KAMUKURA KAMUKURA KAMUKURA KAMUKURA… huh?
"Oh. It seems he's come to."
"RIGHT! Kirigiri-san! Hinata's fit for duty!"
Hinata straightened up. The other 7 survivors, Ishimaru, Kuzuryuu, Kuwata, Pekoyama, Souda, Kirigiri, and Tanaka were assembled in a small cavern, where a small box of emergency supplies was bought out and shared.
"Took him long enough." Kuzuryuu complained as he applied a bandage to his kneecap.
"Wait wait wait slow down…" Hinata struggled to regain his senses. "What exactly happened to me just now?"
"A baseball rocketed towards you and you got struck smack dab in the medulla." Kirigiri informed him. "That's the lower half of your brainstem which controls your involuntary functions, such as breathing, heart rate and so on."
"How long was I out?" Hinata groaned as he plucked a saltine cracker from the kit.
"7-10 minutes."
10 minutes? Hinata frowned. I must have spent at least an hour in that godforsaken place… Or was that a dream?
"Kukuku… What's laughable is that the pretentious one was the one who lost his life being stoned." Tanaka applied more gauze to his already heavily bandaged arm.
"He asked for it. What was he thinking, taking off his glasses?" Souda laughed.
"Right, that's it then." Kirigiri returned the water bottle to the kit. "Let's keep moving. Ishimaru, give me an idea of the next trap."
"Considering our circumstances, it should be the mustard gas." Ishimaru thought hard.
"Then where are the gas masks allocated?"
Ishimaru started searching the cavern. He gently tapped the walls, until he finally heard an area that was hollow. Sighing in relief, he unhinged a side of the small area to reveal a small storage safe.
"Found it."
"Good. Once you get the masks on get going downstairs." Kirigiri straightened her gloves.
Basement 5:
The gas masks turned out to be completely useless as the floorboards crumbled underneath their feet.
"AHHH! FORGIVE ME IT WAS THE 'ELEVATOR TO HELL'!" Ishimaru screamed as he fell face-first into the shaft.
The rest of the battlefront members were in a precarious situation. Pekoyama being the only one on safe ground, the others were hanging on to each other's legs for dear life.
"DAMN YOU ISHIMARU!"
"Ouch! Kuzuryuu your nails hurt!"
"It's not first class treatment down here either, Souda! When was the last time you washed your socks?"
"WILL ALL OF YOU KEEP SILENT?!" Kirigiri hollered. "Who's at the bottom?"
"Me!"
"Right. Hinata you go up first, then Kuwata, then me, then-" She looked up "Kuzuryuu, Souda and Tanaka. Got that?!"
Hinata began his ascent. He slowly made his way grasping Kuwata's trouser pockets and managed to get his legs wrapped around his waist.
It was then he looked directly upwards and turned beet red.
"What's taking you?" Kirigiri muttered.
"Uh… Where do I hold you?" Hinata stammered, turning away from the underside of Kirigiri's skirt.
"Where do you think?!"
… This woman. Taking a deep breath, he forged onwards, and took hold of her thighs. Hurriedly, he pulled himself up towards her arms and hung face to face with Kirigiri.
"W-Why are you facing this way?"
Behind her poker face, Kirigiri blushed.
"It's not like I had a choice! Get on with it!"
Shrugging, he proceeded with Kuzuryuu and had his left foot firmly planted on his head when it happened.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GROPING?!"
There was a sharp yelp of pain as the dangling human centipede suddenly swung to the right. Hinata hastily readjusted his centre of gravity by positioning his torso forward, then looked down and examined the commotion.
"Bad news guys: Kuwata fell." Kirigiri nonchalantly called.
"YOU KICKED HIM IN THE NUTS!"
"Shut it, Kuzuryuu!"
"Will you mortals cease the oscillations?!" Tanaka gasped.
Lifting his foot from Kuzuryuu, Hinata grasped the neckline of Souda's jumpsuit and held onto Tanaka's dangling scarf.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Tanaka choked. "CHAM-P! ATTACK!"
Hinata hastily removed his hand from the scarf, but it was too late. A fat orange hamster suddenly flew from Tanaka's neckline and bit into the back of his hand.
SON OF A B-
As the hand began bleeding, the golden hamster latched onto Hinata's forefinger and began dexterously chewing the skin beneath his nail.
"TANAKA CALL IT OFF DAMN IT!"
"What's going on up there?"
"Hinata's hand is getting a makeover a lá Gumdam."
"NOT FUNNY SOUDA!"
"Retreat, Cham-P! And repent on your foolishness in your pitiful attempt to rob me of my life."
The chewing stopped, and Cham-P detached itself from Hinata's hand and clambered back onto Tanaka's dangling scarf.
Several minutes later, the 6 remaining survivors slumped in an exhausted heap on safe ground.
"Tanaka that attack was unwarranted." Hinata complained.
"SILENCE. Whilst your dauntlessness in your attempt to catalyze my annihilation is commendable and will not go unnoticed, to do it at a time where I am preoccupied is dishonorable and a faux pas." Tanaka huffed.
"Regardless, I'm surprised Hinata's made it this far in his first try." Pekoyama mused.
"Not to mention the fact Togami got knocked out before him." Souda snickered. "Oh how the mighty have fallen."
"We gotta move, people. Hopefully that would be the last trap."
Basement 6:
"Yeah. That should be it." Pekoyama confirmed.
The cavern was softly illuminated by cracks on the rock ceiling, where light shone through in small rays. In front of them was a lake where water was constantly flowing into a large waterfall to their left.
Finally an end to all of this nonsense.
BARK BARK BARK!
The six turned at the sound of the noise. Floating in the river was a cardboard box, and a small dog was barking frantically as it progressed nearer and nearer towards the waterfall.
Without warning, Tanaka entrusted his 4 hamsters to Pekoyama and rushed towards the lake.
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"AN ANIMAL IS IN PERIL! I CANNOT LET SUCH A TRAVESTY TO OCCUR!" Tanaka yelled back.
Open-mouthed in wonder, the 5 watched as Tanaka gracefully glided onto the water surface and pirouetted in mid-air, gently snatching the box and tripping back-first into the lake.
Spluttering and dripping wet, it was then that he noticed the metal key lodged in the dog's back.
"WHAT AN OVERSIGHT! IT WAS A CONTRAPTION!" Tanaka wailed as he was carried away towards the waterfall.
… This guy.
"What was he thinking?" Hinata wondered.
"He's an animal breeder. Despite all that talk about being a fallen angel summoned by the illuminati, he finds animals much more innocent and likable than humans as a whole." Kirigiri explained.
"It's just a little bit further."
The group ran to the end of the hall, where the rock-solid floor gradually morphed into steel.
Even before they reached the trapdoor, they could already hear the sounds of metal being bent into shape, the loud laughs and grunts of the workers and the roaring of the furnaces for fuel.
Kirigiri took out the master key and opened the trap door. A blast of steam immediately enveloped the 5 as the smell of sulfur, charcoal and oil arrested their senses.
"Another ladder. Can we jump?"
"Nope. This one we need to go down step by step."
Fantastic.
The group slowly made their way down, and as the temperature and humidity steadily rose, Hinata sneaked a look downwards.
...Woah.
BASEMENT 7: GUILD
The Guild resembled a large workshop, where soot-clad workers in grey jumpsuits worked away at the furnaces and the production lines. Giant cogs moved load after load of supplies from one end to the other. The ovens were crudely constructed out of crevices in the rock wall, and the fires burned a deep orange inside. The ladder they were going down on was connected to a large water tower, and inside he could hear rumbling of the boil. Upon noticing the new arrivals, a worker excitedly pointed up.
"OH! LOOK AT THAT! GUYS THEY'RE HERE!"
The 30-strong team of workers halted what they were doing and joined in the clamor to the ladder.
"GUYS! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Souda jumped down the last remaining rungs and flung himself towards a particularly dust-clad worker.
"Well, Souda, any luck with Sonia?" He teased.
"More than luck, my friend. Our relationship is progressing unbelievably well!" Souda bragged.
Somewhere behind Hinata, Kuzuryuu pretended to stick his finger in his gullet in disgust.
"Workers, where's Tenshi?" Kirigiri interrupted.
"She entered through the back storage room, and we're trying our best to stall her now."
"Wait. Then that means all the other traps were completely unnecessary!" Hinata complained.
"Hahaha, sadly we only have one on/off switch for all our 20 traps!" The worker with brown hair informed him.
"Tenshi has discovered the Guild. That's the primary problem." Kirigiri thought aloud. "We need to consider what we do from now on."
"What do you think we're gonna do?" Souda countered. "We just take our new weapons and turn her into Swiss Cheese!"
"But she could always come again. And we cannot waste our manpower to continually guard this location." Hinata pointed out.
"No choice then. We've got to destroy the Guild."
The room went silent. The workers were staring at Kirigiri as if she suggested castrations for everyone.
"ARE YOU MAD?!" A worker at the back voiced out.
"We can't be destroyed! I love this place!"
"Kiriri-san, maybe that might not be the best idea! What about our weapons, our glory, our pride, our weapons?" Souda asked.
"The only acceptable option is to destroy this place and rebuild the guild in another location." Kirigiri snapped her fingers in realization. "The old guild. Move to the old guild."
Old Guild?
"Question. What's that?"
"A while ago, when the Guild decided they needed more space, they abandoned their original location much deeper below, and moved closer to the surface where the softer rock proved easier for expansion." Kirigiri explained.
"Exactly! But there's so much work we're abandoning!" A burly worker said.
"It'll be alright!" Kirigiri commanded. "Don't we still have our knowledge? As long as we have a working knowledge of the Guild and its processes, we can always rebuild ourselves!"
She stepped forward for greater effect.
"Comrades in arms, we are humans, are we not?!" She yelled.
"We are weak! That is undeniable! However, we are also resilient! With knowledge, with resource, with power, we will always have the chance and opportunity to continue to fight!"
The crowd roared in approval.
Slowly, yet surely, Hinata began to feel a grudging respect for Kirigiri.
Her leadership is strong. Honest, blunt, and to the point, but that is also a good thing. The people whom she motivates will undoubtedly come out stronger.
"Right! Souda!" She instructed. "I leave you in charge of the demolition of the Guild. Is that clear?"
"YES MA'AM! ALRIGHT YOU HEARD THE LADY! BRING OUT THE TNT! BRING OUT THE C4! BRING OUT THE ANTIMATTER WE'VE COLLECTED FROM OUR LARGE HADRON COLLIDER! THIS PLACE IS GOING DOWN IN STYLE!"
Cheering, the guild set out to work.
Kirigiri cleared her throat, then turned back to the remaining 3.
"Rest of you, get down to the armory and lock and load. We're gonna buy some time."
"SWEET." Kuzuryuu whistled.
STORAGE HALL:
Kuzuryuu: I love my AK-47. Even more when its now Chinese.
Hinata: I still don't understand why I need to discard my 1911 Government for these.
Kuzuryuu: What are you talking about? Mac-11s are awesome. Lighter than the Mac-10, yet still delivers. Only drawback is the effective range's not as good in comparison.
Kirigiri: Right guys, she's coming. Masks on.
The 4 were assembled outside the doorway, readying their guns (in Pekoyama's case, swords) for the battle.
Removing the cap from the canister, Kirigiri quickly pressed the nozzle as gas began spraying in large bursts. Kicking the massive gates open, she flung it inside and expertly fired at the canister, causing tear gas to explode and fill the room all at once.
She's good.
"MOVE IN!"
Adjusting the straps on their masks, they stealthily entered the hall, which was already quickly blanketed by a big layer of tear gas. Tenshi, who was in the middle of the room, was progressing towards them seemingly unaffected.
Rats.
BANG!
Kirigiri drew first blood as her Glock 30 fired a round lodged into Tenshi's stomach.
Even as blood dyed her jacket a deep crimson hue, the bullet already began forcing itself out.
"Guard skill: Distortion." Tenshi whispered.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! FIRE!"
The group, except for Pekoyama, began emptying their magazines towards her, but the bullets were merely dispelled inches in front of her.
"Hand Sonic." A thin blade materialized in the back of her hand, and she immediately rushed towards them.
Quick as a flash, Pekoyama unsheathed her katana on her back and parried Tenshi's attack. Adjusting her grip, Pekoyama quickly slashed at Tenshi, only to be countered by a quick stab of her blade.
The two exchanged blows, metal grinding against metal, and as the tear gas finally began to dissipate, the two found themselves as a standstill as both began forcing each other down with their blade.
Pekoyama seemed to be getting the upper hand, she was successfully being forced back inch by inch.
"Overdrive."
THUNK.
The group gasped. Tenshi had forcefully kicked the gap between Pekoyama's legs with the tip of her pink shoes.
"Holy crap." Hinata gaped.
"That has got to hurt." Kuzuryuu winced.
"That's it. She's down for the count." Kirigiri muttered.
She was. Seconds later, Pekoyama collapsed, moaning and clutching her abdomen in pain. Tenshi gave her a gentle prod with her toes, and them redirected her gaze towards the remaining three.
"You're next." She pointed.
RATATATATATAT.
Hinata's akimbo Mac-11s sputtered out 32 excellent arguments, only to be refuted by Tenshi's hastily reactivated Distortion.
Oh dear.
Hinata desperately inserted another magazine, but it was too late: as the blades reappeared once more, Tenshi began speeding towards him with her blade brandishing menacingly in front of her.
Well that's it then. I'm dead.
As Hinata braced himself for the impending pain, a curious sensation mantled him as time seemed to freeze.
Honestly. Do I have to spell everything out for you?
Hinata reeled in shock. That voice again. He looked around, but in the frozen time, there was no stranger to be distinguished, let alone the man shrouded in darkness.
Looks like I've regained some control, and right during a precarious situation. How boring.
Right. Right. So what do you propose to do about it? Hinata thought.
You're fighting this girl? This situation is so unbelievably ironic.
Time seemed to start flowing once more. Hinata was keenly aware of the blade that was inches away from slicing his neck. At the same time, he seemed less in tune with his body, and began to analyze the trajectory of the incoming blade.
First, target the ulna.
The what!?
The ulna, second segment of the arm, along with the radius.
SNAP.
Hinata lobbed his right knuckle towards Tenshi's outstretched right arm, and the blade halted in its movement.
Counter with left straight.
BASH.
Hinata managed to score a clean hit towards her face, and a Tenshi hastily pulled back.
Heel Kick to her auditory cortex.
YOU NEED TO START SAYING THESE THINGS IN LAYMAN's TERMS. Hinata thought.
KICK THE AREA OF HER HEAD ABOVE HER LEFT EAR.
Hinata crudely attempted a roundhouse kick, but Tenshi quickly responded with her own, and the resounding crash echoed throughout the room. Pulling her leg down, she lunged forward, blade at the ready.
Sidestep.
Dexterously, Hinata managed to avoid her tackle, and she readied herself for a quick stab.
Grapple the arm.
Tenshi gasped as Hinata grasped her right hand.
Dislocate.
Her hand still held in place, Hinata placed his right hand over her elbow and in a swift motion punched it inwards.
SNAP.
The effect was immediate. Tenshi cried out in pain as her left arm went limp.
"NOT HALF BAD, HINATA!" Kuzuryuu cheered.
As vicious pleasure coursed through Hinata, he was unaware that a pair of eyes were darting at him with uncertainty and suspicion.
Kirigiri stood unmoving, watching the fight unfold into Hinata's favor. This is unheard of, she thought. A rookie holding his own against Tenshi in a fist fight?
Perhaps this is his talent? Kirigiri wondered. No. He can't be. His kicks and attacks are while effective, crude and lack refinement.
Hinata Hajime, I'll need to keep a close eye on you.
Tenshi stepped back, clutching her arm and drawing ragged breaths.
"HARMONIC-" She began.
"SORRY WE'RE LATE!" A group of people emerged from the doorway, led by an ecstatic Souda, wheeling in a huge cannon-like monstrosity.
"Kirigiri it's all systems go!" Souda confirmed. "But before that I want to give this little baby a spin!
"What exactly is that?" A slack-jawed Kuzuryuu asked.
"It took months, but I finally perfected it! THE RAIL GUN! THIS IS WHAT THE NAVY MIGHT HAVE HAD PLANTED ON THEIR SHIPS, if it wasn't for their unfortunate budget problem!" Souda drooled.
"Right then. Hinata, grab Pekoyama and take cover!" Kirigiri instructed.
Hinata nodded, and sprinted away, picking up a surprised Pekoyama in the process, leaving a surprised Tenshi on her own in the middle of the hall.
"30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, 100%!" A worker gave Souda the thumbs up as the rails finished charging up, the projectile in between getting ready to burst.
"WE HAVE IGNITION!" Souda exclaimed as he pressed a switch on the control panel.
KABOOOOOOOM.
The rail gun self destructed, creating a huge plume of fire to erupt and causing a massive dust cloud to flood the entire room.
"WHAT THE HELL-"
The explosion left Hinata's ears ringing, the smoke his eyes watering, and as he took a better look at the state of the wreckage, charred metal was all that was left of the beast.
"My bad, I must have done the wrong math-"
"I hate you, so much." Kirigiri muttered.
As shrapnel continued to rain towards the ground, Kirigiri hauled Souda upwards.
"Right, you've had your fun. Launch the switch."
"YOU SAID IT. COMRADES, I SALUTE YOU!" Souda took out a radio transmitter from his jumpsuit and pressed the fat orange button. At once, the rumbling of the furnaces stopped. The working of the gears went silent.
The intercom crackled with static, then a computerized voice spoke:
"This Guild is scheduled to self destruct in T-30 seconds. We wish you a pleasant day. Goodbye."
French horns began to play at a pianissimo.
"Right Hinata time to move!"
Hinata started running, but stopped abruptly and looked back.
"Are we really gonna leave her here?" Hinata felt the same sensation of pity the day before.
"She'll be fine. Move it!"
Shrugging, Hinata left the wounded Tenshi to her own devices and helped Pekoyama up. Together, they ran out the gates of the Storage hall and bolted the door shut.
25 seconds.
Strings began to softly pull in response.
"Where do we exit?!" Pekoyama asked. The area was now completely deserted. Apparently the others had took the initiative to escape first.
Kirigiri slid open a compartment on the steel wall.
"Escape chute. It'll bring us another 5 stories down, which will lead to a passageway to the site of the old guild."
Hinata could hear the horns' crescendo, as his own heartbeat grew louder in response.
"Down I go, then." Kuzuryuu stuck his feet into the chute and disappeared down the fabric lined chute.
Pekoyama followed suit, then Kirigiri, which left Hinata and Souda.
"Souda, come on."
As Souda placed his two feet into the chute, he took a final look back at the workshop and sighed.
"I'm gonna miss this place."
"Yeah." Hinata consolingly patted him on the back. "NOW GET ON WITH IT!" and promptly pushed him down.
T-10 seconds.
Hinata hesitated.
I'm leaving a wounded girl behind.
As the countdown blared, Hinata made up his mind.
I've come this far.
Holding his breath, he let go, and slid back into the chute.
BASEMENT 12
Hinata dropped down into a foam mattress, where the others were watching the scene from the security feed on a television screen.
5...
"Hinata close the chute!"
4...
The orchestra grew increasingly louder.
3...
Hinata stood up and quickly slid the trapdoor shut.
2...
Hinata hurriedly joined the group.
1...
"Goodbye, Guild."
0...
Explosions reverberated throughout the ground. One by one, each table, each gear, each cog, each furnace burst into brilliant plumes of orange and yellow. The ceiling shook, and they could hear the tremors of the explosions from below.
"Who's idea was it to play the 1812 Overture?" Hinata wondered.
"Oh, THAT'S what it was called?" Souda's eyes gleamed. "I just chose it because it had cannons in it."
The television suddenly glowed a brilliant white.
"WOW. I'm guessing that's the microgram of antimatter we collected."
Kirigiri smiled contentedly.
"Mission complete, guys."
The group broke out into a cheer and exchanged high-5s with one another.
"Ok. Let's get the Old guild set up. We've got work to do!" Kirigiri commanded.
"YES MA'AM!" Souda rushed across the hallway to the Old guild.
As the happy ending progressed without a hitch, a nagging feeling tugged at Hinata's heartstrings.
That voice. Who exactly are you, Kamukura Izuru?
Hinata couldn't put his finger on it. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet he was certain he had never met the man before.
He looked to his right. Kirigiri was determinedly averting her gaze from him, and the slightest movement of her hair indicated she was watching him.
She suspects?
Hinata swallowed. From that moment onwards, he knew, he was walking into dangerous territory.
I'm going to need to watch my step from now on.
HOTEL ZETSUBOU: Dormitories
Sayaka Maizono rinsed her face in the sink and checked every detail of her face.
Good. There's no sign of me crying.
Taking her towel, she dropped back-first into the bed in frustration.
I always wanted to be an idol on my own accord! It was always my dream!
DREAMS AND GOALS CAN CHANGE IF NECESSARY!
What part of it was my fault?
Sayaka blinked hard. The argument with Celestia had made her speechless, and part of her consciousness agreed with her.
I'm not weak.
I can't be weak!
I need to be strong for them, for everyone!
Knock knock knock.
She looked up in surprise.
Who is it at this hour?
Warily, she opened the door. A masked figure stood at the doorway.
Instinctively she took a step back.
"What do you-" Before she managed to finish her sentence, the figure lunged and clutched her forehead.
She attempted to scream, but all at once a curious sensation overcame her senses.
As the world blacked out, the last thing she noticed were the startlingly gray eyes of her assailant.
Then it began.
"You could very well spend the rest of your life here in this academy."
I ACCEPT.
"I'M YOUR HEADMASTER!" DONT WORRY I'LL PROTECT YOU.
AFTER GRADUATION!
"Sorry for bothering you this late of night"
"MAIZONO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A man screams.
Images I am unfamiliar with flood my mind. Information alien to me are rapidly assaulting my brain. As I survey the torrent of information, I feel it again.
Despair, and how it clutches like ice in my heart.
I AM MONOKUMA! YOUR HEADMASTER!
I DONT HAVE TIME FOR THIS!
I watch myself lock the bathroom door, clutching my wounded hand. As the man breaks the door open, I scream and try fighting back and it happened.
Accidentally, or on purpose, the knife lodges itself firmly in my abdomen.
Perhaps the man meant no harm. Perhaps it was revenge. Perhaps it was an act of despair. Regardless, as the man realized what an atrocity he had committed, he fled out of the room.
What the hell is this?
I watch myself gasping for life. With each ragged breath she takes, she paints a number hidden behind her back.
11037
As I look at myself facing death, I feel something completely different.
Remorse.
"Naegi... I'm sorry..."
... Forgive me.
The girl trembled before me, and remained still, a single tear adorning her cheek.
As I struggle to comprehend what I just saw, the realization hits me like a bolt.
All of this is real.
As my vision begins fading, my last thoughts echo repeatedly in my mind.
And I see him. His face. Warm, trusting, and kind.
Forgive me
Forgive me
I'm sorry
Forgive me
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Naegi-kun?
FADE TO BLACK.
HEY GUYS. THANKS FOR READING THUS FAR! I HAVE A TEST NEXT WEEK, SO IF THE NEXT CHAPTER GETS DELAYED, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
NEXT ARC: SAYAKA-END.