"Tell me again, how did you manage to set all this up in a single night?" Tsumugi asked Himiko.
'All this', that Tsumugi was talking about, was nothing less than a fully functional stage, with curtains, audience seats, a backstage area, a big water tank and a raised tank containing a huge number of piranhas.
"I used my magic." Was Himiko's response "And besides, it's not complete yet."
"Not complete?" Tsumugi ignored the part about magic "What else do you still need to prepare?"
"I need a set of heavy chains and padlocks, I need a machine that can cool down the water, and I need the cooperation of you and Kirumi." Himiko said.
"Well... I don't mind helping," Tsumugi said "and I'm sure Kirumi will also help... But what is the purpose of all those things? What exactly is the magic trick you're trying to do?"
"It's extreme escape water magic." Himiko said seriously "Essentially, I'll drop down into the water, which will have been cooled to temperatures capable of causing hypothermia, the water tank will then be closed and locked with chains and padlock. Ah, and I'll also be restrained so I won't be able to move my arms or legs." She said, in a nonchalant tone.
Tsumugi was already getting concerned, and Himiko's next words didn't ease up her worries at all.
"Obviously, the water tank will not be covered with a curtain, so everyone will be able to see what I'll be doing. If I don't manage to escape after a minute and ten seconds, piranhas will drop down from the raised tank and eat me." Somehow, even that was delivered in a nonchalant tone "The part you and Kirumi will play in the trick is simple. You'll come backstage to deliver me a replacement for my show clothes, and Kirumi will check them over and keep watch over me to make sure I don't slip something inside while I'm putting them on to make my escape without magic."
"That sounds pretty... extreme." Tsumugi managed to say.
"It's extreme escape water magic." Himiko said "It's supposed to be extreme."
"Aren't you afraid of dying, though?" Tsumugi asked.
"No." Himiko said firmly "With all those Ultimates in attendance, I won't die even if I fail." She hesitated for a moment "However, I am afraid of failing to perform the magic. I have never done it before, and it would be bad if my first magic show while inside of here ended in failure."
Despite Himiko's blank face, Tsumugi could tell that this was really something that was worrying her. So, the Cosplayer decided to reassure the girl:
"It's okay. You're the Ultimate Mage, aren't you?" Tsumugi said "You can do this."
"You're right." Himiko nodded slowly "I can do this. I will bring smiles to everyone." She looked at Tsumugi "Does that mean you will help me?"
"I'll have the chance to put you in a cute witch cosplay, so how could I refuse?" Tsumugi grinned at her.
"Ahh... Perhaps I may have miscalculated a bit." Himiko said, warily.
-0-
One of the most important aspects of the reality show "Death Road of Despair and Hope", was the fact that instead of simply acting freely, or having a rigid schedule, the show allowed the Ultimates to set up their own events, with any plans that they made being helped out by the producers of the show through Monokuma, in exchange for making it easier for their results to be filmed.
As such, Himiko's magic show got ready to be done in a very short amount of time, and every student received "invitations" to be at the viewing area at around 9:00 PM. Since it would be a night, lights had been set up above the stage and viewing area.
The Ultimates started trickling in around 8:30 PM, starting with Tenko and Kokichi, who got seats at the middle of the first row, clearly excited. And the others weren't too far behind. The last two to arrive were Kaede and Shuuichi, who sat at the last row.
There were fourteen Ultimates seated at the audience, while Tsumugi and Himiko were waiting in the backstage area.
"It's almost time to start." Tsumugi said "How are you feeling?"
"I-I-I-I'm o-okay. I ca-can do th-this." Himiko said, trembling.
"But... You're trembling in fear..." Tsumugi noted.
"N-no... Th-this isn't fe-fear... I-I am trembling with excitement!" Himiko spoke with determination.
"Really? Because it really seems like trembling with fear to me." Tsumugi said.
"J-just go out there and start th-things off, okay?" Himiko was impatient.
"Okay..." Tsumugi said, and walked to the stage.
She was actually wearing a semi-cosplay, with clothes similar to Rio, from the eponymous anime. It wasn't a particularly well-known anime, to the point where she would be surprised if any of the Ultimates had heard of it, but some of the viewers of the show definitely would, and the clothes were pretty suited for the occasion, specially since her version of them was less skimpy and more elegant.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" She started to announce, her voice being heard quite easily due to a lack of distracting noise "It is time for an opportunity that doesn't come easily... You guys are going to be receiving a private magic show from the Ultimate Mage, Himiko Yumeno!"
Kokichi and Tenko cheered. The other students did the same thing, except less loudly. And hearing her cue, Himiko stepped forward into the stage as well. She was wearing her usual clothes, since she was going to change right before the trick anyway.
"Tonight, you are going to see the Extreme Escape Water Magic!" She spoke in a grand tone, though her low voice showed that she wasn't completely confident "I'll let my assistant explain how it works."
Tsumugi took back the word "You can see here this water tank, which will be the main focus of the magic. Any member of the audience who wants to can come check the water tank to see that there are no tricks on it. The water has also been cooled down to 0° Celsius, and you can check that for yourselves as well."
A few of the Ultimates, like Shuuichi and Kaito, got up on the stage and looked around, searching for anything strange and checking the temperature. Needless to say, they didn't find anything that looked like a trick of any kind.
And when the members of the audience were back on their seats, Tsumugi started speaking again:
"Also, in order to make sure that Himiko is unable to hide anything on her clothes in order to escape, we would like to request Kirumi's cooperation."
The Ultimate Maid got up, alert.
"What is your request?" She asked.
"I have here a set of clothing for Himiko to use during the trick." Tsumugi produced the clothes "We would like for you to come backstage to check the clothes and make sure there's nothing in them, and also keep watch over Himiko as he is getting dressed to make sure she doesn't put anything on them."
"Understood. I will do my best." Kirumi said.
-0-
It didn't take long. Kirumi got backstage very quickly, and her efficiency made the whole process go smoothly, then the trio went back to the stage, and everyone could see Himiko's new clothes.
It wasn't hard to recognize where they had come from. Himiko was dressed in the school uniform of the characters from Little Witch Academia. The robe with a short skirt and long sleeves, the red belt, the boots and pointy hat... Everything was there.
Tenko loudly commented about how cute Himiko looked, and Kokichi gave a thumbs up. The other Ultimates reacted in more subtle ways, but they all approved of the choice. It really fit the Ultimate Magician, and was a small show of the talent of the Ultimate Cosplayer.
"But that's not all that we needed Kirumi's help for, either." Tsumugi said to the audience "We will also need her help in order to properly restrain Himiko."
Tsumugi opened a box that was on stage and took out of it a set of ropes and chains.
"Please, check those to make sure they have no tricks and restrain Himiko as best as you can." She told Kirumi.
And just as expected, the Ultimate Maid showed exceptional skill even for such a thing, quickly checking the restraints and then tying up Himiko in a very professional way, making sure she wouldn't even be able to stand.
Himiko was put on top of the opening of the water tank, which had already been closed. That way, she would fall into the water as soon as it was opened again.
"Thank you for the help, Kirumi." Tsumugi said.
"It was my pleasure to serve." Kirumi said.
The Maid went back to her place on the audience, and Tsumugi returned to her presentation:
"But even that is not all!" She declared to the audience "After Himiko has entered the tank, it will be closed and locked." She stopped for effect "And there is also another thing to note.
"The top part of this tank is not completely air tight. In fact, it has a lot of gaps." Tsumugi said "Those gaps are far too small to allow Himiko to leave by them, but they are big enough to allow certain things to get in." She pointed towards the piranha tank "Like those piranhas. They are small, but don't let that fool you, they are more than vicious enough to eat Himiko alive in seconds."
She stopped for effect, then continued "If Himiko has not escaped from the tank after one minute and fifteen seconds, this tank will open, and the piranhas will fall down into Himiko's tank. That would be a bad thing."
Tsumugi then waved her arm in Himiko's direction "Now that everything is explained, it's time for our Himiko to show us how powerful her magic is. We're going in three... two... one... Go!" She shouted, and Himiko was dropped into the water.
A timer lit up at the back of the stage, starting at 1:15 and going down.
The audience held their breath along with Himiko, as they saw her dropping to the bottom of the tank, dragged by her chains. The water was clear and Himiko was very visible, letting everyone see that she didn't seem hurried at all.
In fact, Himiko seemed positively relaxed, slowly turning to put herself upright. She looked at the audience meaningfully, as if saying "are you seeing this? Prepare to be amazed" and then she started her show.
Her arm seemed to phase through one of the chains, allowing her to reach up and scratch her own head. Then she moved her arm back and put it into the chain again with a shrug, causing the audience to laugh.
She proceeded to free both her legs to allow herself to sit down at the bottom with legs crossed. Then she freed her arms and stretched a little bit, before reaching at her head and taking off her hat for a small bow. And instead of actually putting it back, she threw the hat aside and somehow produced an identical hat from behind her back, putting that one on.
Himiko's antics entertained the viewers, but slowly people started to get worried. Time was passing, and even though Himiko was showing a lot of skills, nothing that she did seemed to get her any closer to escaping from the tank.
But they didn't need to worry. Himiko was an Ultimate after all, and she was in her element. When the time went down to 15 seconds left, the girl restrained herself fully again, messing with the chains and rope to show that they were real, before turning to the audience and winking.
There was a flash of white, and suddenly Himiko had disappeared. The only thing still in the tank was the hat she had discarded.
The audience looked around in wonder, confused as to how such a thing had happened. Several seconds passed with none of them being able to find Himiko.
"Where are you looking at?" Came a voice from behind the audience.
They looked back, and there was Himiko, seeming amused. She notably seemed to be completely dry, from her clothes to her hair, despite apparently having just left the tank.
"Extreme Escape Water Magic!" Himiko declared, with a bow, as the timer went to zero and the piranhas were released into the water.
There was a moment of silent comprehension, and then the audience erupted into a cheer, together with the people who were watching the show live.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Tsumugi declared "That was Himiko Yumeno's magic show!"
The Ultimates got up from their seats and went to congratulate Himiko, who smiled upon seeing the smiles adorning each of their faces.
-0-
Later on, Kaede and Shuuichi were walking together back to the dorms, and talking about what they had witnessed.
"That was amazing!" Kaede praised "I knew Himiko was good, but I didn't realize she was that good."
"Yeah." Shuuichi agreed "I guess she isn't the Ultimate Magician for nothing. She really knows how to put on a show."
"I have no idea how she did all that." Kaede said, then looked at Shuuichi with a sly smile on her face "How about you? Has the Ultimate Detective managed to see through the show?"
Shuuichi seemed a bit embarrassed "I have a few theories, but I'd have to investigate in order to make sure, which would be a bit too disrespectful."
"In that case, what are your theories?" Kaede asked, intrigued "How would you explain what she did?"
"Well. I think the first thing that needs to be explained is how she dealt with the cold water." Shuuichi said "Diving into water that cold is something very dangerous, because the boy will enter a state of involuntary breathing, where you may breathe in water and drown without being able to control it."
Kaede made a face. That really wasn't nice to think about "So how do you think Himiko may have dealt with it?"
Shuuichi started to explain "I have three theories about that. The first is that Himiko could be using some sort of plugs on her mouth and nose, that she put on after speaking her part. The mouth plug could be moved with her tongue, so she would be able to leave it open to be able to breathe until it was time to go in the water."
Kaede nodded. That seemed reasonable.
"The second theory is that she could use special breathing techniques in order to control her involuntary reactions." Shuuichi said "That's a lot less likely, but I've seen people capable of doing things like that, and you never know what a magician would learn in order to create their tricks."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. It seemed like Shuuichi's adventures with Rantaro were a lot more strange than she had realized.
"The third theory is that, in between the time where we checked the temperature of the water, and the time where Himiko dropped into it, there could have been a special mechanism heating up the water." Shuuichi said.
"Ohhh..." Kaede made a sound of understanding "It did take a while for Tsumugi to finish all the explanations and Himiko to be restrained."
"Yeah. That's quite a likely possibility." Shuuichi said "Now, the second problem is how Himiko would have been able to remove her own restraints."
Kaede nodded and waited for Shuuichi to continue.
"The first option is that Himiko had stored special strings on her hair, and manipulated them to alter the restraints in such a way to allow the things she did, combined with her sleight of hand techniques." Shuuichi explained "The second option is that the things we saw could have been a recording."
"A recording?" Kaede asked, confused.
Shuuichi nodded "We saw everything through the glass of the tank, but what if right on the other side of the glass was a TV screen?"
Kaede made a noise of realization, and waited for the rest of the explanation.
"The screen could have been broadcasting the feed from a camera inside the tank, to make us believe that there was no screen, since we would have been able to see the hands of the people who went to check the water." Shuuichi said "And before Himiko was dropped in, the feed could have been changed to a recording taken earlier, which would be easy to synch up due to how well-timed the start of the trick was."
"Wow..." Kaede muttered, it really was something difficult to imagine.
"In that case, she could have asked Kirumi to do her restraints earlier, except by putting trick chains and ropes instead, so it would be easy to show off those tricks." Shuuichi continued "After that, there was one last thing that needs explaining: The way Himiko could have escaped from the tank."
Kaede nodded. That was indeed the core of the trick.
"I imagine she might have used a hidden hatch on the bottom of the tank, since we couldn't examine it as we couldn't lift up the tank." Shuuichi said "If she used the screen trick, then this method had two parts. First, she would have to record the things that we saw, but after the wink, she could have simply swam up for air, since the tank wouldn't need to be closed for such a recording to be made.
"The flash would have been an editing trick, to disguise the fact that the feed would be switched back to the tank camera." Shuuichi explained "And since we wouldn't be able to see anything during the real trick, Himiko would have a lot of time to free herself, open the hatch and go down while her recording was keeping our attention."
Kaede nodded, to show that she was still following the explanation.
"There should be some empty space inside the stage, where Himiko could replace her wet clothes with dry ones (she would have let her hat inside the tank before leaving, to conform with the recording), she would also be able to dry herself off." Shuuichi then seemed a little unsure "I don't know how she would have dried her hair so fast, but there are lots of ways, including the possibility that she used some sort of product on her hair that repelled water."
"Right..." Kaede also found it strange.
"After that, she could leave the inside of the stage in the backstage direction, and then use her strings to pull herself up and move above the audience. We wouldn't be able to see it because of the lights." Shuuichi concluded.
"Right. That explains that." Kaede said "But what about if she hadn't used a screen trick, how could she do all of that?"
Shuuichi sounded even more unsure, but talked anyway "Again, the only possible escape route would have been through a hatch at the bottom of the tank, but maybe there was no need to open it." He gained a bit more confidence as he spoke "Perhaps it was made in a way that seemed to be just the bottom of the tank, but in fact was an opening. She could have used sleight of hand to wrap herself up in some kind of slingshot while she was doing her stuff, and then the flash of light could have been a previously prepared trick to distract her attention and allow her to be pulled down into the secret hatch."
"And then she would have to dry herself and move pretty fast, huh?" Kaede said.
"Yes." Shuuichi said "She could have used another slingshot to throw herself over the audience fast, but to dry herself and change clothes during such a short time would definitely be a pretty difficult trick. I'm sure there are ways, but I don't know enough to make a judgment." He finished.
Kaede crossed her arms and closed her eyes "Yeah..." Then she opened them again "Himiko is pretty good. I wonder what other things she can do."
"I'm sure we'll see more shows from her." Shuuichi said.
