegrated.

“I’ll leave it to you.” To whom they addressed was left in the air. They turned to ashes, scattered away by the winds.

Mikan alone looked on solemnly.

“The prosecution demands Naegi take the stand.” Kyosuke didn’t waste a moment after the impostor’s death.

“Unfortunately, that is entirely the witness’ decision. If Naegi wishes to remain silent, he has the right.” Nagito said.

“I’ll do it.” The man of the hour consented.

 

- [Witness Testimony] –

 

(Music – Trials and Tribulations: Tell the Truth 2004)

Kyosuke

Makoto

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“My friends are accusing me of conspiracy and murder.”

“Sarcasm won’t assuage those valid concerns. Can you provide an alibi to refute those suspicions?”

“…Aren’t you going to ask for my name and occupation?”

“Do. You. Have. An. Alibi?”

“I went to sleep right after meeting Togami. As for Ikusaba, we talked a bit the day before she was murdered.”

“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“The prosecution has no more questions.”

“The defense may begin its cross-examination.”

- [Cross Examination] –

Aoi

Kyoko

Makoto

 

“Did you kill Sakura?”

“He has to give his testimony first, Hina.”

“How…could you think that?”

“Are you the mastermind!?”

“I’m not the blackened.”

It had been the fastest, most unproductive cross-examination thus far. One Kyosuke was quick to end.

“Don’t waste our time, defense. His word holds no weight here. We will be the ones to discover the truth, through the evidence.”

Makoto eyed him. “You sound like you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Enjoying myself?” Kyosuke smiled. An unkind, malicious thing. “I’ve waited 2 years to finally bring the culprit to justice and squeeze out everything he knows. Your guilt is...prorgess, so to speak.”

“I-I can’t do this.” Aoi said, interrupting the trial.

“We can’t give up yet, Hina.”

Kyoko’s words fell on deaf ears. Aoi left her post. Her physical prowess showed as she ran down the aisle and to the elevator.

“I request a break, your honor.” Kyoko pleads.

“Granted. We will resume in 30 minutes.”

 

- [Aoi Asahina] –

Aoi had made one of the corners in the dining room a haven from the rampant arguments and betrayals. Her mind, body, and heartfelt weighed down by anvils.

“What are you doing down there? Is the trial over already?”

Red, puffy eyes raised to see Teruteru standing over her. Even in their respective positions, the height difference was negligible.

“You don’t look so hot.” Teruteru caught himself. “Er, you do, but I distinctly remember less gloom and a lot more shine.”

“…”

 “Anywho, I’m sure your worries will disappear after a bite from this masterpiece.” There was an intoxicating aroma coming from the plate balanced on the chef’s right hand. “You said you wanted a donut. I made the best I could in the time I had.” The pastry was steaming and glazed in pink frosting and sprinkles.

It was normally have been a mouth-watering sight. Instead, she slaps the plate away after Teruteru brought it near her.

“What in tarnation? Don’t waste food!” The chef yelled in dismay.

Aoi grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him into the air. “You talk about waste, but food is where the line is drawn?!” Aoi said with tears flowing. “What about our friends? What about Sakura?!”

“Oh, you found out. I take it you were close.” Teruteru wheezed.

Aoi’s eyes dilated.

“Before we get going, have you seen Sakura anywhere?” Aoi asked.

“Them? They passed by here with the spikey-haired kid and the red-haired model.” Teruteru rubbed his chin. “Oh. One of your buddies went there a little after. The angry one…” (Aoi Asahina, and Teruteru Hanamura, Chapter 34)

“You knew.”

“Like I could say anything. I didn’t want to die, you know.”

Aoi shifted her attention to the knife dangling off the broken plate.

Her thoughts were derailed by a mocking giggle. Familiar enough that the brunette knew it was Celes before facing her.

“Oh my, I was beginning to think I had a knight in armor under my employ, but were you just rabid bitch all along?”

“What do you want?”

Celes covered her mouth. “The trial is on recess. Kyoko refused to let Makoto out of her sight, therefore I’ve been tasked with your care. I wasn’t expecting this disappointment.”

“Like I care! They killed Sakura!”

Celes crossed her fingers over her skirt, looking between Aoi and Teruteru. “I’d understand if it were Ruruka or the mastermind, but has the chef done anything to warrant that treatment? Not that I care for him. I’m really just thinking of ways to stop you from doing something stupid. My life is on the line, and I can’t risk my main line of defense getting herself killed because she broke the rules.”

Aoi dropped Teruteru. “Can you think about anyone but yourself for one minute?” Her tone fell to dangerous levels. “You broke Hifumi’s heart and tossed him aside like garbage. Your heartlessness is part of the reason we’re here!”

 “I am Celestia Ludenberg. Call me self-indulgent if you wish, but I can’t change myself, and I don’t want to.” The gambler embraced the accusation with a polite smile. “It’s my birthright to parade as a queen, and what is royalty without subjects? I take those that I appraise as capable by my side, ultimately so those talents can be used to serve me. It is a careful matter that requires a great deal of time and thought, and I have decided that you are among those elite few. Well, the real you, and not the savage before me.” Celestia approached, unphased by the anger radiating off her classmate.

“Or was Sakura wrong, and you’re just a weak little girl about to throw her life away out of some piddling emotion?”

“You could never understand Sakura’s thoughts.” Aoi growled.

“I never claimed to understand them, I simply know them. Care to see her last moments?”

"Is this a joke, because I'm not laughing."

She took Aoi’s confusion in stride. “Do you want to see them, or not? The choice is yours.”

In hindsight, Aoi had never known Celes to joke around or pull pranks. Not with that deadpanned face.

She tried to remember the last words her friend to her and drew a blank.

That wasn’t acceptable.

“I want to see her.” Aoi answered.

“Stick out your hands.”

Aoi followed Celes’ instructions and found their fingers intertwined. The pale girl pressed their foreheads together and memories flooded in.

 

- [Sakura Ogami] -

“Sonia made it out, hm?” Chisa Yukizome said wistfully.

“Aren’t you afraid to die?” Sakura said from behind. Even with the lights out, their eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

 “What kind of teacher shows their fear in front of students?” Chisa wagged her finger.

“You’re sturdier than I expected.” Sakura muttered, looking around the walls. Her strength wouldn’t save her here. “I on the other hand, have many regrets, but this was the right thing to do.”

The doll’s smile finally gave way. “Now that it’s over…I want to apologize. You didn’t deserve this.”

The fighter regarded the teacher with a confused glance. “Wasn’t this your attempt at revenge?”

“Revenge.” Chisa scrunched her face like she’d eaten a raw lemon. “Even so, it wouldn’t have anything to do with you. If I was angry at anyone, it was the teacher who couldn’t do anything right in the end.”

Sakura grunted. “I must admit. I cannot help begrudging you all for putting my friends in danger…but you don’t appear as malicious or unreasonable as Izayoi. Why do this?”

“If I didn’t, I’d be destroyed.” Chisa answered, simply. “And then one of my students would have to take my place. And if they refused, they’d be killed again too. Sorry, but they’re more important to me than the rest of you.” She paused, then continued. “Kyosuke and Juzo aside.”

A shameless statement that didn’t leave a shadow of doubt.

The giant nodded “Then I would like to thank you.”

The statement took Chisa off-guard. “For?”

“You could have told Hina and Makoto that I was with you at any time. Afterwards, they would have hesitated. You didn’t, so thank you for protecting my friends.”

Chisa’s mouth floundered. Her words tripping over each other. It was a bemusing sight for the muscular woman. “Even so. They might not forgive you for this.” The doll said.

“I must agree.” When her dear friend learns of her passing… No, there was no need to think about that. “Hina is strong. I have full confidence in her. And I trust that Makoto will keep his promise and protect her.”

Chisa’s smile returned in full bloom. “Sooo adorable.” Immediately after the exclamation, the teacher hugged her rival/teammate. “It’d have been great if you were in my class!”

Sakura had been too shocked to speak or react to the intimate gesture. Most were too afraid of her physique to interact with her, much less touch her without consent. They were strangers, not openly enemies. In recent memory, only Aoi had shown such open-mindedness.

Awkwardly, she froze…until she felt the fragile arms around her shaking.

“Miss. Yukizome...”

“I’m a bad liar.”

Whether it had been out of pity, or sympathy of their circumstances, Sakura returned the embrace. In doing so, she realized.

There were worse things than dying in another’s arms.

- [Aoi Asahina] -

“Sakura…” Aoi sobbed.

Celes pulled back. “I will tell the others you need time to recover, but do not keep me waiting. My life is on the line.”

“You’ve got Kyoko. You don’t need me.”

Celes sighed deeply. “I don’t like repeat myself. You are my defense – The one who came to my aid first, not Kyoko. While her deductive capabilities are several classes above. She is not fighting to protect me, you are. And while I may appear callous in your eyes, I am not unappreciative. Consider my little trick as payment for your wonderful service thus far.”

Aoi hastily wiped her tears. How had Celes done that? “A-Are you the-"

Celes brought a finger to her lips. “If you believe that, then all the more reason to return to the trial. The devious schemer who has put you and your loved ones through hell must be punished. And you can make that happen.” Celes turned. “Before that, do apologize to the chef. I must agree that wasting food you love is poor etiquette. Ta.”

In the throes of Celes’ steps, Aoi faced Teruteru. “Oh dear. All ruined.” He crouched by the fruits of his labors.

Her actions were uncalled for.

The swimmer crouches by the chef, picks out a piece of the donut, and tosses it into her mouth.

“What are you doing!?” Teruteru freaked out.

“I’m sorry. It was delicious.”

“Forget that! Don’t you know you should never eat food you picked off the floor? That 5-second rule is bullshit.” Teruteru broke character.

“That’s what you’re angry about?”

“Think of the bacteria! Food poisoning is a chef’s greatest shame and I’ll never have even the possibility of it!” The tiny man huffed. “If you mean the beatdown, then meh, I’ve been through worse. Honestly, it was a little cathartic, seeing all that anger I’ve wanted to express come out like that. Sadly, I’m as gentle as a giant.”

“Your teacher didn’t want you all to play these twisted games.”

Teruteru nodded. “Miss. Yukizome was totally against it. Especially after what happened to Chiaki. I can’t thank her enough for taking my place and running the elevator stage. I don’t have any hopes of making it out of this alive, but I get to breathe just a little longer thanks to her.”

Aoi frowned. “You sound almost happy that she sacrificed herself.”

“You get some interesting perspectives after you die. That includes accepting reality for what it is.” The chef deadpanned. “Teach’s as dependable as they come and I know it’d be worse on her if she didn’t put herself on the line. If you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t…why not just do what you want?"

The advice tugged at heart strings.

"Fyi, what I love doing is cooking and I’ll do it as long as I can. What about you?” He continued.

Aoi swallowed the saliva building up. “I-I love swimming, exercising, and donuts.”

“The first two might be tough without a pool or a gym but the third is doable. I’ve still got enough time and ingredients for another.” Teruteru picked up the dirtied treat. “How about you come with me, and I show you the ropes?”

“Come again?”

“This is a once-in-lifetime chance for both of us. A single lesson. I’ll pass down my recipe and you learn how to make a top-class pastry.”

“I have a trial to get to.” Her voice was hollow.

The reluctance and fear must’ve been written all over her face. “You want to go back?” He asked, considerately.

“No. I’m not ready.” Was her honest answer.

“Then come on.” Teruteru bid her to follow him into the kitchen.

She did.

- [Court is back in session] –

(Music – Apollo Justice: Courtroom Lobby ~ New Prelude)

“It’s been 90 minutes. She won’t be returning. I call we resume the trial.” Kyosuke said.

“Is that alright?” Nagito looked to Kyoko.

The detective closed her eyes. “No objections.”

-> Present Evidence: Teruteru’s Testimony

Kyoko resumed the proceedings. “I would like to make clear to the court that based on Teruteru Hanamura’s testimony, those who disobey the game master can be destroyed in the manner the impostor was.”

Not many had that information, but none were surprised to hear it. “I’m sure the impostor’s grave betrayal would be grounds for death.” Kyosuke presumed.

“Perhaps.”

“And how do we know that wasn’t a trap by the impostor to frame me?” Makoto rose to his defense.

“It would be one convenient trap, seeing as they offed themselves.” Toko snipped her scissors. If it was an attempt at intimidation, it was proven a failure by the following statement.

“Didn’t you just talk about how they want to hurt us? Seeing as Ikusaba wasn’t the impostor, doesn’t that mean you’re, again, running with the assumption that she betrayed us, then killed herself?

Kyosuke clenched his fist at the prosecutions’ being turned around. “You intend to worm out of this to the very last, do you?”

(Music – Apollo Justice: Trance Logic)

“All you’ve got on me is the lack of an alibi, but that’s weak when you could say the same for a lot of us. I’ve got no motive, and as much a connection as you do.”

“You’ve overlooked this!”

-> Present Evidence: Makoto’s Handkerchief

Directly after her exclamation, Kyoko held a stained cloth for them to see. “Makoto. Can you tell me what this is?”

The boy instinctively searched his pockets, coming empty. “Where’d you get that?”

“Ryoko found it for us.”

Makoto glared at the amnesiac in the stands, who turned away and whistled suspiciously.

“Let me see that cloth.” Kyosuke outstretched his hand.

“Bailiff.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Juzo made the trip from the defense to the prosecutor’s bench with the cloth in hand. “Here you go, boss.”

Kyosuke examined the cloth closely, then gripped it in his fist. “This used to be mine. My initials are on there, and I gave it to Chisa.” He narrowed his eyes at Makoto. “Why…and how you have this?”

“Is that blood?” Toko added.

Makoto’s tone grew sharp and distressed. “Chisa never gave it to me. I picked it up at the funhouse.”

“Another convenient statement. Would Fujisaki be able to verify it?” Kyosuke found a foothold and latched onto it for dear life.

“He wasn’t watching me the whole time, so I doubt it.”

“Then we only have your word.” Kyoko shrugged. “But speaking of the funhouse…would that also have been where you acquired this?”

-> Present Evidence: Nagito’s note

Kyoko searched the area for any clues to where they might have gone. All she finds were obvious traces that someone had been here recently, a messy bed, swimming trunks laying around and…a letter? (Kyoko Kirigiri, Chapter 26)

“Just close your eyes.”

“The cops better not get on my ass for this.” Yasuhiro covered both eyes and looked away. Makoto reached into his parka pocket, pulling out three items, Chisa’s cloth, Komaeda’s second letter and the-

Wait…three? Where was the other letter? (Makoto Naegi and Yasuhiro Hagakure, Chapter 26)

Makoto’s eyes grew cold. “You talk about my bad habits, but I’d say thievery’s becoming one of yours.”

Kyoko didn’t rise to the bait. “Let me read it aloud.”

"If you've found this, then you must be pretty fortunate. Unfortunately, I don't really know who I'm addressing right now. If you're an offender, then please hang this note back if you don't mind. You probably won't but who knows, maybe you're a mannerly guy/girl who happens to like killing. It couldn't hurt to ask. If you're one of the new Ultimates scrambling for your lives, then good news, this message is for you, and it might just improve your chances! That might be presumptuous of me to say, but I think the circumstances warrant a bit of help. Of course, this won't be for free. I need to test you to see if you've really got what it takes to win this killing game. I've already been disappointed before, so I hope you'll be different. Go to the Final Dead Room and win the highest setting of Russian Roulette. Your reward is there.

P.S. You're probably wondering how I knew somebody would find the letter in this remote area. Multiple reasons for that actually - It's embarrassing to say but I've got my back against the wall even now, so I don't really have too many options. Serves trash like me right. Still, I'm sure someone will find this letter because I'm lucky that way. You see, I'm Class 77-B's Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda.”

Nagito’s dull gray eyes came to life. “I wrote that?”

Kyoko and Makoto stared at him in surprise. “Didn’t you?”

Mikan coughed from the stands. “Nagito’s…condition makes him prone to memory lapses. He could have forgotten.”

“I see.” Kyoko said slowly. “Does the handwriting match at least?”

“It looks like mine. Assuming it wasn’t copied, it sure is embarrassing hearing my letter being read back to me. Where’d they find it?”

“I can’t speak for any others, or even this letter. I merely found it where Makoto was staying.”

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth II: Confrontation ~ Presto 2011)

Nagito stared long at the witness, his smile growing more mysterious by the minute. “Witness. State your name and occupation.”

“Makoto Naegi. The Ultimate Lucky Student.” Makoto said slowly, trying to see if there was a trap in those words.

“Was it luck then…or something else? Either way, it must be fate.”

“Earth to Judge Twiggie, what’ve your ramblings got to do with our case?” Toko wasn’t shy of conveying her impatience.

“Haha. I was just musing. But I’ve got to throw that question back at the defense. As the writer, I should know better than anyone what that letter’s about, but how does it relate to your circumstances?”

At the expected prompt, Kyoko grit her teeth. “We weren’t told of this. None of us heard a word of warning that even mentions the future foundation. By keeping this from us, it wasn’t only leaving us in the dark, but it was detrimental to our efforts to assess the situation. Something that would be in-line with the mastermind’s motives.”

“I lost that letter a while back. Maybe even before Togami was murdered.” Makoto regained his calm. It could be said he was even more composed than before he’d been asked to the stand. “When’d you find it?”

“…I went to check on you the night you collapsed. You were gone, likely in a haste, and I found that note there.”

“That far back. Wouldn’t you be as guilty of withholding that information?” More surprising than the assertion was how he brushed aside her admittance of concern.

Kyoko glowered at him. “I shared it with Kizakura, and we kept it to ourselves and monitored you.”

“It’s just my luck that both the defense and prosecution had it out for me even before the hearing.” Makoto shook his head. “But it’s not your fault. In the end, it’s because I didn’t trust you. And I still don’t.”

A flash of hurt spread across Kyoko’s face. "How could you…?”

“That’s also the reason I drugged Mondo. He was about to turn on us. Just like Toko has. And just like Munakata has.”

“The best you can do is a vague attack on our characters?” Kyosuke voiced their confusion.

“I’m saying that I agree with you.” Makoto pointed at the prosecutor. "We can’t work together without trust. To beat the blackened, I’ll have to work around all of you.”

His words came across as incoherent to those at the center of the trial but even on the stands. If there was one man that lacked the slightest show of confusion, it was the judge presiding.

“What happened to you?” Kyoko asked.

“Even if I explained, there’s no way you’d believe me.”

“You’re wrong!”

(Music – Spirit of Justice: Athena Cykes ~ Courtroom Révolutionnaire 2016)

 “You returned.” Kyosuke muttered.

“Aoi Asahina, reporting for duty.” Aoi declared, retaking her place at the defense’s table.

“Where have you been?” The judge demanded.

“I’m back from eating the best donut of my life! Say hello to Hina 2.0.”

“…Beg your pardon?” Nagito spoke for them all.

“Teruteru taught me. Now I’ve evolved from a donut-lover to a donut-baker!” The swimming pro exclaimed.

The girl shattered the chaotic mood that had built up.

“Pffft-ahaha” An abrupt exhale of laughter came from Ruruka.

“I’m not seeing what’s so funny.” Nagito said, puzzled.

“It’s you boys for making a big deal out of a sad girl getting her sweets.” Ruruka glanced at Aoi in approval. “You let him teach you? He may be a decent cook but when it comes to pastries, look no further to find the master. All you needed to do was ask and my lessons would put his to shame.”

“Big talk. How about you meet me in the kitchen and we’ll see who’s on top?” Teruteru fumed besides Mikan on the stands.

“Like I’d ever go into a small room with a skeeze like you.”

“Hina did. And I only went for a squeeze twice.” Teruteru grinned.

“Don’t remind me.” The swimmer groaned.

“You’re doing fine.” Kyoko spoke up.

Aoi couldn’t say the same. “As fine as I can be. Sorry for leaving you hanging.”

“At least you’re back.”

Aoi nodded, then faced Makoto. “We won’t believe you? Did I hear that right?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re one unreliable boyfriend in the end.” Aoi shrugged.

“I’m unreliable?” Makoto jerked back.

“There’s only one reason you wouldn’t tell us when you’re being accused of murder. You’re afraid. Either because you’re the culprit and lying, or you’re embarrassed. And if it’s seriously the second then how’s that any different from having my secret exposed in the last round? Weren’t you the one who said we needed to put our secrets aside to survive? If we vote wrong because you’re hiding the truth, we’ll all die.”

“That’s…” Makoto paused to think. “I see your point.”

“Will you tell us?”

“Fine.”

Kyoko arched an eyebrow. “You’re changing your mind fairly quickly.”

“I don’t have anything to lose.” Makoto said gravely. Reluctantly, he spoke of his experiences, starting from his earliest memories:

(Music – Ace Attorney: Recollection ~ DL-6 Incident)

Reluctantly, he spoke of his experiences, starting from his earliest memories:

Stormy nights

The murders

The betrayals

The despair disease

The island’s mysteries

And at the center of it all, Junko Enoshima, who controlled all these events from above.


 

An actual witch.

Aoi looked over to Kyoko, who still held a perplexed look on her face.

“Is that the whole truth, then?” Kyoko inquired.

“Bring this boy back down to Earth.” Kyosuke slammed the table to the point that Aoi found cracks on its foundation.

 “I’ve already decided to fight by myself. The only reason I’m telling you now is because it doesn’t matter anymore.” Makoto murmured.

“I asked a question and I want that answer.” Kyoko pressed.

“It’s true.” Makoto looked her in the eye.

“If…that’s the case, it would explain much, if not everything.”

“…you believe me?” Makoto asked hopefully.

“Yup.” Aoi declared. “It sounds crazy to me, but here I am defending Celes in a witch trial on a rooftop so we don’t all get executed. I think we’re past the reality check here.”

“I…I’m not sure I can believe in it so easily, but I accept it is a possibility. We have Mondo and Toko as proof.” The detective analyzed the red eyed author. “I’d rather it not be the case…because none of that story discounts Makoto’s candidacy as the mastermind.”

Kyosuke called attention to himself. “Let’s say for a moment, that I believe your fairy tale. What does it sound like if not a motive for murder? After all the betrayals. It would only be natural that he would want revenge.”

Aoi's body shook at Kyosuke’s assertion. “Makoto would never do that. That’s…the only thing I can believe in.”

Get a grip, Hina.

“Are you alright enough to continue?” Kyoko’s concern was appreciated, but she couldn’t afford to accept it.

“I haven’t been of much help from the sounds of it.” She gave Makoto a determined look. “But I’ve decided to pull my weight here, so depend on me for once. Please?”

He hesitated at first before finally nodding his head. “Yeah. I’ll try.”

“Sorry to cut in, but you’re still the most suspicious guy around.” Toko said. “And let me tell you that I don’t buy that bit about witches in high-heels. No woman would choose to wear them if they had any real power.”

“Didn’t expect any less from you.” Makoto knew full-well that Toko was more in tune with common sense than anyone else there. “Just so you know. We ruled out the idea that the impostor was Ikusaba. That means we’re back to square one. You may not like me right now, but there’s still one more suspicious person, and I’m going to call them out.”

Aoi watched as Makoto stepped away from the witness stand, her gaze following him until he was right by her side.

“What do you think you’re doing on the defense bench?” Kyosuke asked.

“Hey hey hey! Are we forgetting the rules already?” Queen bee Ruruka took the stage. “You might think you’re on a roll, but your role was already set, mister.”

“Great, cuz there are no takebacks, excluding the ‘witness’ role. Any of you can be made to testify, but that’s all I can do. Any further exception will be up to the judge.” (Ruruka Ando, Chapter 34)

“I think you’re the one forgetting the rules, Ruruka.” Makoto crossed his arms. “I have every right to be part of the defense…just as long as Hina is there.”

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth II: Objection! 2011)

Aoi didn’t know where Makoto was going with this, but she wasn't about to fall behind.

“Makoto and I were attached by the cufflinks and could participate together in the games.” She took a shot in the dark.

“Past-tense is the issue here, sister. Those cuffs were smashed already by swordboy.” She jerked her thumb at Kyosuke.

“Look at that. You do bleed.” Those spine-tingling words were the first Kyosuke uttered after the game of majority concluded. The winners had taken only a few steps out of the elevators. Any plans of celebration were prematurely cut down. Makoto would have been too, if not for quick thinking. He managed to push Aoi aside, just as the silver blade swung down on them. The only casualty was the chains linking their cuffs. (Kyosuke Munakata, Chapter 34)

“You really should read the rules.” Makoto smirked.

Ruruka knitted her brows close together.

  1. The numbers on your bracelets are your assigned roles. If they are called you will be required to participate, if able.
  2. There are 12 floors in this casino. If you wish to survive, take the elevators up the final floor. To do so, you must defeat the four game masters holding the keys to each elevator. The elevators will let you ascend 3 floors until you reach the next game master. The last game master will be on the eleventh floor.
  3. The challengers are free to face the game master as many times as they can.
  4. Under no circumstances is a game master permitted to attack or aid in the attack of a participant outside the confines of the subgame.
  5. A game master may not debilitate the other players to gain an advantage.
  6. Likewise, a challenger may not assault any of the casino’s workers.
  7. Rules may be added at our convenience, but no rule may be removed.
  8. All rule infractions will be penalized.
  9. Participants can switch places so long as they are approved by the game master. However, the game master decides who gets switched. (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu)
  10. Lovers who share the same fate will never part, not even unto death (Chisa Yukizome)
  11. A game master may not poison or tamper with any meals, condiments or refreshments served to contestants or anyone involved with the proceedings, for any reason, at any point in time. (Teruteru Hanamura)

“Chisa was very thorough.” Makoto said.

“Nothing in there says you can +1 her role!”

“On the contrary, that rule was placed explicitly so I could do that. And sorry to say, thanks to rule #7, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Looks solid to me. Why not give them a chance?” Nagito cut the fuming Ruruka off.

Ruruka clicked her tongue. “Crafty little bastard.”

“Will the accused take the stand?” Nagito ordered.

- [Witness Testimony] -

Kyosuke

Celes

“State your name and occupation.”

“I am Celestia Ludenberg, The Ultimate Gambler.”

“It has come to my attention that you schemed against one of the victims. Explain yourself and leave nothing out.”

“My. You’re in quite the rush.”

“Speak.”

“I found Togami’s actions suspicious. A modern Ebenezer Scrooge funding a thoroughly expensive vacation? A red flag for any who paid attention to his mannerisms. Therefore, I organized a game where I could pin him under my control. He slipped through my fingers in the final moment, and that was the last I ever saw of him.”

“We’ll be the judge of that. What were you doing the night of his death? I repeat, leave nothing out, else I can’t promise Fukawa won’t skewer that dress.”

“No need for threats…After I bid the others farewell from my casino, I made use of my winnings. Chihiro needed to be taught as soon as possible, and by my hand alone. I fired Hifumi around say 11:45? Then instructed my new servant on how to make tea. Finally, I bid my time in the casino before testing Chihiro at around 2 am.”

“So she says.”

“The defense’s cross-examination may begin."

- [Cross Examination] –

Makoto

Celes

 

“I am Celestia Ludenberg, The Ultimate Gambler.”

“Hold it! I want your real name.”

“That is my real name.”

“Taeko Yasuhiro is your first and last name, respectively.”

“…I am not comfortable with this derailment.”

“If you’re lying out of the gate, it’ll cause problems for all of us.”

“My name is of no importance here. Let us move on to the details of the case, hm?”

“Go ahead.”

“I found Togami’s actions suspicious. A modern Ebenezer Scrooge funding this vacation? A red flag for any who paid attention to his mannerisms. So, I organized a game where I could pin him under my control. He slipped through my fingers in the final moment, and that was the last I ever saw of him.”

“After I bid the others farewell from my casino, I made use of my winnings from the game. Chihiro needed to be taught as soon as possible, and by my hand alone. I fired Hifumi around say, 11:45? Then instructed my new servant on how to make tea. Afterwards, I merely lounged around the casino and bid my time. I returned to test Chihiro at around 2 am.”

Hold it! That’s not much of an alibi. You could have been anywhere during that time.”

“Is there anything suspicious about staying in my own residence?”

“It’s not, but can you explain why you fired Hifumi? It would have been a lot easier teaching Chihiro with his assistance.”

“As I’ve mentioned, I did not need him, and he would stunt Chihiro’s development.”

“How would you rate Chihiro’s tea when he started?”

“E-rank, but he has potential. Skill can be honed but attention to detail is an inborn talent.”

“And Hifumi?”

“Poor delivery. His tea was D-rank at best.”

“Is that a fact?”

“You lied to me. Hardly unexpected but offensive nonetheless.” Kyoko said.

“What lie might you be referring to?” Celes inquired.

“There has been a great deal already, but let’s start with your assertion of Hifumi’s competence.” Kyoko said. “While you’ve never been wholly pleased with Hifumi as a person, his brew was a different story. It wasn’t even a few days ago when you praised it in front of us.”

Aoi didn’t remember that, but Hifumi had been serving Celes for a while. Whenever the artist didn’t meet the gambler’s standards, she was very vocal about it. All it took was a sip, and she’d toss the cup and its contents on the floor. Though that hadn’t happened for a very long time.

“You wouldn’t have fired Hifumi over that and there’s a world of difference between Hifumi, who volunteered to assist you, and Chihiro, who lost a bet. One that doesn’t last forever, mind you.” Kyoko continued to break down Celes' statement.

“Isn’t it about time you tell us the real reason?” Makoto asked.

Celes closed her eyes, and regrettably spoke “I . . . cannot answer.”

“Even under these conditions?”

“Yes.”

Makoto rubbed his chin. “Let’s flip it around then. Instead of ‘why’ you fired Hifumi? I wonder what it takes for you to let go of a dedicated servant on short notice.”

Unexpectedly, Celestia laughed. A soft, controlled gesture befitting her royal persona. “Excuse me. I’m pleasantly amused by how seriously you take my whims, Makoto.”

“That’s your excuse?” Kyoko frowned.

“Calling it an ‘excuse’ doesn’t de-legitimize my reasoning. For the same reasons that I kept Chihiro in my company – despite his apparent inexperience – while I decommissioned Hifumi: A spur of the moment decision.” Celestia’s callous remark earned disheartened and disdainful expressions from Chihiro and Hifumi, respectively.

“That’s quite the statement. I didn’t think you’d take the risk on Chihiro’s unverified potential on a whim, knowing you’d be left without proper servitude and refreshments for an indefinite period.” Kyoko led on.

“You are grasping at straws.” Kyosuke interjected. “I see no issue with the accused’s reasoning. Not everything must have some ironclad rationale. To begin with, someone of her ‘profession’ ought to be suspected of unscrupulous and risk-taking behavior.”

“I will accept that as a compliment.” Celes said, as Makoto and Kyoko slowed their line of questioning. To push further emphasis on Celes’ views was practically admitting they didn’t have any other concrete leads to follow.

Or at least that’s how it appeared on the surface. Aoi knew better.

“I’ve got you!”

(Music – Spirit of Justice Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016)

“You’re lying, Celes.” Aoi said.

“So I’ve been told, despite a distinct lack of evidence supporting the accusation.” Celes mocked.

“Just earlier, you told me about your strict policies when choosing your ‘company’ and how 'appreciative' you were. You knew about Hifumi before he ever became your kinda-sort-butler. You wouldn’t pick or let go of servants on a whim.” Celes had to know that. Why was she telling such an obvious lie?

Kyoko smirked. “You’ve played your hand. I would have understood if Hifumi created a major accident, but you didn’t even allude to it. You’ve all but admitted that Hifumi wasn’t fired for something he did or his presence. You had another reason, and a good one.”

The red-eyed girl twirled locks of raven hair in her hands as she retorted. “What of it? It has nothing to do with this trial.”

“No, I think it does. And that’s why you had to let go of Hifumi on that specific night.” Makoto rubbed his chin.

“You speak as if you could read my mind. Picking up tips from the late Ms. Maizono?”

That…that was definitely an attack to rouse Makoto or make him slip up. Just hours ago, Aoi would have risen to the bait if she were in his position. Her experiences had taught her to see the forest from the trees – Celes would only resort to personal attacks because she was being cornered.

“I had it mostly figured out even before the trial. Only your actions confused me. But I think I get it now.” Makoto calmly dismissed the remark.

“…”

“Well, spit it out already. I don’t have all day.” Toko sneered.

“Celes wasn’t lying about one thing. She fired Hifumi because he was in the way.”

“Of?”

“Establishing an alibi for Byakuya’s murder.” Makoto declared.

The gallery broke out in an uproar.

“Order, order! Mr. Naegi. Please explain yourself. Clearly!” Judge Nagito demanded.

Makoto’s gaze lingered on Nagito for a moment, before turning to Kyosuke. “Munakata. I’ll admit that there are many reasons for you to hate me at best, and to think I’m the killer at worst, but you’re wrong.”

“The reasons you’ve provided to support your innocence are patently absurd.”

"And why are you so convinced of that?"

 “Because there is nothing but your word and coincidences to supplant your claims and alibi! Or should I say, ‘lack thereof’?”

Makoto wasn’t discouraged. Instead, he smiled triumphantly. “So what you’re saying is that you would believe me if someone else backed it up?”

“It would be a start…” Kyosuke’s words lacked his usual confidence. He couldn’t shake the feeling of walking on a tightrope, with a well-laid trap waiting at the bottom.

Makoto faced Aoi. “You should flip your thinking around. These guys are the craziest people you could ever meet. The sky’s the limit for whatever messed up plot they could think of.”

“Yeah.” She replied lowly. As painful as it was, she had to keep Sakura at the back of her mind.

“Even if you believe in Celes’ innocence, you have to admit that she doesn’t have an alibi…but is she the only one?”

Kyoko’s eyes widened, then narrowed. She lowers her head ever so slightly. “Hina, you believe in Celes, but do you believe in Makoto?”

“Yes.” Aoi replied immediately.

“You’re the defense, so I’ll follow your lead. Do you remember what I told you about possibilities?”

Aoi nodded.

“Then you should understand the flip side to that concept. If all but one of our options have been exhausted, then that final possibility must be the truth. And you should have found yours now.” The detective made her definitive statement.

And once again, she left it to Aoi.

The ultimate swimmer closed her eyes and organized her thoughts.

If Celes wasn’t the killer, someone else had to be.

If they killed Byakuya, nobody would have seen them at the time.

Who could it be?

Who must it be?

There wasn’t any going back now.

Aoi nearly fell backwards when she hit a wall. “That can’t be right.” She had to have made a mistake somewhere but…because this wasn’t any better than what they’d started with! It was everything she’d been trying to fight…

“It is.”

“Don’t turn away from the truth.”

 Aoi bit her lip. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced of her partners’ confidence.

“All three of you have gone quiet. Is the defence ready to concede?” Nagito spoke up.

Aoi shook her head. “No. I think we might have figured this mystery out.” Aoi points at the man on the other side of the court. “Munakata, the reason you suspected Makoto and Celes is because they didn’t have alibis at the time, correct?”

“For anyone who’d been paying the slightest bit of attention, yes.” He just couldn’t hold back the sass. “They were in the perfect position for the murder and have inextricable ties to this case. Naegi has given his explanations, ridiculous they are, while Ludenberg has offered nothing at all. Nobody was watching her at the time of the murder.”

Nobody.

“Don’t you see a problem with that?” Aoi proposed.

-> Present Evidence: Celestia’s Testimony

“…” Kyosuke didn’t have an immediate reply. He’d had dozens at the start of the trial. That tune had changed ever since Makoto had given his side of the story.

“If Celes has no alibi, doesn’t that mean that there’s someone else who wasn’t being watched and had a connection to the casino? Who was connected to Byakuya, and could come near him (with poison) without raising any flags?”

Kyosuke’s mouth parted slightly, then closed.

“Stop beating around the bush and tell us already! Sheesh!” Toko prepped her scissors.

Aoi nodded. “The defense would like to concede one point, your honor. Our defendant is…not innocent.”

“You’re finally admitting she’s guilty.” Nagito said, wide-eyed.

“Yes, but not of being the mastermind.” She was more than a little angry at Celes. She’d have been ballistic if not for the favor she’d done Aoi earlier.

“You shouldn’t throw stones from glass houses.” Kyoko shot the gambler a glare. “You accused Hifumi of being the accomplice ‘at best’ when you were the real accomplice all along.”

 Aoi felt her throat constrict but pressed onwards, for the sake of their fallen friends.

“The identity of the real culprit is you” She dramatically pointed at the crux of their suffering, the lady of the casino, the puppet master behind the killing game, and the one who even now, looked down on them with an air of false innocence.

-> Present Profile: Chihiro Fujisaki

(Music – Trials and Tribulations: Pressing Pursuit ~ Cornered)

The room fell so silent that Aoi felt she’d made the wrong guess.

Confused, Chihiro pointed towards his person. “You think I killed Togami?”

“I…” Aoi faltered.

“You did and you are the mastermind.” Makoto exclaimed.

Eventually, the shock of the accusation settled and the rest caught up.

“You serious? You’re telling me that Chihiro is responsible for killing my bro? Is your head screwed on right?” Mondo balled his hands into fists.

“I can see this is going nowhere fast.” Kyosuke said. “The prosecution calls Chihiro Fujisaki to the stand.”

“Agreed. If you would, Mr. Fujisaki.”

Mondo grabbed Chihiro’s hand before the boy could stand. “Screw that!”

“I understand your feelings, Mondo. You’re probably closer to Chihiro than everyone here, but we all have to fight to survive. Celes and I are here defending ourselves. He’ll need to do it too.” Makoto said.

“I’ve been sitting here this whole time watchin’ all of you run in circles throwing crap at each other. You’d trick him into being guilty even when he’s not.”

“Are you saying that kid is incapable of defending himself?” Juzo crossed his arms.

Mondo struggled for a reply, glanced at Chihiro, and swallowed his pride. “Yeah, if that’s what it sounds like then I am.”

“How’s that fair?” Juzo asked. “Which of the other kids were prepared for the mastermind’s fucked up sense of humor.” The boxer pointed backwards to the defense. “The little girl over there damn near lost her mind, and she’s still here fighting. Fuck, he’s a man ain’t he?”

Mondo broke out into a sweat.

 “And what you call running around in circles, is an important process. By leaving no stone unturned, it’ll give us the best chance to save ourselves and find the truth. Anything less is willful negligence. Don’t you think Kiyotaka and the others deserved that much?” Kyoko chimed in.

“Damn it.” Mondo banged the rail. “If I catch even one whiff of you bullying him, I’m stepping in.”

“We’ll see about that.” Toko muttered.

“Quiet.” Kyosuke rebuked her.


“Glad to have you back, Mr. Fujisaki. Seeing as we’ve come this far, I’ll be more lenient with who gets to speak. Don’t go too crazy though.” Nagito said.

“I don’t know what to say except that I didn’t kill anyone. I could never think to.” Chihiro protested.

“You did.” Makoto repeated with an obsessive fervor “I’ve been suspicious of you for a while now.” Kyoko eyed him from the side. “Last time, you were so terrified about leaving Jabberwock unattended that it drove you to despair. This time, you were barely concerned at all.”

“What is ‘Jabberwock’?” Kyoko steps into the conversation.

“It’s a project I’ve been working on for the school.” Chihiro answers. Then turns back to Makoto. “It should be harmless. Without my input, it won’t activate. Don’t worry.”

“…Good to hear.” That was all the luckster had to say. (Kyoko Kirigiri, Chihiro Fujisaki, and Makoto Naegi, Chapter 28)

“When Celes approached me in the infirmary. She talked about herself, her real self. Something she’d never do before. She was trying to tell me was that she could only do it without you being present.”

“We are. I would like extra milk on my royal milk tea. That will take you around 15-20 minutes depending on how well you get it done. In that time, I would like to have a conversation with Makoto here.” Celes ordered. (Celestia Ludenberg, Chapter 27)

“None of that shit is actual evidence. Celes made him her butler!” Mondo answered in Chihiro’s stead.

“Or so we were led to believe. What if Celes was an accomplice by that point already?” Kyoko posited.

“Prove it!”

“It’s simply a possibility. One that would easily explain the connection.”

“Why don’t we ask her?” Kyosuke advised.

Even with everyone’s attention directed towards her, Celes was silent as stone.

“You won’t speak?”

“She probably can’t.” Makoto interrupted. “I’ve dealt with that a lot. I’d say the mastermind is holding something over her.”

“Like hostages?” Aoi asked.

He nodded. “Chihiro, you fainted earlier.”

“Y-Yeah. With everything that went on, I just felt overwhelmed. Sorry.” Chihiro whimpered.

“You were overwhelmed alright, but not for that reason. The disease that’s giving the mastermind his ability comes at a price. And if the mastermind’s what I think they are, then it’s tiring, isn’t it?”

“How can we conclude exhaustion was the cause?” Kyosuke argued.

“We can check.” Aoi faced the jury’s seat. “Mikan, do you know why Chihiro fainted?”

 “It wasn’t anything serious. Exhaustion could be caused by stress or a lack of energy. Either could be replenished by eating or sleeping.” The nurse explained.

“And guess who did both?” Makoto crossed his arms. “Teruteru’s banquet was probably a way for the mastermind to recover their strength.”

“Hm…the game masters were dead set on us eating. Enough that they almost forced a rule on it.” Toko added.

“Think back to who first suggested we eat.”

 “You seem famished, dear. I’ll let you have the first bite.”

“Eh really?” (Celestia Ludenberg and Chihiro Fujisaki, Chapter 34)

“We hadn’t eaten in hours. That’s just normal.” Mondo said.

“Were you hungry, Mondo?” Makoto asked.

“Maybe? I don’t remember.” The biker clicked his tongue.

“I wasn’t hungry either. Usually, I’m starved after 3 hours…” Aoi had blamed the lack of hunger on tension, but was there more?

“Everyone who was starved at the time. Raise your hand.” Kyoko declared.

Makoto, Kyosuke, Syo, and reluctantly Chihiro raised theirs.

“See that’s four extra. That means you could be the culprit.” Mondo pointed at Makoto.

Makoto flinched. “You sound like you want me to the mastermind.”

“No. No, I don’t. What I want is for this circus to be over or wake up from this damn nightmare already.”

“I hate to disappoint you. This isn't a nightmare and Chihiro must be the culprit. Because there’s something that connects us four. Remember what Komaeda and Ruruka said.”

“I knew it. It was pointless.” Ruruka shrugged.

“She is one of us after all.” Nagito wore a nostalgic smile. (Ruruka Ando and Nagito Komaeda, Chapter 35)

“Munakata and Toko are in despair already, but Toko’s further down the line. And I…I’ve been exposed, for the lack of a better term. So what’s Chihiro’s excuse?”

“All of this is just your fantasy. You can’t prove any of it.” Mondo’s argument was out of sheer desperation. Aoi had to sympathize.

“Maybe so, but even you have to admit too many points check out. It can’t all be a coincidence.” Makoto argued.

“Desist!”

(Music – Spirit of Justice: Last Rites Prosecutor)

“Your points have been made.” Kyosuke continued. “At this point, we have three potential suspects. And Ludenberg is convincingly less suspicious than either, amazingly. Owada is however correct that you lack decisive evidence.”

“He could be wearing contacts. That’s how the blackened hid their identity before.” Makoto said.

All eyes fell on the Chihiro, who shirked back. “I’m not wearing any.”

Kyosuke signaled towards Juzo.

The boxer obeyed. Crassly, he picked up the shorter boy by the shirt and brought Chihiro to eye level. With a click of his tongue, he dropped Chihiro. “He’s clean.”

Kyosuke sent Makoto an unimpressed look. “Well?”

The brunet grits his teeth. “He could have hidden it some other way. Strangely, he was one of the only ones who experienced hunger. Even Mondo was knocked out so he can’t use that excuse.”

“I’ve already acknowledged that. Fukawa is clearly unwell, but I-”

“Ever looked in the mirror lately?” The author flipped the man off.

“Hmpf. Fine, let’s suppose there have been some changes in me. But what of you?” Kyosuke paused. “No. Giving your behavior, you’re odd. However, it doesn’t disprove that you are the mastermind. Even if we were to take your words at face value, wouldn’t being infected with despair be a dilemma in of itself?”

“I-I never said that. I can’t be in despair. That means Enoshima’s won, and…and I’ll never let that happen!” He backed away.

Nobody caught the twitch of Nagito’s lips.

“There’s nothing wrong with him. And there’s no way any of us could understand what he’s been through” Aoi stared Kyosuke down.

“Perhaps. But know if that’s the case – commendable it may be – he’s shot his own argument down.” Kyosuke haphazardly replied.

(Music stops)

Makoto sighed heavily. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me, but it was worth a shot.” He looked up to Aoi, gratefully. “But at least you did. It means the world to me. I mean, assuming you didn’t just say that to spare my feelings.”

“I believe you, dork.”

He dragged his eyes away from her as he solemnly muttered “I’m sorry.” under his breath.

He shoved his hand in his sweater pocket and left the defense table. Aoi’s puzzled gaze followed him to the center of the courtroom, front-facing the judge and back facing the witness. “I have a question that only the dolls can answer.”

“Shoot.” Nagito said.

“I will.” He stared evenly at the judge. “Why were Toko and Munakata’s items confiscated?”

Nagito nodded. “Good question. Why again, Ruruka?”

"Useless." Ruruka rolled her eyes. “Because sharp scissors and swords are dangerous. All the more in the hands of psychos.” The confectioner shot the prosecuting team a teasing look.

“Dangerous to whom? Us, or you?” Makoto inquired.

“Would it be fine if I said everyone?”

“It wouldn’t.” He refuted. “After all, we were allowed to have guns in the second round and there’s nothing in the rules against us having weapons. Then there’s the rule against attacking the game masters. There’s no reason for any of you to be afraid.”

Ruruka shrugged. “Then it was for you kids. Aren’t we generous?”

“If you cared that much, you would have made it a rule that we couldn’t harm each other outside of the rounds.” There was a logic that everyone could follow, but the destination remained a mystery. “Want to know what my theory is?”

“Don’t know. I’m not a mind-reader.” Ruruka made the same face Kyosuke had prior. Cautiously choosing her words as she was strung along the conversation.

“That’s kind of my point. I don’t think you knew at all. Otherwise, why wait that long to take away their weapons?” He catches the subtle twitch of Ruruka’s face.

“I can’t have you boys killing each other off when there’s only so many of you to go around as it is. I’ll be confiscating all deadly toys.” Ruruka motioned towards Toko, who’d observed in silence. “That includes scissors.”

The novelist regarded the confectioner with a silent challenge.

“If You refuse, it’ll be made a rule.” Ruruka pressed harder. (Ruruka Ando, Chapter 34)

“You didn’t expect they’d be armed and really wanted it off their hands. That’s because they were dangerous to someone who isn’t a game master...and isn’t us.”

Nagito hummed in thought. “You may have a point, but I’m not seeing what that has to do with this trial.”

Makoto removed his left arm and tapped his temple. “Despair is all up here,” He drew from his right arm. “so the mastermind’s weakness has to be the unknown.” He spun around, switching from the judge to the witness behind him.

Chihiro stared blankly, unable to process what was happening before a loud *bang* shocked the courtroom.

Time slowed as they all watched the programmer stumble, clutching onto his punctured shoulder before collapsing.

The smoke left the gun barrel, evaporating into the air,

The first to react after the shooting was Mondo, who leaped out of the stands and ran towards Makoto in a rage.

The barrel tracked the gang leader’s position, making the boy freeze in place.

“Nobody move.” Makoto threatened.

“You crazy son of a bitch!” Mondo’s face was red with anger.

“Makoto, put that down.” With visible concern, Kyoko urged him to drop the weapon.

A loud, guttural groan alerted them to the witness stand that Chihiro was using as leverage. “That gun. Was it from the final dead room!?” The programmer screa ed..

The others ignored the gun used for the Russian roulette.

Makoto picked it up and hid it in his clothes. (Makoto Naegi, Chapter 24)

Makoto met the boy’s ire in even measure. “As long as I can remember, not one of you blackened ever called it quits just because your identities were exposed. I needed some insurance.”

Seeing Chihiro standing restored some of Mondo’s rationality. “Kid, you okay?”

Chihiro’s rage fizzled out. “Eh? My wound…it’s healed.” He gripped his left shoulder in pain.

Makoto narrowed his eyes. “This is your world. It only makes sense you’d be able to heal yourself. Maybe it’d be different if I’d shot at your head.”

“Don’t make it sound like you missed on purpose. I could tell your aim was off.” Kyoko admonished him.

The lucky student and detective shared a glance before the former returned his attention to Mondo. “This should spell it out for everyone: Chihiro healed himself, that means he’s the blackened.”

“And if he couldn’t?” Kyoko’s question carried grave undertones.

“The game would end because he’s the blackened.”

A round of claps drew attention to the prosecutor’s bench. “I concede, Makoto Naegi.” Kyosuke applauded. “No, not explicitly the part about Fujisaki being our culprit. What I must acknowledge is that you have left your sanity behind. Your earlier point about yourself, Fukawa, and I, is now a plausible theory.”

“…Doesn’t seem like you’re ready to throw in the towel.”

Kyosuke thinned his lips. “Your decisive evidence has one flaw. From the looks of it, Fujisaki doesn’t know how he was healed.”

Chihiro shook like a leaf while directing his gaze elsewhere. “I-I didn’t do anything, so…maybe the mastermind saved me?”

“And what would they gain from that?” Kyoko asked.

“Because if I was healed, it’d make everyone suspect me.” Chihiro's one-line reasoning made even the detective retreat into silence.

Makoto stared at him in shock. “You rat.”

“This is it! Hope and despair not giving each other even an inch!” Nagito was beside himself with mirth.

Ryoko leaned into Hifumi’s ear. “Starting to think that Judgy’s a wacko.”

"Just now?" The boy whispered back.

“We’ve finally come down to the definitive suspects. If Fujisaki healed himself to save his life, he is without a doubt the owner of the casino. But if the mastermind healed him… the only one who had anything to gain from that would be Mr. Naegi. In other words, Celestia Ludenberg is most likely innocent. Does anyone have a problem with that?”

“No.” Kyosuke said.

Kyoko eyed the proper defense. Aoi’s drained expression made her look near catatonic. “No issues here.”

“Then I officially declare the accused, Celestia Ludenberg,

 

Celestia gave a curt bow. “Wonderful, but perhaps you ought to pay more attention to the play, Mr. Judge?” Celestia pointed to the witness stand.

Cold metal touched the base of Chihiro’s throat. In the commotion, Toko had abdicated her position and circled behind the brunette.

Chihiro barely managed a squeak of terror.

“What the…fuck?” Mondo’s hands fell to his sides as he lost the energy to scream. “What the fuck is wrong with everyone? Let him go.” His voice cracked.

“Listen to the man, Fukawa. This is only hurting our position.” Kyosuke commanded.

To the surprise of approximately 0, the author ignored them both. “I never liked how close you were with Master. It wasn’t right. He’s like an island onto himself, free of the filth like us.” She drew the blade closer to Chihiro’s flesh. “From the second that bimbo mentioned your name, I wanted you to be the killer…and I know you are.”

“How?” Kyosuke asked.

 “Do all of you have wax in your ears? Or didn’t you hear this little psycho when he got up?”

“That gun. You picked it up from the final dead room?’” Kyoko spoke up.

“Figures.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to know where king asshole got a piece from to shoot him with?” Mondo said throatily.

Toko sneered. “I know you’ve never fought for your life in those kiddy fights, but you’ve at least had a run-in with death before, haven’t you? What about that big brother of yours?”

“Don’t you talk about Daiya.” Mondo took one step forward.

Another gunshot rang. A bullet pierced the floor just in front of the biker.

“I said don’t move.” Makoto warned.

Mondo’s murderous expression may have made the boy flinch in a different place and time. Not here.

Similarly, fear was stricken from Toko’s dictionary. “Where was your head at when you found out he kicked the bucket? Where whatever the fuck killed him came from? Or whether he was still alive?”

“…!” Mondo’s eyes widened and glazed over, trapped in a dark memory.

“I remember now. I've seen tons of people die and let me tell you ‘the shop I get my tools from’ wasn’t on their immediate list of priorities.” Toko continued. “What they care about is what I am going to do to them, or for the slower ones, what I was already doing.”

Kyosuke rubbed his chin. “I see. Fujisaki’s response tells that knew he wouldn’t die. Consequently, the nature of the weapon instinctually became a far more pressing matter.”

“Glad we’re finally on the same page.” Makoto rushed Kyosuke’s speech along before addressing Toko. “What are you waiting for? Take him out before he tries anything!”

“H-Hold on!” Hifumi frantically chewed at his fingers. “That’s Chihiro! Even if there’s something wrong with him, he’s-”

“-not out friend, he’s not even Chihiro. He’s a blackened. We have to get rid of them before they get us!” Makoto cut Hifumi off. “Do it already, Toko!”

“No, I don’t think she will.” Nagito banged his gavel.

The noise was louder than any before now. Then a sudden pressure fell on the courtroom. Most were forced to their knees. The dolls were an exception who stood in place as if nothing inexplicable occurred.

Kyosuke hunched over the prosecutor’s table, just able to keep on his two feet.

Toko fared better, able to stand without assistance, but the dropped scissors and weathered expression on her face told of her limits.

“This feeling…” Makoto felt his body slightly weighed down. “Why are you getting in my way?”

“. . .This is a trial, Mr. Naegi. The only judgment here will be handed down by me. You honestly couldn’t kill Fujisaki even if you wanted to.”

Ruruka gazed upon the scenery with transparent joy. “The one who has the most power to dictate this game is the game master. Not even the mastermind can overwrite that. Them’s the rules.”

Makoto put the pieces together. “You’re the ones who healed Chihiro?”

“That should have gone without saying. If a witness died in my court, I’d never be able to show my face in front of the Ultimate Judge. If I’m lucky enough to ever get to meet such an esteemed person.” Nagito laughed.

“I don’t get it.” The brunette despaired. “You should be on my side!”

“I assume you’re basing this on that letter? Heh. Sorry, but I’m on the side of hope.” Nagito’s words were filled with as much conviction as ambiguity.

“Besides, what happened to ‘exploring angle to find the culprit.’ I think shooting a potential culprit before a verdict is sorta working against that logic.” Ruruka approached him, extending her palm. “If you want to prove him guilty, it will have to be through a trial. And that means we don’t need any scary toys.”

Makoto watched her unresponsively.

“Don’t be difficult. If you don’t play by the rules, there’s no reason for anyone else to either. Do you want all this to be for nothing?” Ruruka whispered into his ear.

Makoto swore, and crudely placed the gun in Ruruka’s hands. The confectioner smiled, opened up the firearm, and dumped 4 bullets out. Then stepped towards Toko’s position to pick up the fallen scissors and drag Chihiro away.

Nagito nodded. “Now, does anyone else have anything to say that might sway our opinions towards either of our two suspects.”

Nobody spoke. Neither Kyosuke, Toko, or even Kyoko said a word.

Everyone was exhausted both physically and mentally. There were no other leads to follow.

“Hm, in that case, we should just go right ahead with the deliberation-”

“Good grief. All this excitement has driven me thirsty.” Celes wiped the dust from her clothes.

“I don’t think now’s a good time, Miss. Celes.” Chihiro said.

“That’s disappointing to hear. I’m sure Hifumi would have been ready and willing, no matter the circumstances.”

“I think you can wait a little longer before you get your drinks. Or not, depending on if we get fucked.” Juzo snapped.

“Objection!”

Hifumi yelled. “I don’t know if Makoto is the culprit or not, but…I can at least find out if Chihiro is.” Hifumi eyed at the smaller boy in distrust. “Everything comes back to who murdered Mr. Togami. Chihiro’s alibi for that time was studying how to prepare Celes’ favorite Royal Milk Tea, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.” Chihiro skittishly replied.

“Then as your predecessor, I insist on judging how far your progress has come.”

Chihiro blinked. Slowly he replied “You want me to make tea? What’ll that prove?”

“If you were truly studying to make that tea during the night, then prove it. If the taste is acceptable, then you may be innocent after all. It certainly cannot hurt if you are.”

“Unconventional, but clearly nobody else has any ideas.” Nagito said.

“It takes 20 minutes to prepare. I-I’m not that good yet, but I’ll do my best.” Chihiro sighed.

“We’ll break here.”

 

- [Court is Back in Session] –

 

They waited for Chihiro to leave for the kitchen with guards in tow to make Hifumi’s tea.

It was dead silence for half an hour. Nobody could meet each other’s gaze.

Kyoko snuck a glance at Aoi’s face. She regretted it in an instant. Those blue orbs that normally burned with fierce passion were lifeless. She looked more like a broken doll at that moment than any of their captors had.

The detective turned her gaze to Makoto, who had kept his eyes peeled to the exit way from the moment Chihiro left. When the programmer, Juzo, and Toko returned with a cart, the brunette watched him walk down the aisle like a hawk.

“Here you are, Hifumi.” Chihiro served the artist.

Hifumi nodded in thanks. A second later, the tea was down his throat.

The entire court waited on Hifumi’s word with bated breath.

“How’s it taste?” Chihiro asked shyly.

“It is…acceptable!” was the overweight male’s judgment. “It shows a good deal of improvement really, but there is still so much to be desired before it reaches my level.”

Chihiro laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

“A waste of time.” Kyosuke muttered, trailing Chihiro’s form as he went to serve Celestia next.

“Can I try some?” were the first words Aoi had spoken in an hour. Her tone was bereft of cheer or positive emotion.

“Give me a minute and I’ll be right there.” Chihiro chirped.

The swimmer looked down at the ripples of tea once a warm cup was in her hands. “Yeah, I like it. Nothing like Teruteru’s, but it’s good.” She said after a sip. “Let Makoto try some.”

Hearing his name leave her lips gave Kyoko a slight twitch. There hadn’t been anything special about the way Aoi phrased it. But that dry delivery said it all.

Even if they made it through this. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Their tight-knit class was broken beyond repair.

“This is…much better.” Makoto said, placing the cup back on its holder.

“I thought so too.” Aoi agreed.

“So that’s it then? No more suspecting me.” Chihiro played with his hands.

“Yup.” Aoi nodded.

The programmer sighed with relief.

Until. “I’m convinced. You’re the mastermind.”

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth II - Pursuit ~ Wanting to Find the Truth)

Shocked comprehension raced across Chihiro’s face.

 Calmly, the swimmer explained. “Makoto just said your tea is good. He didn’t think that the day before Taka and Ikusaba’s murder.”

“By the way, Makoto.” Celes began “Are you certain it’s wise to spend all your time with me? Not that I can blame you.”

“Huh?”

“Hina’s been staring at this table for quite a while.” (Celestia Ludenberg, and Makoto Naegi, Chapter 27)

“I was watching him the whole time, and I know he didn’t like it. Makoto doesn’t like bitter food or drinks. This is pretty sweet.”

“I was trying something new this time.” Chihiro reasoned.

“This brand of tea ought to be madeon the sweeter side. Chihiro must have improved when I wasn’t looking.” Celes chimed in.

“How would you rate him?” Kyoko asked.

“D-rank.”

“Even though you said he was E-Rank during the trial? He’s barely had the chance to practice, if at all.” The Lavender-haired girl arched an eyebrow.

“How else do you explain the new taste?” Celes asked.

At that, Aoi laughed. It was a hollow, joyless gesture. “After all the mastermind’s done. Making tea taste a little better is where we draw the line?”

Even Celes appeared unnerved by the uncharacteristic address.

“Teruteru came right out and said Royal Milk Tea was hard for him to get down right,” Aoi said.

“She’s right. It took me weeks back home to make it taste halfway decent, and I almost forgot everything I learned before you ladies (and gent) requested some.” Teruteru agreed.

“It’s just tea.” Mondo spoke up. The biker’s beloved hairstyle was dripping down, mirroring the depletion of his energy.

“Is it really just tea? If you think about it, the only reason nobody suspected Chihiro is because we know Celes’ obsession. We can easily envision she’d make Chihiro practice for hours on end to suit her exotic tastes. So we skipped over him and took his word at face value. While it gave Celes no alibi, it gave Chihiro the illusion of one.” Kyoko explained.

“It’s fucking tea…”

“You’ll deny it to the bitter end.” Kyoko grimaced.

“Um…Mondo’s talking a lot of sense.” Ryoko said with a raised hand.

(Music Stops)

 The amnesiac had formerly settled in the back for the duration of the trial, watching the events unfold. “Hifumi’s idea was cool and all but I think we’ve all lost it if we’re going to let a beverage decide this.”

Mondo smiled weakly at the wavering expressions among the group.

(Music - Ace Attorney: Suspense)

“I can’t argue with that to be honest. But what else do we got?” Juzo asked, exasperated.

“If we don’t have any more leads…then I’m fine just skipping to the vote.” A look of determination came over Chihiro’s features, one focused squarely on Makoto. “I’m fine letting everyone decide who’s more trustworthy between the two of us.”

“I won’t let you get away.” Makoto glowered at him.

“After all this shit, we’re gonna leave it to our guts?” Toko reluctantly acknowledged the situation.

“There is too much at stake to bank on emotion. There has to be something we’ve overlooked.” Kyoko urged them.

“Even if the truth eludes us, we can still make inferences based on all the discussions and actions we’ve observed until now.” Kyosuke advised.

“Yeah, and it all points to Chihiro being the mastermind.” Aoi coldly declared.

“We’ll see what everyone thinks when we get to the vote. If you ask me, anyone with a brain will pick Chihiro, the kid who even defended Makoto over the psycho that’s been hiding a handgun in his pocket for days.” Mondo rumbled accusingly.

“That’s quite the loaded statement…” Hifumi shirked away from the biker’s stare.

“A gamble to end the game of all games. Fitting for a high-roller like of my stature.” Celes smiled sweetly.

“Then let’s begin the voting process. Are there any final objections?” Nagito raised his gavel.

One hand raised again.

Nagito blinked. “Haha. I appreciate the punctuality but you’re not in class, Ms…what did you say your name was again?”

“Ryoko. Probably.” The auburn-haired girl answered.

Nagito slowly looked over the ultimate analyst. “What’s your objection?”

“Just one.” Ryoko directed her confused and curious stare towards all her classmates. “Why’s everyone being so dramatic? A gamble? Did we get tired of living?”

“If you’d just kept your mouth shut, we’d have bagged that creep already.” Toko sneered at Ryoko.

Ryoko blinked. “This is my fault?” She pointed to herself. “All I said was that deciding Chihiro’s the culprit cuz of how he makes his tea was silly…because it’s unnecessary. He’s obviously still the culprit.”

(Music – Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth II - Pursuit ~ Wanting to Find the Truth [Variation])

“Tch. You finally have something worthwhile to say? I was starting to think you were totally useless.” Juzo clicked his tongue.

“I-I’m useless?” Ryoko sent Makoto a whimpering glance.

Makoto gave her the most encouraging smile he could manage at the time. Which wasn’t even a 10th of its normal capacity. “Don’t mind him, Ryoko. Whatever you say is bound to help us.”

Ryoko crossed her arms, pridefully stuck out her chest, and grinned victoriously at the boxer.

“Get to the point already!” Juzo’s eye twitched.

“Process of elimination.” Ryoko circled her finger and landed on Toko. “Toko over there blew the case wide open when she went all stabby on Chihiro. Makoto encouraged that so . . . he’s not the mastermind.”

“Killing us is what the mastermind wants.” Kyosuke was the only one to dare rebut the oddly presented argument.

“Yes, but no. Trying to kill Chihiro is the last thing Makoto would want…if Makoto was the mastermind. Cuz’ if the mastermind dies, the game ends like he said, whether Fluffy and Pinky want it to. So…what happens if Chihiro dies, and the game still keeps going?

“It would leave Naegi and Ludenberg as the sole remaining suspects. And as we have already dismissed the latter…”

“Makoto would be the most likely candidate for the mastermind. He’d make less of a show literally shooting himself in the foot with that gun than wanting Chihiro dead.”

Kyosuke rubbed his chin. “That is a solid line of reasoning.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Munakata? It sounds like the prosecution is conceding.” Nagito inquired.

“Nobody has been able to provide decisive evidence even nowhowever, the circumstantial evidence has piled up quite significantly. And I can add another that comes to mind: Our ship was malfunctioned days ago, likely a result of the mastermind’s tampering. Between Naegi and Fujisaki, it goes without saying which of the two is familiar with sabotaging hardware.”

Kyosuke pointed his finger at the culprit. “The prosecution indicts Chihiro Fujisaki as the mastermind behind the murders on this island!”

“The defense’s stance is clear. What about everyone else?” Nagito asked.

Fingers that would formerly have been anxiously raised, pointed towards the programmer in certainty.

“Looks like this trial has nearly come to an end, but I think it’s fair to let the accused defend himself.”

Chihiro’s eyes wavered between everyone in the courtroom. Each fixed him with varying degrees of suspicion. Save one.

“Say something, kid.” Mondo stood as the last bastion of Chihiro’s defense, but even that determination was a shell of what it was mere minutes ago. “I don’t think you did this, but I need to hear it straight from your mouth.”

Chihiro sighed and cast Celes an exasperated glance. “Was that your plan, Taeko?”

The gambler giggled into her palm. “You suspect too much. I merely did my best to keep your cover.”

“Chihiro?” Mondo quivered.

“That’s not Chihiro. He’s been taken over the blackened.” Makoto glared daggers at his once-friend.

“If you think that, shouldn’t you address me properly? The owner of this casino isn’t a man.” Chihiro snapped his fingers and they all saw static. A glitch error disturbing their vision, only to slowly unravel. When they saw the programmer again, he was in a long, black dress with long, satin gloves. A dark see-through veil covered his face and was kept in place by a crown hanging lopsidedly on his head - A mourning outfit fit for royalty.

“Do I finally look the part?”


Mondo couldn’t believe his eyes. “I-I thought you wanted to become strong,”

Chihiro’s countenance took a nosedive from their original impression. A perpetual frown overtook those feminine features. “…I was too weak to change myself, and you aren’t good enough to help me. It’s better if we forget about that. It’s much easier staying a weak, little girl. Although, maybe not as useless as some women.”

“Oh dear, wouldn’t be referring to me, would you?” Celes covered her mouth in faux surprise.

“You couldn’t even do the simple jobs I gave you.” Chihiro’s gaze lingered on Celes for a few moments, then fixed on the general audience. “Taeko was supposed to include Hifumi in our group, but I had a feeling she’d sabotage me. I had to get the Hypnostase from the infirmary as backup. Togami’s night out helped give me an excuse.”

Makoto didn’t flinch at the despair’s implication that he’d been walking with the enemy that far back. “What did you do with the other half?”

“I put Hifumi to sleep and had Celes take him home.”

“I was unconscious!?” Hifumi yelled.

“And heavy. Thank goodness there we a wheelbarrow to toss you in.” Celes snarled at the mastermind.

“Why would you assist him?” Hifumi’s tone was lighter when addressing the Celes, however, the suspicions of her hadn’t been erased.

“I was given an ultimatum to be part of the game in exchange for my guaranteed survival.” Celes said bluntly.

“It was more than that. I gave you an incentive to help me run the game, one you were happy with at the time…or so it seemed.” Chihiro’s delivery was as dry as it was sarcastic. “As for the other, you know what happened. I left the syringe with Hifumi to hand over to the one who asked for it.”

“Ikusaba was a spy then.” Kyoko asked.

“Apparently.”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t. That witch knows how to get into your head. It’s...liberating.”

A sentiment shared by nobody.

“You’ve been in contact with Enoshima.” Makoto surmised.

 “That’s what she called herself but I’m not naïve enough to take her word at face value. Identity fraud is everywhere nowadays.” Chihiro tilted his head, eyes boring holes into Makoto’s. “Hey. Didn’t something like that happen today with the impostor and Sakura? They even had me fooled.”

“Your instructions, might I add. Or are you just trying to get a rise out of us?” Kyoko interrupted. More for Aoi’s sake than anything else. The girl had barely reacted.

“I don’t have a reason to lie anymore. It was my idea to impersonate Sakura, but tricking you all into thinking Makoto was the culprit? They came up with it all on their own.”

“So they can act without your explicit orders?” Kyoko tapped her chin.

“More than that. They’re special A.I who help run this place.” Chihiro raised his finger skyward. “As Makoto explained, I’d burn out if I didn’t share the burden somehow. That’s the real point of the game masters...and Taeko.”

“And in doing so, you must award them with a degree of freedom. The strain becomes easier on you if they think for themselves.” Kyosuke reasoned.

“Something like that. If they were real NPCs, they wouldn’t be as emotive as you see.”

“Seems you aren’t the puppet master you think you are.” Makoto took a figurative jab at Chihiro.

“You would know. Stringing these poor girls along.” Chihiro swung back.

Makoto’s winced.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? That sob story gave you the perfect position to provide evidence that only you would know, and have it accepted.”

“...I’m not like you.”

Chihiro's gaze fell. “…Here I thought we were friends.”

“You killed our friends!” The ferocity of that assertion would have thrust the old Chihiro into a spiral of emotion turmoil.

The blackened didn’t even flinch. They carried on in that same depressive monotone. “I admit that I’m the mastermind, but I’ve killed no one. Ikusaba probably killed Kiyotaka, but I don't know why she spared you, Toko.”

“I was supposed to die?” Toko’s eyes widened.

“Why would there need to be two people drugged but only one killed? There wouldn’t have been any witnesses or complications, then she could have used the syringe on herself and taken your place. Whatever happened, she put you to sleep instead. Maybe Junko punished her afterwards.” Chihiro sighed. “Oh well, what’s done is done. But really, I’m innocent of murder. If you want to blame anyone, blame the dolls.”

“You made them.” Aoi said, with barely suppressed anger.

“Would you accuse your parents of your own crimes?” Chihiro countered. "They had to play the game, but that didn't mean they had to kill. They could have just laid down and be destroyed."

“You poisoned Togami.” Kyoko’s sought to break the circle of accusations with one murder that could be definitively tied to the mastermind.

Chihiro’s features hardened. It was the most expression he’d made since his transformation. “No, I didn’t.” His apprehension sounded almost like the real Chihiro at that moment. “This trial was a sham. I was caught for a murder that I didn’t commit.”

“After all this, you’re going to lie to our faces! We just spent this whole tedious debate exposing you for Master’s murder.” Toko was seconds away from exploding or murdering the mastermind. “Bang the gavel and light em' up, Fluffy.”

“Is that becoming a nickname? I don’t dislike it, but 'light em' up'?” Nagito asked.

“Were you not informed? The execution is for the culprit is to be burned at the stake,” Kyosuke interjected. “However, I was promised the chance to interrogate the mastermind, I will expunge every secret from their lips until I have my answers. Vengeance comes afterwards.” He challenged Toko with a silent warning.

Chihiro continued. “…As I was saying, Whoever poisoned Togami left me to deal with the fallout.”

Makoto muttered to himself quietly.

“Then who would you argue is responsible?” Kyoko asked.

“No clue. But whoever they are, they’re probably laughing at us. You guys stumbled onto the right answer based on a false lead.”

“It must be the future foundation.” Ryoko guessed.

“That would be the likeliest explanation.” Celes agreed.

“What is your motive? What is the future foundation plotting?” Kyosuke began his interrogation.

“I only know what Junko told me, which was about everything that I added to the elevator round.” Chihiro said.

“Then what was your motive if not to collude with them?”

“Fair question. How can I put this…” Chihiro hummed in thought. “I needed test subjects.”

“…What?” Kyosuke’s stoic composure crumbled, replaced by vivid confusion.

“When faced with a hard choice, you would make the worst decisions for the group’s survival – was my hypothesis.” Chihiro elaborated.

Juzo blinked. “This was some kinda messed up science experiment? You couldn’t have used rats like everyone else!?"

Makoto remained unphased. It was becoming second nature to deal with this brand of insanity. “You’re as sick as Enoshima. All you care about is laughing at senseless murder.”

“I don’t remember saying I wanted anyone to die, much less feeling happy about it. These games served an important purpose for me.” Chihiro muttered quietly.

“To satisfy your sadistic tendencies, no doubt.” Celes heard loud and clear.

Chihiro narrowed his eyes. “If nobody's even going to pretend to listen, should I just stop talking and leave you to deal with the rest?” His anger spiked.

“We’re listening, but don’t be surprised if we don’t believe you.” Kyoko said dryly.

“That's fine...” Chihiro continued. “To start with, I should admit that the selection of participants was never random. I chose them.”

Kyoko deadpanned.

“…It would be a surprise if you hadn’t.” Kyosuke tapped impatiently on the table.

“Oh.” Chihiro actually looked surprised to hear that. “I’ll get on with it then. I wanted to give you all a choice and see where they’d lead you.

If Leon just kept his head in the game, he’d be alive. But he succumbed to his anger and cost you a player.

Yasuhiro didn’t even try to play the game and planned on betraying Makoto from the start. Sayaka betrayed him and the rest of you for her friends.

Munakata was going to sacrifice Makoto, Aoi, and Sa- oh sorry, the impostor, to save Yukizome.

Lastly, there’s you, Hifumi. Out of hatred and envy, almost got everyone executed.

All of that gave me the answers that I needed.

You’re weak. Just like me.”

“You made us do all of that.” Aoi’s voice cracked.

“If that were true, then there'd really have been no point to all this. Instead, I gave you all a choice. If you’d stuck things out and worked together, nobody would have had to die.” Chihiro paused and promptly amended his statement. “My mistake. The second round had brutal conditions, but it's the one stage I had no control over. Junko designed it. I didn't get anything out of it so it worked in my favor to sleep through it and recover my strength. Sorry, Kyoko.”

Kyoko clawed at the table. “None of your words are sincere.”

“I understand.” He said softly.

 “All this. Even bro’s death was to prove a point?” A pale-faced Mondo dared to ask. “This isn’t you, kid. You’ve always had guts. You’re braver than me, damn it!”

“That’s the biggest lie anyone’s told so far, Mondo. Take one look at me.” His facial muscles tensed in agony. “It wasn’t enough to be born weak, I had to be frail in a way everyone could see and exploit. I thought if nobody knew I was a boy, I wouldn’t be judged…and I learned something. Eventually, I became weak on the inside too.”

“That’s your experiment? Instead of improving yourself, you wanted to prove everyone was as weak as you were.” Makoto deduced.

“I'll let you in on another bit of information. Though you’ve all probably guessed, this isn't the casino.” Chihiro said.

“These everchanging locale, and the sun that never seems to fall. Where on Earth are we?” Kyosuke questioned.

“The infirmary.”

Ryoko poked her temples. “Um…that place blew up. I think.”

“It did. We were moments away from getting caught up in it.” Toko said slowly.

“It’s tough to explain without you seeing it, but it’s not something I can show . . . because everyone is still asleep right now. ”

“Are you saying this is a dream?” Kyoko covered her mouth.

"That's right. Once you'd fallen asleep, you became [Macro]'s victims. In here, and only here, what I say goes."

Hifumi wheezed loudly. “A nightmare. It is a nightmare. Oh thank heavens. Once I wake up, everything will be over.”

“I’ll tell you right now that if this is anyone’s nightmare, it’s mine!” Toko exclaimed.

Kyosuke’s lips fell into a thin line. Disgruntled, he admitted. “I had planned to remain awake throughout the night. Perhaps I might have fallen asleep, but I can’t believe a murder took place right next to me and I wouldn’t notice.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Kyoko agreed.

Chihiro nodded. “Even if you slept for a second, that would be enough to trap you here. And once you’re in this dream world, I can do whatever I want to you, even modifying your bodies like you were digital programs.”

“We have bigger problems.” Kyoko’s tone carried urgency. “What have you done to our bodies?” (Kyoko Kirigiri, Chapter 29)

“Are you used to handling firearms?”

“Yeah. I’ve cycled through more of them than people. Why?”

“There’s no recoil. I’ve only used guns a few times in the past, but I was never good with them. I’m fairly certain Sayaka and Yasuhiro have no experience either, but they handled them just fine.” (Kyoko Kirigiri, and Koichi Kizakura, Chapter 30)

“I suspect his body has been modified somehow.” Kyoko said.

“You’re taking this too seriously. Live a little.” She counts at least two layers in that dark joke. “Never played a game where you spend ages learning how to properly use gear, right? You pick em’ up and all of a sudden you’re a master.” (Kyoko Kirigiri, and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Chapter 31)

 “And I have Hifumi to thank for spreading the virus. You were really useful.”

“I have done nothing to aid in your devilish schemes.” Hifumi whimpered.

“We already know you gave soldier-girl the drug.” Juzo said.

“To Hifumi’s credit, he didn’t help me knowingly.” Chihiro corrected. “My powers have conditions. One of them is that I can’t drag anyone into my dream. Well, I can, but it would backfire.”

 “The dolls were made the night of Togami’s death. That was in Hifumi’s dream.” Makoto noted.

“No they weren’t. The first of us was created shortly before Togami’s death.” (Nagito Komaeda, Chapter 35)

“And the rest were created shortly after Ikusaba’s death when we were already trapped here.” Kyosuke frowned.

“I can tell you because I was the third of the dolls to be made, so I know a lot about what goes on in this place.” He explained.

Kyoko zoned in on that statement. “When was this?”

“Not that long ago. Think it should have been around the time your two buddies were killed while you were asleep.” (Teruteru Hanamura, and Kyoko Kirigiri, Chapter 34)

“When you all locked yourselves in the infirmary, you all fell asleep at some point or another and caught the virus, so to speak. If you woke up now, it’d be no different than getting out of bed after a long sleep.” Chihiro explained.

“Hold it!” Aoi desperately slammed the table “That means everyone's still alive. Sakura’ll wake up when we’re finished here.”

A bubble of murmurs sprouted from the swimmer’s theory.

Chihiro gave her a pitying look. “It's not so great.”

“WHY!?”

“You're right that they're not dead, but they believe they died.” He said flatly. “They could come back eventually, the chances of that are about 0.16%. The longer they stay asleep, the lower their chances."

“You don’t know that!”

“I think I do. It’s my power, and that’s what Junko told me.” Chihiro raised two fingers. “There’s more bad news. Time doesn’t flow as quickly there, but I estimate over a day has passed. Without any sustenance, you could well die.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of this.” Celestia’s face darkened.

“Like I promised, you’d be able to live the life you always wanted in here. Even if your body fails, your ego would still exist here – A world where you’d be able to create whatever you wanted and live like a queen.” Chihiro elaborated.

"A deal with the devil is never as fair as it sounds." Celes remarked.

"You're right about that, I'm starting to think the same thing about Junko." The blackened closed his eyes in pain. The wound was reopening. The proof was in the drop of blood trickled down from his shoulder.

"'Hmpf. You don't appear that almighty to me." Hifumi said. "As the saying goes, a god who bleeds is a god no longer."

"This is a depressing. I'm so useless that I couldn't even get healing down." Nagito sighed.

"You did fine. He's the problem." Chihiro answered, and faced Makoto. Then motioned to Kyosuke and Toko. "So are you two. I didn't understand how Toko got her scissors back after the A.Is confiscated it. Not until Makoto explained that you all got hungry."

Kyoko held a gloved finger under her chin. "Makoto was right. You're somehow controlling our need for nourishment."

"Only in here." Chihiro corrected. "Your bodies should be starving on the outside, but you would never feel hungry for any reason, while inside [Macro]." Chihiro directed his gaze back to Makoto. "You said despair was all in the mind? That explains why you other despairs can act as if you were still in the real world. If I knew, I wouldn't have invited you here."

"I'm not a despair." Makoto argued. "And it's too late for regrets now."

"I'm not feelling sorry for myself, and I had some concerns from the start. I'm just wondering why Junko never mentioned anything about this." Chihiro said contemplatively "Even if you were killed by accident here, then you would die for sure out there. This wasn't supposed to be that kind of test."

“What about Chisa?” Kyosuke cut in. “They must also be asleep somewhere.”

Chihiro tilted his head. “No offense, Mr. Munakata. These are just dolls, not humans like us. They’re recreations from Junko’s memories and Hope’s Peak Academy’s data. Unlike the other NPCs” Chihiro raised his hand towards the gallery of non-descript figures. “Junko helped me with Ruruka and the others. According to her, they all act like they ‘should’.”

“Where is the real Chisa?”

“Dead.” The mastermind said without a hint of emotion. “Junko told me they were preserved by the academy. So…you can ask them what happened.”

The faint spark of hope vanished from Kyosuke’s eyes.

 “… You may render your verdict, judge.”

Not even Mondo spoke up for Chihiro at that point.

The programmer took in the drained faces of everyone around him with a sad smile. “That’s just how people are. When faced with enough despair, everyone succumbs.”

He could die satisfied knowing that fact. He wasn’t wrong.

“I suppose it’s just like a weak man to ignore the inconvenient truth.” His victory was disturbed by the raven-haired gambler. “Your conclusion is selective interpretation at its finest. Perhaps you should consider the real reason you have lost for a bit?”

“I’ll admit Makoto outsmarted me, but I don’t really mind. I found my answer already.” Chihiro said.

“Your last game was overturned because Mondo was ready to put his life on the line, for all of us.” Celes shook her head. “Makoto wasn’t the reason you lost. Aoi beat you because she never stopped believing in her friends and herself. And the reason she is here is because Sakura acknowledged her strength. As did Kyoko and I.”

Chihiro pondered for a moment. “That was a surprise, but it didn’t mean anything in the end. It was the schemer that did me in.” Chihiro cast Makoto a curious stare. All the while, he gripped his shoulder. The healing process hadn't worked to full effect. The bullet hadn't been factored in when assimilating them into this world.

“Then a second question you ought to ask is ‘why is he still alive?” Kyoko interrupted.

Chihiro’s brow twitched.

“If you won’t admit to that, then I will. Sayaka could have survived the second round, all she had to do was use her lifeline.”

“Up to you whether you believe or use it. I’m just doing my job and spitting the facts. And to be clear, when I say you’re swapping conditions? I mean everything, that includes your inventory, your stamina, and your health. For example, if you accidentally got shot and swapped, you’ll be just fine once you’re back here. The other guy or girl won’t be. Capiche?” (Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Chapter 30)

“She chose not to if it meant her lifeline would die. Someone she treasured more than her own life and mine. You must have expected the opposite. I don’t blame you. I find it hard to believe that Sayaka would have chosen not to swap with Hina.”

Aoi jerked in surprise. “I was her lifeline?”

“It sounds strange at first, but Chihiro confirmed it for me now. The selections were all intentional and there was someone Chihiro wanted out of the way. Which is why he was targeted three times over.”

Even the dimmest of the lot knew who the detective referred to at that point.

“He made me Sayaka’s lifeline because Makoto was connected to me?” Aoi slowly said.

Kyoko didn’t meet Makoto’s questioning gaze. “You were dragged into Yukizome’s game because you were attached. Who’s to say that Makoto wouldn’t have been swapped along with you on a technicality? She knew that possibility and didn’t fall for the mastermind’s scheme, even if it meant her death.”

Makoto’s lids lowered.

 “That’s not all. In the second round, the game masters didn’t participate in this so-called revenge play. For reasons I don’t quite understand, they worked alongside us to defeat the machines. There was something more important to them. Though I can’t say, I’m sure you can, mastermind.”

“What Kyoko means to say, is that underestimated us, and you lost. The only weakling standing here is you.” Celes exclaimed.

“This coming from the someone who threw her real self aside for a fake identity. You should have seen the gleam in your eye when I said I’d literally make your dream come true.” Chihiro huffed.

“Did you really believe I submitted to you from that alone?” Celes deadpanned.

The dark-clad mastermind rolled his eyes. “Ah right, your cat. How could I forget how taking one feline hostage could make you an accomplice to mass murder?”

“GRAND-BOIS CHERIE IS NOT JUST A CAT! SHE IS A LUDENBERG!” A spark of anger leaks through Celes’ mask. “Clean out your ears. I never submitted to you. I use whatever I can to my advantage. And those I cannot use, I will destroy. If you’re half as smart as you think you are, you should realize which category you’ve fallen under.”

Chihiro sighed. “I get it. The reason you fired Hifumi was to protect him from me. I was betrayed from all sides.”

“I wonder if you really understand what that means.” Nagito mumbled.

“Hm?”

“For an Ultimate as brilliant as yourself, you’re quite a disappointment. With the power you have, there were a million ways you could have won, but it almost feels like you gave up from the onset.” The albino admonished his master.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? You’re just an A.I.”

Nagito pursed his lips. “Before I deliver my verdict, I’ve got two things I need to be answered. First, though the power to decide the fate of the contestants lies with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if you prepared some loophole to escape the burning alive…”

“It does sound tempting, and you're right. While the dolls are admins that I can share my power with, my mind is linked to the mainframe itself. None of you can overturn that.” Chihiro admitted. Ignoring the indignant stares she received.

“What a surprise. I knew you never planned on playing fair.” Makoto balled his hands into fists.

“I didn’t say that. Stop making me out to be some kind of heartless monster. I’m still a human being!” Chihiro snapped. “You have no idea how it felt being treated like some villainous bastard behind the scenes. I didn’t want any of this!”

“You’ve maintained that. Is this Junko Enoshima person forcing you to do this?” Kyoko asked.

“No. It’s not like that, but she did something to me. I can’t stop myself.” Chihiro looked at his trembling hands.

“I thought you said this was liberating?”

Chihiro stopped and looked at Kyoko in the eyes. “Have you ever fallen from a high place?”

“I tend to be careful of where I step, so no.”

Chihiro inched his head to the edges of the tower. “Then imagine falling off from this height, only there’s no bottom. You can’t grab onto anything or stop.” Chihiro’s gaze grew unfocused, lost in his despair. “All you feel is the rush of air against your skin, and your heartbeat. Wouldn’t you call that liberating?”

Kyoko didn’t answer.

 “Second question.” Nagito continued his inquiry. “Do you or do you admit to murder?”

Chihiro held his hands together tightly and pursed his lips. “I haven’t killed anybody, and I never wanted to. For whatever that’s worth.”

Nagito closed his eyes. “What about Chiaki Nanami? My friend who adamantly refused to become your pawn."

Chihiro’s furrowed his eyebrows. “Don’t kid yourselves. You might be more advanced than the NPCs, but you dolls still aren’t people. You’re not even alive. What's the point of keeping around a defective program?"

Teruteru and Mikan’s stared coldly at the mastermind.

In contrast, Nagito’s expression was pitying.

“How sad. If that’s what she told you, then you really were betrayed from all sides.”

“What-” Chihiro’s words died in his throat.

Blood spilled from the boy’s lips. He looked down to find cold, white metal protruding from his chest. A glance backward showed Ruruka holding the blade.

“This trial was my idea, remember?” She said, with a murderous gaze.

“Don’t be like that. It was our idea.” Nagito giggled.

“You’re betraying me after I gave you your chance for revenge?” Chihiro's red pupils pulsated.

“This is revenge.” Ruruka snarled. “For Yoi.” She withdrew the sword and left Chihiro to wobble forwards.

Mondo looked upon the scene in shock.

For Chihiro, curiosity won out over the pain. “How do you remember his name?” He clutched his chest in a vain attempt to keep the blood from spilling.

“My fault. While you were stuffing your face and recharging your batteries, I met Ruruka in the back and…jogged her memories, for the lack of a better term. It was easy.” Nagito chirped.

“Breaking…my programming was easy?”

“Like the hot lady with the drills said. You underestimated us.” Teruteru smoothed over his hair. “I don’t know what you think we are but we’re not toys. How the hell didn’t you see this coming?”

“I think calling us ‘dolls’ might’ve given him the wrong impression. Maybe if he’d paid attention to the second round, he’d have noticed we had feelings like everyone else.” Mikan stated.

 “You said it yourself. We were created behaving as we ought to. If Fukawa could resist your powers. Why couldn’t we who were like her, and shared your powers?”

“I knew it. It was pointless.” Ruruka shrugged.

“She is one of us after all.” Nagito wore a nostalgic smile (Nagito Komaeda and Ruruka Ando, Chapter 35)

Chihiro’s eyes widened in disbelief “But I made you. I-….” He froze, putting the pieces together. “She gave me a virus…”

 "There's that Ultimate brain. I would have been a little sad if you died without figuring out the truth. Going out in ignorance is frustrating, let me tell you." Nagito smiled and spread his arms wide.

“End of the line. You won’t be running away from that wound.” Ruruka declared. “Anything from outside isn’t so easy to heal.” She smirked victoriously, not anticipating that Chihiro would do the last thing anyone expected in that situation.

He laughed.

 “Run away? You didn’t listen…” He clutched onto the rails. “I admitted that I could stop the execution, not that I was going to.

“What?”

“Someone as hopeless as you could never understand. You didn't even think to ask me if I could revive everyone before killing me." Chihiro said with a cruel smile.

The meaning behind those words pierced the girl’s heart.

“In the end, an A.I can’t achieve anything. Nothing that could be made from me…could have any real value.” Chihiro dragged his withering gaze over to Mondo. “None at all.” He left those last words before collapsing.

The silence after Chihiro’s consciousness disappeared was disturbed by the blackening sky, like the sun was switched off like a lightbulb. A grid of green lines encompassed the horizon.

“What now?” Hifumi groaned.

“I-I think it’s over.” Makoto stared at the sky, bewildered.

“Yup. You guys officially won.” Nagito jumped down from the judge’s seat and tossed off the dark cloak.

“You were wearing a jacket under that?” Mikan says, concerned. “Too much isn’t good for your health.”

“This outfit’s practically a part of me. Bear with it, okay.” Nagito said with a wave of the hand, before speaking to his underclassman.

“You really were on our side.” Makoto smiled.

Nagito tilted his head. “Any Agent of despair is an enemy of mine. It’s second nature that I’d target the mastermind one way or another. Although…” Nagito cast his disappointment on the fallen body, where Mondo stood. “I wasn’t expecting they’d be so inept.”

The scenery glitches. With a single blink, the courtroom disappears. The survivors stand on a blank canvas with no end in sight.

“What’s gonna happen now?” Juzo asked, wary of the encroaching white.

“Nothing. The world will disappear, and you’ll probably wake up. I have no ties to the outside from in here so I can’t confirm anything.”

“Then how can you sound so confident?” Kyoko prompted.

“The mastermind told me.” Nagito said simply.

“His name is Chihiro.” Mondo corrected, but his gaze didn’t leave the small boy’s body.

“…My mistake, but I wasn’t referring to him. I mean the real mastermind.”

The mention of the figure behind the scenes held the greatest importance for Kyosuke. “Who are they?” The loathing in his voice sent shivers down their spines.

Nagito shook his head. “I can’t say, but I do hope you figure it out. You’ve given me high hopes.”

Kyosuke was less than satisfied with his answer. Before he could speak up, Nagito’s arm began turning to dust. It was the same phenomenon they’d all witnessed in the impostor.

“Game over.” Nagito said solemnly.

“You’re taking this pretty well.” Ryoko spoke up. “Aren’t you all just gonna disappear after we wake up?”

“We’re already dead.” Mikan said. Just like Nagito, the nurse’s body was crumbling at a speedy rate, if not faster. “A rule that I learned while nursing is that everything’s over once the heart stops.”

“I ain’t taking it so well even if I’m not surprised exactly. Get a second chance at life? Sounded like a scam from the start.” Teruteru chimed in with a sigh. “But it’s not all bad. I got me a protégé to live on through.”

“Me?” Aoi asked, hesitantly.

“I taught you my secret recipes. You better put it to good use.” Teruteru smiled. “Oh, and don’t forget the promise you made.”

Aoi nodded slowly. “I’ll find out what happened to your mother.”

“All I needed to hear.”

Teruteru disappeared after that. His comb was the only proof he’d stood before them seconds before. And even that disappears in the next moment.

“Rare to see that mouth of yours not flapping, Ruruka.” Juzo admonished the oddly silent pinkette.

The confectioner barely held onto the sword, transfixed by the coating of blood on the blade. She’d had that far-off look since Chihiro rebuked her. “The last thing I remember before dying was holding onto something like this. It was Yoi’s.”

“The one you stabbed him in the back with.” Mikan remarked. The remnants of her hateful stare was incomparable to any she’d given the mastermind. “I thought about forgiving you, but I can't. If not for you, we might have had a better chance. I hate you so much.”

The nurse’s final lament hung over the atmosphere like a curse.

The recipient turned to the group. “Do any of you know a Seiko Kimura?”

The students of class 78 denied in one way or another.

“Kimura unofficially graduated from the academy 2 years ago. Now she works as a doctor.” Kyosuke informed.

“Good for her.” Ruruka said, after time.

“As thanks, I would like my sword back.” Kyosuke held out his hand.

 “This is a dream. The real thing is still with you. You’ll probably need it.” With that, Ruruka vanished and the sword dropped and remained.

Kyosuke stared at the blade in silence.

 70% of Nagito’s body had already been eradicated, but the boy continued to speak. “The Future Foundation…World Ender is still out there, and their leader is Kazuo Tengan.”

His warning evoked dread amongst the survivors.

“He retired just shortly before the incident that occurred 2 years ago and It’s the only thing that makes sense at this point.” Kyoko said, certain that Jin could never have co-signed this tragedy.

“Sorry to the bearer of more bad news, but that’s not all. The real threat amongst them is-”

 

- [Makoto Naegi] –

Makoto’s eyes snapped open. The first thing he noticed was the roof over his head, reminiscent of the infirmary. The next was the overwhelming dryness in his throat. He hacked out coughs as he sat up. Finally clutching his stomach to brace for the cramping pain.

In short, he felt awful.

“Yo.” A call had Makoto turning his head to the side. He was drawn in by those crimson irises. “I was starting to think you’d never wake up.” Ryoko sat next to the bed.

“Was…all that was real?”

“If you call getting thrown into a killing game in our dreams ‘real’, then yeah.” Ryoko grinned. “The plan worked like a charm.”

...

Right. The plan.

“It was the impostor who thought most of it up. I wish I’d gotten to thank him.” Makoto smiled sadly.

 “Hey hey, what about me? Praise my acting a little.” Ryoko puffed her cheeks.

 “Thanks. If you hadn’t given Kyoko the handkerchief, it’d have been hard getting a stage to lay everything out in the open.”

Even harder if Aoi hadn’t lived up to his expectations.

“Ha…hahaha.” Laughter spilled from the ultimate lucky student’s lips. At first like a drizzle, then a roaring tide.

He did it.

“I WON!” He raised his arms high.

“ 'I’ hmmm?” Ryoko said, teasingly.

Makoto’s cheeks flushed red, realizing he’d gotten carried away. But could you blame him?

Ryoko sighed. “Guess me and Celes have something in common.”

“Like?”

“We both just ended up being used by our servants. Sooooo lame.”

Speaking of which “Why am I here?” He noticed he was in one of the hospital rooms.

“I woke up early, so I carried everyone to the beds.”

Makoto blinks. “By yourself?”

Ryoko pulled up her sleeves and flexed.

“I get the picture.” He left the bed. “Where is everyone?”

“Hifumi, Toko, and Celes were still on lights out, last I checked. The others went straight back to the lobby first thing after waking up.” Ryoko pouted.

“Let’s go meet them then.”

The walk to the lobby was thankfully quick. Beating the blackened didn’t mean their struggles were over yet. They needed to think of a plan to get out of here and back to the mainland. Taking on Hope’s Peak was suicide, but with the media’s attention, there was hope.

Makoto pushed open the doors.

As Ryoko said, Toko, Celes, and Hifumi were missing…still, Makoto hadn’t expected everyone but the other ‘survivors’ to be gone as well.

He glanced back towards the ultimate analyst.

“I told you I carried everyone.”

That’s some strength.

Makoto didn’t have to ask whether or not ‘they’ had awoken. The faces of the group said it all.

Kyosuke and Juzo were like peas in a pod, and about equally expressive too.

That left Kyoko and Aoi. The former was comforting the latter, who huddled herself by the corner. Aoi’s head was lowered so Makoto couldn’t see her face.

“Where’s Mondo?” He asked Ryoko

“With Taka and Chihiro. I put them in the same room for him. I don’t think they've woken up if they ever will.” She replied.

“Taka’s alive?” Naegi picked up on the implication.

“Otonashi verified that Ishimaru was not killed during the night, however, there is an injection point in his neck. It appears the illusions had begun before that point.” Kyosuke explained.

“What about Togami?” Naegi asked.

“Bad luck. The poison was real. It almost makes me believe what Chihiro said about not committing the murder.” Ryoko said.

“Just Togami then.” Makoto murmured.

His gaze caught Kyoko’s hardened stare. It reminded him of the early days in the academy where she regarded him as nothing more than a stranger who happened to be her classmate.

“Ikusaba is dead as well.” Kyosuke said.

Makoto inched back to Ryoko for confirmation.

“Mukuro was the still bloodied up." She pointed to the floor.

Just beneath his feet were dried bloodstains. “Didn’t she die after Kiyotaka in the dream? If he’s still alive then there wasn’t any reason for her to die!”

Juzo clicked his tongue. “Tch. We already talked about this while you were napping. Nobody knows. Maybe the shit we found out in that dream just wasn’t reliable.”

Two friends murdered.

Not the closest to him, but friends nonetheless.

Compared to the previous iterations, it could have been so much worse. No explosions and no monsters this time.

Makoto distracted himself with the problems of the living. He approached Aoi, carefully thinking over his words. “Hina. How are you holding up?”

The swimmer lifted her head all too quickly at his prompting. “Sakura isn’t waking up. I tried calling her like over a hundred times!”

Makoto's blood ran cold. The upbeat tone caught him off-guard. More than that, her eyes... “Just give it time, I-I’m sure everyone will be back with us.” He panicked.

“That’s great… coming from you!” Aoi smiled too widely. “After all, you know everything, and I’m always left in the dark. So what’s the next step?”

 “I…are you okay?” were the last words he’d wanted to say.

Aoi pouted. “You won’t tell me? That’s fine! I get that I’m too stupid to help. I’ll just leave everything to the hero so he can save us again!”

Kyoko suddenly drags the unnerved Makoto by the arm.

“H-Hey.” He struggled as she forcibly led him out of the room.

She unhands him once they’re out of earshot, from eavesdroppers.

“She went to see Sakura the second she woke up, and she's been like this ever since.” Kyoko hissed. “If I’d woken up before her, I would have advised against it. Not that she would have listened regardless. Nobody listens, and fewer communicate.” It didn’t take a genius to perceive the sleight against him.

“I probably can’t put into words how disappointed you are in me, but I had my reasons.” Makoto explained.

“Everyone has reasons, Makoto. It doesn’t change the ramifications of your decisions. I never thought I would have to explain that to you of all people.” That distrust flared again. “But then I wonder if you’re the Makoto I know at all.”

“W-What? Of course I am.”

“I am not a fool! Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t notice you used us?” Kyoko snapped.

His shoulders dropped. “I knew you would.” There wasn’t a way he could hide that truth from Kyoko.

“And you did it anyway. You didn’t believe in any of us.” The detective ran her fingers through the front of her hair. “Your secrecy and manipulations may have cost us nearly all our friends. I hope whatever you gained from being a coward was worth it.”

“They’re alive, Kyoko.”

The breaking point passed.

A thundering slap echoed in the hallways.

Shocked, Makoto rubbed his stinging cheek.

Kyoko glowered at him with transparent fury. “Chihiro is sick. Mondo and Hina may follow. Sayaka, Sakura, Leon, Yasuhiro, Kizakura, and Kiyotaka may never wake up. Togami and Ikusaba are dead. This is not a victory!”

“But they’re alive!” Makoto caught himself. “Well not those two, but it’s just them.”

“Just them?” Kyoko repeated, baffled at his word choice.

“Yes. JUST THEM! The others have a chance to wake up!” Oh to hell with it. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything, you don’t understand! You can’t understand! Because you’re not the Kyoko I couldn’t save from an explosion. You’re not the one who got torn apart by a monster while all I could do was watch! The only reason you’re yelling at me is because you’re ALIVE!”

“…If you think you can pin the blame of your actions on me, then you’re as crazy as your precious blackened.” Kyoko turned around and started walking.

“Take that back.” He said, barely controlling his temper.

Kyoko's hands gripped the door handle. Without turning back, she said, “You should rethink exactly what exactly it means to live.”

The door opened and slammed shut.

What does it mean to be alive?

“Not dead.” Was his immediate answer.

He smacked his forehead. Sure, there was more to it…even if he couldn’t think of any right now because they don’t matter if you’re dead!

“She doesn’t get it.” Probably never will. She’ll never thank him for doing his damndest to save her either. In the end, “I’m not wrong.”

He would do it all again if he had to.

And fail again.

Makoto smacked his ears.

“What am I thinking? I’ve already been giving a golden opportunity here. I’ve just got to stick through it and hope for the best.”

Even if it means none of them ever wake up.

Sick, twisted thoughts of that nature were spinning in his mind, and he couldn’t get them out.

“Shit.” He punched the wall. “Chihiro’s words don’t mean anything. He was the blackened. He’d say anything to hurt us. Just like Enoshima!”

His brain fried at the word.

“Enoshima.” He gnashed his teeth.

There were no lows she wouldn’t sink to. No evils she wouldn’t commit.

She was the deadliest poison. Fatal to everything she touched.

(They could come back eventually, the chances of that are about 0.16%. The longer they stay asleep, the lower their chances.)

Makoto shook his head. “I’ve gotten this far, and they’re still breathing. I just have to be patient.”

And if they still don’t wake up?

“Then we’ll just move on!” Makoto covered his mouth, blocking out those words before they reached anyone’s ears, even his own.

“I don’t want to go back there.” He choked.


He’d gone to see his sleeping friends. Even though Celes and the other two were bound to wake up soon, they looked no different from the rest without guarantees. A consolation was that their bodies were at least preserved.

Makoto preferred that Leon's body was in a recognizable state. Since the hostages weren't real, his cousin was still alive. That's one thing to be thankful for.

Both Kizakura and Sakura managed to protect what was important to them, and still had another chance.

If given the opportunity, would Hiro have sacrificed him to escape the round? Makoto didn't want to think it but it was a possibility...

The luckster made his second to last stop in the room of one of his best friends. The sleeping idol.

“Hey, Sayaka.”

He didn’t expect a response. He didn’t know what to expect of the girl at all. When she betrayed them, he’d been disappointed but also acceptant of the casualties of the killing game. Things were different now that he knew the truth.

To risk death to save someone wasn’t easy. Makoto knew. He’d done it so many times.

Even so, “Thank you.” If she hadn’t sacrificed herself, he’d be forced to restart this hell.

Makoto's smile recedes. He'd always thought she looked a little doll-like, but watching her sleep solidified the impression. He reached out to touch her face.

"...huh?"


Makoto made his last stop.

Without bothering to knock, he entered.

Three people were in the room.

Two asleep.

One glaring back at him.

“Come to rub it in?” Mondo’s tone was venomous.

“You hate me now, don’t you?”

"I don't care about that anymore."

Makoto smiled shakily. “That’s too bad. You’re the only one I can ask.”

Mondo furrowed his brow, noting how unfocused Makoto’s eyes were, along with the fact that his entire body was shaking with each step forward.

“I-I-I’m too scared to do it myself.” Makoto’s teeth chattered as he reached into his sweater pocket.

Mondo’s eyes widened sharply when Makoto presented the gun to him.

“Please help me.”

 

CHAPTER 3: SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE

SURVIVORS: 6 (12)

END

 

 

 

 

 

 

- [Junko Enoshima] -

“Upupu. Another one down.” Junko dropped a handful of popcorn into her mouth, basking in the fruits of her labors. She tipped her 3D glasses while skimming through her trusty manual. “Who should I go for next?” Maybe Kyoko? Or maybe Leon or Sakura again? “A recycle of old blackeneds to keep him on his toes!” And boy, had Makoto learned to dance.

Suddenly, the Ultimate despair slammed the book shut. There wasn’t any point to all the despair if she didn’t reap her rewards. “I gotta milk this for all its worth.” Junko ventured off to find her sleeping captive.

She took the scenic route to his room, savoring the buildup. The despair weaved through the myriad of thoughts and options racing in her head, searching for the words that would best twist the knife in the figurative wound.

"Eh, I'll play it by ear." Junko ultimately decided as she knocked on his door.

She hummed a pleasant tune while she waited.

After the minute mark passed, she kicked the door down.

“Heeeey, Makotoooo. Wake your ass up!”

Junko blinked. The bed was empty, but the sheets were scattered.

It took Izuru like 18 tries before he was up this fast.

“Where’d little green lucky hoody go?” Junko tapped her feet. Her first guess was Chisa’s classroom, and that's where she went. Again, on her own two feet. Junko wasn’t excited to meet up with the old hag. She was probably (ugh) consoling him like she was his mom or something.

The good news was that Chisa wasn't there. The bad news? Neither was Makoto.

Running out of patience, Junko snapped her fingers and ended up in the cafeteria. She swayed her head left and right. No spiky hair. Just an ex-protagonist.

“You seen Makoto around?” Junko asked.

“Yes.” Izuru didn’t bother to look up from a meal fit for the ultimate chef.

“Uh…you gonna tell me where?” Irritation slipped from her tone.

“He walked by, entered the kitchen, came back out, and we had a small chat. He asked wwhere to find 'something', then left.” Izuru said succinctly.

Only it wasn’t. ‘Something’ wasn’t typical Kamukura vocabulary. It either implied he couldn’t describe ‘it’ more accurately than that, or he was playing coy.

“What ‘something’?”

“Some rather large jugs of gasoline.”

Junko’s thoughts came to a grinding halt. “Why?” She realized her mistake after sighting the flicker of satisfaction on Izuru’s face.

The question itself was an admittance of ignorance.

He set down the fork and knife and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I wished to discuss his latest decision, and what he plans to do after. If you’re curious, ask him yourself.”

Junko clicked her tongue and stomped off. Izuru’s gaze lingered on her back.

“Where the hell is he!?” Junko stomped on the way to the storage room. Not only was there clear evidence of Makoto being there, but he didn't even clean up after himself.

"Boys." Junko scrunched her nose. She must have missed him at some point. "I should retrace my steps."

Walking back to the hallway, she picked up on the smell of gas.

Driven by curiosity, she followed the scent until it led her back to the theater.

About the last place she thought Makoto would come to right after waking up.

Talk about unpredictable.

Junko covered her nose as she entered. The fumes encompassed the auditorium, from the floors, to the curtains, to the chairs in the back row.

Her eyes caught the flicker of light on the stage – a single matchstick carrying a small flame.

Makoto flicked it away and watched the baby spark burn brighter once it touched the flammable liquid.

Fire rose, consuming everything in the path of the oil, then spread indisciriminately. The temperature began to rise and smoke polluted the air.

For Junko, those normally life-threatening details were trivial compared to the reason behind the arson. “Earth to Makoto. Why the fuck are you burning my theater down!?”

Makoto froze, then slowly looked her way. “Enoshima…”

It was no secret that Junko loved the sheer loathing and fear instilled in her name. It made her feel powerful, like the ever-present and all-powerful boogeyman terrorizing the unsuspecting. It was music to her ears.

Only this time the tune was off-key. Fear was a missing component.

Her prey looked her unflinchingly in the eyes; Red to blue.

Shock created a brief opening. She doesn’t notice the barrel of a gun pointed at her until the bullet hits the mark.

Notes:

A/N

There's a lot to unpack here but I decided against splitting it in two. As the cliffhanger suggests, this is a hallmark chapter that marks a change in tone for the later story. And yeah, this ends the longest arc. That means the pacing's gonna be a lot faster from this point on so look forward to it! Shout out to the comments that guessed Chihiro was the mastermind, there were a lot of them. There were more twists and turns in the mystery this time around so I was worried I didn't leave enough hints. Special regards to Seekaye and BloodyCarnage for predicting the methods, formulas, and developments waaay early.

To clear up confusion, the survivor count is accurate. 12 is the total number of official participants that survived to the end of the chapter. 6 refers to the participants that survived and are guaranteed to wake up/woke up. These include Celes, Toko, and Hifumi.

As always, comments, feedback and criticisms are appreciated!

Chapter 37: The Burnout

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-[Makoto Naegi]-

 

Fire ran through the trail of gasoline, engulfing the theater in a bed of smoke. The effects of the fumes were far from Makoto’s mind. He was verifying a more pressing theory.

“I didn’t think you bled like everyone else…or is that a trick?” He asked.

Junko’s response was drowned out by the second round of gunfire. The bullet just barely misses its mark.

“Kyoko was right. Aiming is harder than it looks.” He steadied his gun with both hands, staring down the girl gasping for breath under him. She looked just like any other person - young enough that they could be classmates. If she wasn’t evil incarnate.

There was nothing wrong with killing that. Even so, he had to be sure. “Do you have any empathy at all or is hurting others all you can think about?”

 “Didn’t I-oh, you’re going to let me talk without shooting this time. Nice!” Junko’s savage grin in those straits reinforced her inhumanity. “Didn’t I give you the despair spiel already? There’s nothing more to it than loving when shit goes wrong and you’re left a crying, hopeless mess. That goes for both of us, by the way.”

“Choke on your own suffering, I’ll even root for you. Just leave us out of it.”

“How can I when you’re so gosh darn hopeful?” Junko fluttered her eyes mockingly. “Even now, you’re still tryna do something sweet and stupid like understanding me instead of shooting.”

“Don’t tempt me.” His voice lowered.

“I want to, though.” She goaded him “Will you shoot me? Kill me? Not knowing what’ll you do is just the best. It almost makes my bullsht talent worth having!”

Makoto froze. “You were you a student of Hope’s Peak Academy.” He reasoned.

“Look at you working the ol’ noggin.”

Makoto’s gun trembled in his grip. “What about that witch’s story? It was around way before Hope’s Peak Academy!”

 “The building maybe, but the institution and the people who ran it were around for way longer. Before the turn of the previous millennium or something like that. I didn’t pay too much attention.” Junko deadpanned.

Why make it sound like hearsay? She should know better than anyone. “Aren’t you a witch?”

“Am I?” Junko shrugged.

“It could be a lie or just one of the many things I know. The many boring things that come to me as easily as breathing.” She sounded as monotonous as Izuru had every time he opened his mouth, yet it felt more natural than any other instance before.

Makoto furrowed his brow as a dreadful thought popped up in his mind. “Are you the Ultimate Psychic?”

Junko snickered. “That’d be redundant.”

“Huh?” Makoto arched an eyebrow.

She dug her nail into her skull. “Think more analytic.”

Oh shit.

You’re the Ultimate Analyst? Like Ryoko?” He dreaded to say,

 “Not just me. Izuru too. We were the diamonds in the old days at Hope’s Peak. We also turned it upside down by the way.” Junko sighed happily.

“Ryoko’s nothing like you.” It was a question, a statement, and a plea for denial all at once.

“That girl doesn’t even remember what she had for breakfast, much less all the boring shit that we have to put up with. Guess that’s good luck finally working out, or you’d be dealing with three of us.” Junko smiled maliciously.

“I’ve already hit rock bottom dealing with you. It couldn’t get worse.” He replied.

“When did you become a charmer~”

He’d just about seen enough. “Just so we’re clear, despair – all of this – has been just to keep you entertained? That’s all my life is to you in the end?”

“Duh.” She unabashedly decreed. “I mean what else is worthwhile about you? Short, wimpy, average intelligence. Your despair is the only thing keeping me interested, and that seems to be progressing just fine. Upupu~”

Makoto shook his head in disbelief. “What the hell made you like this?”

The strawberry-blonde. “Sure you have time to ask all these pointless questions? If I were you, I’d watch out for the rug getting pulled out from under me.”

 Confusion overtook Makoto’s features. Against his better judgment, he looked down. His thoughts grind to a halt as he takes in a row of sharp triangular structures growing from the ground. The tip of each jar was sharp enough to easily rip through flesh.

Are those…jaw traps?

By pure luck, he jumped before finishing those thoughts. The teeth clamped in the space he occupied.

Makoto’s mouth parted open. He’d jumped much higher than he’d thought. Enough that he was able to reach the ceiling. Before he fell, he grabbed onto one of the beams while his legs dangled in the air.

He’d expected to find some sort of trap when he looked. Instead, he spotted a jaw of a different sort. A familiar monochrome design on the face of a “giant Monokuma?”

It really had been a set of teeth that nearly chomped him in half. And not just him. He noticed the flames that had encroached on him and Junko had disappeared in the same perimeter.

And that was only the beginning. More Monokuma were birthed from the ground. A variety of the only kind he recognized, and many anomalies he didn’t. They consumed everything, fire, smoke, and ash. What they left in their wake was…everything before Makoto had set it flame.

They were turning the theater back to normal.

The architect behind this maddened display said, “Aren’t they handy?”

With one hand, he fired at the ground. His aim had been pitifully off, and the bullets landed far from the so-called analyst.

 “Put your mind to it next time.” Junko laughed into her hand.

“…” He aimed again.

The bullet zipped past Junko, who giggled. “Tr-“ She jerked forwards. Her eyes bulged as she looked at her bleeding side.

Mind over matter.” If I think I’ll hit my target, everything will work out.” Izuru was right. Makoto had no other way to explain why the bullet would change trajectory mid-flight and strike the despair from the side. He watched her squirm just like anyone would if they’d been shot twice.

“Feel like thinking your life and letting me go?” He said. “If you give me an iron-clad promise, I won’t kill you.”

Junko looked upon him with wide eyes. “Are you threatening me? Makoto ‘wet the bed till 5th grade’ Naegi is giving me an ultimatum. Kyahaha!” She cackled.

That was as much of an answer as any.

“Can’t say you don’t deserve this.” He shot at her head. To be accurate, he believed the shot would be fatal and pulled the trigger.

A Monokuma jumped in the way and took the bullet for its master.

Makoto couldn’t hide either his disappointment or confusion.

“Boy, you’re slow.” There was a manic look in her eyes that made his spine tingle. “If you think ‘I’ll kill her with this shot’, all I have to do is think ‘I won’t die by this shot’. Maybe you should keep your intentions to yourself next time? That is if you think you’ll get one.”

*squelch*

Time slowed to a crawl.

Makoto looked overhead – just as he was falling – to see another of Monokuma’s jaws formed from the ceiling. It got further and further away as he toppled to the ground. A trail of blood connected its mouth to his severed hand.

“That pain is all in your mind. If you divorced yourself from the notion that something of that level could harm you, you would heal immediately.” (Izuru Kamukura, Chapter 21)

It doesn’t hurt – He reasoned.

He directed all his frustration at the witch and fired as many times as he could before he hit the ground. The bullets ricocheted in impossible directions, and the Monokuma intercepted them all.

A Monokuma head found its way into Junko’s clutches. Its shape morphed into a gun similar to Makoto’s.  Just as the chorus of “upupu”s from those damn bears grew loud as she locked on to him. Before she pulled the trigger, a hand clutched the pistol and the scenery changed again. He shuts his eyes before the flash of light.

When reopened them, he found himself sitting in a classroom, facing a typical blackboard. Strange, was the fact that he couldn’t move a muscle. Strangest of all was Junko sitting beside him, every bit as bewildered as he was.

“Where am I?” He posed the question to the new face in this circus of insanity.

Another capable of answering walked through the door. He locked eyes with Chisa. His greetings were cut short by the look of reprimand on her features.

 “You’re kind of interrupting something here!” Junko said energetically like she hadn’t been shot up repeatedly.

Chisa acted as if she hadn’t heard the ultimate despair. She didn’t say anything at all.

“Don’t blame her. I requested she assisted me in stopping you.” The old man held out his hand and Makoto’s forehead creased. The Monokuma-like gun unfurled before his eyes, expanding, and reverting to the disembodied head that Makoto had first seen. In the blink of the eye, the object disappeared as if it had never been there at all. “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Gleefully, Junko answered. “Go on, Makoto. Tell them how you’ve fallen to…huh?” Junko rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Makoto’s orbs were back to their dull hazel color. “What the fuck? Where’d your despair go?”

 “Who are you?” Makoto ignored her in favor of the elder

 He pondered the simple question. “You may call me ‘The Chairman’.”

Before Makoto fully processes the odd evasion, Chisa admonished him. “What were you thinking?” She looks over his injuries.

“Izuru said venting is a good way to relieve stress.” He replies honestly.

Chisa cursed under her breath.

For a moment, it appeared that the Junko would snap with anger. “Upupu, Izzy’s the best! The key to a woman’s heart is to take a stab at it.” True to form, the ultimate despair only sank into deeper depravity in the boy’s eyes.

“You’re disgusting.” He remarked.                                                                                                               

“Don’t knock it before you try it. Just say the word and I’ll lend a hand.” Junko jerked her hand in a suggestive motion.

The only thing worthwhile about the action was to remind Makoto that he was presently missing his.

“Don’t panic. You can fix that.” Chisa advised.

“I won’t, and I know.” He closed his eyes and envisioned that his left hand hadn’t been bitten off by Monokuma. When he reopened, those wishes became a reality.

Junko hummed. Her injuries had disappeared in the meanwhile. “Eyes closed, huh. Did you want to concentrate…or do you still think this is a magic trick that loses power the second you see it with your eyes?”

He didn’t rise to her provocations. Though he was tired of the blonde, Makoto felt tired in general. “Can I leave? I don’t want to be near this any longer than I need to be?”

His dismissal of her struck a nerve. “Enemies or not, you do know you’re talking to a super hot ex-model right? A dork like you doesn’t get to blow me off.”

Makoto eyed her in surprise. “So you can say stupid things like that too.”

 Junko’s face darkened. “I was having a little fun before but if it’s going to your head then maybe I should give a reminder of why I’m the boss around here.”

“No, you won’t.” Chisa interjected. “You’d have to go through me first.”

“Is that supposed to be some obstacle?”

“Normally, maybe. But Makoto’s here, and you’re not as well off as you’re pretending to be.”

Junko halted her marginally labored breathing.

“Too late.” The chairman caught her. “You shouldn’t play around so much next time if you don’t want to find yourself cornered like this.” He gave Junko a stern warning. A mean feat from the short, feeble man. He looked frail enough that even Makoto felt he’d have no trouble pushing him around if it came down to it.

Junko clicked her tongue and stood up. The pained expression betrayed her difficulty.

A white light engulfed them, replacing the classroom with the theater as the glow died down. Makoto searched the area to see the futility of his efforts.

“Get lost already.” Junko said flatly.

He didn’t need to be told twice.

The second he could move, he moved.

He’d hoped Chisa would follow him outside the door. He didn’t get far anyway. A hand clamped his shoulder and kept him in place.

Makoto turned back to see The enigmatic Chairman.

“Would you have a moment?”

It almost sounded like he’d cracked a joke.

They had all the time in the world.

Makoto nodded.

“Let’s find a suitable place for a discussion.”  The chairman led him around the school and up the stairs.

After they passed the still barricaded entrance to the second floor.

“Why can’t I get through there?” He asked.

Without turning back, the chairman replied. “It’s not just you. It is illegal for any of us to enter. The second floor has a special room you see.”

Inside this replica of Hope’s Peak Academy, the only place worth restricting would be… “Only thing I can think of is the library.”

This time, he did face Makoto. “There are few differences between the academy and the Nexus. The theater is one. Another is what has replaced the library.”

Makoto made a mental note to break-in at a later time. For now, he accompanied the newcomer (or did that title more fitting for him?) to the fourth floor. Makoto had many questions. The first among them was the man’s identity. One he gleamed once they’d settled inside.

Makoto took a seat on the brown couch, the furniture wide enough that it could easily fit four of him. His eyes veered behind and upwards to the plaques and picture frames of bygone officials. His gaze finds its destination on a desk that'd be fit for the prime minister. One he was familiar with, and one that fit the old man well.

“Have you ever sat in that chair?” The chairman inquired.

“Whenever I got in trouble.” Which was a lot. “Headmaster Kirigiri either got exasperated or interested to hear whatever stories I had for him. Then, he always sends me off with a smile.” Makoto felt no such warmth of pleasantry from the man sitting across him. And he had none to give himself.

“Jin is a curious man. Straight-faced but not strait-laced. You’d be mistaken to underestimate how far he’d go for his ambition.”

Makoto's glance at the desk. Empty. It bothered him, bothered him more that he couldn't recognize why.

“Let’s hope that he didn’t learn too much from you.” The brunet deadpanned. It felt like the temperature in the office tanked.

The old man’s gentle look remained, but his gaze sharpened. “I would like to introduce myself properly, but I believe you already have a good idea.”

Makoto’s change in expression must’ve given away. “I can only think of one person who matches your description, would be involved with Junko, and take the headmaster’s office.”

“Correct. I am Kazuo Tengan. The former headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy, and a member of the Future Foundation.” After the shameless declaration, Makoto got to the heart of the matter.

“Why did you trap us in Junko’s game? That’s all I want to know.”

Tengan stroked his beard. “That’s rash. Even if that particular knowledge is all you want, that doesn’t mean that it’s all you need to know.”

“Who’re you fooling? I’d be surprised if you’d even give me what I asked for. Everyone loves their secrets around here.” Makoto said bitterly.

“Fair point. You have the right to know why you are here. However, I can only give you my side of the story. Enoshima’s motives are hers alone. The same applies to the others.” Those including Chisa and Izuru no doubt. Maybe even more. “I – The Future Foundation’s objectives are the same as they have always been: Protecting the world from The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History. The tragedy, for short.”

“…Do I have to say how little that means to me?” It was also the most long-winded title Makoto had ever heard, and he’d listened to Byakuya on his sermons on the great rich boy life.

“Yukizome didn’t explain? That makes things difficult.” Tengan mused. “The Tragedy is commonly referred to as the disaster Junko Enoshima caused in Yukizome’s world. To be frank, the incident was of such a large scale that the entire world was thrown into a bloody war.”

“And you're still helping her? Enoshima doesn’t even exist in my world.”  Apparently.

Tengan shook his head. “With or without Enoshima, the tragedy will happen. It’s only a matter of when. The result is nearly always the same: Humanity loses.”

Makoto folded his arms, crossed his legs, and leaned back into the chair. “…That’s your excuse? If it’s for humanity, anyone’s worth sacrificing?”

“And if my answer was ‘yes’?”

Makoto’s frigid stare was his own response. Tengan remained undaunted. “If it’s to save the world, even the bigger human rights advocates would keep quiet.”

“This isn’t that situation. Even if you say the world’s coming to an end, I can’t understand that, and I don’t want to. What I want to know is why pick us?”

“It didn’t have to be you. Not on my account.” Tengan absorbed the barely suppressed rage directed at him and replied with consideration. “Enoshima is the one who demands my attention and I require her resources. She is frankly obsessed with your class.”

 “So we’re pawns you bargained with? That’s all we amounted to?” Makoto pressed.

“I can see how you’d think that, but you children are students of the academy. That means you all bear a certain hope for the world. It’s wasteful to merely throw you to the wolves. That’s why I convinced Enoshima to elevate that hope. And often, despair is necessary to cultivate it.”

Makoto finally realized what was off about this room. The frame that Jin Kirigiri laid and stared at adoringly on his desk was absent.

“Spoken like someone who has no idea what he’s talking about.”

Tengan smile widened, slowly but surely as he said, “I wouldn’t try saving the world before saving myself. You’d be surprised how many trials these old bones have weathered.”

“That’s for sure. I can’t imagine what experiences let an adult think it’s okay throwing a 10-ton metal monster at a group of students who were promised a vacation.” Makoto’s voice rose.

 “...We’ll get nowhere with this much hostility. As a peace offering, I will part with a few pieces of vital information.”

“I’m listening.” Makoto tapped the side of his arm.

Tengan crossed his fingers. “Jabberwock isn't the insurmountable challenge you might think. If you struggled with it, how would you defeat Enoshima?”

He couldn’t care less about being defeating Junko. “I don’t have to beat her, just escape her.”

“And if, on the off-chance that a conflict was inevitable? Would you charge in blindly again?”

“…” This old guy's crafty.

“Don’t waste your environment, Both here and down below. Eventually, you’ll be a match for her and Jabberwock. It’s just a test of endurance.” Tengan advised.

Makoto squinted. “You think I can fight that monster?”

Tengan laughed gently. “You are a much bigger monster than my friend’s little side-project. However else could you have harmed Enoshima the way you did?

“I’m lucky, you know?” He didn’t need to give his enemies any information than he had to.

That said, there was little doubt that Tengan saw through his lie. “Then try that ‘luck’ on Jabberwock. If not next round, then the next after that, until you finally realize your position in all this. Eventually, Jabberwock shouldn’t be a problem for you at all.”

Tengan danced around the subject, but what he was alluding to was clear. His ‘luck’ could be used in the real world too.

“I changed my mind. There’s something else I want to know. Something only you can answer.” Makoto said.

“If I can, I shall.”

 “Is Mukuro Ikusaba your spy?”

Tengan blinked slowly. “No. She has as much of a connection to the future foundation as you do.”

“What about Enoshima?”

“Even less.”

It must have been brainwashing somehow. That or Chihiro lied.

Makoto left his seat. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish here, all I know is that it’s at my expense. And I won’t let you get away with that.”

Tengan met the teen’s stare head-on. “I know that you see me as an enemy but let me be frank: you are not mine. I consider you as another student of the academy. A brilliant prospect at that.”

“I bet that’s what you told Izuru.” Makoto sarcastically said.

Tengan’s eyes narrowed behind the rectangular frame of his glasses. “Wherever did you hear that?”

“Not telling.”

Tengan’s silence didn’t last long. Any longer and Makoto would have been out the door. “Nevertheless, I stand by my assessment. My words wouldn’t have been easy to stomach for an average person. They would fly into a rage even if they had believed me. I’m pleased you’re at least responsive.” He made it sound like Makoto was a science experiment.

“I would have done all of that if it would solve my problems.”

“Your problems could already have been resolved.” Tengan’s features turned grave. “You should have left with your victory.”

Out of the question. “I won’t sacrifice my friends.”

The old man replies with a displeased look, “And that’s the difference between us. When you correct that error, return here. Only then, will I tell you everything I know. In the meantime…play nice with Enoshima. New doors may open for you.”

A door to hell, maybe. “I want nothing to do with that witch.”

“You’re still calling her that?” Tengan asked with a surprised look. It was the same nonchalance that Junko had given in response.

“Isn’t that what she is?”

Tengan’s lips curved into a smile. A gentle laugh followed that made Makoto feel silly. “That title is a pretext for the legend on Jabberwock. Enoshima has never even stepped foot on that island and has never been a witch. Shes The Director.”

To say Makoto was non-plussed would be the understatement of the century. “Okay, if she’s not a real witch, what’s with the magic tricks?”

“If ‘what’s accomplished by forces outside the laws of nature', is what you define as magic, then the accuracy stands. If you’re limiting magic to witchcraft, then you have been gravely misinformed. You and I, Kamukura, Enoshima, and Yukizome are more aptly referred to as [Psychic].” Tengan explained.

Makoto scrunched his face. “Like...the guys who bend spoons with their mind on TV?”

Bemusedly, Tengan replied. “It’s not as perplexing as you make it. After all, [Ultimate] was just another term I made to describe us. Incidentally, there has never been an Ultimate Psychic.”

The chair Makoto had left seemed so tempting with how heavy his legs felt right now. “An Ultimate is just a talented high-schooler. We don’t have any powers.”

“Glad you think so. It means the future foundation has been successful in normalizing these ‘talents’ for the public. This way, we can avoid the Ultimate Hunt.”

“Who or what hunts Ultimates? I’ve never heard anything about this.” Makoto spat.

“Everyone else, and you’re welcome.” Tengan said. “Without proper guidance and imprinting from us, the ultimates’ abnormalities would make them targets for ordinary people, starting a war. That is one of the forms The Tragedy takes.”

“That again? I know my friends can be ‘out there’ but they’re not a different species.”

“Leon Kuwata,” Makoto froze at the mention of his friend. “I hear he met the standards of professional athletes while he was still in middle school days. Rare talent like that comes once every few generations, however, how many had never practiced a day in their lives to achieve greatness?”

Toko Fukawa – A novelist who achieved worldwide fame. At the tender age of 14, she put the experiences of grown adults to shame, despite having none herself.

Chihiro Fujisaki – A prodigy among prodigies who achieved technological standards that caught even our attention.

Sakura Ogami – Despite the limitations of the female body, she attained inhuman strength to become the strongest martial artist in the world.

Similarly, Mukuro Ikusaba is the most distinguished soldier of her generation. All her skill is derived from an absurdly high aptitude for battle. She accomplished what shouldn’t even be possible for her frame.

To you, these talents may just be 'above average', but they are once-in-a-millennium treasures talents in some histories. Or threats, depending on perspective."

"Are you..."

"From a different world like Yukizome?" Tengan cut him off. "In a sense. I do recall that we were co-workers...Ah, I strongly suggest keeping your death a secret from her. Despite outward appearances, she is fragile.”

Trying to get a read on Tengan was like latching onto mist, in a very different way from Junko.

Makoto calmed his nerves. Freaking out wasn’t going to help. The important thing is if there was anything he says that could help. Best to keep him talking. “What is an ultimate?”

“We’re human, make no mistake about that. It just so happens that a select few are naturally gifted and awaken latent abilities. Normally, these talents are present from childhood but occasionally, some attain them later on in life.” Tengan gave him a wry smile “And don’t belittle yourself by speaking as if you’re an outsider. ‘Luck’ is one of the most defining examples of all.”

“I-I just won a lottery.” Unlike his classmates who were scouted, Makoto never felt like he deserved to be at the academy. “Hm?”

“Something the matter?”

“I don’t think so…” He felt like he stumbled onto something there. “As I said, I just won a lottery. There’s nothing special about that.”

“The lucky student program was personally administered by Jin. He isn’t one to waste his efforts on futile endeavors. I’m sure you’re aware of his sincere interest in your potential.”

That was true. More than once, Makoto felt guilty at the thought of disappointing the headmaster’s expectations… “That’s it.” He remembered. Headmaster Kirigiri wasn’t the only one with personal interests in the students.

Makoto had been invited by chance. His classmates had been scouted Kizakura, but not all of them.

“If we’re talking about interests, what did you want with Hiro and Sayaka?”

Makoto upturned the stone. A flash of surprise crossed Tengan’s face. “Young ones are so perceptive nowadays.”

“Thanks, but that’s not going to distract me. What were you planning with my friends?”

“It’s hardly as malicious as you’re making it out to be. Not all Ultimates are equal. Once in a while, there are superb talents that garner my interest. From Yukizome’s classroom, it had been Komaeda and the Nevermind princess. For those in your class…how do I put this…” Tengan trails off, “Fujisaki was lucky.”

“Huh?” Makoto’s brow lifted.

“Do you remember the second game? The one round that the blackened himself had no control over.”

 “It was set up to get Sayaka to switch with me.” Makoto involuntarily lowered his head.

Tengan nodded. “As I recall, it was Kyoko Kirigiri who said that. As expected of Jin’s daughter…but she was only half-right.”

The luckster’s snapped back to attention. “Chihiro didn’t seem to think so. We had his number.”

“You presume Fujisaki’s benefactor told him the whole truth. I believe there’s more than enough evidence present in your amusing court debut to suggest otherwise.”

"You said despair was all in the mind? That explains why you other despairs can act as if you were still in the real world. If I knew, I wouldn't have invited you here." (Chihiro Fujisaki, Chapter 36)

“Now this is only a theory of mine, but it was too much of a coincidence.” Tengan continued. “Indeed, an optimal outcome for Enoshima would have been either Hagakure or Maizono swapping with you. That would most likely end in your loss, as you have made it clear you would not sacrifice your friends.”

“And I stand by it.” He could play Enoshima’s game as long as possible, but that didn’t mean he’d subject his friends to dying over and over again if he could help it.

‘But the way things ended - with their deaths - was an equally optimal outcome. If either of those two had succumbed to despair, Fujisaki and his world would have crumbled.”

Sweat dripped from his face as Tengan said.

“Pray you never have those two as your enemies. They will make everything you’ve faced so far look like child’s play.”


Makoto left the headmaster’s office. His thoughts were jumbled up, examining and filtering the wealth of information for lies and exaggerations.

Hiro being a threat was a hard pill to swallow even compared to a lot of Makoto’s experiences. What would his despair even be? His accuracy jumping to 50%, probably.

“Then again, he’s been kinda on the ball lately with my future.” If Hiro could get a perfect read on his clairvoyance, that’d be a little scary.

"Only a little." He snickered. Power or no, Hiro would find some way to screw up. Hopefully. If not, Makoto could just bribe him.

As for Sayaka…he’d seen her in that negative state once, back when Leon killed him. Maybe he'd missed her entrance due to fatigue, but it really felt like she'd appeared out of thin air.

Makoto rubbed his chin. Junko not being a real witch was one thing, but if they were really psychics..."Then what's the despair disease?"

A weight on Makoto's head disrupt his musings.

“Upupu.” Was all Makoto needed to hear before slamming ‘it’ onto the floor. He’d expected and hoped to see smashed robot parts, not Monokuma bouncing off the floor like he was made of elastic.

The brunet’s eyes followed the bear ricochet off the walls in a manner that couldn’t have been caused by him.

“Mono-headbutt!”

Makoto fell backward onto the ground when Monokuma crashed into him.

The boy winced sharply before choosing to ignore the pain in favor of glaring at his attacker.

“A lonely bear tries to say hello and you toss him like junk!? You’re a piece of work, hoodie.” Monokuma kicked his legs in the air while resting atop him. Maybe he’d expected Makoto to banter back, to whine about how it hurt being laid on his ass. Whatever he’d anticipated, it hadn’t been Makoto retaliating with a bullet.

It happened fast enough that the bear still had that grin on his face before being forced off.

The lucky student rose to his feet, examining the hole in the face down Monokuma’s head.

“…Are you gonna get up?”

Monokuma did so in a flash. “If you remembered that I’m immortal, why’d ya shoot me!? Bear hunting season is NEVER up here.”

“I only had your word until now. I wanted to put it to the test.” Makoto said, nonchalantly.

“You know what they say about cats and curiosity?”

“Junko would never let you kill me and anything short of that would be wasting both of our time.” Makoto replied to the threat. “By the way, I’m guessing you were part of that Monokuma stampede?”

“No waaay. Mommy says I’m special. Not like one of those cleaner bears. Don’t you remember, I’m your partner!” A bad joke if Makoto ever heard one.

“So there are different kinds of Monokuma. Is that related to Junko’s power or were you made some other way?” That was dangerous to think about.

“The first. Didn’t Celestia Ludenwatsit teach you that a queen never gets her hands dirty? Lady Enoshima has always had grunts to do her dirty work, and bears are much more useful than you humans.”

“In what way?”

“Cuteness! Plus the fact that we can do anything we put our mind to, instead of just saying it. That also means that there’s nothing Lady Enoshima can’t do.”

Does that mean she doesn’t have any real power herself? “One more question: can I bulk up here?”

“Quoi?”

“I’m rethinking my strategy, and I want to know if I can become stronger.”

Monokuma folded his small arms. “That’s disappointing. Like maybe if you asked from the start, I’d get it. But this far in and you just thought about it?”

“Is that a yes or no?”

“Look here, kid. If you wanted to get jacked up like Cornhead then go ahead. But don’t you think all these guys – who have been here much longer than you btw – would have done that themselves if it meant anything?”

“No, I wouldn’t assume that, because all of you are ambiguous at best or don’t make sense. You’re a bear who spends more time talking about how he’s bearlike than actually doing bear things.” Whatever those were, it wasn’t being a sass bot. “Either way, you’re admitting it's possible, so how’s being faster and stronger not going to help me?”

Monokuma sighed. “That kinda thinking shows you’re still small time. Let’s say you put on a few pounds clocked me in the face with it-“

Lots of temptations today.”

“Ahem! All you’d be hitting me with is muscle. Why would ya imagine for strength to hurt me instead of just thinking about hurting me?”

Makoto’s eyes widen briefly, then settled. “Monokuma. I’m going to think about kicking you and you’ll block it.”

“Damn straight I would. If you want a stress relief toy, then make your own. I’m for sweet lovin’ only-” Makoto interrupted Monokuma with said kick.

“Oof!” The bear’s flies backwards a small distance. “What’s the big idea!? I didn’t think you’d actually hit me!”

“Doesn’t look like it hurt though.” Makoto remarked. “And I still heard that ‘yelp’. Just so we’re on the same page, did you do what I asked?”

“You’ve got the memory of a goldfish. I’m not gonna let myself become a punching bag.” Monokuma raised his paw. “When did you learn to lie like that, hoodie? And what were you really thinking?”

“I wanted to hit you as hard as Sakura could.” Literally. He imagined himself as fit as the martial artist and struck Monokuma. “And would you look at that, you couldn’t block it.”

“Maybe I got distracted thinking of my favorite soap opera. The season finale’s coming up.” Monokuma jokingly replied.

Just like Makoto thought. He couldn’t take a single one of them at their word.

“Here’s my theory: If I thought “I’ll hurt you with this kick” and you countered with “This kick won’t hurt me”, then it’s just your words against mine and nobody gets anywhere. That’s why I imagined my friend’s strength and hit you with that. In the end, you’re only protecting yourself against how you perceive me, but if I change that, then you’re just a sitting duck. What do you say?”

“I say that you’re off the mark.” Monokuma wagged his paw. “Sheesh, I wasn’t lying when I said you were wasting your time. Let me put this as PG13 as possible: it ain’t easy fiddling with your body.”

“The results prove otherwise.” Makoto argued.

Monokuma tilted his head and in monotone, replied “I know how hard the Street Fighter 7 reject hits and your kick was like an insect bite if you wanna compare. Couldn’t follow through with that imagination, could you?”

“Who knows?” Makoto shrugged. Monokuma was right, but he wouldn’t let him know that.

“…You think just because you put your arms and legs back in place that you can mold yourself like clay? No chance. It’s easy to reset, but change is a whole ’nother story. It ain’t a walk in the park becoming someone else for anybody, especially not here when your ego is all you got. An idiot who really thinks there's nothing they can't do might pull it off, but that’s not you, Mr. I'm Perfectly Average.”

Makoto strutted past Monokuma.

“Where are you going?”

“To find Chisa. I need somewhere to practice.”

“Did you listen to a word I said?” The robot bear chased after him. “Why do you even need her? I’m way more useful than that maid!”

Makoto stopped and shot Monokuma a bewildered look. “Even if you spilled all of Junko’s secrets, you wouldn’t be worth half as much as her.”


“I want to become stronger.” Makoto reissued the same proposal to Chisa.

The response was about as negative. Her displeased face revealed her answer before she even spoke. “So you’ll fight Junko again?” 

“That was different. I had to take a stand that time.” He replied.

“What happened in the last round?” Chisa asked, concerned.

“Chihiro had a creation-type ability and trapped us in a dream. As usual, a whole bunch of us died before the end, including me.”

His speedy summary was met with suspicion. “You don’t sound disappointed.”

“I was! You should have seen me when I got back. Er- maybe better you didn’t. Talking to Izuru calmed me down.”

 “Calmed you down enough to fight Junko? That’s horrible advice!” Chisa’s yell was like the crack of thunder. Loud, fierce, and could make the unprepared jump in fright.

“You’ve got that wrong.” Makoto withstood her ire. “Thanks to him, I’m not afraid anymore.”

Chisa’s confusion intensified.

“‘Look for the monster in the closet and you’ll see it’s someone’s old Halloween costume - is more or less what he told me, so I did.” And all he saw was a psychopathic fashionista, barely older than him. The only difference is that she’d been here longer. Even so, he made her bleed. Eventually, he could do a whole lot more. “It’s just a matter of time.”

Chisa’s gaze wavered in disbelief. “Did anything else happen down there?”

Nothing important – is what he would have liked to reply with, but her intuition was the real deal. Instead, he replied with “You were there.”

The teacher blinked.

“Not you. A model of you.” He continued. “Chihiro created a clone based on your data as one of our opponents.”

“I…” She gulped. “What did I do?”

“You saved my ass.” Makoto grinned. “Thanks to one of the rules you made, I exposed the mastermind.”

Chisa sighed in relief.

He was about to rain on that parade. “Speaking of which, I lost your napkin near the end of the dream. I’m not sure if I can get it back since Enoshima’s going to rewind time for the next round. I’m really sorry.”

Chisa squints and tilts her head to the side. Her mouth opens, but words fail her. She clutches her throat, eyes wide.

“Are you okay?” Makoto asked.

“I’m fine.” Chisa’s smile was too abrupt to be real. “I’m glad I could help you then, and I plan to do more to help you now. I’ve decided that I’ll start watching your battles.”

Any inquiries he’d had faded in front of the declaration. Yet, there wasn’t a trace of surprise on his face.

“Thanks, I’ll need all the help I can get.” He smiled. “That’s part of why I’m here. In the last round, I asked Sakura and Celes to help me, but we couldn’t get around to it. Then I came up with an idea. Since I keep all the items that I take with me and bring back…I was thinking you could replicate my friends. That way I could learn from all of them before the next game starts.”

Chisa tapped her chin. “I don’t know your friends well enough for that to work. For Sakura, I know who she is, but I can’t imagine how she would fight. I know even less about the other girl.”

Makoto clicked his tongue. “No good, huh?”

“Aww, don’t blow me off. Your plan’s a good one and you don’t even need Ogre. I’m here.” Said the third wheel/nuisance. Makoto thought Monokuma was quietly behaving himself. The monochromatic bear had laid covers and a pillow over one of the desks and took a damn nap.

The bottomless pajamas were overkill for the joke.

“You’re just a toy. How could you help me?” He asked Monokuma.

Monokuma landed on the floor with a menacing look. “Try me out and you’ll see.”

“…He seems serious enough.” Makoto looked to Chisa.

The housekeeper sighed. “I’m not sure about this, but I doubt I have a say here.”

Within the minute, Makoto found himself standing on a boxing ring across Monokuma. He looked back and forth to the railings.

Chisa watched from outside the ring.

“So what’re you gonna teach me?” Skepticism dripped from Makoto’s voice.

“I’m more of a hands-on instructor if you catch my drift.” Monokuma’s claws protruded.

Makoto tensed. Despite Monokuma’s diminutive size, he was dangerous.

Almost everyone here was.

- [Junko Enoshima] -

 

The self-proclaimed queen of despair…glumly poked at her salad.

Contrary to what may have been popular belief back home, Junko cared about her status as the Ultimate Fashionista. It had been a cover for her real talent, but one she adored to put on, along with all the habits that followed.

Ah, the despair of puking her guts out to keep her figure. It almost hurt that it wasn’t necessary to do that anymore. Similarly depressing was the quietness.  Back when she’d been alive, there’d been no shortage of people surrounding her both before and during the tragedy. The majority were boring, talentless normies, but the noise beat being left with her thoughts.

“You seem depressed. Did my present not go well?” Roles reversed. Now Junko was lazily looking up from her meal to Mr. Izuru Kamukura himself.

Junko only had one thing to say. “Did Makoto have red eyes when you talked?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Yes or no.” She sooo didn’t have the patience for this! “It’s obviously yes! I’m not crazy! He must have relapsed somehow.”

“That’s not the proper use of the term. Maybe a trigger caused this supposed reversion?” He nitpicked. The fact that he chose to stand, towering over her meant he wasn’t down for staying long.

“Hell if I know.” Junko moaned.

“…Seriously, what’s with the depression? I thought you would have been ecstatic to be targeted by the object of your obsession.” 

“I’M BLUE-BALLED!” Junko gripped her pigtails. “I got my first real thrill since my death, and it gets hijacked by some old has-beens, then he doesn’t even look my way afterward! How fucked up is that?!”

“Hm. This could be a problem.” Izuru mused.

Junko froze, irritation washed away from her face. “I wouldn’t go that far. An annoyance, yes. A problem? No waaay.” She deadpanned.

“Not him. You.” Izuru corrected her. “If you can’t see that he’s stopped fearing you and your game, then I fear that you can’t be trusted to run it any longer.”

Junko gaped. The dumbfounded expression lasting only as long as it took for the hilarity to sink in. “Okay okay, I’ll bite. If I don’t run it, who will? The raggedy old-timer, or you? The drone who only bitches and whines about how everyone else is boring?”

“It’s just a warning. Keep playing with your food and you’ll lose sight of the big picture.” Izuru calmly replied.

Junko narrowed her eyes. “This is the big picture. Yeah, if Makoto had been a teeny bit more selfish, he’d have escaped. But he’s not! I knew from the beginning that big hope dope wouldn’t settle for anything but a perfect victory where everyone’s happy. So long as he thinks there’s a chance of that.”

“A game is only interesting so long as it's fair. Your lie sours things.”

“The game would already be over if I hadn’t.” Junko rolled her eyes. The rules were meant to be bent, just not broken. “Besides, it’ll make his despair sweeter when he finds out. Upupu.”

“...Will you change the order of blackeneds?"

"Nope. She's up next."

"That's predictable, but let's hope she's up to the task." Izuru nodded.  “About your first question. You wanted to know if he had the ‘red eyes’. What’s the significance of that?”

Junko whipped her head at attention. Truthfully, Junko herself didn’t understand what led to that particular metamorphosis. Only the result mattered. “Cuz it means I got a foot in the door and gave Mr. Kumbaya his first taste of real despair.”

“Interesting choice of words, Ms. Blue.” Izuru shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You sure are talkative today. Did what you find upstairs put you in a good mood?" He tried his best to hide it. She’d give him that.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Ditto.” Junko shrugged.

“…” Izuru turned around and walked away.

Left to her own devices once more “That guy needs to work on his social skills, big time.”  What she’d kill to have decent company.  “I miss Monaca.” The little tyrant.

She slumped on the table, resting her chin on the cold surface. A Monokuma head emerged from the furniture. It opened his mouth, revealing a mirror with Junko’s reflection staring back.

“Why is it blue?”

-[???]-

 

Breaking the locks barring the second floor had been difficulty, even temporarily. Getting out would be even harder. It was an illegal entry, not something he would do for fun. He walked with purpose.

Junko would be too busy fighting her obsession to notice him. That was the chink in her armor. Whyever she fixated on the boy so much was beyond understanding, but he’d be a fool not to take advantage of it.

He’d known it from experience. Makoto Naegi would be pushed to the brink, but not off it. Without knowing the truth, he would commit suicide, blunting his fear of death. That’s when Izuru’s chance would come. “Tengan won’t miss the opportunity either…”

It won’t be long now.

Izuru had only gone behind those doors once, briefly. It was enough for him to understand that if the Nexus was a bank, this was the vault. And he would play the robber – not of anything material. No. He was here to steal the show.

Arguably literally.

He smiled and waltzed inside, immediately noting the drop in temperature and humidity. His vision became unreliable in the vast darkness. Nothing could be seen in the distance. Look left or right, and he’d be met with the same boundless expanse. The only source of light was beneath the man’s feet; a transparent road stretched onwards. He walked along a strip of film that easily held his weight – each step changing the sequence of projections displayed on its surface.

The clock's ticking.

“Now where did my actor run off to?”

- [Makoto Naegi] -

 

Makoto awoke with a groan. At this point, he’d gotten used to the red walls and the softness of his bed.

The last thing he remembered was…that damn Monokuma punching him out of the ring! It had hurt so much that he passed out before he could ignore the pain.

“He was definitely getting revenge for before.” Makoto sat upright.

Makoto traced the sound of light breaths to his desk, finding Chisa fast asleep.

He motioned over to the sleeping woman and carried her back to his bed. He rolled the covers over her and smiled.

The one belief he still had left was reinforced, both in Chihiro’s killing game and here. No matter what, Chisa would always be on his side.

Forever, if that’s how long it took.

 

 

- [Monokuma Theater] -

 

I can't help but wonder how I fell from grace. The name Monokuma used to strike terror into the hearts of paranoid and mentally impaired teenagers. Look at me now, beaten, bruised, and bandaged. Piece of advice, if you're gonna clock a guy out, do it where nobody's looking. All the justification in the world won't mean squat if they're liked more than you, even when they're literally asking for it.

*sigh*

Maybe I should rethink this whole death game gig and apply myself elsewhere. That whole courtroom fiasco got me thinking, wouldn't I be a great judge? I've got tons of experience giving verdicts and sending schmucks to the slammer. Heck, I'll even date their executions this time. Yeah. I'll break records and set trends as the first bear to preside over a court in history.

Don't think I've got what it takes to go legit? I'll have you know that a fortune teller said I've got nothing but success stored in my future, even if it means I've gotta fake it til I make it. Don't judge...it's not like anyone else here is who they say they are.

Oh right...you wanted a hint about the next blackened. Er-Between you and me?

It's Kyoko.

 

Notes:

A/N: We're almost at 30k views. With that and entering a special arc next, I've decided to rewrite the first arc. There probably won't be any major changes besides some revisions and updated dialogue, but the writing was too choppy for me to leave be. The first chapter's already been edited.

Chapter 38: Senza Ali/Wingless

Notes:

Events of this chapter aren't in chronological order.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Mom and dad brought home a pair of identical hamsters one day, one for each of us.

We called them Murry and Derry.  Her job was to feed them while Mukuro cleaned up.

Derry was always running on the wheel or scurrying about the cage. Whenever Murry wasn’t eating or sleeping, it was at the edge of the cage, trying to fit its body past the bars.

Murry was her favorite and she took it out of the cage when Mukuro wasn’t looking.

Murry ran around the house faster than Derry ever did in the cage, but she could always find it wherever he went. After she’d fed its portion to Derry.

Rinse and repeat.

Even after several days, Murry never slowed down. Unlike Derry, who she noticed was getting fatter from overfeeding.

One day, she’d forgotten to feed the hamsters before going to school.

Derry was dead when she returned. The culprit behind the vicious bite marks stuck its head out of the bars and zoned in on Junko when she entered the room. She had to clean up all the blood on its fur while Mukuro spent the night crying.

It was annoying, but Junko understood her sister’s grief. Derry was her hamster, after all.

-[Junko Enoshima]-

“What’s with the food? For Makoto?” Junko interrogated Chisa on her way out of the cafeteria. The Ultimate despair had made the lunchroom her private fortress (that she was too bored to leave). The sight of the housekeeper rolling a cart out was interesting enough.

“He’s asleep.” She answered.

“Course he is. Nobody goes one round with me and just walks out of bed!”

Being the vacuum of wit that Chisa is, Junko didn’t ultimate analysis to predict that she’d reply with “Let him go.”

As if.

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because he’s not the Makoto that beat you. He has nothing to do with your obsession with hope and despair.”

Point taken. “He’s close enough.” And Rejected. “Why are you trying to appeal to my sensibilities? Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?”

“It’s easy to forget with how low you’ve sunk.”

 “Pardonnez-moi?”

Chisa looked upon her with exasperation. “It’s almost funny how you went from wanting to spread despair to the whole world to obsessing over one boy.”

Oh, that’s where she’s going with this. Lame. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, sister. I’m already a foot in the door in giving him his first taste of despair. That’s worth more than a million flunkies.”

“He’ll never lose to you.” Said the lady.

“Shows what you know. I had him back there. Red eyes and all.” Junko pried open her lids.

Chisa frowned. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Ugh. “He had them.”

“I’m wasting my time.” The auburn-haired woman swayed her head and pushed the cart.

Someone was getting cocky. “You’re just an extra to make the game a little more interesting. Don’t forget that.” Junko threatened.

The maid gave her a look – confusion, with the usual mix of contempt – before making her exit.

Junko was alone in the cafeteria, again.  She hadn’t the motivation to move or even touch the rusty book that served as her greatest weapon.

That awful, poisonous emotion that followed her everywhere she went like a tick, was creeping in. Boredom.

The thrill from the previous game was about to wear off. Her gaze flitters around, sighting nobody in her grasp to alleviate the incoming ennui. It used to be that easy. Names she didn’t remember, faces she barely deigned to look at, buzzed around for her entertainment. Often at their expense when the penny finally dropped for them.

The answer to Chisa’s question was that simple. If she let Makoto go, she’d be bored again and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

Junko rested her head over her folded arms.

“I played around way too much.” She fell asleep with a smile.

-[Makoto Naegi]-

Multi-colored billiards ricocheted over the pool table.

“What are psychics?” Makoto haphazardly asks, while setting himself up for the next shot with the cue in his grip.

“Guessin’ Tengan spilled the beans.” Monokuma clapped a similar stick in his hands. “Nothing much to it. It’s what you’ve been seeing every day since you ended up in Hope’s Peak’s main course.”

“I’ve always thought that was normal. Like, Ultimates weren’t my kind of normal, but they’re not comic book heroes.”

“Says you. Depending on where you come from, Ultimates don’t even exist. Things you kids do wouldn’t be natural.”

“Got it.” Makoto poked at the cue ball. His aim struck at the remaining billiards, save one that annoyingly bounced off the corner and missed the hole.

“My turn.” Monokuma jumped to the edge of the table. His small stature would have made the game one-sided otherwise. While Chisa was resting, Makoto didn’t have much to do and didn’t oppose Monokuma’s suggestion to play pool in the rec room. “I’m surprised you agreed that easily, Hoodie.” Monokuma said as if reading his mind.

“I didn’t have anything to lose. Not time. Not anything. I might as well get to know you.”

“How ‘I think’, you mean?”

Makoto nodded.

“What you see with me is what you get. A-”

“‘handsome, lovable bear.” Makoto rolled his eyes.

“Wrong! Just someone who gets bored easily and loves his job. In other words, I love my job cuz it’s fun.” Just when Makoto thought he was out of the clear. “Also, I’m a bear.”

“Getting seriously old.”

 “If we’re being serious now, there are much better targets than me. Like Lady Enoshima.”

Makoto smacked his ear to make sure he heard right. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“You play pool often?” Monokuma asked out of the blue.

There was a set just like this one in the real academy. Makoto never took interest. “Not really. I’m bored right now.”

“And you’re still playing? You like doing boring things?”

“I don’t think anyone does. If I was back home, I’d check out what’s trending.”

“Your questionable individuality aside, that sounds boring as shit to me.” Monokuma jeered.

“Everyone’s got their own interests.” Makoto shrugged.

“And what if you thought everything was boring.”

“That’s not possible.” The lucky student retorted.

“And if it wasn’t? Maybe some people don’t get the choice.”

“They’d just be lazy. There’s always something fun to do if you look for it.”

Monokuma raised a paw to his mouth and smiled. “Would you look at that? You’re one step closer to understanding Lady Enoshima already.”

Just like that, Makoto was lost. “I hate her.” He understood that part – and the reason for it –very, very well.

“News to the blind. Shame everyone here’s got eyes, as far as I know. But how’s hating her saving you and your friends?”

“It won’t, but it’s cathartic. The day I get how she thinks, is the day I go crazy.” And that wasn’t happening any time soon.

“Typical beta males can’t stand the heat. Word of advice, hoodie, because I’ve got plenty: Grab the bull by the horns.”

Makoto tilted his head.

“Play nice with Lady Enoshima.” Monokuma elaborated.

Nope, no comeback for that one. Just an honest, “Why would I ever do that?”

“That’s my advice this time. Trust me on this, you’ll thank me later.”

“No. How would that even work? She’ll know I’m up to something.” He protested.

“I’m not asking you to pretend. Be your boring, average self all you want. Just tolerate her.” Monokuma says.

Makoto humors the idea. “And how would that benefit me?”

“A power play. You always blink first. Every time, you run off and she gets to rack another W on the scoreboard. Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about standing your ground,” Monokuma cocked his head to the side. “or did I get it all wrong and you’re still afraid of her?”

“Want me to shoot you again?” Makoto threatened.

“Cool your jets!” Monokuma broke into a cold sweat. “Here’s what.  We’ll make a deal. We keep up with your training until you drop but I’m adding conditions to my service. You managed to clock me like you did before, and I’ll show you a way out of here. No need to play the boss’ games.”

Monokuma’s proposal was far too good to be true. Still, Makoto couldn’t ‘not’ consider it. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“You don’t, but this is a one-time offer. If you don’t take it, you’ll never get it out of your head.”

“…I have to hit you one time?”

“Don’t make it sound so easy.”

“Deal.” Makoto accepted.

“I had a feeling you’d see things my way. Now let’s go fetch the maid.” Monokuma hopped on his shoulder. “Andele!”

“I’m not a bull.”

-[Junko Enoshima]-

Sleep was rare for Junko. It was rarer that she dreamt about her childhood…or thought it about at all. Practically bizarre that she’d ever wake up to a certain lucky half-pint staring her down across the table, half-a-sandwich in hand, and faced stuffed with the other half.

Junko blinked thrice. Once she was sure that she was awake, the only left to do was ask the relevant question. “The hell are you doing?”

“Eating.” He answered dryly.

“…Why?”

“I’m hungry.”

The despair diva snorted. “Why here, dork?”

“Is there anyone who says I can’t?” He took that attitude again. What bad influence was he getting it from?

Whatever.” Junko huffed. In doing so, she felt a drip of saliva slide down her chin. She instinctively wiped it with her hand. She scrunched her nose and snapped her fingers. In a flash, Monokuma were around her. One on a stool and two others on the table tending to her makeup. In less than a minute, she was despairingly perfect…as usual.

Makoto narrowed his eyes as the Monokuma dispersed.  “Weren’t you supposed to be some kind of fashion model? Can’t take care of your own appearance?”

“Doing makeup is like destroying the world. Why push yourself when you can have others do it for you?”

Makoto takes a bite out of his sandwich. His cold gaze was his only response.

“You give all the girls the stink eye?”

“Only the ones that deserve it.”

Junko cupped her cheeks. “Aww, I’m special.” No really, what was his game here? She could call him out on it…but where’d be the fun in that?

She watched him eat his sandwich. It jogged her memories – old ones that took a degree of effort to recall. From clothes to cuisine, his tastes were terribly plain.

Her fingers snapped again. A ruckus takes place in the kitchen. A chef Monokuma rushes out, carting a tray towards their table. A sub is served on Junko’s side and the Monokuma departs after a bow.

Makoto raises an eyebrow at the steaming sandwich. “Surprised you care about eating healthy.” He takes in the vegetables.

“You’re dreaming if you think this is healthy eating.” Junko rolled her eyes. The reason he’s so skinny and weak is cuz he doesn’t eat right.

“Wouldn’t it be ‘despairful’ if you got fat?” Makoto questions.

Junko froze. The image came to mind. The tears, outrage, and disgust stemming from the reaction of all the dimwitted men who dropped their jaws at her body. Drool drips down her face again. “I’d be as bloated as Hifumi. Omg, think of the despair!”

“I didn’t go nearly that far.” Makoto trailed off. “Wait, why Hifumi? He can’t be the only overweight guy you know.”

“He’s like 1 of 4 and easily the funniest.” Junko snickered.

Makoto regarded her with intense suspicion. “Did you know him?”

 “Mystery is a woman’s charm, you know.” She bites into her sandwich. “Tuna.” Junko said quietly. A snap of the fingers brought the chef Monokuma back.

“What can I do for you-?” A second snap triggers the explosion of the Monokuma’s head.

Makoto coughed aloud. “What was that for?” He waved his hands to blow away the smoke.

“Cheeky bastard knew I can’t stand tuna. Messing with food is like the ultimate taboo.”

“Maybe he thought it’d give you ‘despair’.” He quoted mockingly.

“Pretty much. I asked him to surprise me.”

“…are you serious? That’s so dumb.”

“Nobody ever said bears were smart.” She brushed the dust off of her clothes. “Well, even if it did bring me despair, I’d have blown him up anyway as a thank you.” She grinned.

Makoto stared at the Monokuma wreckage in confusion. “He’s dead?”

“Most things die when they’re killed.”

 Makoto stands up abruptly and walks by her.

“Where are you going?” She asks.

Whatever was in the kitchen was apparently more interesting than bloody manners.

“What’s his deal?” She didn’t think for a second he came up with it himself. He was too emotional to stand her. Whatever he was plotting, someone else gave him the idea. “Was it the maid or Tengan…”

-[Multiple PoV]-

Chisa occupied herself with the last portion of food she’d scraped from the kitchen to maintain her energy. One of the conditions for her assistance was to make time pass faster in the space she made. It wasn’t hard when all she had to make was a ring and some stage lighting. The chair and table for herself on the outskirt were also lit in the same way. Everywhere else was cloaked in darkness – areas she hadn’t bothered to fill with information.

She was almost out of fuel.

She took her job seriously. Be it a teacher, a brainwashed member of the future foundation, or an assistant trainer, which is why she was seriously contemplating the merits of Makoto’s new strategy. His training segments appeared to hurt more than help.

Pain didn’t matter so much if you didn’t think about it.

Makoto had struggled to learn that until now.

All of a sudden, he’d learned very quickly.

Whenever Monokuma’s surprisingly nimble movements hit home, Makoto recoiled and winced where he should have dropped and yelped in pain. Chisa lost count f how many hours she’d watched Makoto attempt to corner the demented bear and fail. Whatever training Makoto planned with Sakura, Chisa couldn’t imagine the martial artist would be this wasteful.

“Time out!” Chisa yelled.

Makoto and Monokuma snapped their heads towards her.

“I hate to interrupt, but I’m pooped.” Chisa sighed.

“We have been at this for a while.” Makoto said wearily.

“And you haven’t landed a single hit on me, hoodie. You know what that means?” Monokuma chuckled darkly as he jumped off the ring.

Makoto’s displeased expression as he followed became a mystery Chisa was quick to inquire on. “What’s going on here?”

“Just a bet between partners in crime. Nuffin’ you gotta worry your pretty little head about. Upupu.”

“Monokuma wants me to…I don’t even know.” Makoto shook his head. “Not hate Junko or something.”

“A new tactic from yours truly. Don’t bother asking for explanations. Makoto already took the bet and now he’s gotta pay up.” Monokuma said.

“It doesn’t sound like a big deal.” Yet her distrust of Monokuma was transparent.

Monokuma heaved a sigh. “It sure is rough being an ex-big bad. Nobody trusts ya even when you’re trying your best to help move things along.” His features went blank.  “Hey, Hoodie. How much have you learned in all the time you’ve been here?”

Makoto lifted a brow. “More than I’d like to know.”

“S’that mean it’s everything you should know?”

“Not even close.” He replied.

Chisa averted her eyes.

“Funny, because all that info could be yours if you just asked any of us.” Monokuma said.

“Like that’s ever worked. Every time I try, I only get half-answers, or everyone clams up because Enoshima ordered them to.” Makoto raised his voice.

“…So do I really got spell out why the obvious solution is just getting Lady Enoshima to break the news herself?” Monokuma deadpanned.

She’s the one trapping me here.” Makoto was taken aback.

“I see your point. ‘It doesn’t make a lick of sense for my captor to give me the tools to bust out!’” Makoto growled at Monokuma’s irritating mockery of his own voice. “Cuz the girl in question is known for being rational.”

Chisa and Makoto quieted down.

“I…think Monokuma might have a point here. Just a little.” Chisa murmured.

“Is she that crazy?” Makoto had heard of the answer being under your nose, but this was taking it too far.

“Go find out. Right now. She’s in the cafeteria.” Monokuma suggested rather forcefully.

Makoto stared at Chisa silently.

“We don’t have anything to lose. Let’s go.” Chisa nodded.

Monokuma coughed. “You stay put, teach. Hoodie has to put on his big boy pants this one time or you’ll achieve the opposite effect. I guarantee it.”

Chisa ruminated over the words – the advice. “Monokuma’s right again.”

Makoto’s hopeful look deflated.

Chisa followed up with an explanation. “Whenever Junko’s in public, she thinks that everything has to be a show where’s she’s the main attraction. If you want to get something real out of her, you’ve got to

“I hate this.” The brunette looked down before turning his back.

“If nothing else, just grab lunch. Dealing with her will just be a few demerits to a nice meal.” Monokuma mocked.

Makoto scowled before going on his way.

“Why are you being so helpful?” Chisa faced Monokuma.

The bear took her steely gaze in stride. “So you agree that I’m an effective aide? All I needed to hear.”

Now why did that feel like a slight? “When I first met you, I didn’t think you were serious at all, but with what you’ve just done…would Junko approve that?”

“I’m only following orders and it’s not like it changes anything...or do you think he actually has a shot of beating Lady Enoshima?”

“…”

“Oh goodie, here I thought you’re only halfway stupid. I’d have stopped talking if you said yes. You, me, and the other 4 know there’s no [Actor] who can take down [The Director].” Monokuma’s red eye gleamed. “Not as long as she’s got the script.”

“I know.”

“I know you know, but sometimes I think you forget.” Monokuma tilted his head. “So try not to antagonize Lady Enoshima any more than you already have.”

“It almost sounds like you’re worried about me.” Chisa scoffed.

Monokuma was having none of it. “Sure am. Like I’ve been saying all along. I’m Hoodie’ partner. It’s my obligation to help him out…and somehow, an extra like you has become his crutch. If something happens to you now, it’ll make my job impossible.”

Chisa shook her head. “Makoto’s not as weak as you think. He can take care of himself. As for me, I’m not afraid of Junko.” With those final words, she bid the mechanical terror an insincere farewell.

Monokuma’s head lowered. “Whoever said Lady Enoshima was the only one you had to watch out for?” A sinister smile spread like a sharp tear. “She won’t see it coming, even when he’s staring at her right in the face like that.”

Monokuma turned to face the corner of the room, towards an empty seat.

“Don’t you think?”

-[Makoto Naegi]-

“Quit staring. I’m trying to eat here.” Makoto placed the spoon down.

“Watching people eat is one of my hobbies.” Junko clasped her hands together and put on a big, bright smile. “Color me surprised to see you made that of all things. I thought all the trauma would have put you off.”

Makoto snaked one arm down over to his stomach. It hadn’t been nearly as good as when crafted by the team, but even prime quality wouldn’t have staved off the twists and turns in his guts. “That was your fault.”

“If you say so. An unbiased observer would say it was Kiyotaka that screwed you over.” She said using that fake intellectual persona.

Arguing with her was a waste of time. He was here for answers. “Taka was easy to handle.” He phrased it as a question.

“His fault again. It’s not like I control what powers they get.” Junko shrugged.

So it’s true then, despair depends on everyone. That means she can’t give them new powers on the fly. That was good news unless she was lying.

“You called him ‘Taka’. Why?” Makoto inquired.

“Cuz I’ve called him that for years?” She mockingly replied. His feelings were as casual as her delivery. For a long time, he’d suspected the possibility. If Chisa taught Hope’s Peak Academy in a different world, then she might have known Junko there. And if Junko was a student, “We were classmates in your world?”

“Did the penny just drop?”

“Then why-” Makoto paused when Junko gave him a dry, bored look. “Despair.”

“Good boy.”

He exhaled strongly and went back to his stew, it was a needed break from the monster in front of him Getting angry is a waste of time. It’s not like it’ll change anything.

“You shouldn’t have a reason to get angry in the first place.” Junko predicted his thoughts. “But I get it, nobody understands, at first.” His eyebrow quirked. “One day you will, and you’ll thank me for saving you.”

Makoto slowly lifted his head at the absurd suggestion. “The only one I need saving from is you.”

“Really? Not that dull, average life that you’re always complaining about.” Those light-blues dissected him with frightening precision. “Can you really call it living if you’re stuck in a cage while there’s a whole world out there?”

“And you think ‘despair’ is some amazing high that’ll set me free?” Makoto spat.

“I’m sure the old maid told you about me. I’ll bet you my life savings that they’re slightly embellished.” Junko said.

“Slightly? She said you ended the world.”

Junko wagged her finger. “I admit it, I’ve used that flex on my resume once or twice. You’ve always got to make yourself look better than you are, like in any job interview.”

“The point?”

“I didn’t end the world. The world just ended. All I did was give it a push. Don’t you think it’s strange how one ultra-beautiful, super charismatic, bombshell genius did all that at the age of 18?”

Makoto’s spoon froze in the air. “Is that a serious question?”

“All I did was teach a bunch of sleeping wolves how to hunt. I didn’t force them to. Deep down, they’re the ones who wanted the freedom to break down their ordinary lives.”

Makoto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No that’s a lie. This was exactly the kind of drivel he should have come to expect. “Yeah, I’m sure you barely had anything to do with it.” He said sarcastically.

“One mass suicide here. One brainwashed class there and that was it.” She said like that was nothing at all. “They happily fell into the fad and let me tell you, it takes some serious thrill to off your family.”

He regarded the insanity with palpable disgust. “I feel sorry for anyone who had to be born into your family. Chances are that you’ve killed them already.”

“Guilty as charged.” Monster. “I know you’ll thank me one day. After all, you’re being liberated as we speak.”

This psycho’s mind games didn’t add up. “Even if I fell into despair, what’s in it for you?”

“Personal satisfaction.”

. . .

“If that’s how you really think, then you must have hated your life.” He wanted her to deny it, to get angry like an ordinary person.

“Sure did. It was awful before I found despair. Now I’m happier than ever.” Junko was determined to spite him on every turn. “My only regret is that by dying at the ripe age of 19, my boobs will never know the despair of sagging.”

While Junko, played around, his gaze fell to the stew he’d spent hours making. “When’s the next game?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Are you finally seeing things my way?”

“No. I’m just done listening to you.”

Junko pouted. “Sure you want to be so gung-ho? Something churazy always happens in round 6.”

“The faster we get this over with, the better.”  It didn’t matter if he died. He’d just do it over until he saved everyone. Junko was an idiot. This game had no win condition for her unless he gave up. That would never happen.

“You’re such an ass.” Junko said. “Hand me some of that.” She pointed to his plate. He’d seen this coming from the way she’d eyed it the whole time.

“No.” He retorted.

“If you won’t, I won’t start the next game.”

Makoto considered the oddest attempt at an ultimatum for a moment, then decided he wasn’t hungry. “Whatever.” He passed over the dish.

She grabbed the nearest fork to poke at the half-eaten beef. His eyes were glued to the tines that tested the meat’s texture. Up and down it went…right until a sharp change in trajectory. Junko reached over and the fork’s teeth approached his eye at a blistering pace.

The next moment, blood fell. Following a loud bang.

 “You sneaky little-” Junko fell forward onto the table.

“Did you think I’d let my guard down?” Makoto smirked. His left hand stayed underneath the table from the moment he sat down, with the barrel of a gun pointed at the ultimate despair.

“N…ope.” She weakly snapped her fingers before her arm collapsed.

Suddenly, Makoto jerked forwards and the smile washed off his face. He blinked and looked down to see three blade-like claws jutting out from his abdomen.

“Upupupu.” The beast Monokuma carelessly withdrew its sharp talons. Makoto fell forward right beside Junko, the bear’s damned laugh is all he hears as his consciousness fades.

“I’m…going to…kill you.”

- [???] -

The passage of time steadied his erratic breaths. His arms were a more frustrating story. It felt like they’d never stop shaking at this rate. The cause was partly due to the accursed gun gripped tightly between his sweaty palms. He didn’t know whether the rising heat was an illusion was created by the adrenaline rush or the overuse of the weapon. And it saw plenty of use. The first shot had been hard. Hesitation fled his body with every subsequent round.

Eventually, the shaking stopped. Concurrently, the good senses of a proper man divorced him. He stared down as his ‘great deed’. The murder of a kidnapper. Anyone aware of his position would accept this choice as necessary. Even if none would appreciate the determination that led to it.

There was no turning back now.

-[Makoto Naegi] -

He woke up on Jabberwock Island again. At least, it had to be the island. The ceiling was nothing like his room at Hope’s Peak, nor the cottage on the first island. It was too…colorful. He caught splotches of blue, red, and pink everywhere. Even his fruity covers. As in, literally, the bedcovers were Strawberry-themed. As were the floors.

He shivered from the open draft.

“How’d I manage to fall asleep in a tacky place like this?” He cringed all the way to the door. It’s a shame it doesn’t lead outside, but at least the area is familiar. Makoto had a feeling before. Now he was sure this was the funhouse. “What a crappy room for a resort.” He mumbled on his walk over to the lounge.

“Wait, is that Togami?” He spies the scion coming up the stairs.

A flash of surprise crossed the other boy’s face.

Odd.

 “Good morning.” Makoto waved with one hand. The other ran through his sweater pocket. A wave of relief washes over him to find that he was still armed.

“Woken up on the right side of the bed this morning, hm? Your optimism astounds.”

Byakuya’s grumpiness was more than expected. What he didn’t anticipate was for Junko’s criticism of his ‘unfulfilling’ lifestyle to jump to mind.

“It’s what I’m good at.” He bitterly replied. “Why are we in the Funhouse?”

“Is that your idea of a joke?” Byakuya snapped.

Makoto flinched. There was always a strong disadvantage at the start of each game. Whenever his memories go missing and he acts differently, others notice and use it against him. Byakuya was particularly perceptive for someone who barely paid attention to Makoto at all.

“I think I’m coming down with a fever. Everything feels hazy.” Celes’ brief lessons were coming in handy. Half-truths and diversions were so much easier to tell than outright lies. Although more of his words were true than he’d have liked. A small groan left his lips, and his hand clutched his stomach to steady himself.

“So that’s your play.” Byakuya said with a pleased smile. “Amnesia is such a cliché, but I can’t say it’s the worst idea.” He turned his back and beckoned the luckster over. “Come along, my seemingly forgetful friend.”

On the trip to the first floor, back to…who knows where. Makoto asked. “Did something happen?”

“Indeed and it’s entirely possible many more ‘somethings’ will occur as well.” Ominous.

Makoto tensed at the possibility that Byakuya could be a blackened. His guard lasts a total of 15 seconds before dropping at the sound of his rumbling stomach.

“Why do I feel like I haven’t eaten in days?”

“Because none of us have eaten in the last 3 days. We’re trapped in here.”

Makoto’s foot tripped over air, sending his face on a collision course with the elite’s back.

Byakuya glared back “Do you have a coordinated bone in that diminutive body-”

“Sorry.” Makoto rubbed his stinging forehead. “Now what was that about being kidnapped?” The brunet focused his eyes when the blonde didn’t immediately respond. Byakuya’s attention was fixed to the floor, just a few centimeters away from Makoto’s position. Makoto followed his gaze to…to…

“Oh no.” His breath hitched. The gun slipped from his pocket and fell to the floor, in full view before the Togami heir. On sheer instinct, Makoto made the mistake of scrambling for the pistol. His protective grip all but affirming who it belonged to. “I-“

You are craftier than I gave you credit for.” Byakuya grinned in a way no teenager should. “To answer your earlier question: it’s better to show you and watch your conclusions.” He turned around and continued his stride along the first floor of Strawberry House. 

Makoto was unnerved. Probably more so than if Byakuya had asked about the gun, where Makoto found it, and demanded it in his hands. Byakuya always seemed like the guy who wanted to be in charge. Of all the important things at least.

“Are you coming or should I go back to my room and leave you to your own devices?”

“C-Coming.” Makoto trailed after him. All the way to what should have been the exit to the funhouse.

Makoto had come and gone out of the doors before, but he distinctly recalled that there hadn’t been thick, oversized chains locking the handles together.

“And…that’s what’s keeping us locked in here?”

“Ogami couldn’t even dent that door.” Fat chance of them getting out then. “Whatever material this door is made out of is fit for a Togami’s safe. It’s a wonder why those chains are necessary. A proper lock would have worked just as well.”

“There’s no other way out but here?” Makoto asked.

“There is, supposedly. You’ll understand in the tower.” Again, Byakuya moved like a guide on a tour.

“You’re calm.” Makoto appreciated that. He wished more of his classmates didn’t freak out at every turn. Now it was only a matter of whether Byakuya’s composure was natural or part of a ruse.

“Anger wastes energy. For now, I’ll simply find amusement where I can, and relish in the thought of making my captor pay.”

“So we were kidnapped.” The blackened has probably started moving already. His gaze shifted from wall to wall. This might have been another simulation like the last round.  Repetition didn’t fit Junko but as he’d confirmed, she didn’t control the despairs. “Any clues on finding out their identity?”

“Only one worth sharing. Apparently, you were the one who organized everyone to attend a trip to the funhouse.”

“Excuse me?” He continued. “Why would I do that?”

“Why ask me to explain your thoughts?”

He’d need to find out more information on that from someone else. “I don’t remember that. Even if it was true, that doesn’t make me a kidnapper. I’ve got nothing to gain from that.”

“Agreed, it’s not worth much by itself.” He said in a way that didn’t console Makoto in the slightest. The opposite in fact. “For now, it’s equally likely that there’s someone else hiding in the funhouse besides us.”

For now?

“Where are the others?” Makoto asked.

“Mostly asleep to conserve energy. Jabberwock didn’t skimp out on emergencies. There are 10 rooms in these unimaginatively named dwelling. As our number was a bit too large, some had to share and sleep in turns.”

“Is that why you were out?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Well, isn’t that suspicious.  “Who’s my partner?”

“Nobody.” Byakuya replied.

“Why’s that?”

Byakuya sneered. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Delicate matters like that should be handled with care. A commodity that I’m in short supply of.”

“Are they dead?” The ease at which he posed the question had taken Byakuya by surprise. For a moment or two at least.

“If you want to make this charade fun, it’s best you don’t jump to such extreme conclusions. At least, not when they’re correct.”

“Who was it?” Makoto’s lips thinned.

“Kizakura.” He said plainly. “Here we are.” He pressed on the panel to Strawberry Tower.  

*clink*

The door opened and the two boys stepped inside to the wide fruit-themed room. Makoto walked in front. His peripherals caught some red mixed in. An inch to the side reveals a familiar occultist circle, likely painted in blood. Underneath, and in bold, reads:

IF YOU WANT TO ESCAPE – KILL AND DON’T GET CAUGHT.

“Well, well. Seems they’ve struck again.” Byakuya spoke from behind him.

“There’s more of these?” Makoto twisted his body. Byakuya wasn’t looking at him, or in the direction of the ominous sign. His gaze was fixed on what had been Makoto’s blindspot…and the body that rested there with a bullet hole into their torso.

Notes:

Hard to believe it's been 3 months since the last update. Sorry this one came out so slow. On the bright side, we're winding down to the final arc. I'd say there's about 15 chapters left til the end, give or take.

Chapter 39: Kill Free or Live Hard (I)

Notes:

I had to revisit the secret of the funhouse for this arc and it was a lot more elaborate than I remembered. Gotta love Gundham's wild ride.

Chapter Text

- [Makoto Naegi] -

It was over before it began.

Just like the last time, Sayaka lay dead in front of him. Blood streaked from the open wound and stained her clothes.

A loud, drawn-out sigh left his lips the second the reality sunk.  

This round was a failure. He’d try again after exposing the blackened and learning their abilities.

Byakuya went to gather the others while Makoto searched the body. The blood was contained to a small area. He gleaned 2 facts from that discovery:

Sayaka had been killed here, probably during the night or early morning. Any other time would be too conspicuous. That also meant the killer knew she would be here. Maybe through an invitation. (Why was she backed against the wall?).

He knelt to examine the body. Her shirt was ruffled unnaturally as if she’d been in a fight. She had only a single wound around her abdomen. He traced down the blood to her legs before looking right. The trail had found its way to her fingertips. He turned upwards. Narrowly behind the idol’s back was a streak of that same substance.

Footsteps clamored before he could check.

Before that, there was a discrepancy he had to fix. Himself.

He thought of the good times, middle school, first meetings, and the fact that this Sayaka Maizono was well and truly dead. Anything to kickstart the shock and despair he should have felt.  It was all for nothing when he mistakenly took his gaze off her wound to look at her face. He saw the tears in her lidded eyes and his heart froze over.

She must have been terrified.

The panicked voices and cries of anguish were now all-around Makoto. Yet all he could feel was rage.


Observing the others gave Makoto a better idea of the situation. Resignation and mistrust were thick in the air after the elevator had moved to Grape House and the girls came in.

“Fess up already! Which one of you did this!?” Leon yelled, beating Mondo to the punch by seconds. Of course, nobody said a word. Kyoko searched the body. The others looked at each other uncomfortably. Makoto noted the distinct absence of their teacher, Celes, Hifumi, Aoi, and Toko- scratch that, Toko was hiding in the far back. Likely due to her fear of blood…and distrust for everyone else.

Why?

Makoto looked at the writing on the wall. ‘Kill to Escape’. Its architect was likely unknown to anyone but the wo/man themselves, but why would Leon’s anger be targeted at us?

“Don’t look at me. I’m still here!” Yasuhiro yelled back.

“Obviously, you didn’t do it. We’re roommates!”

“I swear I’m going to bash skulls when I find out who’s responsible.” This time, Mondo did get his word in.

“Mindless accusations will get us nowhere.” Sakura’s voice carried an edge that Makoto never heard before. Normally, the fighter was a guardian, ready to break up spats before they turned into something worse. Here, it felt like she was trying to direct that anger, rather than diffuse it. “If any of us had committed the deed, they would not still be here.”

“What if they got caught before they could leave?” Ryoko asked.

“Then we’d probably know who the killer was already,” Mukuro answered her twin.

That settled it. The blackened was trying to get them to kill each other or starve to death inside. Those MIA were probably dead…or already outside.

“Before thinking of what’s possible or what isn’t, how about we address the elephant in the room?” Byakuya started. “We still have no idea how our captor would get in contact with  would-be-assassins.”

Kyoko rose to challenge his point. “We’ve discussed that at length already. We don’t have the facts. Kizakura and Hifumi left bodies, but Hina and Celeste are nowhere to be seen. Anything more is speculation.”

“You hearing yourself? They off’d piggy and the teach.” Leon argued.

“E-Especially that cow. E-even I could see she’d lost it after one afternoon without donuts.” Toko’s opinion – regardless of veracity – was one she probably should have kept to herself.

Sakura had a mean glare and less patience than usual.

“That’s one possibility. Here’s another. All 4 were attacked by our captive and we’re being led to turn against each other.” Kyoko posited.

“Uh, if that’s our situation, aren’t we kind of boned?” Yashiro scratched his hair.

“There are many more problems with her theory.” Byakuya sneered. “The actual hole is where the missing bodies would end up IF they were attacked.”

“Remember, even Kizakura and Hifumi’s bodies disappeared eventually, and they must have been taken somewhere. The Final Dead Room is the only place in the funhouse we can’t access. Whoever’s behind this is likely inside.”

“Supposedly.” The blonde smirked. “Begs the question how they know when to leave or come out. Even assuming they have a security center inside, there aren’t enough cameras to track all our positions, now are there?”

“Admittedly, it’s a risk, but the possibility remains. That’s why our best bet is to follow the clues until we reach a likely conclusion.” The detective moved Sayaka over to rest her on the floor. “Like so.”

‘C R’ was crudely written on the wall.

“What are those?” Leon asked.

“A dying message.” Ryoko’s wonder drew many judging stares.

“There are cases where victims use the last of their strength to leave clues to their killer’s identity.” Kyoko clarified.

“What sloppy work, to leave their prey alive to incriminate them.” Byakuya smirked. “In this instance, we’ve got an acronym.”

“Chick’s condition was bad. I doubt she’d try anything complex.” Mondo added.

“There’s no one with those initials in our class.” Chihiro said.

“It doesn’t have to be their name, does it?” Sakura questioned. “Perhaps it can be something related to the killer.”

“Cyber Ryoko.” All eyes fell on the ultimate analyst, who beamed (not with her eyes). “I have dreams of being a robot one day. I might’ve told Sayaka and forgot.”

“That’d make you the killer.” Leon deadpanned.

“…I’m innocent!” She pleaded. “It’s gotta mean something else. Like one of those crummy rooms!”

. . .

“That’s . . . vaguely what I had in mind.” Kyoko blinked. “Who sleeps in the Strawberry House’s crummy rooms?”

Leon and Yasuhiro reluctantly raised their hands.

The baseball looked to Makoto. “You too, dingus.”

“Uh, right.” Makoto’s arm shot up.

“What about  Grape Hall?” Byakuya demanded.

“Celestia originally had the Deluxe room until her disappearance. Toko moved in there. Meanwhile, Aoi/Sakura and Ryoko/Mukuro occupied the standard rooms. That left me, and Sayaka with separate rooms.” Kyoko explained.

“Woah woah. Let me tell you that I was asleep the whole time!” Leon exclaimed. “Hard as it was with this dumbass’ snoring.”

“Hey. It’s a disorder I’ve got, okay!” Hiro argued.

“While that far from clears either of you, I must admit that Naegi and Kirigiri would have better chances. And between those two, I feel we all know who’s more worthy of suspicion.”

All eyes fell on Makoto.

“What do you have to say yourself?”

“I don’t remember.” Makoto said dryly. Byakuya knew that full well. “If I was going to kill anyone, it definitely wouldn’t have been her.”

“Oh please. At least mount a proper defense.” The scion still had the habit of treating even the most horrible scenarios as a game.

He doubted that attitude would last. Until then, Makoto would play along. “The accusations aren’t so great either. Even Kirigiri could have done it, assuming those initials mean anything.”

Sakura frowned. “Those could have been Sayaka’s dying words. How could you say such a thing?”

“But we don’t know if it means the rooms. Worse, how do we know she wrote that?” He explained to his slower friends. “Anyone could have done it, even our kidnappers.” Then he came full circle. “Even you, Togami…seeing as you were coming upstairs when I woke up.”

Group suspicion flew to the bespectacled teen. For Byakuya to have come up the stairs, he’d have to pass by the tower and had the chance to find the body before anyone else.

“Master doesn’t know anything about that! S-Stop shifting the blame to save your own skin.”

He tuned out Toko almost as easily as Byakuya himself had.

“I recall no such thing.” He lied.

Why would he lie? “That makes two of us then.” And two could play that game.

“Even if you want to dispute the dying message, we have more to tie you to the crime. Kirigiri.” He called to the idle detective. “What’s the murder weapon?”

“She was shot.” Kyoko said matter-of-factly.

Makoto heard the penny drop.

“A fatal bullet, hm? Quite hard to get a hold of. Fortunately, one of us already owns a gun. Wouldn’t you say, Makoto?” Most were unsettled by Byakuya’s implications. Few stepped back from him.

Makoto cursed inwardly. He’d practically dumped that information in Byakuya’s lap.

“Is that the truth, Makoto?” Sakura said warily.

Pictures were worth a thousand words and the pistol he removed from his pocket confirmed the allegations.

Leon gaped. “You shot Sayaka?”

“I didn’t.” He waves the gun to test the waters. Chihiro, Leon, Toko, Mondo, and unsurprisingly, Yasuhiro failed. Only Byakuya, Kyoko, Sakura, and the twins stood their ground. Whether it was because they thought he was harmless or were prepared to fight back was left in the air.

“Then why do you have that and where did it come from?” Kyoko inquired.

“Kizakura loaned it to me.” Was the first idea to come to his head. The reason was simple.

“It’s a pity he’s not around to verify that claim. Then again, I suppose dead men not telling is the point.” Byakuya irksomely hit the nail on the head.

“S-Sacrilege!” Kiyotaka finally recovered from the shock to his system. “It’s taboo to keep such a vile instrument around students and not something a teacher would carry to a vacation.”

“Actually. That ain’t so crazy. Kiz was an army man.” Yasuhiro spoke up.

“How would you know?” Kiyotaka asked.

“He told us a few stories. Right, Mondo? Leon?”

“Oh yeah. I totally forgot.” Leon scratched his hair.

“That doesn’t mean the kid has his gun.” Mondo said, not taking his eyes off the barrel.

“But there’s nothing to disprove it either unless anyone has seen Kizakura’s model around.” Kyoko argued.

‘It’s working’ – He was glad that Celeste wasn’t around. His gamble might have backfired if she spotted a lie.

“What happened to your memory?” Byakuya fixed a bemused stare.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Makoto replied. This was a two-player game. If Byakuya thought he could lie about their meeting, that means Makoto could too.

“W-Who cares whose gun it is! H-He’s the only one who could have killed that bitch!”

“There is some merit to Toko’s words. Leaving that weapon in the open is not helping our suspicions.” Sakura calmly said.

“Agree-“

“Agreed. Hand it over, Naegi.” Byakuya cut Taka off and approached Makoto.

The brunette looked at the blonde’s outstretched palm, then to his face. “Over my dead body.”

The abject refusal and bewildered tone earned the lift of the heir’s brow.

 “Quite attached to something you’ve only held a few hours, aren’t you?” Without fear of the lethal weapon in Makoto’s hand, Byakuya mocked. “I get it. Give a little man a means to authority and they’ll lose themselves to intoxication. Pathetic.”

“In my experience, pissing off guys packing heat doesn’t end well.” Yasuhiro visibly sweat.

“C-Can you put that gun away?” Chihiro pleaded.

“Togami is right! All dangerous items must be confiscated by the proper authorities. As Mr. Kizakura is indisposed, that burden falls on me!” Kiyotaka exclaimed.

“The safest place for it would be in my hands.” came a voice a handful of their classmates had heard all of a dozen times. Some didn’t immediately recognize that Mukuro spoke up. The Ultimate Soldier strode up to Makoto.

That was surprising, even more so than waking up in the middle of a murder. It was equally alarming for the Ultimate Soldier to have him in her sights.

Yet, Makoto didn’t feel an ounce of fear. “I won’t let anyone take this from me.” He could have sugar-coated it, provided semi-logical reasons, but those were temporary solutions. He had to make it clear to all of them that there wasn’t any negotiating at that point. That gun was his best defense against Junko and her blackened.

Mukuro stopped just in front of him, ignoring the scowling Byakuya. “You’re not even holding it properly. Amateurs have a better shot at hurting themselves with guns than others.”

He took a step back and pressed the side of the gun against his chest. “Thanks for the advice, but I can handle myself.”

“I-I don’t like that look in his eye. Maybe you should just back off.”

Mukuro didn’t lend Yasuhiro an ear. She didn’t even move a muscle. With her cold gaze and expressionless features, her namesake suddenly felt very apt.

“I tried.” She shrugged. Makoto relaxed, just as he began to see her back turned. That was a mistake. The mercenary’s body twisted back in a flash, and her gloved hand shot out like a bullet. Makoto had no chance of dodging. He was weaker than everyone in the room besides Chihiro and barely average in all things, including athletics. Whereas only Sakura and Syo could hope to keep up with the trained mercenary. At least, that’s how it should have been to everyone else. An assumption disproven when Makoto’s open arm smacked Mukuro’s to the side.

Mukuro’s hand hung in the air as a  flicker of surprise break the girl’s poker face.

“Back off.” He warned.

Mukuro’s eyes trained on the gun – Still not pointed towards her. She took that as an opening for a more direct engagement. She struck faster and latched onto Makoto’s shoulder, spinning the boy around and locking him in a suffocating hold.

Makoto choked and gasped for air. He tried to pry her arm away to no success. He couldn’t imagine where all that muscle was hidden. On reflex, he raised his arm and jerked it back as hard as it could, smacking the elbow into Mukuro’s stomach twice over. As soon as the grip loosened, he ducked out.

“What are you doing, man!? She’s a girl!” He heard Mondo’s jeers in the background. He tuned out the biker’s enmity. If he lost focus again, that might be it for him. He kept his full concentration on Mukuro’s next move.

That was his second mistake. A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. The hold Mukuro’d placed him in felt gently compared to Sakura’s.

“Let me go!” Makoto squirmed, mostly from the waist and down. His upper body was strapped tight. Just long enough for Mukuro to snatch the gun away from him. “THAT’S MINE!” He cried, jamming the back of his skull into Sakura’s chin.

“Makoto, calm yourself! What’s the matter with you?” The martial artist struggled to keep the writhing boy in check when he was moving every part of the body that he could. An act that only made Sakura squeeze with more force. Just until she heard something crack and a cry of pain follows.

Sakura’s grip loosened then in fear that she’d squeezed too hard. In that second of weakness, Makoto broke out like he’d saved his strength for that moment (He had). Without looking back, he lunged at Mukuro.

Makoto didn’t even get halfway before he was forced to the floor and kept down. He looked up to see Byakuya of all people holding him in place. Sakura was quick to join him.

The scion looked to Toko. “You. Transform into your marginally more useful half and help.”

Toko sneezed in a microsecond and Genocider was up and ready. “Master. Have you awakened to the dark side?”

“Take over for me.” Byakuya ordered. Without hesitation, Syo was at his side and keeping Makoto pinned down. His classmates – who’d likened him to a puppy more times than he’d cared to count – now looked at him like they would have a rabid dog.

 Mukuro examined the gun’s magazine and the bullets inside before making a beeline to Sayaka’s body.

“Have you found a clue?” Kyoko asked as the soldier knelt.

“Depends.” Was the ambiguous response. Mukuro’s gloves were soon stained in blood. Her fingers dug into the bullet wound.

“What the fuck are you doing!?” Leon roared.

“This is highly inappropriate and unsanitary!” Kiyotaka added.

“Shut up already.” Mukuro dragged out the metal –  a solitary bullet, drenched in blood. “Different caliber bullets.”

Kyoko’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting. Crude, but interesting.”

“What’d she say?” Mondo asked

“This bullet,” She held the bloodstained projectile. “is a 9 mm round, while the bullets in Makoto’s are .357.” The second bullet was longer but with a blunted tip.

“I see.” Byakuya murmured.

“I don’t. Care to explain?” Kiyotaka demanded.

“Guns fire one kind of bullet, bro. We got two of these lying around.” Mondo answered.

“Also, if a gun had been fired here, we should have heard it loud and clear…unless It had a silencer.” Which the gun in hand did not.

“Then he just used another one. Mystery solved.” Kiyotaka said.

“Then where’d that go?” Mukuro addressed the prefect. “Don’t say he ‘tossed it’. Where and why wouldn’t he have done the same to this one?”

“True. Makoto having a gun doesn’t entirely incriminate him. And he did appear rather drowsy when we ran into each other by the stairs.”

Leon glanced at the heir strangely. “Didn’t you say that never happened?”

“I lied.” Byakuya unabashedly admitted. That was the trigger for Sakura to unhand the floored luckster, though Syo obeyed her master unerringly. “Truth be told, I found Maizono’s body much earlier.”

The crowd stared in disbelief.

“What the fuck?” Mondo cursed.

Ryoko sighed. “Is there anything else you wanna tell the rest of us, Byakun?”

“Only that I stayed around so I could catch the culprit trying to scurry for an exit. I never passed Makoto on the way, so he must have been in his room. Perhaps he murdered her earlier? I can’t say, but I doubt he would have returned to his bedroom and woken up before the group. I’d only accept that level of stupidity from Hagakure.”

“Hey!”

“Unforgivable!” Kiyotaka’s roar drowned out the clairvoyance’s grievances. “You should have warned all of us immediately. That irresponsible behavior placed you in danger.”

“Nothing here is of any threat to a Togami.”

“You’re striking out, Taka. Ever think he might be lying. He’s the one who says he saw the body first. How do we know he didn’t kill her?”

“That’s absurd. If Togami was the murderer, he would have kept that to himself.” Kiyotaka scoffed. “Furthermore, that kind of rash, arrogant decision-making has been a pain in my behind for months!”

“Regrettably, I must agree. Togami’s actions are concerning, but not out of the ordinary.” Sakura remarked.

“Why do I feel all warm and tingly?”

“Consistent or not, Leon is right that we only have his word. If Makoto is a suspect, then so is he.” Kyoko noted.

“The imperative question is: where do we go from here?” Sakura voiced what many were thinking.

“I don’t know about the rest of you but sitting around and hoping for the best ain’t working out.”

“Entirely the fault of those who couldn’t manage their impulses for a few hours.”

“Shut it, Togami.”

“What do you think we should do, Mondo?” Kyoko asked.

“Why me?”

“You’re the only one with leadership experience.”

“I’m standing right next to you.” Togami chimed in.

Kyoko continued, half-ignoring the heir. “You must have had to keep wayward boys in line.”

“Putting me on the spot here.” Mondo rubbed his neck. The gesture of uncertainty is paved over by the determined look that follows. “Alright. If nobody’s got a problem, here’s how it’s going down...”


“I don’t like this.” Byakuya declared.

“What part of our present circumstance do you take issue with, Togami?” Kyoko responded, sincerely, of course.

“Being lumped in the same group as a potential suspect is bad enough,” Byakuya looked towards Makoto, then to Mukuro. “Why must I be followed around by a jailor?”

“You don’t want to follow Mondo’s instructions.” Kyoko deduced the true cause of displeasure.

The blonde clicked his tongue. “It’s an insult, conflating routing delinquents with real managerial talent. Would you have a matador run for presidency next?”

“He’s the only one trustworthy enough for the task.” Kyoko sidestepped the landmine. “Ikusaba, would you like to formally join us?”

“I’m fine where I am.” Mukuro said quietly, hands behind her back and content to stand a fair distance, just within earshot and next to the body. If Mukuro's rejection disappointed Kyoko, she didn't show it. Personally, Makoto was fine with the arrangement.

It was unreasonable, but he couldn’t help resenting the soldier a little for taking his only means of defense away. Then there was the mystery surrounding her.

‘I don’t know anything about Ikusaba, huh.’ – Now she was tasked with monitoring their moves and making sure nothing happens. Babysitting, essentially.

Once Byakuya aired out his grievances, Kyoko started questioning. "In your own words. Why did you want us in the funhouse?”

That was the question. The one unexplainable detail that could topple him like a house of cards. "I can't say."

"Our dear Naegi here is suffering amnesia."

Byakuya was definitely a fun guy at parties.

Kyoko looked Makoto up and down. "That's convenient timing."

"Do play along. I want to see how far he takes it."

"I said it was timely, not impossible.” Her voice grew softer. "Are you alright?”

“Yeah. So far.”

“What's the last thing you remember?"

"A few days before we set out to sea. Everything after that is hazy." He told the truth.

"Sayaka and I paid you a visit last night.” Kyoko confessed.

“What for?”

“I thought the hunger mixed with Kizakura's death was getting to you. You were running a high fever then but you're right as rain today."

That . . . felt familiar. The sickness, and the feeling of his splitting open.

"I wasn’t aware you had medical expertise, Kirigiri. Not much use with corpses and all that.” Byakuya mocked.

"You'd be surprised how little I'm aware of. That's why it's better to tread safely than make reckless accusations.” She gave the heir a stern warning before returning her attention to Makoto. "I can take a guess why you didn't let everyone else know about your condition, but are you filled in on what's happening?"

"I got the gist of it." He was more concerned with the murders. "How did Kizakura and Hifumi die?"

According to Kyoko, Kizakura was found on the third floor. The cause of death was bleeding from an incision in his stomach. Probably from a knife. Missing, to add insult to injury.

Hifumi was in a bathroom stall. His neck was sliced around. Traces of wiring were found at the scene.

“That left a lot more clues." Kyoko remarked.

"No amateur would pull that off, making Ikusaba a likely candidate. Sadly, she had an alibi. I wonder how it holds now that we have a third victim shot dead." He said loudly for the subject behind him to hear.

Kyoko pursed her lips. "If there's a single perpetrator, we can't underestimate them or their tactics."

"That’s why we must strike before the opportunity passes. With each step taken, our captor leaves more clues behind. With each passing second, we are growing weaker, more irrational, and paranoid. Once the other fools lose hope, they'll muddy the trails with their incompetence.”

Begrudgingly, everyone agreed with Byakuya.

"Was there anything else about Sayaka you found?" Makoto asked.

"Not more than I shared. Bruising, a bullet wound, and a dying message could be fabricated.”

Bruising? That explained her messy clothes. Sayaka must have retaliated before being killed. “If there was a struggle, maybe there were other clues lying around.”

Kyoko blinked. “Yes, that makes sense. We’ll roam through every nook and cranny later.” She murmured, brushing a strand of hair and facing away from the boys.

“Did you forget?” Makoto doubted himself. Kyoko forgetting to search a crime scene was like him running out without pants.

“I had thought we left the tower rather quickly. Could the great detective be off her game today?” Byakuya sneered.

“Perhaps. I’ve no excuse for that blunder.” Kyoko admitted.

“You’re really no fun.”

“Why would you forget something so basic?” Makoto asked.

Kyoko’s lips thinned, her cold gaze trailing over him. “You’re calm, Makoto. I expected you’d have more of a reaction to Sayaka’s death, but you were inspecting the body before I even got there.”

“Is there something wrong with being proactive?”

“If you’d lost your memory and suddenly saw your close friend die, I would expect you, of all people, would be more panicked than you are now. Or am I wrong, and Sayaka wasn’t worth as much as that gun?”

“It’s not like that at all!” Makoto cried.

“I thought so. It’s difficult to gauge how anyone will react to the death of someone they cared for, especially with so many uncertainties involved.” Kyoko calmly replied.

‘She was shaken up by Sayaka’s death?’ – He thought. It sounded normal, right even, but at the same time, it gnawed at him. He pegged Kyoko as someone who would only become more determined to catch her killer.

“Et Tu, Kirigiri?” In his own way, Byakuya voiced similar concerns. “I expect that emotional folly from Naegi, but I expected you’d be more aware of your role, detective.” Byakuya’s words lacked their usual derision. He seemed truly disappointed.

“So. you’ve both decided I’m heartless. Alright then. Before I make any more oversights,” She faced Byakuya. "I'd like to know exactly what was going through your head this morning."

"What's to tell? I stumbled onto an increasingly common sight at 6:30 and wanted to catch the perpetrator in the act.

"You failed."

"That all depends on whether Naegi is our man."

"Or you are." Makoto countered.

"Or you, Kirigiri. As another dweller of those destitute rooms.” Byakuya expertly tossed the ball over to the detective’s side of the court.

Unimpressed, Kyoko asked. "Do you know how the funhouse works?"

"Obviously. I at least read the brochure on the ship."

"Then you should be fully aware that had I killed Sayaka and left through Grape Tower's door, the elevator floor would have to later be called down to Strawberry Tower. Given where Sayaka was killed. I doubt the body, and the blood would have been as neat as it was." Kyoko was right. It didn’t look like Sayaka had been moved. "The killer most likely came from Strawberry Tower. But if you insist that I’m this elusive culprit, it begs the question as to how you found the body.’

“A way to pass the time and nothing more. You’ve made your stance quite clear – you have an infallible alibi that I can’t penetrate without incriminating myself.” The cocky grin on his face told of anything but defeat.

Makoto couldn’t see any holes in Kyoko’s logic. Not unless there was another way to move through the two houses that weren’t made public.


“Sorry, Makoto. I’m gonna come right out and say it. You’re all pretty sus right now.” Leon didn’t hold back when they met up with him. He’d been hiding on the third floor of Grape Tower.

“Why’d you single me out?”

“Because Togami’s always been a sketchy prick. You’ve been acting freaky since yesterday.”

“As I recall, you shaved your head for a middle school season.” The spontaneous subject was as alarming as Byakuya appearing to have remembered details of their personal lives.

“Yeah so?”

“Once I’m out of here, expect that image to be the first result on every search engine.” Byakuya said with a pointed finger.

Leon’s eyes grew wide as plates. “Come on, man. I was just kidding…haha”

Time to steer this on topic. “Do you remember anything about last night? Anything concerning Sayaka?”

Leon scrunched his face as the gravity of the situation weighed down. “Not much. We just talked like always.”

“Hard to believe, considering how paranoid you’ve been.” Kyoko retorted.

“Can you blame me!? Not all of us are stone cold, y'know?” He instantly regrets it after the look the lilac-haired girl gave him. “I’m not lying, okay? Yeah, I was a little freaked out. We talked and I calmed down a bit.”

“What about exactly?”

“Just what we’d do after leaving the island. Friends, families, and that junk.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe she’s dead.”

Byakuya didn’t share the sentimentality. “Hm, running from reality is quite the gamble. Either you become assured of your survival and grow lax or strengthen survival instincts.”

“Yeah yeah, I never get what comes out of your mouth.” Leon rolled his eyes. “So, who do you think did it?” He asked Kyoko.

“I’d like to keep those suspicions to myself.”

“So, you got someone. Good enough for me. Tell me when you found em’ though. Mondo and I thought up a few ideas for payback.”

“Where is he, by the way?”

“With Chihiro and Taka, as usual.” Those three were practically stuck at the hip. “If you’re looking for the others, Hagakure’s shut up in his room. Don’t know where Sakura went.”

He was missing one. “What about Ryoko?”

“Ah…hm.” Leon snuck a glance at Mukuro. “You probably passed her.”

…What the hell was he talking about? They’d gone straight from strawberry hall to the third floor. “Where?”

“Don’t ask me.” He shrugged.

“You realize how little sense you just made?” Byakuya lifted an eyebrow.

“Shut up! If I say I dunno then I don’t know!”

That’s way too suspicious.

“I’ll keep that in mind. One last question: How was Makoto when you last spoke?” Kyoko asked.

“I’m right there.” The lucky student mumbled.

“Freaky. No offense.” Leon replied.

“You already said it.”

“Dunno how else to explain it. You get mumbling to yourself and staring into space.”

Makoto winced. “I’m better now.” He spoke in his defense. It was clear to see who everyone thought was the most suspicious. At least most were considerate about their suspicions.

"Where's Hagakure?" Byakuya asked.

"Locking himself in our room. Pussy."

"I'm surprised you aren't there with him."

Leon arched an eyebrow. "It's the middle of the day and we're all running around in groups. I don't think the killer's stupid enough to pull off anything."

"That's...correct." Byakuya tipped his glasses, mildly impressed by the athlete's foresight. "If any murders happened right now, it would be too dangerous out in the open. And the one to suspect wouldn't have an alibi. The killer would have nothing to gain when time is mostly on their side. How'd a dullard like you figure that out?"

Leon scratched his hair, shooting Byakuya an annoyed look. "Excusing the rudeness, Sayaka told me. Said I shouldn't lose my head in the day and that everyone was always watching each other."

"You mean that B-list entertainer was good for more than extorting the riff raff? I'm losing my touch at observation."

"Isn't that strange?" Kyoko laid a gloved fist under her chin, as she did whenever deep in thought. "Sayaka's assessment of the situation was optimistic - especially when  we don't know our captor's methods - but if she thought that, why be out alone at night?"

Nobody had an answer to that question. The only who could answer was already gone.


“Come out already.” Makoto knocked for the 5th time.

“So, you can kill me!? I like living!”

Makoto turned to the others. “No good.” Not that he expected anything good. Nothing ever came out of dealings with the clairvoyant. Why’d Byakuya want to swing by here?

“Should I break the door down?” Mukuro offered.

“As a last resort.” Byakuya replied.

“Do we really expect any useful information out of Hagakure?” Kyoko scrunched her nose as the mere name left her lips.

“We leave no stone unturned. He might have seen something yesterday.” Byakuya shoved Makoto out of the way.  “Hagakure. I hear you have a multitude of debts to pay off.”

After a  moment. “…Yeah?”

“Assist us in 3 seconds and I’ll cover them all.”

“…No fooling?”

“1 second left.”

Makoto blinked and Yasuhiro was in front of him. “What’s up?” The oldest waved.

“I thought you were afraid to die?” The brunet deadpanned.

“Wouldn’t be surprised if I end up ‘missing’ anyway in a few years anyway if you catch my drift.” They didn’t and they didn’t want to. “You were serious right?”

“A Togami always keeps his promise. Now do your part.”

“Yasuhiro Hagakure at your service!” He says as if given a new lease on life. “Not sure how much help I can be though. I barely talked to Sayaka.”

“That’s fine. Tell us what you saw last night?”

“Ah, using my late-sleeper status huh?” Hiro hummed. “Before I hit the sack, I was doing readings in the Strawberry Tower. No bodies at that point, of course.”

Tactful. “When was this?” Makoto asked.

“About midnight.”

“You were in the tower alone?” He dialed back. Hiro wasn’t the type to be that reckless with his life. His money sure.

“I need ambiance for good reading so I did it here. Helps when I’m alone too.” His shoulders sagged. “Didn’t work out too right. Doing my own fortunes never works out.”

Byakuya rolled his eyes. “Riveting. Did you see anyone suspicious?”

“Uh…” Hiro gazed at Kyoko, then to Makoto, back to Byakuya. “I’m not going to die for talking, am I? Like, if you’re the masterminds, I’m just doing what you asked me.”

“An extra hundred thousand.” Byakuya threw money around like it grew on trees.

“Kyoko broke into Makoto’s room on my way to the tower!”

The boys blinked and cautiously directed their dumbfounded stares to the irate detective.

 “If you’re omitting vital details like Sayaka being with me, I wonder how much stock we should put into your testimony.”

“Easy with the terms, I’m not going to court again, am I?” Hiro placatingly raised his hands. “I mean yeah, Sayaka was there too. But like, lockpicking is as suspicious as it gets. What were you two doing?”

“Makoto wouldn’t open the door. Fearing something happened, I was left with no choice.” Kyoko ground her teeth.

“It took you almost an hour to get a checkup done? Sheesh, guess doctors and detectives are far apart.”

Makoto’s brows shot up. Meanwhile, Kyoko was stunned in a way only Hiro’s most bizarre theories had accomplished.

 “What are you talking about?” She asked.

“Don’t need to hide it, it’s cool.” Hiro rubbed his nose. “I left my room at 11 and got back say…12:15? When you left Makoto’s room on the way, I went to hide.”

“Why go out of your way, dare I ask?” Byakuya crossed his arms.

Yasuhiro shook his head. “You’ll learn when you fall in love one day, Toges.”

Before Byakuya could retort, Kyoko interjected. “That never happened!  I was already in my room at that time. Sayaka and I looked after Makoto for a few minutes, then left.”

“…You got a twin sister?”

Kyoko’s eyes narrowed to slits.

Makoto couldn’t say a thing. Hiro was too embarrassing even for Kyoko to deal with.

“J-Just calling out what I saw…I think.”

“You think?” Makoto pressed.

“Well yeah, I just saw the braid and purple hair while I came up the stairs. Who else would it be?”

“You didn’t see Sayaka at all?”

“Not that I know of or maybe she was further back?”

“Hiro! This is important.”

“Again, I wasn’t sticking around. I ran downstairs to the bathrooms!”

“Pardon the interruption.” The interrogation was interrupted by Sakura. The fighter wore a grave expression. “I wish to speak with Makoto. Alone.”

Makoto reflexively gulped.

“I can’t advise secret meetings at this moment.” Kyoko stepped between Makoto and Sakura.

“Funny, Kirigiri. You presumed she was asking. Feel free to take him.” Byakuya’s smirk widened at Kyoko’s disapproving glance. “What? You have no authority over us. Didn’t that role get dealt to Owada?”

“You have a point, but I believe that decision lies with Makoto.” Kyoko gazed at him.

Sure enough, he didn’t mind. Even if his life was in danger, it’s not like he was afraid to die. “Let’s go to my room.” He told Sakura.

“Lead the way.”

Makoto walked first, just catching Kyoko questioning Byakuya in the background. “What’s with that tear on your suit?”


Makoto received another reminder of how poor the room accommodations were, and how deserving it was of its title. Amazing he could sleep in that cold, on that shoddily made bed. He felt the wind kick in from behind, and it wasn’t the draft this time. Makoto snaked to the side, just evading the sucker punch from the back. He turned around, snarling at his attacker. He’d been prepared for anything. And still hadn’t expected Sakura to brazenly attack him.”

“You’re the blackened after all.”

“The…blackened? What is that?” The confusion on the fighter’s face, even as her arm was outstretched was genuine. He knew, remembering the glee on their faces when the truth came to light. Chihiro’s was most vivid in mind. He only barely remembered Sakura’s. It’d been much more warped than this.

“…First, you tell me what this is all about.” Makoto compromised.

Sakura relaxed, folding her arms. “Since we met, I’ve thought you were weak. That opinion hadn’t changed for the last two years hadn’t changed. though I grew to accept your strength of heart.” Until now – Makoto felt was the unstated condition. “I wondered if a rush of adrenaline could have explained your earlier performance. Now I see it wasn’t a fluke. What are you hiding, and does it involve Hina’s disappearance?”

It was beyond frustrating how his classmates could readily see the changes in him but remain clueless to the blackened.

Use those insights where it matters for once! “I’m in the same boat as everyone else.”

“You won’t deny keeping secrets?”

“That’ll only make it worse.” Even Makoto could tell he was unreasonably suspicious.

“Then-“

“No, I won’t. Whether you choose to be on my side, I’ve already lost this round.” Lost it before it even started. “All that matters now is that I learn all I can and try again.”

“I don’t understand.” She said slowly.

Shame, but he wasn’t in the mood to be that considerate. “You don’t have to, and don’t worry about Asahina either. She’ll be safe when you see her again.”

“How can you say that with such confidence?” Hope was the only word to describe the emotion Sakura brought to bear.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so let’s skip this part and let me go. The longer we wait, the longer the blackened gets to move around freely.”

Suspicion, frustration, and confusion melded all at once. “…Is that the name of our enemy?”

“Yes, it is and they are. If you find them, kill them, as soon as possible.” If she succeeds, they weren’t that much of a threat. If Sakura lost, he could learn something.

“What has happened to you?”

There wasn’t an easy answer for that. Anything less than the longest essay of his life wouldn’t scratch the surface. So, he abridges. “I met the devil.” He said, plainly.

“Where and how did you come across such a…person on the island?” She probably thought he’d been taken in by the witch’s tale or something crazy like that. In reality, that was pretty close to the truth.

“I don’t know.” He answered truthfully. “But you don’t have to worry about her. I’ll get all of us out of here eventually. Even if I have to kill her to do it.” He was beginning to doubt it could end any other way.

“That’s twice now.” In his musings, a sharp hit came to his gut and knocked the wind out of the boy.

Makoto clutched his stomach in pain.

Sakura towered over him. “If you refuse to tell me anything, I won’t understand, and that annoys me.”

“I know the feeling.” Makoto couldn’t help the bitter smile.

Unnerved yet undaunted, Sakura continued. “No matter the cause, those who easily advocate murder are a hair’s breadth from that fiend Syo. If you haven’t tread that line outside our notice, I advise you back away.”

“Killing is wrong. Is that it?” It’d be nice if those sensibilities mattered in the slightest to Junko.

“You do not have the heart for it.” Sakura said.

“Huh?” He blinked.

“Men I admire deeply have killed – fairly but killed nonetheless – in the pursuit of strength. If it came down to it, I would do the same to protect what I hold dear. But that it is my nature. Not yours. Even with a good cause, you couldn’t carry that sin.”

He felt a twitch in the eye. “What do you know?” He’d be killed over and over again. He knew better than anyone just how wrong it was.

Sakura shook her head. “What you said before. Will Hina really be okay?”

That’s all she cared about, huh. “She won’t even be hurt. I know it.”

“I’ll accept those words as the truth.” She said. “Lastly. Do you know the identity of this blackened?”

“Only that there’s just one of them in our class who’s betrayed us and working for an organization.” The raw disbelief on Sakura’s face was worth a thousand words. He wondered if he’d made the same dull, ignorant expressions in the past.

For good measure, he added. “It could even be you.”


Sakura left ahead. He couldn’t be sure what the fighter thought of him or their situation right now. He’d told her enough to think about (she probably didn’t know anything about Sayaka anyway) but not enough to dissuade her suspicions of him. He thought that was best.

They needed to think for themselves. Hina showed outstanding talent after a little direction.

Mukuro was waiting alone in the lobby.

“Togami got impatient. I was told to wait and bring you to the tower when you were finished.” Mukuro explained. 

He hadn’t taken that long…

Oh well, no need to knock an opportunity. He had some freedom to learn about the mysterious soldier. “What do you think?”

“Escape for all of us might be optimistic.” Makoto had posed the question somewhat vaguely, yet Mukuro immediately gave a favorable reply.

You had to be at least a little smart to be the ultimate soldier. “You ever dealt with something like this?”

“Somewhat, in the past. If someone got in my way on the field, then I killed them without a second thought.” … “You should try it sometime.”

He should have expected that one.

Mukuro coughed. “That was a joke. It’s not something you’d do, right?”

“Sure.” He lied. “You really love that joke.”

“I do?” Mukuro cocked her head. “They used to tell it a lot back in Fenrir, but I don’t think I ever mentioned it to you.”

You just don’t remember. On that note, Fenrir like a crew Makoto wanted nothing to do with. But as part of that group, maybe Mukuro knew a thing or two. “Have you ever heard of the Future Foundation?” He took a shot at the dark.

“Can’t say I have.” She didn’t miss a beat. If it was a lie, it’d have made Celes flustered. Mukuro had been one of the suspected spies in the last round, but everyone he’d ask denied her connection to the masterminds.

Maybe he could ask Ryoko about her…

Yeah right. Ryoko had trouble remembering her name.

“So, where do you want to go?” Mukuro asked.

“Am I getting the choice?” 

“Kirigiri said to bring you immediately, but I don’t think it’s fair to treat you like a prisoner, and I know what it’s like being suspected without evidence.”

Togami did allude to that. He also said she had an alibi. “Did Ryoko cover for you?” If so, that was dangerous. The amnesiac could easily be persuaded to lie.

Mukuro agreed with those sentiments. “My sister could never be a reliable witness.”

 “Then who?”

“Togami.”

“But he said…” Makoto thought back to the earlier conversation and realized his lines of thought didn’t connect with it. “I guess he didn’t accuse you of anything.”

“It’s hard to tell what he thinks.”

 That’s for sure. “I want to check the Final Dead Room.”


There were chains on the door here too. Ones Mukuro and Sakura couldn’t break even with their superhuman strength.

“I’m not sure what they’re made of, but whoever built them did a good job of it. I’ve never met a pair of links I couldn’t cut before.” It went without saying she always carried a knife with her.

“What they’re made of…” These chains hadn’t been here during his trip before. They must have been put here by the blackened. He hadn’t known any of the former culprits to use chains or…anything tangible.

Leon. Mondo. Chihiro. Kiyotaka. Sayaka. Sakura. Toko. None of these could be it. Apparently, Kizakura and Hifumi were also dead… “Ikusaba, what happened to the bodies?”

“They disappeared.”

Makoto blinked. “Come again?”

“Don’t know how or when, but they vanished at one point or another.”

“Why bother?”

“I can’t see a tactical advantage…except to frighten us.” Mukuro surmised. 

Like they could go wherever they want or take wherever they want. Something made easy when they were walking among us. 

Whoever was behind this knew what they were doing.

Putting aside Hina and Celeste for a moment, the list ran as long as Byakuya, Kyoko, Ryoko, and…the girl right beside him. 

“I think I know how to break these chains.”

“Go on.” He couldn’t tell if there was any real intrigue behind the absence of expression.

He raised his open palm. “Give me my gun back and I’ll shoot them.”

“You might have watched too many movies. That kind of bullet isn’t going to break through chains that thick.”

“We won’t know until we try.”

“I know that it’s going to be loud.” Enough that everyone will rush over once the shot’s been fired. But if they could somehow get in, then the door would lock behind itself until they completed the puzzle. 

“Trust me on this. I’ve got a good feeling..” His desperate plea didn’t carry much weight, yet...

“Okay.” Mukuro handed the pistol over.

‘Just like that?’ – was written all over his face.

“You never pointed it at me even when I tried to take it from you. I think you can be trusted with it.” Mukuro said.

“Why’d you take it in the first place?”

“To de-escalate the situation. You never want a gun in a suspect’s hands when fingers are being pointed everywhere.” That…made sense.

And she’d even been the one to cover for him. If Byakuya had his way, everyone would have already decided that Makoto was the culprit.

“Thanks, Ikusaba!” He smiled for the first time since his arrival.

Her lips trembled. “M-Mukuro is fine.” The cool monotone wavered.

“Sure. You can call me Makoto.” Without wasting time, he positioned the barrel in front of the chains.

“You’re too close.” From behind, Mukuro grabbed his waist and hauled him further back, then moved her feet between his to kick them apart a notch. “You’re also unbalanced. Bend your knees a bit and you’ll be braced for recoil. Same with your elbow.” She placed her hands over his, helping extend his arms in the right position. The target was clear. “Now shoot.”

Sure enough, three “bangs” pierced his eardrums. A more pleasant hymn was the ‘clink’ of fallen chains.

“It worked.” Makoto breathed out.

Mukuro blinked slowly. “I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe I don’t know as much as I thought.” She’d probably have been right if these were normal chains. If they were created by the despair virus, then he could break them – by putting his mind to the task.

It had taken multiple shots though. If he’d been in the Theater, he should have only needed one.

“Let’s go inside quick.”

Mukuro nodded and followed Makoto into the Final Dead Room.

The biggest surprise waiting inside was…that it had been mostly the same. The doors were barred, as he’d predicted. Even the passage required completing the same puzzle. Makoto knew how to solve it but couldn’t show that off in front of Mukuro. Her suspicions would peak if he knew the ins and outs of the supposed mastermind’s lair. On that front, had she been the blackened, she’d probably have killed him here. Instead…she was keen on picking up the details. Even with just the two of them, they’d finished about as fast as he did when partnering up with Chihiro and Byakuya.

And much like Byakuya, Mukuro didn’t flinch at the prospect of Russian Roulette. Unlike him, she’d voiced concerns regardless. “There has to be a better way out.”

“Nope. You have to shoot me. I’ve got a 5/6th chance of surviving.”

Mukuro hummed then said, “That makes sense.” She pulled the trigger and the bars lifted.

“I thought you’d hesitate a bit more there.” Makoto sweatdropped.

“You wanted it, and I thought your luck would save you. Just like it did with the ricochet.” She retorted. Neither could argue with the results.

“What ricochet?”

“When you shot the chains. If you were too close, there was a chance the bullet fragments would have bounced off and hit you.”

Makoto blanched. “Why didn’t you mention that before?”

Mukuro tilted her head. “You said I should trust you.”

She’s almost too serious. Had Makoto died, she’d have gone down with him when the others came to inspect, only to find a dead classmate.

Speaking of which, as he’d said, the final dead room had only ‘mostly’ been the same. One thing caught Makoto’s eye. A long trail of blood led to the other side of the room. Makoto and Mukuro traced the lines to the open window. Bloodstains trailed from the floors, upwards to the walls, and then the base of the window. “You gotta be kidding me.” Makoto looked down below to the forest. “Hey, Mukuro. I think-“ Makoto froze. His partner was undertaking a very different sort of investigation. 

It slipped Makoto’s mind that there was an entire armory of weaponry in here. It was catnip to the ultimate soldier. “What’s up?” She said, hiding the rifle behind her back. That would have been a frightening sight (given he’d turned his back to her) if not for the starry eyes and thin line of saliva running down her face.

“You got something here.” He pointed to his mouth.

Mukuro wiped the trail of spit and coughed aloud.

He was starting to see how she and Ryoko were sisters. “Safe to say this is where the mastermind stores their arms. The computer in the previous room may be used to spy on the funhouse.” Mukuro theorized.

Would a blackened need any of this? Their powers seemed scarier than any gun Makoto had ever seen…No wait, Taka wasn’t all that scary. 

“Should we head back?” Mukuro asked.

“We should look around a little more.” Makoto had been too frazzled to do his due diligence before, but they had all the time in the world now. The fridges were the first thing they inspected. Inside was, as anyone would expect, food!

“Well, that’s some good news. Maybe Togami will forgive us for investigating without his consent.” Mukuro said dryly.

“Is that sarcasm I hear?” Makoto stuffed his mouth with whatever snack he could find.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She offered a faint smirk.

He passed Mukuro a frozen bun and a water bottle. It wasn’t a warm meal, but he doubted their stomachs cared at this point.

“It’s high-class cuisine compared to rations.” Another joke. She did have an ironic sense of humor. 

While Mukuro ate, Makoto inspected a bit more. Not for long. A hatchet was just behind them. “How’d I ever miss this?” Wherever the door led, he was going to find out. “Ikusaba-erm, Mukuro! I’m going to search down here.”

“I’m not sure if that’s safe.”

“I’ll be fine. You go back and tell everyone about the food we found.” 

“…Take care then.” Again, she didn’t put up much resistance. He couldn’t tell if she was detached or submissive.

“Be seeing you.” He jumped down and the scenery changed. He’d landed in a trophy room, but more than that, the lime-colored designs decorating the walls were unmistakable.

The passage connected Strawberry House’s first floor to Grape House.

Chapter 40: Il Quarto Maestro / The Fourth Master

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

- [???] -

He twisted the old wheel handle to let water flow from the tap. The squeaks and gushing echoed, filling the dead silence. He took in the jarring contrast while thoroughly washing his hands off a tedious matter. The worn lightbulb’s flickering made it hard to see if his hands were clean. Once finished, he twisted the handle the opposite way and everything stopped. 

Footsteps drew near. He glanced at the man – practically family – but didn’t meet his eyes. Two items exchanged hands. A towel and a box were handed from the matured, elderly set to a smaller, younger pair. 

He dumped the used towel into the garbage bin, opened the box, and took out a lone matchstick. He dragged the head against the striker and lit the match.

He frowned. The steady source of light revealed that, despite his efforts, his hands were as dirty as the tools on the counter - A set of scissors and scalpels.

The boy tossed the match into the bin and lit it aflame, lighting the enclosed, decrepit room. The state of the rusty pipes that ran along with the ceiling and down the walls suggested the storehouse was at least several decades old and went just as long without maintenance.

He scrunched his nose, disgusted at the sight and the smell. With his business complete and the timer counting down, he twisted his body to face the door and walked, never looking back. The older, suited man  did turn back. He stopped just at the head of the doorway, fixated on the room’s center. There was a chair made of material far too wondrous to have accompanied the room. No, they had brought it from her home. Courtesy for the lady who’d exhausted herself on it for nearly a full 24 hours. He gauged that it had been a favorite from how often she blustered over the expenses. ''It sold as many as 3 great houses." - She'd boasted. It didn’t look to be so extravagant now. Neither did her dress, stained and ripped so.

The old man’s eyes softened. He had no appreciation for furniture, but that dress truly was beautiful. Just as the owner had been. That, at least, would not change until nature ran its course. It was a small consolation – and a token of respect – that her face had remained untouched throughout the ordeal. 

He crossed his arm over his chest and bowed, like a servant before the queen.

Her throne was soon to burn with her.

- [Makoto Naegi] -

“What’s happening here?” Makoto’s brow twitched.

“She's trying to kill me!” Leon said, hiding and crouching behind the much smaller boy.

“H-He’s lying. I was just minding my own business!” Toko defended herself with complete nonsense.

Yeah, nonsense worked perfectly. “Is this the time to be playing around?” He barely had a foot out of the trophy room before Leon screamed for help.

“No fooling around here. Why else would the hot-guy-killer be stalking  me ?”

“Gag me. Like Syo’d ever go for you.” Toko pointed.

“Leon, let go of me.” The athlete responded instantly to the irritated tone. “You guys do whatever you want, I’m going to investigate our friend’s  murder .”

“She w-wasn’t my friend.” Toko rebutted.

That was true. It was optimistic to think they all classmates were friends. Toko struggled to engage anyone who wasn’t Byakuya. “I haven’t seen you with Togami lately. Strange.”

“H-He told me to keep my distance.”

“When has  that  ever stopped you?” Leon scoffed.

“Just now.”

Makoto shook his head. This was a dead-end questioning. “If you’ll excuse me...”

Leon clamped down on Makoto’s shoulder, turning the boy around. “You didn’t kill her right”

“No.”

“Ain’t you gonna do better than that?”

“No skin off my back if you don’t believe me, but I’m telling the truth.”

“Cold, dude.” Leon scratched his head. “If we’ll investigate, let’s start with her room.”

“That’s the plan.” He had a good feeling Kyoko had already run a search through it. if she found something she wouldn’t tell a suspect until it was time to reel in the fish. He’d need to even the odds.


Toko lead them to Sayaka’s room. Once inside, she stopped, blocking their path.

“Move it.” Leon poked her forward…and stopped.

“If you don’t mind.” A hard tap to Leon’s back sends him crashing into Toko and to the floor. Makoto got to see exactly what stopped his friends. He found a thoroughly devastated room. Furniture and items were displaced as if a storm had passed through. Sheers and scratches marred the walls as if a wild animal had been set loose inside.”

He started searching. “What the hell happened here?” He heard Leon freak out in the back.

“Only the killer could have done this.” Makoto reasoned.

“Is the ‘killer’ a friggin bear!?”

The motion of Makoto’s arm halted, leaving the drawer half-open. “Possibly.”

Now who’s joking around. What are you even doing in there?”

“Looking for anything that sticks out. You both look too.” Makoto said.

“ 'Anything that sticks out’ he says. You looked at this place?” Leon grumbled.

“F-Found something.” Toko alerted them to a book on the tattered bed. Looking closely, it wasn’t quite a book. Makoto recognized it anywhere.

He’d bought it for Ryoko.

“What’s her diary doing here?” Leon asked.

Makoto flipped open the cover. He creased his forehead. On the front page was a crude message, written in makeshift ink.

“Meeting KilleK”  Leon read slowly. “Man, Ryoko’s handwriting sucks…grammar needs work too.”

Makoto flipped the other pages. Nothing. “Are there any pencils or pens around anywhere?”

“N-No! Trust me, I’ve looked.” Toko pulled at her braids.

“What. Those scissors aren’t pointy enough?” Leon quipped.

“S-Shut it, you prick. I’m an author with a schedule to keep. I don’t get vacations.” She gasped “Was that big-boobed liar hiding them? Even after I asked!”

Makoto ignored their bickering and flipped to the front page. “Toko, could you take a look at this?”

“What?” Toko froze at the writing. A hysteric scream and a thud followed suit.

Toko was K.O’d.

“What just happened?” Leon’s face dripped sweat.

“This message isn’t written in ink. It’s blood.”

Leon’s jaw dropped. “I knew Ryoko wasn’t all there, but that’s crazy!”

“We don’t know that Ryoko wrote this. Anyone could have taken the diary from her.” Makoto noted. “This probably explains the poor and rushed handwriting. What it means is ‘meeting the killer’.”

“If this ain’t Ryoko’s, then who wrote it?”

“I never said it wasn’t her, just that we can’t confirm it yet. It either has to be her, whoever did this to Sayaka’s room, or Sayaka herself.”

“Why would Sayaka go to meet the killer?” Leon shook his head. “Forget that. How would she know who it  was ?”

Makoto rubbed his chin. “I think it’s better to ask what she was doing out alone. She was killed in the Strawberry Tower, that’s a fact. And it had to have been after midnight.” Hiro would have spotted her otherwise.

“Been asking myself that question all morning.” Leon scratched his head. “Yesterday, she had her head in the game and everything…you think she knew? Why wouldn’t she say anything?”

“The message says ‘meeting’ the killer. Nothing about fighting or even catching them. Maybe she thought she could have talked things out.” Makoto said.

“Then…that means the killer has to be one of us.”

“It does.” Makoto wondered if he had the same reservations and naivete that Leon did towards his classmates once upon a time.

“Okay…so what’s up with this room? If whatever bastard did this killed her in the tower, why’s this place a mess?” Leon asked.

Makoto blinked. “I…don’t know. It could be just to confuse us?”

“The book was on the bed, Makoto. That nutjob should have just taken it.”

Naïve – Makoto repeated in his mind. Things the blackened did never make sense. They’d invite flaws in their plan, just like their stupid mistress. But again, Leon didn’t know that. “It could be that the killer didn’t see anything worth destroying and wanted to mess with us.” Makoto held the page in front of Leon. “Meeting the killer doesn’t tell us anything specific. It would only make us suspect each other more. If I was in their shoes, I’d have let this notebook be found.” His words were convincing enough to fool not just Leon, but himself. Almost.

“I guess I can see that. I’m having the chills just being here, to be honest.” He shivered. “But if this message doesn’t tell us squat, why write it in the first place?”

That was the relevant question. This message didn’t reveal anything but the supposed victim’s agenda. If it was Sayaka’s, why not leave a name? Unless there was more that he wasn’t seeing. That or…"Someone could be trying to mess with us.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Makoto frowned. “Let’s search the other Crummy Room then look for Ryoko before we close the book on this.”

Leon consented. “Wonder what we’ll find there.”

"...Are we just going to-"

"Leave her, dude. She's been weirder than usual ever since she was locked up in the elevator."

Makoto cocked his head. "Run that one by me again?"

"You know, that time she rode the elevator around midnight and couldn't get out until morning."

"...Sounds awful. I hope she didn't grow a phobia." Makoto said.

"She was probably trynna stalk Togami again. I hope it teaches her a lesson."


The room Kyoko had stayed in was…ordinary. No different from Makoto’s. Nothing amiss, besides the poor structure and floors. “It’s drafty here too.” Makoto said.

“It’s identical to our rooms. This is messed up.” Leon scrunched his nose at the place. Makoto had to agree. For the layout to be so unerringly similar meant these rooms had been intentionally built this way. “If it was up to me, I’d never let babes stay here.”

“I get what you mean.” Makoto looked around the drawers, the walls, under the bed. Nothing.

“You think Kyoko’s suspicious or something?” Leon realized his intentions.

“Not right now. I’m just trying to cover my bases.” He replied. “Hiro told me some weird stuff about the girls sneaking into my room last night.”

“Hate you so much.”

“Be serious.” Makoto hissed. “Did any of them seem…different to you? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Leon pondered a moment. “I already told you about Sayaka. We talked and everything seemed normal…” He paused. “Maybe a little too normal. I thought the girls would be freaking out the hardest over being kidnapped.”

“I getcha. What about Kyoko?”

“Kinda the same? Not like we talk much but they were both worried about you yesterday.”

So he’d heard. “Was I that bad?”

“You were out like a zombie, dude. Like you had some major malfunction in here.” Leon tapped his temple. “Kyoko found you like that first, made her real concerned.”

“I wonder what that looked like.”

“Weird.” In a one-word sum. Kyoko made it a point not to reveal her emotions. If Leon could see something was wrong, then that was strange. So many mysteries to solve, so little time. Junko outdid herself this time (cheating)

The fact is that not having memories of the past few days was a serious blindspot. “About Hifumi and Kizakura, do you know where I was at the time?”

“You’re pretty young to be getting memory loss, Dontcha think?” Leon remarked.

“Things are blurry for me right now.”

“Hope there’s not a bug going around.” The redhead scratched his hair. “Can’t say anything about the teach. It happened in the night a few days ago.”

“And Hifumi?”

“W-Well. That guy died in a pretty stupid way.” Leon said too slowly. “We found him in the washrooms yesterday morning. You…don’t remember that, huh?”

“Not at all.”

Leon cursed. “Not surprised. I was in the lounge when you came out of your room first thing in the morning. You were already uh…”

“A zombie?” Makoto guessed.

“You fell down the stairs.” Leon deadpanned. “I had to take you back to your room.” He frowned. “Got sweat all over my jacket too.”

“T-Thanks.” Makoto scratched his cheek. “But about Hifumi…was he already gone?”

“Dunno.” Leon averted his eyes. “Like, Taka found him during his routine morning piss at 8. Guy wakes up the same time every day!”

“You were up before that then?”

“Hiro’s snoring.” He made a disgusted face.

“My condolences…”

“Sleeping in the same room with that chump is one weird story I’m down to forget.”

“Want to know what’s messed up though? Two guys leaving one innocent girl knocked out on the floor!”

Leon and Makoto turned around and frowned in dismay at their worsening situation.

“Good morning, Syo.” Makoto greeted.

“Meh. Had better. Why are we raiding Koko’s place?” Syo inquired.

“Sayaka’s dead. We’re investigating.”

“Darn. I was betting on the hall monitor. Oh well, better her than me.”

“Totally your opinion.” Leon sneered.

“The room looks clean.” As could be, in Makoto’s opinion.

“What were you expecting to find?” The other boy asked.

“I…dunno. I just had a hunch that something would be different or…not Kyoko-like.”

“Bro, it’s just a room she’s staying in. We don’t even have a spare change of clothes.” Leon gave him understandably odd looks.

“Right.” He turned to Syo. “Taking a shot at the dark here but…do you know anything?”

“Tons.”

“Things that’ll help us find the killer.” Makoro clarified

“Zilch.”

“Saw that comin’” “Why did I even bother?”

It was worth a shot though. “You know why Toko was stalking Leon and…er…not Togami?”

Syo’s face morphed into disgust. “Him. Not even the two beefcakes or Sweetchi? Must’ve been master’s orders.”

“Why would Togami want you to spy on me!?”

Syo bit her thumb. “Don’t ask me, but that’s gotta be the only reason. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to sleep again if Gloomy’s tastes have sunk that badly.”

“Like you’re a pretty face yourself. Probably why Toges wants nothing to do with you.”

“You’re one to talk…or maybe not. Miku took your stupid love triangle with her. Isn’t great how you don’t get to be the loser?”

“That’s not funny!”

“Neither is evil-eyeing my white-knight-filled future!”

“Lady, if you haven’t taken the hint, I’ll spell it out. He hates you!”

“You done?” Makoto folded his arms, thoroughly unimpressed by the senseless argument. “If you are, we can focus on what matters. Fight all you like after that.”

Leon and Syo glared daggers at each other, but their mouths stayed shut.

“Something you said doesn’t add up, Syo. Why would you assume Togami would force Toko to watch Leon, and why would she agree?” Makoto continued. “Actually, why are you still here?”

“You got something against me too, Makie?”

Makoto blinked. She’s dodging the question. If there was one quality that came to mind with Genocider, it was her free spirit. She went where she liked and avoided what she didn’t. Even though Toko fell unconscious, she came looking for us . And she’s still here.

“Besides your crimes…not really.” He said. “I think we should split off here though. I’ll go investigate downstairs.”

Syo blocked the exit. “When did you become a daredevil? Don’t you know what happens when you run off all alone in these stories?”

“Yeah, I’m not so cool staying around her, bro. If you catch my drift.” Subtle as bricks, Leon.

Makoto sighed. “If you promise to hold back the antics. Let’s go.”

“Aye-Aye, Capitaine.” Syo saluted and stepped aside. Doing so confirmed Makoto’s suspicions. She wasn’t just watching Leon specifically. She was watching him too. Had she been ordered to observe the boys or anyone going off by themselves? Or anyone who just seemed suspicious?

‘What’s Togami thinking?’

“There you are!” Taka’s booming voice caught him at the first step out of Kyoko’s room. “Where have you been?”

“Investigating with Leon and Toko.” The misfit duo peaked out the door at the right time.

“I see.” Kiyotaka’s fire died. “We’re having an emergency meeting in Strawberry Tower. Follow me post-haste.”

“I bet somebody tripped.” Leon rolled his eyes.

“It sounds to me like you’re not hungry at all.”

Leon’s jerked. “There’s food!?”

Oh yeah. Sorry, Leon.


The gang was all there waiting for them. Half went back to eating after the novelty of their arrival quickly wore of. Leon sprinted over to the circle of food faster than Makoto had ever seen him in P.E.

Syo was only a step behind. He was mildly surprised that hunger won out over her desire to search for her “master”. Speaking of, Makoto found the heir alongside Kyoko, both engaged in a conversation with the twins.

“Lots of odd things going on today.” They were probably grilling Mukuro for information, who seemed to have it out okay with all the food. And more. He noticed a new gun hanging at her side. The same model as his own.

“I’ve got Makoto, bro!” Kiyotaka announced.              

“Good job.” Mondo approached. “Where’d you end up?”

“I found him in Grape House, by the crummy rooms.” Kiyotaka replied.

“I was asking him.” Mondo sighed. His lax demeanor was nothing like before. Not when he realized Makoto was armed. Which he still was.

‘Did Mukuro not tell anyone?’ – He thought.

“Did you enter the final dead room?” Makoto fished.

“About that. We hit a snag.” Mondo began. “To get in, we need to play a game of Russian Roulette.”

“Again? The door should have already opened.” The atmosphere tensed after those words left his mouth.

Leon looked around with his mouth stuffed with food.

“Oh good, so you won’t deny that you entered the Final Dead Room.” Byakuya said. “But I’m more curious as to how you left. Ikusaba was the only one we saw come out.”

Makoto felt the implied accusation stirring, and the demand for an exchange of information. Well, no need for him to be on the receiving end.

“I asked first.” He replied.

“How dare you…”

“The bars dropped behind me.” Mukuro spoke up. “I thought something might like that might happen. I used my shirt as a bag to carry all the food on my way out. After I took one step out of the interior of the final dead room, it closed. Looks like we’ll have to play the game again to get back in.”

Leon raised his hand, eyes rife with more attention than he’d ever shown in class. “Uh hold up. Your shirt? Like…that one you got on? So you were-”. He rambled until Mondo smacked him upside the head.

“Don’t be a creep.”

“It was good thinking, Ikusaba. We and our stomachs thank you.” Kiyotaka saluted.

“Idiot. If they had called us when they thought to break in, we could know much more than we do now. There was an entire armory we could have used to protect ourselves.” Byakuya’s words resonated with quite a few of them.

“That’s optimistic.” Not Mukuro. “Nothing good ever comes from lethal weapons mixing with paranoia. If anything, had the room stayed open, I’d be guarding the entrance.”

“I concur. The food is enough of a boon. The allure of weapons is unwelcome.” Sakura agreed.

“We learned more than just that. Makoto, Ikusaba. During your search, you didn’t find anyone else, did you?” Kyoko asked.

The two shook their heads.

“Then an avenue just closed. We must acknowledge the killer is one of us.” The detective’s judgment weighed down on them.

Byakuya smirked. “Not like you had much choice but to concede that point. Now, Ikusaba. You mentioned there was a computer, correct?”

Mukuro nodded.

“Possibly a display to watch us from and a room to gather weapons. No doubt that the killer must have ventured there before and after every murder to procure and hide the weapons.”

It was on the right track but not quite correct, but Makoto would keep that to himself for now.

“Now that begs the question: How would our elusive culprit enter there, supposing they didn’t have a key? And they don’t.”

“You’re moving too fast, dude.” Yasuhiro interjected. “Like, if I don’t want people entering my space, I always lock up behind me. Keys are kinda important.”

“Dimwitted as it is understandable, as usual. Explain it to him, Naegi.” Byakuya pointed.

The lucky student thinned his lips. “If the culprit had a key, they wouldn’t need an elaborate game of Russian Roulette. They already had chains barring entry.”

“About those chains, you gotta tell us how they were broken.” Mondo demanded.

“Uh, I asked Mukuro if I could shoot."

“Mukuro? When were you on such good terms?” Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

“Like that matters. Why aren’t we shooting up the exit?!?” Leon yelled.

“W-We tried that already. The chains wouldn’t budge.” Chihiro lowered his head.

“Whatever they’re made of must’ve been tougher than what was on the Final Dead Room door.” Ryoko explained.

“Took a while to get to that one.” Byakuya deadpanned. “To finish answering Hagakure’s question. The Russian Roulette is the key. Now, who among us could use such a contrived method?”

‘Course that’s where he’s going with this.

“The killer, duh!” Syo cackled.

“And Makoto, I presume.” Kyoko said.

“I had Mukuro shoot me to open the door.”

Leon’s cocked an eyebrow. "What is Russian Roulette?”

“You load a bullet, spin the cylinder, and hope you shoot blanks.” Ryoko said cheerily.

The athlete's jaw dropped.

“I’m lucky.”

“Indeed. Luck is the only way for that mechanism to be used unless the culprit had a death wish. So explain yourself, Makoto – the one who brought us all here. And no, a different gun no longer works as an excuse when you had a treasury full.” Byakuya crossed his arms.

“What’s to explain? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Your confidence is inspiring. Something with a bit more bite to it this time thoug?”

“Togami, I don’t think you get how little sense you’re making. If I was the killer, why would I have Russian Roulette at all? I’m just lucky, not invincible. There’s always a chance I could get shot doing that. Your logic runs on the assumption that the mastermind just didn’t have a key to bypass the game.”

“The invisible person dilemma, hm?” Byakuya countered.

“We dealing with ghosts now too.” Yashiro very visibly sweat.

“The invisible man is a plot device in mysteries where the crimes of the whodunnit are explained away by an unforeseen, outside party.” Kyoko answered.

“And just like now, they are optimistic delusions. We don’t need an absolute truth. We need a working one. That means we ought to use whatever knowledge is available to us and some unknown key is not among them. Wouldn’t you agree, Kirigiri?”

 “I don’t think that’s an ironclad argument. But I’m not sure what to think. It’s becoming scarily likely that one among us is involved and that makes me a poorer judge of people than I thought.” Kyoko sighed.

“Get it together. We need decisive action.”

“If I may interrupt,” Sakura started. “Let us say that Makoto is the killer. What do we do with him?”

“Capture him, of course. We’re not savages or murderers. Once we’re off this island, the courts will decide the punishment.” Kiyotaka overtook Byakuya’s reply, much to the latter’s chagrin.

“S’that much better? I mean, that’s still the death penalty probably.” Hiro said. “I don’t get what’s going on but Makoto being the killer ain’t something I can get behind. Something must’ve happened.”

“I have noticed uncharacteristic behavior. Like he’s terrified and enraged, and I do not believe it is directly linked to our captivity here.” Sakura said.

“Then maybe Makoto has a split personality, like Syo. It’s not fair if we got to help her and not him. Not fair at all!” Ryoko pouted.

“If you’re all finished, we can talk about what’s important; Sayaka’s murder.” Makoto rerouted the group.

“Which implicates you.” Byakuya commented.

“Really? How?” Makoto asked. “According to Hiro, Sayaka and Kyoko left my room around midnight.”

“He only saw Kyoko.”

“Both are false. Sayaka and I left well before midnight.” Kyoko adamantly replied.

“I suppose that it’s possible that Hagakure is wrong and or hallucinating. If not entirely likely.” Byakuya conceded.

“Why are you all so mean?” Hiro whined.

“Bear in mind? I don’t even remember seeing them that night and they broke into my room. How would I have known where or when to meet Sayaka later? And if I had, Kyoko would have already mentioned it since she was there at the time.”

“What meeting are you talking about?” Byakuya squinted.

Makoto held out the diary and explained what they’d found in Sayaka’s room.

“And you’re sure you found this in her room?” Byakuya glared.

“I can confirm.” Leon raised his hand. “We met Makoto coming down from the third floor and looked around. Her room was a total mess.”

“Why destroy her room? We know that Sayaka died here.” Kyoko frowned.

Byakuya tipped his glasses. “I’ll get to that, but first, let’s work under the assumption that there are no inconsistencies. I don’t know how Maizono uncovered the killer’s identity, but she must have expected to reason with them. Anything short of that is suicide.”

“Pretty much confirms that it had to be one of us. Don’t know who else on this island that she’d have that much faith in.” Mondo affirmed.

“Indeed. And that only makes Makoto even more suspicious if you ask me.” Kiyotaka interjected. “If Sayaka knew the culprit, she would also have known what room they were staying in. That gives the dying message more credibility.”

Kiyotaka was smarter than Makoto thought. He’d never stuck around enough to notice.

It wasn’t a problem though. “I’m not the only one in those rooms.”

“I didn’t do shit. Don’t even play that card!” Leon roared.

“I meant Kyoko.” The room quieted.

“Kyoko…” Sakura said slowly, disbelievingly.

“Couldn’t have picked a worse pivot, don’t you think?” Byakuya mocked.

“On what grounds are you suspecting me?” A flash of hurt crossed the detective’s features. Too plainly for Makoto’s liking.

“The dia-“

“My diary.” Ryoko interrupted. “ ' Meeting KilleK’.  Assuming Sayaka didn’t suck at spelling, it could be a double hidden message for ‘Meeting the killer’ and ‘Meeting Kyoko Kirigiri’.”

“That’s…more or less what I had in mind.” Makoto said.

“Why was your diary there?” Byakuya asked the analyst.

“Sayaka wanted to borrow it yesterday afternoon.” Ryoko replied succinctly.

“And you’re only telling us now?”

“You never asked.”

“...Ever the nuisance.”

“I’m glad to see your theory isn’t coming out of nowhere, but there are more holes in it than Swiss cheese. Our rooms were right next to each other. If Sayaka wanted to meet me, she could have done so at any time, under less dangerous circumstances.” Kyoko countered.

“Uh. I wanna believe you here, Kyoko, but Sayaka’s room was wrecked. Maybe you just beat her up in there and dragged her to the elevators.” Hiro posited.

“Ha! That’s a good one.” Syo laughed.

“If you’d been paying attention, you’d know why that’s not possible. The chick was shot here.” Mondo replied.

“I appreciate some working brain cells in this environment. Perhaps Hagakure should practice silence from this point on, hm?”

“I wholly agree.” Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the clairvoyant.

“I don’t see why you of all people would.” Makoto called her out. “Have you forgotten what you told Byakuya and me?”

"Not more than I shared. Bruising, a bullet wound, and a dying message could be fabricated.” (Kyoko Kirigiri, Chapter 39)

“That’s true,” Byakuya said thoughtfully. “I must concede that the scene of the crime isn’t always where the confrontation happened. Maizono could have been rendered unconscious, brought over, and killed."

“It’s a nice theory, but it doesn’t match the facts.” Kyoko faced Makoto. “If you remembered that point, you should also remember the same thing I told Byakuya.”

"Then you should be fully aware that had I killed Sayaka and left through Grape Tower's door, the elevator floor would have to later be called down to Strawberry Tower. Given where Sayaka was killed. I doubt the body, and the blood would have been as neat as it was." (Kyoko Kirigiri, Chapter 39)

“What if you just took the main elevators. It would take you to Strawberry House. You could have dumped the body there and moved back to Grape House.”

A resounding silence and quizzical stares followed his deduction.

“What?”

“I suppose that would make sense, if it wasn't a complete lie.” Kiyotaka sighed pityingly.

“The elevators stop working after midnight and start up again at 6. Remember?” Chihiro explained.

Makoto looked like he was slapped in the face, and the fault all belong to, “Hiro!” He raised his voice. “You said Kyoko was out of my room after midnight. How could she get back to Grape House?”

“Huh. That’s a good question. How’d you do it, Koko?” Hiro rubbed his chin.

“As Togami said earlier, it’s probably best if Hiro shut up before he muddles things any further. I was not in Strawberry House at that time. Sayaka and I had gone back to our rooms well before then. Now unless someone admits to calling the tower floor elevator up for me, I believe we can finally end this derailment.”

He deserved this for listening to Hiro.

“I know what I saw. I swear it on my good name.” Hiro argued.

“Worth less than the dirt on my shoe. Unless you want to prove how you can maneuver between houses without the elevators.”

“Sure…what if…Kyoko and Sayaka never left Strawberry House. Like, they were in the tower after me, Kyoko shot her, and then just waited around until morning so she could use the elevators to escape!”

“Unlikely!” Byakuya pointed an accusatory finger at the fortune teller. “Might I remind you that I saw the body very early in the morning? Of course, I made sure to look around. Where could Kirigiri possibly have hidden?”

Just when Hiro floundered for an answer, Makoto cut in. “She didn’t have to. She could have just been in Grape House afterward.”

“We just discussed the elevators being inactive,” Sakura said.

“She didn’t have to use them. There’s a trap door in the Final Dead Room that connects the first floor of Strawberry House to the Third Floor of Grape House.”

“That’s where you landed…” Mukuro confirmed.

Noting her reaction, Byakuya hummed. “That answers my first question, but we’ve gone back in circles. Kirigiri would have had to play Russian Roulette to open the path. It’s suicide without a guarantee.”

“Maybe she didn’t need one.” Makoto began. “Placing Russian Roulette there at all is crazy. Whoever’s behind it has to be twisted from the start.”

“And I fit that criterion to you?” Kyoko shook her head.

“You haven’t exactly been yourself lately. The Kyoko I know wouldn’t have forgotten to investigate pretty much  everything .”

“Excuse me?”

“Mukuro, can you search Sayaka’s fingers for any cuts.”

The soldier approached the body. Her gloveless fingers traced over Sayaka’s cold ones. They stopped at her left index. “I’ve found a small rip, there’s a small amount of dried blood and it’s on the opposite arm from the message.”

Makoto nodded. “Strange how you of all people would have missed that. Then there’s this tower and even Sayaka’s room. You’ve barely done any detective work when it was needed. Why is that?”

“I…” Kyoko hesitated.

“Have some class!” Kiyotaka interjected. “We all know Kyoko and Sayaka had grown close recently. Who wouldn’t falter moments after a dear friend’s death?”

“Kyoko isn’t that weak.”

“The fuck does having a heart have to do with weakness?! You ever lose someone you care about when you were 20 fucking meters away?” Mondo’s face grew red.

Makoto gave him an even stare. “Yes. She’s right there.”

“Enough with this sympathetic nonsense. Let us accept that some of us are behaving strangely and leave it at that. If the issue of a ‘key’ is such a problem, then we will ignore it and move on for now. Once we have our conclusions, we’ll settle on the more plausible truth.” Byakuya quelled the argument.

“Kyoko could have used that path to get back into her room after killing Sayaka. That way, Hiro’s account holds up.”

“But yours doesn’t,” Kyoko replied. “This started with accusing me of attacking Sayaka in her room and bringing her to the tower. If I’d made my move there, what would be the point of demolishing her room?”

…Drat. He couldn’t think of one. Even now, he had to agree with Leon that the state of Sayaka’s room was a huge mystery.

“Though the trap door is interesting. If anyone could use it after beating the game, that means Makoto could have at any time. That means you had access to Grape House as well.”

“What good would that do me?” Makoto asked.

“Camouflage. You could have used all this to pretend that there was a confrontation in Grape House, destroyed the room yourself, and planted the evidence. It doesn’t quite make sense that the murderer would have left that evidence in plain sight for any other reason but for us to find it, therefore whoever did is suspicious. Looks to me like you’ve gotten too desperate and tipped your hand.” Kyoko folded her arms.

“How would I have gotten back? Togami saw me leave my room.”

“Was he watching you the whole time? Doubtful. As Hiro observed, it’s possible to have hidden until morning, and then take the elevators back. Togami may have searched Strawberry House but that didn’t mean he was in the lobby when the elevator came on. You could have missed each other by pure luck.”

“Hmmm.” Syo cocked her head to the other side.

Hiro rubbed his chin. “Got it. I was hallucinating all along!”

Note to self – Never be on Hiro’s side.

“About Sayaka’s room. Was it really in that condition last night?” Sakura asked. “Surely, if it is as bad as Makoto, Leon, and Syo described, the commotion should have woken us.”

“Not necessarily. I have noticed the deluxe rooms are soundproof. What of the others?” Byakuya asked.

“Eh, really? I didn’t know that.” Syo tilted her head.

“We can hear just fine.” “Same.” More hands raised.

“Maizono’s erratic behavior is throwing a wrench in what should be a simple mystery. I propose we ignore that as well.” Byakuya clicked his tongue.

“That’s cold, even for a dick like you.” Mondo said.

“Am I wrong? If nobody heard any disturbances then it is likely that room was trashed earlier when we weren’t present. Possibly by Maizono herself. It’s not unsurprising that a frightened, weak girl would lash out in the safety of her own room. There was never any evidence that the killer was behind the altercation from the beginning.”

“And the bruises?” Makoto led on.

“As we initially assumed, it could have happened in Strawberry Tower.”

“Which also means nothing ties me to the crime. I maintain that if Sayaka wanted to speak with me, she had plenty of chances.” Kyoko said.

“So it isn’t Makoto or Kyoko?” Chihiro asked

“Could be either, but logically, Makoto’s more suspicious. All the murdered have been in Strawberry House. He had easier access than Koko.” Ryoko nodded rapidly.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Ain’t we forgetting someone?” Mondo spoke up. “This asshole has been acting like he owns the place, as usual – and maybe he literally fuckin’ does – but he still doesn’t have an alibi for Sayaka’s murder at all!”

“I’d forgotten.” Makoto muttered under his breath. He’d been so suspicious of Kyoko’s behavior, he’d missed the obvious details because…well, Byakuya wasn’t any different at all.

“Heh. So it’s my turn to come under fire, is it?”

“That right there is the problem. You’re treating awful shit like a game. Three of us are dead! Maybe more. Fuck, if there’s anyone here crazy to play Russian Roulette and think they’re still invincible, that’d be YOU!”

The accuracy of those words shook Makoto’s core. It had happened before and Makoto was the only one who knew that fact.

“Done.” Suddenly, Togami changed the trajectory of the barrel and pointed it at his own temple. He pressed down on the trigger. (Byakuya Togami, Chapter 24)

Not to mention the Future Foundation. They made us come to this island. Couldn’t all those weapons and even this entire funhouse have been made by them?

“You’ve made your point, but I simply cannot agree for reasons that our dear nuisance has already illustrated: all the murders occurred in Strawberry House.” Byakuya smirked.

“I’m sure you’ll explain why that’s a problem for someone who sleeps there.” Ryoko rolled her eyes.

“Because If I killed Sayaka, it stands to reason that I also murdered Yamada and Kizakura, no? How is that possible when I had an alibi ready for both murders? Right, Ikusaba?”

The soldier stared back quizzically. “What do you want me to say? I never saw you.”

“Use your head. There’s only one way I could have kept tabs on you at night while we were in separate houses.”

Makoto’s gaze flittered between them. He only knew what he’d been told. Byakuya covered for Mukuro when she was suspected of Hifumi’s murder. But how?

“Make it easy and just tell us already. Playing coy ain’t do you favors. It was hard enough believing you saw Ikusaba in the first place.” Leon said.

‘So Togami just vouched for Mukuro and left it at that...Yeah, that checks out.’

Sometimes, Makoto wished he’d been in a different class.

“Assuming Hifumi’s murder happened in the night, there’s only one way that Togami could verify Mukuro’s alibi.” There was another. Byakuya broke into the Final Dead Room and used the trap door, but telling us about that was admitting he was the killer. No, there was a simpler answer. “You had Toko spy on her.”

Byakuya smirked. “Hehe, so you can do it if you try. Ikusaba was the primary suspect. Of course, I would have her monitored. I had Fukawa watch the twins’ door for the entire  night.”

Ryoko clutched the sides of her arms and shuddered. “Gross.”

“Dunno where your humanity went, but this is Toko we’re talking about. She could have fallen asleep.” Hiro suggested.

“Gloomy and I have a system . Whenever we swap, the other gets to refresh. So far, we’ve kept it up for this whole time without any problems, thank you very much.”

“Even last night?” Makoto asked.

“Before we get to that. I have to clear my good name.” Byakuya continued. “Through an alibi for Kizakura’s death. I suspected one of us to go soon so I first had Fukawa stay in my room, watching me as I slept.”

A pin could have dropped after that announcement and the dead would hear it.

“I can’t tell if you’re crazy, brave, or crazy.” Leon paled. “You know she could’ve killed you, right?”

“If there were preferable alternatives, I would have used them.” Byakuya shut his eyes, struggling to admit the fact to himself. “It was also…payment for her services.”

“Yuppers. How could I pass up the chance to work hard when master himself gave me an invitation!?” Syo drooled.

“You call that an alibi? That chick will say whatever you tell her.” Mondo said.

“Give Toko some credit. Syo might not care, but Toko would have stopped Byakuya before this.” Mukuro said.

Syo looked at her strangely. “You’re more talkative than I remember, Muku.”

“Now that we’ve got that settled, let us address the point that Naegi so astutely brought up. Indeed, Fukawa was also on duty last night. Meaning she saw who came and who went out of those rooms. Syo!”

“On it.” Syo sneezed and out came Toko. “W-Where am I? Why aren’t I starving?”

“No time for that. You will answer my questions and my questions alone. Did you see anyone leave the rooms last night?”

“Nobody.”

“Bring Syo back.”

*sneeze*

(They all watched, dumbfounded by Toko’s subservience)

“That was fast. Did ya miss me already?” Syo winked.

“Fukawa claimed to have seen nothing on her lookout. What about you?”

“Kyahahahaha!”

“Why’s she laughing?” Makoto couldn’t blame Chihiro for being unnerved by Syo’s unique brand of insanity.

“I’ve been holding that in this whole time, watching you guys run around in circles. But sorry, Mac, the only thing I saw was Miku going out of her room after at around 1 am.”

“You serious? She really did look for the killer on her own?” Leon couldn’t believe it. “That’s so stupid. “Ugh!”

Syo nodded. “But that was it. I didn’t see aaaaaanybody else come or go.”

“There you have it.” Kyoko smiled. “I am completely innocent of whatever crimes I may be accused of.”

“But If Syo didn’t see anyone then Makoto couldn’t enter Grape House to violate the scene either. It must be authentic!” Kiyotaka exclaimed.

“Only if you think that Sayaka knew her room was already fucked up and just left the diary there without saying a word.” Mondo rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t get it. Did she do it herself?”

“The tantrums of the weak.” Byakuya voiced his earlier conclusion. “And while this conclusively absolves Kyoko of being the killer, Makoto could still have done the deed in Strawberry Tower. There is no other suspect.”

‘…I’ll never be able to rely on them.’  – Makoto thought. Even as suspicions intensified, he felt nothing. Just more confirmation that he was alone. They didn’t know what he knew. Wouldn’t understand either. Things like doors and rooms didn’t matter to the blackened and that just wouldn’t get through to them.

“I’m not the killer!” Surprisingly, those words came from an unlikely place.

“Nobody ever said you were, Leon.” Yasuhiro sweatdropped.

“Shut up. This is all your fault! Couldn’t stop snoring to save your life!” Leon exhaled. “Makoto ain’t our guy, because I know he didn’t kill Hifumi.”

- [Leon Kuwata] -

“I can’t take much more of this.” Leon groaned. He sat in the lounge, rubbing tired eyes with one hand, and clutching his rumbling stomach with the other. Suddenly, he heard a door creak open, and footsteps follow. A part of him hoped Yasuhiro had woken up so HE could get back to sleep.

It wasn’t Hiro. The mousey brown hair and height were textbook Makoto. The pale complexion and wobbling movements weren’t.

“You good?”

The luckster didn’t reply as he walked down the stairs.

“Rude.” He barely gets a word out before the crash. “Shit.” He cursed and ran over and saw Makoto, flat as a pancake on the floor.

“Mr. Naegi, are you alright?!” Hifumi got there before Leon did.

“For the record, I didn’t push him.” Leon jumped off the last few steps. He crouched down and flipped Makoto over on his back. “Don’t think we can blame this one on his shoelaces either.”

“He looks rather sickly.” Hifumi remarked.

“Yeesh, he’s drenched.” Leon didn’t even sweat that much in games “I’ll take him back to his room.”

“Much appreciated.” Hifumi played with his glasses. “And let’s pray that good fortune smiles on us today.”

“If it’s the kind that Hiro sells, I don’t want it.”

- [Makoto Naegi] -

“When did this take place?” A bewildered Sakura asked.

“Think around 6? Maybe later.” Leon answered.

“So Hifumi was alive in the morning and you chose to keep that a secret!?” Kiyotaka bellowed.

Byakuya grinned in that way nobody could stand. “A wise choice, lest he doom himself. As the saying goes, the first at the scene of the crime is also the first to be suspected. After the dying message Maizono left, Kuwata would have jumped to the first on the suspect list had we known this earlier. Or do any of you claim that you wouldn’t have doubted him?”

Leon clicked his tongue. Others stared at the ground or averted their eyes.

“You see? A wise choice indeed, but did you stay with Makoto the whole time?”

“Nah, once he was tucked in, I left and went back to the lounge for a bit. Hiro woke up at like…7 I think? I dunno, I went back to bed. Didn’t see Makoto until later.” Leon recounts.

“We no longer have a proper estimate of Hifumi’s murder. It happened in the morning. Alas, in Naegi’s condition, he can’t have murdered with such poor coordination. Poorer than usual from the sounds of it.”

“Do you agree with that assessment, Leon?” Kiyotaka asked.

The baseball star shrugged.

“I didn’t see Makoto much yesterday, but if his condition was that bad…could Sayaka have expected that he would show up at night?” Mukuro inquired.

“Of course not, and that fact, in addition to Fukawa’s testimony, has sealed your fate, Kirigiri.” The detective came under fire again. “Maizono was out for Grape Tower and likely didn’t know about the secret passage. The only person she could expect to have met there was a resident of Grape House and stayed in the Crummy Rooms. Makoto can no longer be ruled as a suspect for having an ironclad alibi on a prior murder. That leaves just you as the primary suspect.”

“How quickly you forget. Sayaka was killed in Strawberry Tower and the elevators weren’t operational. How could I have killed her from there?” Kyoko’s composure was much less sure than it formerly had been.

“Still on that? Simple. As Hagakure suggested, you were there until midnight. Maizono was invited to the Grape Tower at around 1 AM. Once your victim was in place, you called the elevator down to Strawberry House and killed her there. Afterward, you returned to the Final Dead Room and monitored Fukawa, or perhaps you knew from the beginning. Either way, it was a simple matter to wait until morning then leave through the trap door to enter Grape House.”

“Ridiculous. Your logic is filled with assumptions.”

“I admit that, but if we make no small leaps where we can, then nobody could have committed the crime.”

“You could have.” Kyoko countered. “From start to finish, your alibi rests entirely on Toko and Genocider’s testimony. Two people you easily manipulate.”

“I feel like this is my cue to say something.” Syo spoke up.

“Do us a favor. don’t.” Byakuya said coldly. “Interestingly, you doubt our classmate’s sincerity. Do you think Fukawa is so cutthroat that she would voluntarily accompany me in this spree you’re accusing me of?”

“Do you think I’m depraved enough to murder my friends, my father’s friend for…what exactly? That’s right nothing. I have nothing to gain. The diametric opposite. I’m a detective. It’s my birthright to hunt criminals and pursue the truth where I can. I am not – and never will be – a killer.”

“She brings up a good point. Like, It’s Kyoko. Pretty low down on the list of my suspects at least.” Leon said.

“Her record of attendance and respect for the rules is impeccable.” Kiyotaka closed his fist thoughtfully below his chin.

“I shouldn’t even have to say who I think is the killer between the two of them. Kyoko’s always had her head in the right place. Rich boy on the other hand? Couldn’t trust him any further than I can throw him. He’d probably laugh at his victims.”

Byakuya’s smile strained.

“That is uncalled for, Mondo.” To Byakuya’s defense wasn’t Toko…but Sakura. “Togami is not the kind of man you think he is. We cannot allow biases to cloud our judgment here.”

“It ain’t bias, Sakura. He’s always thought he was better than us. Fuck, we’ve been talking about the Funhouse, but who could have even set this shit up in the first place? Do you think Kyoko had a bunch of guns stashed in here? Where’d she find the time and how’d none of us notice? Now between the two of them, we got way more reasons to trust her than him.”

“Even though Maizono’s dying message only addresses those in the Crummy Rooms?” Byakuya arched his eyebrow.

“Still on that? Simple.” Kyoko retorted. “After killing Sayaka, you used the route through the Final Dead Room to enter Sayaka’s room, looking for anything that could be suspicious and found her diary. Afterward, you hatched a plot to incriminate me or Makoto by fabricating the dying message. Toko was your accomplice and won’t say anything even if she saw you, giving you free passage in the Funhouse.”

“That’s too cruel.” Chihiro covered his mouth in horror.

“Makes more sense than anything I’ve heard all day.” Mondo agreed.

“Occam’s Razor does side with Kyoko here.” Mukuro remarked.

“For the record, everything Koko has said is total bullshit.” Syo declared.

“In light of these extreme circumstances, I will permit that foul language of yours. That goes for you too, bro.” Kiyotaka said. “What do you have to say for yourself, Togami?”

“Not bad, I suppose.” The scion didn’t flinch under the distrustful glares. “As expected, without Fukawa’s word, it becomes mine alone against hers, and that’s a complete waste of time, so how about we call it a draw and say we’re both the culprit.”

“…Explain yourself.” Kyoko said in a demanding tone.

“It’s not unusual for there to be two culprits in a story. Unrelated parties whose actions coincided by sheer coincidence. Let’s face it; your feelings don’t matter here. Only facts do and right now, Kirigiri and I are both equally candidates for the mastermind and should be judged accordingly.”

“Ugh, you’re the sore loser who drags the hero down with you in the end.” Leon folded his arms.

“He makes a good point though. The way I see it, you guys are ganging up on him because you don’t think he’s ‘one of us’ like Koko is.” Ryoko added.

“His terms are fair. I’d even go as far as to say that this is an almost ideal situation for us. So long as Togami, Fukawa, and I are under close surveillance, there shouldn’t be any more murders. We can leave the rest for the authorities.” Kyoko’s compromise resonated positively with the group. Each of them could see a light out of the tunnel.

It was so naïve. “That’s unacceptable.” Makoto declared.

“I thought you were fine keeping quiet once you were no longer a suspect. What’s the matter, not satisfied with our compromise?” Byakuya stared him down.

He just didn’t get it. Time was always against them. If they didn’t win here, things would only get worse. “One of you is the blackened. Stop playing around and let’s get this over with.” The least they could do is show off whatever they’ve got before he reset.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Kyoko’s voice had never sounded so irritated.

“Did you change your mind?” Chihiro asked.

Meanwhile, the lavender-haired detective only stared in confusion. “That wasn’t me.”

“Huh. Sure it was. Soft-spoken, brainy, and all, dudette.” Hiro scratched his hair.

“Hey guys.” Ryoko said slowly, her head turned to face the far back wall. “Were me and sis the only twins in class?” Her comments – at times perceived as vapid – were so nonsensical that they had to pay attention. First to the amnesiac herself, then the direction she faced.  

Once his gaze settled on the same spot, he understood. She stood there all by herself, furthest to the wall. She was adorned in a black blouse that worked as overalls resting atop a white dress shirt. Her bare fingers spun in a circle, tricking the eye. A shadowy trail followed her fine motions and a pocket watch soon formed from the dark mist. She pressed down on the top button and spoke “A whole 11 seconds to notice. Even when my voice came from the opposite direction, you trusted your faulty preconceptions. I can’t say I’m disappointed.”

The right to speak was taken by the Kyoko next to them. “Who are you?”

“Even though you’ve been going on about me for the past 47 minutes and 39 seconds…shouldn’t it be obvious just by looking?”

“Am I hallucinatin’?” Mondo’s eyes opened wide.

A soft sigh later. “That’s how it typically goes – the detective has to explain everything. As I’m also the culprit, that’s double the workload.”

Sakura tensed. “You were the one that Yasuhiro saw.” Lavender hair, just like Kyoko’s. Albeit, they were tied into twin braids, similar to Toko’s. Much better kept.

“A slow observation, but at least it wasn’t a question.” Her back left the wall, red eyes scanning the lot of them.

“Who are you?” Kyoko repeated with a shaky voice.

“....You can call me Kuromaku. Kuro for short.” It was like hearing double. “Without beating around the bush, I’ve been killing all of you. That’s over with now though.”

Leon looked ready to tear out his hair. “Yeah, I got less than usual. Who is this chick, Kyoko?”

“If you’d been listening for the last 2 minutes, you’d know that she has no idea what I am either. On the other hand,” She stopped just in front of Makoto. “you have some vague idea about me. I’m curious.”

“…”

“You don’t have to glare at me like that. I’m finished with this game.”

“You mean that you’ve been caught.” Syo retorted.

“Hah…I don’t mince words. I decided that it was over after you spoiled the proceedings. Two culprits?” Her face scrunched like she’d tasted something egregiously bitter after a glance at her twin. “A defense based on emotion ? Grandfather would be ashamed.”

Kyoko let out a small gasp.

“There is only one mastermind and the rules were implicit. You either manage to discover me or you died. It’s understandable to fail at the first, but there’s no excuse for incompetence on the second.”

Slowly but surely, the shock began to wear off and others accepted the oddity in their midst.

“Kuro…right?” Chihiro spoke over Mondo, who’d stood in front separating him from the new arrival. “Why would you do this?”

“Don’t talk like you even know what I’ve done. Actually, have you even said anything useful this entire time?”

“You’re one mean lady.” Ryoko pouted.

“I prefer ‘intolerant’. But I acknowledge the flood of questions will never stop until I explain my methods: If you still have any misconceptions of trap doors, elevators, and surveillance, I’d advise you to toss them out of your head. You need enough space as it is. There is nowhere in this funhouse that I can’t access at any given time. My targets were just randomized.”

A snap of the fingers silenced Taka just as he opened his mouth. “Don’t interrupt me. There’s no need for the how, I’ve already shown you that I can.”

It dawned on them at that point: Where did she come from?

“The Final Dead Room was a distraction - a conveniently placed garbage disposal room at best. I didn’t think any of you could break into it, much less spend so long arguing around its use. It was almost funny. No, it was fun. Fufu.” She carried on this awfully one-sided conversation. “Watching you toil your minds just to even sniff at the trail Sayaka left behind was…invigorating. Even if you lot were going about it all wrong, you still almost found me out.”

“You intentionally left the ‘dying message’ alone then?” Byakuya asked.

“Not entirely. The diary was a bit too much of a hint, so I poisoned the well. Creating a fake crime scene had you all doubting its legitimacy.”

“Er, dunno why you’re looking down on us when still figured it out and caught you!” Yasuhiro pointed.

Stop talking, Hagakure.”

“You didn’t answer Chihiro’s question. What is your goal here?” Kiyotaka questioned.

“I’m searching for perfection.”

“Look no further because here I am.” Byakuya added.

Kuro didn’t even inch in his direction. “I want to become a detective who can solve the ultimate crime, a more perfect one than you are. Definitely more than the husk that you are right now without me.”

Kyoko reached up a hand to her chest.

Kuro made a displeased frown. “But perfection mixed with ignorance is just pitiful. A perfect crime can only exist when the inner workings are controlled from top to bottom.” In other words, a crime can’t be resolved when the culprit and the detective are one and the same. “Watching the rest of you made for good data…at first. I didn’t expect someone to catch onto me. After that, you became subjects of interest. Honestly, the chase was exhilarating…right until the end.”

“I have only one question for you.” Sakura drew closer to the doppelganger. “Where is Aoi?”

Kuro glanced at Sakura. Her mouth zipped tightly, while that cold condescending gaze spoke volumes ‘You should already know this.’ – was Makoto’s takeaway. The luckster traded glances with Mukuro, who glared coldly at Kuro.

He balled his hands into fists.

The trail of blood in the Final Dead Room was the answer. Sakura hadn’t seen it, but Makoto and Mukuro had.

The Final Dead Room was a distraction - a garbage disposal room at best.

This woman…callously threw the bodies out of the building!

As if Kuro read his mind (Could she?), she smiled at him. “Good boy.” Humiliatingly, she ruffled his hair like she would a trained pet. That had been the last straw. Sakura struck. The mass of bulking muscle came hard and fast.

Equally as fast, a gun found its way to Kuro’s hand and aimed at Sakura. Matching that same tempo, it was shot out of her hand before she could blink.

The smoke left the barrel of Mukuro’s gun and nothing stood between Sakura’s assault and the mastermind.

“Tsk. There’s just too many of you.”

Yet, the martial artist’s trained fists only hit the air.

Makoto, Mukuro, Sakura, and all but a single viewer gaped as Kuro sunk into the floor and resurfaced by the exit.

“That can’t be!” Taka rubbed his eyes. “I’m sure I’ve had my standard 8 hours rest!”

“She just…crawled out of the shadows.” Kyoko covered her mouth.

“Neat trick. Wish I had it.” Syo bit her fingernails.

“Catch me if you can.” Kuro slipped through the doors into Strawberry Hall.

Having the most experience dealing with despair, Makoto was the first to recover. “We have to go after her!”

“We do?” Mondo squinted.

“I’d advise it. Just think of what would happen if she were let loose on the island. Are you confident that you could sleep a wink for the coming days?” Byakuya lifted his brow.

“What are we waiting for?!”

“On it.” Syo’s scissors ripped through the strawberry tower door.

In just a few short minutes, Makoto would wish they'd never left.


The chains barring the exit to the funhouse were broken on their way over. The group felt sunlight bathe their skin and fresh air fill their nostrils for the first time in days. That small cause for celebration was short-lived.

Makoto had been prepared for just about anything on the outside, even dying without knowing the cause. It wasn’t like the blackened to turn tail and run. Not this one, with the arrogance it displayed earlier.  

And he still wasn’t ready for what was to come.

“Haha…This is all a bad dream. I must’ve passed out from hunger.” Hiro laughed weakly. While not outwardly, similar sentiments were shared among most.

The easy come/easy go Genocider was the least affected by the bizarre threat “Hate to break it you, but I’m wide awake and that’s a tank, Kyahahaha!”

It sounded no less real from the crazed maniac, but their eyes couldn’t deceive them. Waiting just outside the funhouse was an armored car, more unorthodox than any Makoto had ever seen. The fifth island had a fair number of planes, tanks, and other dangerous weapons they were barred from using. But he was certain none of them would be wrapped in black mist. Kuro sat atop the vehicle. “Get on your knees, submit, and I won’t fire. Resist and I’d say just about all of you will die from the first shot.”

Syo dropped her scissors on the spot.

Yasuhiro, Leon, and Chihiro kneeled. Mondo and Kiyotaka begrudging followed.

For their own reasons, Kyoko, Mukuro, Makoto, Byakuya, and Syo remained standing.

“A Togami does not kneel.”

“If my White Knight’s staying on his feet, so will I.” Syo cheerily clasped her empty hands.

“What they said!” Ryoko pumped her fist.

“Get ready to run, sis.” Mukuro gripped her gun.

Kyoko stepped forward. “I’m an only child so who are you?”

Kuro gazed down from on high. Her passive expression mirrored Kyoko’s natural outlook. The very famed stoicism Kyoko had failed to live up to since Makoto awoke. “You only need to look down to find the answer.” Taking one’s eyes off that barrel was a death wish for the common man. Still, Kyoko did it. On the ground she found nothing. Not even a shadow of herself.

Her eyes widened. “My shadow’s gone?”

Detecting the panic in her voice, the others came to the same realization. Underneath the sun’s rays, the space under the girl’s legs was barren.

(What Makoto saw was much more horrifying. A massive shadow just behind the tank.)

Kyoko’s head flung upwards, back to Kuro.

“I’ll be the one to make our dreams come true.” Kuro’s voice was softer than the sharp note she’d displayed thus far. “Now run along while I finish up here.”

“Get ready to move.” Mukuro whispered for all nearby that could hear. She had intended for them to spread out in time. The ones already on the ground may not have made it, but the rest should have had enough time to encircle the tank. The logic Mukuro operated under was broken when Byakuya strutted past her, in front of the line of fire.

“I don’t think you’ll beg for mercy. Did you want to be the first?” Kuro mocked.

“Just mulling over the details. You’ve made this a very interesting game so far.”

“He’s doing it again. Someone stop him.” Hiro cried.

“The games are done. Or are you the type who doesn’t know when to stop playing?”

“Truthfully, I’m more a fan of the literary arts. You as well, given that spiel you went on about detectives and culprits. Although, I’d call you a tad off-the-mark. Ignorant even.”

“…What are you doing?” Kuro’s eyes narrowed.

“A detective turned killer makes a perfect crime. Interesting theory, however cheap it is, but it didn’t truly apply here. That infallibility only existed when there was only one of each, but do you know what happens if there are two detectives or even two culprits? It’s superfluous. A detective cannot be wrong in their overall deductions and a murderer cannot mistake their kill. Therefore, if either one was to get it wrong, they were given false roles from the onset.”

“And I’m that false detective?” Kuro’s raised her hand for the signal.

“Oh, you have much bigger problems to deal with than that. Here's hoping you rise to the challenge.” Byakuya’s fingers snapped faster. 

Makoto had muted the exchange between Byakuya and the blackened, frozen stiff at the reminder that a particular despair lurked in every corner.

Finally, the owner of that shadow flickered into existence - a shocking testament to the camouflage that it remained undetected this long. Even the blackened had to take her eyes off the prize to marvel at the beast.

It was a sight that Makoto had tried to forget from day 1. Of all his past experiences, it had been the worst and a terror that put Junko to shame.

From the way it towered over the trees to its chimera body...it was just as he'd remembered.

The jagged horn was a distraction from the dog face and blood-red eyes; traits no less menacing in that mechanical body. The top half was plated silver, with a glowing core at its center. Those claws were empty now, but they'd once been paint coated with the blood his friends. (His had likely mixed in at some point) The black, worm-like bottom took on a skeletal quality. Like a horrifying mimicry of a centipede, it was long enough to circle them thrice over and shred the tank with the many blade-sharp pincers attached to it. 

Strangest of all were the 2 sets of wing parts that grew from the Frankenstein machine's back. One pair of those metal horns extended over its shoulders and curved at the back. The other protruded from its sides. He couldn't iimagine they could be used for flight, assuming a creature as big as the monobeasts could fly in reality. Jabberwock was real and Makoto would never forget that, even as the scars long vanished from his body.

"You're out of chances." Overtaken by fear, he’d barely made sense of the scion’s address.

“The game is over. It's my turn now."

What happened next was like a dream. A deafening roar, a crushed tank, a scorched body, and screaming.

Next Makoto blinked, he understood his place in it all, a a short distance from the flames and lifted in the air. He wearily looked to his savior, who'd swiftly carried him away.

"Get it together, Makoto. We're in trouble." said the Ultimate Soldier.

Notes:

Slightly early release. I might get another one out by the end of the year, but no promises.

Several plot threads and developments have diverged from my original script, but this last scene with Makoto, Byakuya, and Jabberwock being revealed here was one of the very first ideas I had in mind, and a lot of what I've set up in the beginning is coming to a head here. In fact, it's going to contain elements and themes of the previous three arcs.

Kyoko is still technically the blackened, but I never said the blackened was going to be the primary antagonist this time. That's why I gave up her identity her early on.

Chapter 41: Ombra/Shade

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Some of class 78 were relieved by the sight of the burning tank. Others sensed the danger in the lack of discrimination.

Makoto and Kyoko had both been near the blast. Mukuro had only been close enough to get to the former in time.

Run – was the only one on their collective minds when those sharp claws made another round. 

“Got her, Master!” Syo chirped amidst the tragedy, dragging the unconscious Ryoko and Yasuhiro over to Byakuya's side.

“Good work.” Byakuya’s gaze shifted to the stragglers. “Only seven left. I can’t expect too much resistance.”

“What did you mean by ‘I’m out of chances’?” Makoto asked, standing.

Byakuya removed his glasses, tucking them into his pocket. His fingers swiped at his eyes and the contacts came off. “It means that I’m done playing Enoshima’s game.”

The red eyes were a signal, but it was Junko’s name that set the luckster off. No sooner after reaching for his gun, another shot went off. The bullet struck home…and harmlessly fell to the ground.

Many watched, mystified as the scion merely dusted off his clothes. He spared a glance at Mukuro. “Nice trick. I take it you stole one of the weapons in the Final Dead Room, Ikusaba?”

“Give Ryoko back.” Mukuro warned, holding onto her firearm.

“You won’t live to concern yourself with her. Jabberwock-"Byakuya staggered. Sakura’s fist had stuck hard and forced the heir back. Not as hard as one would have expected from the difference in physique but more than the bullet had.

“Back off my white knight, ogre.” Syo threatened.

“Do not leave your position. Do I make myself clear?” Byakuya commanded. His glare silenced the murderous fiend.

 He wiped the blood from his lip and restrained his expression. “Quick on the uptake.”

“What is that monster, Togami?” Sakura asked.

“Ask him yourself. Jabberwock, get them.”

 “Alter ego: Engage Emergency Shutdown!” Chihiro shouted at the same time. The monster's movements came to a halt.

“It stopped.” Mondo said.

“For now.” Byakuya cast a menacing glare at the programmer. The break must have been even shorter than he anticipated. Jabberwock’s eyes flickered back on.

“Run, everyone!” Chihiro warned. The final word had been on their minds from the beginning. One by one, they ran as fast as their feet could carry them.

Sakura stayed a while longer.

“You’d best be prepared to explain yourselves, and for the consequences.” 

“I’ll be waiting.” Byakuya replied.


Adrenaline pushes them from the fourth island back to the Mirai hotel.

Jabberwock was being controlled by Byakuya and Chihiro - Makoto affirms while lowering his suspicions of the latter. Chihiro’s the only reason they made it out of there alive. Kyoko was the blackened and…she’s gone. That’s for sure.

Normally, he wouldn't bother "continuing" after getting rid of the blackened, but Byakuya was a gnawing enigma, and he wasn't talking about the monster guard dog.

“We’re there.” Mondo spoke between labored breaths.

“Y-You can put me down.” Chihiro said, more out of concern for the biker than his dignity. Mondo sets the programmer down.

“There’s only seven of us?” Kiyotaka’s in disbelief of the situation. Excluding himself, the once lively group has been reduced to Leon, Mondo, Chihiro, Makoto, Mukuro, and Sakura.

“Crazy bitch and Judas took Ryoko and Hiro.” Mondo said. “What do we do?”

"We should rest inside the hotel to calm our nerves. I fear we’ll be sitting ducks in our cottages.” Sakura’s suggestion goes unchallenged.

Makoto looks to the rising smoke still far out in the distance before joining the others. 

However, rest was the last thing awaiting them in the hotel.

“5 minutes and 39 seconds is earlier than expected. I suppose it goes to show how difficult it is to quantify the benefits of survival instinct, even for me.” Kyoko sat cross-legged, waiting for them in the middle of the room. Only it wasn’t Kyoko. Their reliable friend would have been on high alert, racking her brain over ways to salvage the situation. She was gone now.

Unfortunately, her evil twin hadn’t followed. Instead, she’d occupied herself by raiding the hotel for cup noodles.

“You fucking kidding me!?” Mondo shouts. “We saw you get blown up!”

“I would think my being here would be proof that your observations were mistaken.” She slurps a wad of noodles. “You saw Kyoko die, which I can confirm –  I wouldn’t think of coming closer If I were you.” With a raised hand, a gun formed from the shadows, the barrel pointed at Sakura.

“You’ll regret what you’ve done to my friends.” Sakura may have paused her advance, but stopping altogether was another story.

“You’re stupid if you think the situation’s improved for you.” Mukuro was prepared with her own weapon. Just like last time, the fake was outgunned.

“You have no idea how right you are.” Kuro continues. “But no really, don’t take another step.” She flips her gun in hand and haphazardly tosses it into the air. Everyone moved out of the way of its trajectory. Their concerns were replaced by confusion when the metal is bisected in the air. Cut into tiny pieces. 

The fragments melt into the ground in a black mist.

“Wires.” Kuro started. “I set them all around me, so I don’t advise getting any closer.”

“That’s what you used to kill Hifumi, isn’t it!?” Kiyotaka roared.

“No.” Kuro refuted the allegation. “Wires this fine would have sliced clean through. Those were of lesser quality.” A distinction that had a difference only in the psychopath’s mind. “I can make just about any tool of murder. Anything you can imagine.” She sets the food on the table. “But that monster stretches the boundaries of imagination, don’t you think?”

 “You’re trying to bargain, aren’t you?” Mukuro asserts, putting her gun down. “I can’t think of another reason for you to show up nonchalantly like this after Togami made it clear that he’s not on your side.”

Kuro swiped the front of her hair. “Yes, that’s certainly a problem.”

“Like we can trust you. You’d just stab us in the back at the first chance.” Mondo said.

“Would you prefer I stab you in the front right now?” 

Mondo flinched when he saw a knife weaved into reality, resting between the fake’s digits. “We can dance around my intentions all day but I’d rather we discuss the facts. The facts of our impending demise if we don’t team up.”

“So you’re scared ?” Leon scoffed.

“I don’t get emotional.” Kuro corrected. “Togami said he’s a better killer than me. That’s a challenge I can’t let pass me by. So let’s see if he can kill you all where I failed.”

Kiyotaka was slack jawed. “You want us to fight that monster just to sate your ego?”

“Moreso my curiosity, but yes. Call it strange but it’s very important to me” Kuro finally put the bowl of noodles down. “Killing is my identity. I’m the culprit...no that’s too mundane.” She searches for a personally palatable explanation. “I’m the mastermind whose revealed at the end of the story and the one responsible for the murders .”

 “Like Hina?” Sakura growled.

“Like Hina.” Kuro proudly boasted, not fearing the tension in the martial artist’s muscles. “I doubt you’ll appreciate my sincerity, but I have a responsibility to this little story. If Togami thinks he can take my place, I have to make sure he’s up to the task, or punish him severely.”

“She’s missing way too many screws. This ain't some detective book.” Mondo said, alarmed. 

“We’re not going to listen to her, are we?” Chihiro looked between his classmates…and for the invisible threads.

“Seems like she’s being honest enough though.” Mukuro suggested.

Sakura turned to the soldier. “Are you considering this?”

“I wouldn’t if she was some loose cannon, but I’ve met people like her before, and Taka nailed it. Common sense doesn’t apply to those who think with their egos. That makes them predictable.” 

“You mean she’s like Syo?” Makoto asked.

“Right." Mukuro scowled at the thought of the serial killer who got away with her sister.

“I don’t know how I feel about being compared to that hack, but good to hear you’re coming around.” Kuro said. “Otherwise, I might as well make you regret your stupidity. I’ve got a 100% chance of victory after all.”

The threat put everyone on edge, save Mukuro and Makoto. “Big talk for someone who ran away.”

“Good catch. If you didn’t see through a bluff that’s provably false, then Togami would have already won.” Kuro smirked. “My odds of killing you all are closer to 14%.”

“Pretty low.” Mukuro noted.

“It’s the best I can do with 7 of you in the room.”

Mondo caught onto the strange girl’s meaning. “I ain’t great at math, but I’m pretty fukin’ sure fights ain’t that clean or easy.” 

“It is in my case.” Kuro waves her hand. The black mist trails a path. First a gun, then a knife, then a long javelin. In the blink of an eye, she launched the projectile straight at Kiyotaka. None of the students reacted fast enough to warn him as the instrument of death crept closer… then veered off target, smashing into the wall behind him.

It was a shocking sight for any who caught the abnormal trajectory the javelin took. Like its path had been forcefully altered in mid-flight.

Kuro shrugged. “Seeing is better than believing, as they say. My success rate drops by half for each of you and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s against the rules for the mastermind to kill in front of the cast.”

Makoto looked at the scene pensively, from the javelin to Kiyotaka, to the rest of his classmates, to the blackened. If his deductions were accurate, Kuro could kill any one of them, assuming they were alone. But with them together like this, she was almost harmless. Less effective than any of the other blackened so far. “You’re giving away some dangerous info.”

Kiyotaka sighed with relief and fell on his backside.

“It’s easier to have trust between equals, no? I doubt you’d take my offer if you were scared of the mastermind having every advantage.”

“You’re not the mastermind. You’re just Enoshima’s puppet.” Makoto declared. For the first time, Kuro made an expression that could be likened to a grimace. 

“How much do you know?”

“Not enough, and you’ll tell me everything you know or there’s no deal.” Makoto said.

“Fine.” Her nonchalance reply took him off-guard. “What’s with that look? It’s not like I’m under obligation to keep secrets for someone I only met once.”

“You…saw her?” 

“In the flesh.” Taka said the same thing, but Chisa told me that Junko couldn’t appear. What’s going on? “It was weeks ago on the island, on a rainy night-”

“Stop Stop. You're moving too fast.” Kiyotaka’s voice boomed. “Just who is this Enoshima that everyone keeps mentioning? And did you say weeks?! You’ve been scheming against us that long?”

“All of that would be apparent if you didn’t interrupt me.” Kuro clicked her tongue. “As I was saying, it was raining that night when she broke into my room. I don’t know how when the door was locked, but that’s not much to be surprised about now. Besides calling herself a witch, she didn’t say much else beyond giving me the answers I was looking for: She explained what I was and what I wanted. Although,” Kuro smirked. “she was blatantly manipulating me into taking part in this killing game. Once I knew what I needed to do, I took my powers out for a test run. On her.”

“You attacked Enoshima?” Is that possible? 

“As I said, I don’t have any obligation to her.”

“She created you.” Makoto said.

“Did she?” Kuro tilts her head. 

“Huh?” Makoto blanked.

“That’s my line. I became self-aware as Kyoko’s shadow not long after we came to the island. I met Enoshima after that.” Kuro placed a finger below her chin, just as he’d seen Kyoko do so many times in her ruminations. “Admittedly, something about her words was difficult to resist, and she knew more about me than I knew about myself, but that’s only more reason to distrust her. Our connection isn’t as strong as you might think.”

She’s nothing like the other blackened Makoto had met. Sakura, Leon, Taka, Chihiro? None of them gave off this much self-awareness or freedom. 

“Maybe we should let her help?” Leon’s suggestion was answered with trepidation. “Come on, even I can tell this chick is bad news but have you seen what we’re up against? Not only has Togami gone loopy, but now there’s another crazy bitch out there on top of that!”

“She is one of those threats, with a higher body count than the others. If we defeat Togami, she will betray us.” Sakura’s logic was iron-clad. One Kuro herself didn’t try to refute.

“Why not put it to a vote?” Kiyotaka proposed. “This matter deserves a say from all of us. Raise your hand and explain your reasoning.”

“I will never side with this monster.” Sakura’s stance held no ambiguities.

“I-I already went.” Leon flinched from Sakura’s immediate glare. “Chill, girl. It’s not like I ain’t pissed about what she’s done, but every team’s got at least one asshole. Just happens that you need ‘em to win sometimes.”

“I agree with Leon.” Mukuro raised her hand next. “Togami’s the bigger threat right now, and she’s our best bet at neutralizing that monster.”

“There might be another way.” Chihiro boldly disagreed.

“How?” Kiyotaka asked.

Chihiro cast Kuro a frightened glance 

“We can talk about it later. So long as we’re not allied yet, we don’t have to talk about our options in front of a potential enemy.” Mukuro interjects.

“In that case, I agree with Sakura and Chihiro.” Kiyotaka folded his arms, fixing Kuro a hard stare. “I can’t place any faith in a villain.”

Mondo thought his answer over longer than the rest. “Leon’s got a point.”

“Bro!” “I do?”

“I don’t like it, but even loose cannons can be useful if you put them to work. On the other hand, letting them prowl on your turf without a leash means you’re asking for a fight.” Mondo continued. “That means IF we tell this chick to take a hike, we also need to off her right here and now before she becomes a bigger problem.“

“Think you’re up to the task?” Kuro antagonized the group.

“We’ll have to see.” Mukuro faced Makoto. “You’re the tie-breaker.”

He didn’t need to think very hard. “I don’t like you.”

“That’s your reasoning then? I’m disappointed.” Kuro's face fell.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have tried to kill Taka 3 seconds ago.”

“Didn’t she say he’d be fine though?” Leon scratched his hair.

“If she explained her powers right, there was ‘only’ a high chance that the spear would miss. Meaning that it could have hit Taka.”

The moral compass turned pale. “You fiend!”

What happened once negotiations broke down was a reenactment of their last confrontation. The blackened sunk into the shadow beneath the floor and was gone without a trace.

“Fuck. She got away!” Mondo yelled.

“Nobody move.” Mukuro took out a knife and tossed it in front. The blade spun slowly until it hit the other side. “No obstruction. I think the wires are gone.”

“So is the spear thingy.” Leon looked over to where the javelin had once impaled the wall. There’s only a crack left.

“Coward.” Sakura spat.

“Chihiro said he had an idea, but do you think Kyoko’s evil twin is gone-gone? She could still be listening somewhere close and we’d never know it.” Leon said.

“That was always pointless to worry about. Since we won’t work with her, we’ll have to work around her. No matter what, she won’t do anything until we deal with Togami...and any information Chihiro has is useless against us.” Makoto deduced.

Leon blinked. “Uh…you always been this smart, little dude? You’re sounding like Kyoko right now.”

“Just on edge, is all. We’ve got to try our best right now.” Makoto replied. “So what have you got for us, Chihiro?”

Chihiro walked towards the window, pointing far out to the smoke. “See that? It’s Jabberwock’s exhaust.”

“Makes sense a machine turns up serious heat.” Mondo said.

Chihiro nods. “Jabberwock isn’t as scary as it looks. It’s still a machine. A prototype really.”

“Why were you even messing around with something like that?” Leon shivers.

“It’s the academy’s project. I didn’t design or even build it. The school was interested in my artificial intelligence research and wanted to apply it to Jabberwock. You know, to get it to start.”

“So it can act on its own?” Mukuro cocked her head to the side. Technology wasn’t her field of expertise.

“Just a bit. Jabberwock still needs to be coded and take commands for complex tasks. The only ones who can do that are me and the Togamis.”

Kiyotaka scrunched his face. “Why plural?”

“The project director is Togami’s sister. Our Togami was given access as my supervisor on this trip.”

“This is sounding shadier by the minute.” Leon shook his head.

That’s at least three who can use that monster. “Is that how you were able to shut it down?”

“Yes. I can activate its emergency shutdown once every 3 hours. It takes a few minutes for alter ego to reboot after that.” Chihiro explained.

“So that’s how we’re gonna beat it huh? Turn it off and then wail on it.” Mondo pumped his fist together, earning many strange looks.

“Are you stupid?” Leon squinted.

“That’s not going to work. Shinobu - that’s Togami’s sister - said Jabberwock’s hull had been tested to withstand bullets and small explosives. You’d need something like a tank shell to penetrate it.” 

“You helped build a war machine?” Leon gaped.

“The prototype’s not meant to be used that way.”

Makoto didn’t like the sound of that. “Are there others?”

Chihiro lowered his head. “There might be. Shinobu said there could be some organizations who want to militarize the design, but it’s not feasible, I hear.”

“Too big. Inefficient. Would be hard to use and cause uncontrollable destruction. Not to speak of PR.” Mukuro ran down a list of inconveniences that none but her understood.

“I guess? Either way, it isn’t tuned for battle. That’s why this Jabberwock is specifically codenamed Project J - CT.”

“I believe we can assume what the J is for. What about CT?” Kiyotaka inquired.

“Abbreviation for ‘Carrier-Type’. The finished product is a vessel that’s supposed to be able to transport through the air and move under the ocean.”

Leon eyed Sakura. “...Sure we should have refused that chick?” 

“Crystal clear.” Sakura answered, then faced Chihiro "You seemed certain that we had a chance. Is there more we don’t know?”

“Well like I said, Jabberwock is still in its early stages of development. Currently, it’s solar-powered-”

Mondo interrupted with a loud snort. “Come the fuck on. I don’t know much about tech but even I know that solar energy can’t make that thing move.”

“You’re right that it shouldn’t…but it does. Honest, its design doesn’t make sense to me but it still works.” Chihiro fiddled with his fingers, dissatisfied with his explanation. “I’d always wanted to ask how the creator did it, but…he died apparently.”

Mondo scratched his head. “Okay, so we wait until nightfall to hit it?”

“That’s right. Jabberwock expends a lot of energy and also overheats quickly after becoming active. All we can do is try to outlast Jabberwock or make it to Togami.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard. Between all of us, we kick his and his groupie’s asses.” Leon smiled at the good news.

“One problem.” Mukuro was set to rain on his parade. “Everything Chihiro knows, Togami probably does.” She looked to the programmer for confirmation.

“Unfortunately.”

“That means we can expect Togami knows that we know about this weakness. He’ll most likely prepare for us.” Mukuro said.

“He might even be on a separate island from Jabberwock. Until we know where he is, charging in is suicide.” Makoto murmured.

“No. He’ll be where we left him. Togami’s pride won’t let him run or hide.” Sakura wasn’t one for baseless confidence. 

“Sounds like we have a plan,” Kiyotaka said. “Honestly, things are more hopeful than I believed. I meant it when I say that I’m inspired to have such talented classmates! Even you, Leon.”

“Was that necessary?” The redhead clicked his tongue.


It’d been a rough couple of days or good ol’ Hiro. A fancy, relaxing vacation turned into a Saw flick way too fast, damn it. “Knew it was too good to be true.” He mumbles. That scissor-spinning psycho did a number on his neck. One second, he’s in front of a monster, the next, he wakes up in the middle of Odin knows where.

Oh well, at least he’s alive. Staying pessimistic never helped anybody. “Say, Ryoko. Got any ideas?” He whispered to his classmate, who’d woke up about a few minutes ago. Syo must have hit her a lot harder than him because she looks totally out of it. Heck, she’s still swaying. “Earth to Ryoko.”

“Shut uuuup.” She groaned. “My head. Was I hit by a hammer?”

“Pfft. Even a hammer’s got more grace than Syo.”

“I can hear you.” Their red-eyed bodyguard said, her back against one of many pillars. It hadn’t looked like she was paying attention until the reply.

“Sorry for interrupting you. We’ll be quieter just sitting around being held captive over here!” He struggled against the ropes binding his arms. Who does she think she is? Hiro knew Toko was nuts, but this was going too far- no wait, was it? Like, she was a pretty prolific killer.

They were crazy for trusting her. 

“Where are we?” asked the drowsy redhead beside him.

“Just asked that.” Yasuhiro frowned and scanned the room. It was dark and expansive. Hiro couldn’t see any further than a few feet away from him. And even that was only thanks to the eerie green light coming from the pods surrounding them. Wires ran from all 16 capsules and met in the middle.

Hiro didn’t remember anything this sci-fi being on the brochure…then again, nobody mentioned the giant mechanical monster either. ‘Seriously, where’d Toges find that thing?’

Not like the blond douche would answer. He was off in the world of whatever book he was reading. He sat on one of the chairs he made Syo bring for him earlier.

 It’s gotta be raining real bad, cuz she came back like a soaked seaweed. Serves her right. He hopes she comes down with the worst flu in the morning… Scratch that, he and Ryoko were a little wet themselves. They must’ve been caught up in it while knocked out.

“Master Byakuya.” Syo spoke up in a soft voice. Weirdly unlike her. “What are we going to do with them?”

The only sound coming from the guy was the flip of a page.

“With us?” Hiro interjected. “What’re you two doing, period? Like none of this makes sense even to an idiot like me!”

The book slapped close. Red, vampiric eyes stared their way. “Are those really the most pertinent matters that come to your attention?"

“What else-”

“It’s a rhetorical question.” Byakuya sneered and got off his high horse. He approached Syo, extending his hand.

Syo gave him a confused, yet hopeful look. "Are you asking to dance?"

“Your scissors.”

“Oh.” Syo awkwardly pulled out her signature deadly weapon and handed it off to her even deadlier boss. “What are you going to do with it?”

Being a man of action/anti-social hardass, Byakuya walked instead of talking. For once, Hiro had no complaints, cuz those scissors cut through his bonds, no problem (How sharp are those things?!)

Hiro rubbed his sore wrists. “So…you finally came to your senses, old buddy?”

“I’m going to kill everyone on this island.” Guess not!

“Okaaay, so why are you letting me go?” He’s letting me go right?

“I’m giving you a choice. Work for me and I’ll spare your life.”

The confusion meter was breaking through the roof, but this sounded like business. And Hiro was nothing, if not an entrepreneur. 

“I wish to acquire your talents for the Togami corporation. You’ll be paid handsomely, of course.”

“How handsomely?”

“Enough that you’ll never have to extort another foolish soul in your life.”

Cha-ching! See? You just gotta stay optimistic until everything goes up Hiro. “I knew you’d see the light one of these days.” Hiro slung his arm over his ex-captor’s/new bestie’s shoulder. “So what do you need? A fortune?”

Byakuya scowled. “Not at this moment.” He pried Hiro’s arm off. “Right now. All you need to do is stand and be obedient. Do that and you’ll survive. I swear it on the Togami name.”

Damn. When he says that, he usually means it 100%. Guess I’m living. “Cool. What about Ryoko though?”

“Watch her and make sure she doesn’t try anything.” 

“Can do!” Hiro salutes. “But like, I don’t have to hurt her if she does, right?”

“I don’t care or micromanage.” Byakuya went back to his seat and his reading.

“Great.” He wasn’t one for hitting the ladies. Especially not vulnerable ones.

Hiro motioned towards the light source, planting his palms flat on the pods’ surface. He couldn’t see inside the glass. “What are these?”

“None of your concern.” Byakuya replied.

“Cool. But um, can you at least tell me where we are?” He squinted, trying to get a better look at the place. All he could make out were the stone walls, and some…wait, are those spears hanging in the back?

“Ugh. Can I just tell him so he’ll shut up?” Syo asked Byakuya. 

No reply.

Pretty cold. Although, since they were on the same side now, he probably treated Syo and himself the same way. That means, “He doesn’t micromanage, remember?”

Syo blinked his way, then to Byakuya’s, who didn’t even move his head in response to Hiro’s comment. “We’re in…Nezumi castle.” She said slowly. Fearfully. Sure enough, Byakuya doesn’t rip her a new one for it. Not like he could. Hiro’s no betting man, but he’d pick Syo over Byakuya any day of the week. Crazy how she’s the doormat in this relationship. 

“See? He’s one of those laissez-fair bosses.”

“Don’t act like you understand master better than me.” Syo seethed

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Suddenly and awkwardly, she stared at him.

“What?”

“You seem less stupid.”

“Rude much!” He laughed it off. He was no stranger to insults and digs at his intelligence. 

“I wasn’t joking. There's really nothing but air in that head, huh.”

 “Maybe, but at least I’m happy. You don’t get that just by being smart.” Byakuya and Kyoko were damning evidence, but Hiro will keep that to himself unless he wants to earn Crazy’s wrath.

Syo’s stare intensified. 

“No seriously. Is there something on my face?”

“Look in a mirror.”

“Where am I gonna find one?”

“Don’t you carry that stupid crystal ball?”

“Oh yeah.” Hiro reached into his jacket pocket to find his prized possession safe and sound. Good thing too. It cost him a fortune. “Now let’s see.” The green sheen aside, he was looking his usual handsome self…”What the?” He spun the orb around, hoping to see a different image. The reflection is unchanged. “Hey, uh, quick question.”

“Yes.” 

“I haven’t asked anything yet!” 

“The answer is still going to be yes. Unless I’m hallucinating too.”

Well, that settles that. “Maybe there's an illness going around.” He hoped not. Fuck, this is why you never want to wish someone ill. It always bites you back, and any sickness that turns your eyes red has gotta be bad news.


While everyone made plans, Makoto managed to convince Taka to let him slip away for some fresh air. The sun was beginning to set and he needed a moment to collect his thoughts. Makoto wasn’t as knowledgeable as Chihiro, nor as fight-ready as Mondo or even Leon. Certainly, he didn’t have Mukuro’s expertise. 

That made him the expendable one who couldn’t add much to a strategy meeting. Works out in his favor. It gave him the freedom to investigate Kyoko’s lodgings in peace. If Enoshima had been attacked there, there could be a trail left.

One break-in later and he was left with a relatively normal room. Jabberwock was high-class, but the cottages didn’t have much variety. Kyoko’s belongings were all that distinguished this temporary residence from his room. 

Well, there was one more thing.

Makoto sat down on the bed, fingers crossed and eyes falling between his legs. “I know you’re there.” The shadow at his feet expands.

“How’d you know I followed you?” Kuro’s voice emanates all over the room.

“Because I led you here.”

“You have a death wish?”

“No, but you have the information I want. And I want  everything  this time.”

 “Why should I tell you anything after how mean you were?”

Makoto furrows his brow. There was something off about her voice. “Because my deal is still on. Tell me everything and I’ll work with you.”

He notes her silence. Another trait of Kyoko’s, she soaked information like a sponge and thought over her words carefully. “I don’t get it.”

“You’re horrible at negotiation. There’s no chance that Sakura would tolerate you, and most of the others would be on her side. It wasn’t going to work out that way.”

“That way.” Kuro repeats. “So you pretended to reject me to form a secret duo, side-stepping your pesky friends.”

“I meant when I said I hated you. But you’re more useful to me if I have direct access.” Makoto declared.

“Then you wanted me all to yourself? You should have just said so! What do you want to know?”

“First. What happened to Enoshima exactly?” She’d been too vague in her explanations.

“I shot her but the bullet missed.” A black tendril rose from the shadow, pointing to the nearby wall. Makoto spots a crack with nothing inside. “That’s all I remember before I fell asleep. Yeah, asleep. I don’t know how she did it but it felt like I was hypnotized.”

That’s disappointing. “I thought you could kill anyone guaranteed?”

The air grows cold. “There are exceptions. Just like Togami.”

Makoto paused. “You attacked him?”

“It was back at the Funhouse. He discovered me when I killed Sayaka. I thought I’d take him out then and there, but I only hit his suit.”

Did she cause that tear?

“I’m pretty sure I could have killed him if I tried hard enough, but I didn’t want to make too much noise. Besides, he said he’d keep his mouth shut and leave things to me.” A sadistic giggle followed. “Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He said he could do a better job of killing than me. Now we’ll see if he can put his foot where his mouth is.”

Her personality is definitely different. “Togami wasn’t surprised by you?”

“Not even by my abilities. He knew exactly who and what I am. Probably more than I do.”

“...What are you anyway? I know you weren’t telling the whole truth before.”

“That’s my line. The Makoto I know wasn’t as cold or calculating as you.”

He froze. That familiarity would most likely come from Kyoko. So was Kuro a part of her? 

“Seems some parts of you are still an open book. I’m Kyoko’s shadow. I’ve been right beside her from day one up, right until she became a real boring girl. So everything she knows about you, I know too.” The shadow rippled and a figure rose. A girl in a black vest and skirt. Her lilac hair was styled into twin braids.

Makoto creases his forehead. “You’re Kuro?”

“Yep!” She beamed, looking many years younger than a mere 4 hours ago.

“What happened to you?”

She looked at him with innocent eyes. “Kyoko died, that’s what. That means it’s game over for me too.” 

That’s what should have happened all along. It was clear that Kuro was trying to protect Kyoko from harm. 

“Enoshima called me autonomous despair, the only one in our class. I can go wherever and do whatever, but it seems I still needed Kyoko. ”

Seems? “You didn’t know?”

Kuro shook her head. “I didn’t trust Enoshima, remember? I suspected there was a catch, but I couldn’t know until Kyoko died and I started feeling weaker. Chances are I’ll keep getting younger until I go poof.”

“...Serves you right.”

“Yep. It’s what always happens to the culprit so I’ll take it on with pride!”

Was Kyoko this preppy as a child?

“A bit."

Makoto frowned. "I didn't say anything."

"It's written on your face and I can't blame you." She giggles. "My older self was different, right? So am I. When I left Kyoko’s side, I took what I needed with me and dumped what I didn’t want. What I took was her talent and love for mystery.” She chirped with the enthusiasm and energy expected of her age.

Talent was one thing, but love? "You mean you had emotions?”

“Love for mystery.” She repeats. “Kyoko got boring. Always treating our duties like a job and being serious all the time. My older self had to be that way too. But me? I’m allowed to have fun and show it.”

In other words, this is all a game to her. 

Makoto curses himself for being taken in by her childish appearance. “You’re a monster just like the other blackened. And I’ll make you pay for everything you’ve done.”

“You say some silly things, partner.” The monster smiles and her eyes lit up like a candle flame. “Why bother…and what makes you think I’d care about anything you do when I already know I’m going to die?”

Her words were as sobering as a splash of ice water.

Common sense didn’t exist here. Only demons and men without humanity could play this game, much less win it.

“You’re right. It's pointless."

Notes:

A/N:

Been a while. I'd like to thank everyone who's been keeping up with this story and apologize for the delay. Unfortunately, I've been burned out on Danganronpa for a while, hence the hiatus. I still plan to finish this story though since there isn't too much left. I think 15 chapters, give or take. So expect more consistent update!

Lastly, Kuro's teenage form and child self are based on her beta and Kirigiri Sou designs respectively.

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