A light from a miniature lap hanging from the side of a pair of glasses illuminated the piece of paper world‑renowned authoress and Killing Game Survivor Toko Fukawa was writing on with her trusted ball pen. The young woman was working on her newest story, a romantic narrative focusing on a pair of lovers surviving and somewhat thriving in a bunker after the end of the world. Her new publisher, a recently-founded literature company, had expressed their doubts about it being a good idea to set a story in a post‑apocalyptic scenario, given as the world Toko found herself living in barely had managed to find a way past its own post-apocalyptic scenario, a series of anarchistic terror strikes and military action that caused a temporary breakdown of society in the majority of the world: The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History.
Toko actually agreed with their concerns and would probably have changed the setting, had she not faith in the abilities that made her one of the best creative minds in all of Japan and earned her more literature awards than most people have pieces of clothing. She bitterly noted in her thoughts that it is about the only thing she can do properly. However, her train of thought was derailed when she turned her head and noted her best friend Komaru Naegi in her new red pajamas, also being illuminated by artificial lights. Toko was surprised by that. Normally, Komaru would be sleeping by now and be sleeping so deeply that the entire building could blow up and she wouldn't notice. Turning to her best friend, she looked at what she was doing, quickly noticing that she was looking at the notebook she and Toko shared, but mostly went unused except when Toko turned her written chapters into digital versions.
"What are you looking at?" Toko asked, shaking her hand to get rid of the pain that writing with a ball pen for a long time caused.
This inquiry clearly catches Komaru by surprise, as she turns around looking for the source of the noise until her brain had adjusted to the situation, staring at Toko as if she had forgotten the lavender-haired girl was even around. Staring with those eyes, whom Toko secretly and silently admired. It always baffled Toko that a family that otherwise was so blatantly close to the term 'average' like the Naegi family was could have such beautiful eyes. Her brother, Makoto Naegi, commonly known as the Ultimate Hope as well as the headmaster of the rebuilt Hope's Peak Academy, had similar eyes with a slightly different colour. Dismissing the thought, she waited for Komaru's response.
"Well … Makoto just forwarded me this message…," she tried to explain herself.
"I don't even want to know what you perverts send each other," Toko immediately interrupted her, shuddering at the mere implications messages between Komaru and her brother. Her theories on the subject were quite explicit, though both Naegi family members denied multiple times that they might be true.
"It's not like that, stop saying that all the time! Look, this is really important," Komaru explained, gesturing Toko to come closer. Sensing that there's little point in rejecting the idea, Toko crossed the room quickly, sitting down on the bed next to Komaru. The younger woman pointed to the message, preferring to let Toko, who happened to be a rather quick reader as part of her profession, just read through the message for herself.
"HPHFHQ
We have found information regarding Naegi's parents, but we cannot act on it ourselves.
Should you wish to investigate, we will help as much as possible.
For safety, I will only prepare entry documents for members of the Naegi family.
Inform me of any plans of action.
- Agent Democracy"
Toko immediately recognized the author of this message. Ladislav IX, the reigning king of the European country Novoselic, and unofficial member of the Future Foundation. He, under the purposefully‑ironic codename 'Democracy', is part of the organization that has declared the reversal of the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History as their core mission. However, such membership does not exist on paper. Just like Toko Fukawa and Komaru Naegi, he is part of a bureau that officially does not exist: the Future Foundation Special Operations branch – a branch consisting of eight talented people who cannot associate with Future Foundation publicly. This is either for their own protection or because associating with them would throw a bad light on the organization.
Ladislav IX clearly falls in the first category; even after he usurped the former queen Sonia Nevermind, who apparently had their parents assassinated, the propaganda program that denunciated anyone associated with Future Foundation and other forces fighting despair is running deep and therefore, the royal family would risk severe unrest in their war-torn country if a public alliance with Future Foundation is formed.
Now Toko, codename "Talk Show", is very much an example of the latter part. Even though it had been inactive for some while, Toko's split personality still is infamous: the vicious serial killer Genocide Jack. It's what prevented her entry into Future Foundation directly after taking down the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima, despite all other survivors of the School Life of Mutual Killing earning that honor immediately, with the Ultimate Detective Kyoko Kirigiri even being given a leading position right off the bat. About the only thing that made this role acceptable was that Komaru insisted that she can join her best friend in the branch, even though her brother wanted a cushy publicity gig for his sister. After explicitly denying entry into Future Foundation unless it was in the Special Reconnaissance branch, she was given the codename "Betrayal". Toko and Makoto both agreed later that it was hilarious to watch her trying to learn how to pronunciation the English word, something that really took her a long time to do.
"Well, Kyoko and Byakuya both say that this message is a trap and Democracy is compromised somehow," Komaru explained, "but Makoto thinks I should know about it anyway. I just suggested to him that I go instead. I mean, I am "Naegi" after all."
"Are you insane?" she asked, clearly not withholding her displeasure at the idea.
"No! I mean, Yasuhiro even did a free line-reading for us and said we'd meet our parents soon," Komaru justified herself. Toko had to struggle hard to not slap either her own or Komaru's head in frustration. Yasuhiro Hagakure, a self‑proclaimed fortune teller, was a fellow survivor of the School Life of Mutual Killing. As far as Toko was concerned, however, he was little more than a con artist. The fact that a trusting person like Komaru was giving him time of the day is worrying enough; it seemed like she would need to talk a few words to him. Now she was planning something stupid based off his 'prediction'.
"So you will fly to Europe, put yourself at risk, just because that occult divination bastard said something stupid," Toko cynically summarized her point of view on Komaru's plan.
Komaru fiercely turns her head towards her best friend, who was taken aback by the determination in her eyes.
"Makoto and I miss our parents dearly. I know that you don't think about yours that way," she said, "but we loved each other. Unless I am certain that they are dead, I cannot accept that. I know this could be dangerous, but I need to try. For myself and my brother."
"O-okay, okay, I get it. Stop telling me about doing … stuff for your brother," Toko answered. Despite the joking jab, she had accepted her best friend's decision, as much as it displeased her. Her determined stare turned into a friendly smile and she placed a hand on Toko's shoulder, ignoring the shiver that goes through her body. Toko was still uncomfortable with human touch if not initiated by her, but she once told Komaru to not mind that and go ahead with touching her if she wanted to.
"I know you don't want me to go," she comforted her, "but I will be back soon. I promise. And once I am back, we will go that fancy tea house you wanted to visit."
Toko just gave a weak smile at her friend, still unhappy with her leaving soon, but knowing that there was nothing she really could do about it. She looked at Komaru typing and sending a message, before turning off the PC, leaving only a small light. Toko went to bed as well, but it would take her a long time to fall asleep. Little would she know that this was the beginning of an adventure that would change her life forever.
"NSHF
Please prepare everything for my journey.
My personal documents are attached as encrypted image files. As you know, these files will be automatically deleted after 12 hours.
Thank you for your effort.
- Agent Betrayal"