As the bookcase fell, I could see the study before me. Standing there were four people, eyes locked on me, with nervous and anxious looks on their faces. In the middle of the room was a square pit, for some reason. Presumably used to kill someone, given the situation.
In the far left corner stood a young man in a generic green-ish suit. His short hair was a dull yellow, his eyes being the highlight of his face, insofar as the dark bags underneath emphasized them.
It seems the Ultimate Animator has been working hard recently.
Ryota Mitarai has the video that Tengan wants to show the world. And taking into account Ryota's work ethic, and his visible lack of sleep, I could assume the video was finished.
I smirked. He'd be the first to go.
Across from the pit was a woman in a pink outfit, with an absurdly large amount of white fur around her neck. The yellow beanie on her head completed the casual image, however she was shaking just like the rest of them.
Ruruka Ando. She wouldn't be a problem at all. I'm surprised she lasted this long.
On my right was a particularly muscular man, a spear having torn through his lower shoulder, locking him against the wall and making him immobile. He was wearing a white shirt, now bloodied, and a dark jacket. His hair was a short and messy black, and his eyes were wide in disbelief.
Juzo Sakakura. I'd have to keep my eye out for him, but the spear has me covered for now.
I honestly could care less about these people, because the only one that mattered to me was standing about two feet away.
Kyoko Kirigiri was standing there, as beautiful as ever. Her expression was different from the others; her face displayed more shock and uncertainty than nervousness. I could tell she was straining herself to hold back her emotions.
We could handle that another time. I slowly shifted my eyes away from her, so no one would notice where my loyalties lied. Because understanding someone is the first step towards defeating them, as I've mentioned before.
I took my first couple steps into the study, my shoes tapping on the overturned bookcase as I crossed it.
Ryota began trembling, lifting his arm up and pointing a thin finger at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out until a second later.
"You..."
Yes. They all remember me. I met them during my time at Hope's Peak, and they, especially Ryota, were an integral part of Junko's-
They hit me again. The flashbacks. Visions of me being mindlessly controlled by Junko... Tending to her every will...
Ryota Mitarai's face clogged my mind... his face on that fateful day when he ran away from Junko... A face filled with Despair...
I clenched my fists to rid my mind of these pictures, trying to focus on something else. Anything...
But they kept coming back... They swirled in my mind, refusing to fade away...
"Izuru Kamukura..." Juzo Sakakura growled, from the wall across from me. His voice was the only clear thing in my head, snapping me back to reality. Broken from my trance, I turned towards him. The expression on his face had shifted from nervousness to anger and frustration, as he was scowling at me.
I continued making my way towards Ryota, with everyone else in the room completely frozen. Ryota's eyes grew larger as I approached, his statements coming in short bursts.
"So it was you all along... You're here to kill us, aren't you... You're here to avenge Junko... Isn't that right?"
I forced the demonic visions back this time, reminding myself that I was no longer her slave. I wasn't doing this for her, as they expected me to be. They're heavily misinformed.
I was doing this for me. And for Kyoko.
As I got within two feet of the paralyzed Ryota, I heard a sound from the right side of the room. It sounded like tearing flesh...
Ah. That's what's happening.
I flicked my eyes to the right quickly, and could barely see Juzo, holding the spear he pulled out of his shoulder. The head of the spear was dripping blood, and so was his wound. He instantaneously threw it directly at my face. However, he'd have to do much better than that if he wanted to kill me.
Unfazed, I quickly took a step back, giving myself a foot of clearance between me and his target location. The spear hit the wall with a thud, blood splattering everywhere, speckling my face in red.
I could hear his heavy breathing as the room grew quiet. I slowly turned my head towards him, and gave him a condescending look. A look that was meant to confirm my superiority.
Juzo was standing there, surprisingly straight considering the large wound in his shoulder. He seemed the embodiment of anger, every muscle in his body tense and ready.
"It was my fault... My fault that Hope's Peak fell to Despair... Because I was weak. I ran away from my problems, because I was too scared to confront them..." Juzo confessed.
"I let Munakata down... I betrayed him... And every day I'm reminded of my decision..." Juzo said in a soft voice, quite different from his posture.
His voice rose as he hit the second part of his speech, kneeling down and picking up the pipe that he brought all the way to the study.
"But that won't happen anymore. I'm done playing your games! I'm done following your rules! I'll prove to Munakata that we can destroy Despair, once and for all! And I'll start right now - with you."
Hmph. His actions are misguided, but there's a certain energy in them...
It seems he's been waiting his whole life for this chance. The chance to finally atone for his mistakes.
This fight won't be easy. But I will win. Because I am Izuru Kamukura.
I scowled at Juzo, asserting my dominance. I grabbed the spear suspended horizontally in the wall, still dripping scarlet red blood, and pulled hard to dislodge it. I held the spear upright as I turned to him and spoke two simple words.
"You're first."
Suddenly, Juzo pushed himself forward, running up to the hole in the center of the room. Then he propelled himself across with his left foot, lunging at me. He held his pipe up, ready to strike.
Unemotionally, I swung my spear at him, catching his pipe as it was coming down on me. Due to his sheer strength I couldn't force him back into the hole midair, which would have disposed of him quickly and easily. Now I'd have to endure this fight just a bit longer.
I began pushing my weapon against Juzo's in an attempt to catch him off-balance. His face displayed pure anger and hatred, bottled up over innumerable days, giving him energy. After a couple seconds, I realized his muscular body could overpower me. I then released the deadlock and took a step back, waiting for his next action. He stood there for a few seconds, examining me, but in the end he couldn't resist the urge to attack. He swung at me with his pipe yet again.
I silently watched as Izuru and Juzo began fighting, exchanging blows with their weapons, the blood from the spear splattering everywhere. Ryota recoiled back against the wall to avoid being struck, and Ruruka did the same albeit further away, eyes widening with every hit.
From the looks of it, it seems Izuru came to fight the Future Foundation. But why? What was his motive?
Did the Neo World Program really have no effect on him whatsoever? Did he decide to fulfill Junko's will and destroy all Hope?
Or was it something more? Was it... was it me?
My face began to get red at the thought, but I quickly shook it off. I could never be truly sure of his intentions without asking him directly.
And surely I couldn't do that with people around... They might think that I was on his side... That I was involved with Despair...
Or worse. They'd learn about our relationship...
I took a deep breath. Calm yourself... Detectives always work best when they're calm...
The most important thing to do at this point was to gather information about Izuru's intentions, so I could make educated decisions in the future. And for this to happen, it was necessary to remove everyone else from the room except for Izuru and I.
I'm not going to say that the prospect of Izuru and I being in an empty room together didn't influence me, but it was the most logical next step anyways.
I ran over to Ruruka and Ryota, who were watching aghast at the combat between Izuru and Juzo. Their eyes were wide with horror and anticipation, strongly hoping that Juzo would be the victor in the end. They both turned to me as I approached them.
"Izuru Kamukura will not be defeated easily. He's stronger than anyone. We'll need all the help we can get to take care of him."
Ryota nodded confidently, his goldenrod hair bobbing quickly. Ruruka didn't acknowledge my statement, however. It seems like I'd need to elaborate.
"Go find the others. Together, we'll have a much higher chance of defeating him."
Ruruka, finally realizing that she was being asked to run away from a conflict she didn't want to participate in anyways, gave me a fervent nod and began running towards the door. She threw it open and continued onwards, the clicking of her heels contrasting from the constant clang of metal against metal a couple feet away.
Ryota turned around and started to follow her, and I internally congratulated myself on a successful bluff. But before I could bask in its glory, Ryota stopped instantly. His pose stiffened, and he seemed a bit more indecisive about fleeing the scene. I secretly hoped that he'd leave, so I held my breath and I filled myself with anticipation. My heart sank after he turned back towards me, with passionate eyes.
"No! I'm not running away again! Not this time... If Juzo can stand up to him, I can too..."
I tilted my head slightly in confusion, so he continued.
"I remember... Back in Hope's Peak... I was animating for Junko... He was there too... Once I realized what they were up to... I ran. I ran as far as I could, away from them. Away from their Despair, in the hopes that it would just go away."
The weapons behind me continued to crash against each other, at a varied yet consistent pace. It seems the fight was evenly matched, for now...
"But I felt like a coward for doing so. A completely useless coward. I'm sure Juzo felt the same way... So that's why I'll fight this time! Even if I die, I can't bear to deal with this feeling any longer..."
Junko's reach must have been farther than I thought... To have a lasting effect on these people...
As much as I sympathized with his story, he still needed to leave. I quickly gave him a counterargument. Anything to get him out of the room...
"You aren't running away. You're getting help. There's a difference."
"But it feels the same! You said it yourself, we need all the help we can get to defeat Izuru. Why can't I help Juzo now?"
Argh, he's being overly insistent now...
"You might get in his way. He seems to be handling the situation fine by himself for now."
Ryota looked over at the two of them fighting, still exchanging blows at a relatively equal rate, neither one gaining any perceivable advantage. Good...
"We can hold off Izuru. The faster we find help, and the more people we find, the faster we can end this game once and for all."
Ryota nodded, but considered my words for a few seconds.
"We? Aren't you gonna find help too?"
Ugh... Now I'd have to provide a reason for me to stay...
"You're forgetting that I was the one who captured Izuru Kamukura in the first place. I'm the only one here who understands him."
Luckily, this argument convinced Ryota, as he wished me good luck and then ran off, in a different direction than Ruruka did. I took a deep breath to calm myself down as I watched him go, and once he was sufficiently out of sight, I closed the door behind him and turned back around to face Izuru and Juzo. The two of them had their weapons locked again, trying to overpower the other. The determination in Izuru's face was admirable...
I began to lose myself in his deep eyes until Juzo shouted out at me behind his back.
"Hey! What are you doing just standing there! Fuckin', help me!"
My eyes widened a bit at his request, although it was to be expected. I was on his side after all, and Izuru was technically my enemy. So something would seem suspicious if I didn't actively help detain him...
But I loved Izuru with all my heart. How was I supposed to see him as my enemy? I couldn't possibly bring myself to harm him in any way. At least until I knew his intentions...
I panicked a bit, not knowing how to respond. My brain almost turned off, but I quickly regained my composure. The only real choice here was to remain neutral, and help neither party.
But how... How could I convince him that my choice would be optimal...
Well, I guess I'd just use the same argument I did for Ryota.
"I-I'm not as good a fighter as you. I'd only get in your way." I said, stuttering a bit initially. I rarely stuttered, and it wasn't good to show weakness and indecisiveness, but now wasn't the time to consider such matters. He wouldn't think much of it, considering he had more important matters on his hands...
I stood there, locking weapons with Juzo, when he spoke up to her. Naturally, my eyes shifted over to hers, reading her expression through them. She seemed initially startled, and torn. Her response was so nervous... So uncertain...
I smirked a bit. She's cute when she's emotional.
Then her eyes met mine, and I noticed something else entirely. Her large, purple eyes eased up, releasing the tension they held. They displayed the feeling of longing, the feeling of impatience, the feeling that everything's so close yet there's something still in your way-
CLANG
I could feel the spear thrust from my hands as my grip couldn't hold any longer, due to Juzo's continuous unrelenting pressure. My eyes were still locked on Kyoko's, which widened out of surprise and disbelief. She let out a small gasp as she watched the spear fall down the pit, reverberating a sharp clanking sound every couple seconds, and eventually fading away.
I looked back at Juzo, who was displaying a sly grin, as he just gained the upper hand. I scowled under my breath, mad at myself for letting external motives get to me in a fight. I'm sure this wouldn't have happened if I was paying attention...
But not having a weapon is only a small detriment. I'll just have to fight more carefully.
And not let Kyoko distract me. Which can be difficult...
Juzo, now not having to worry about my spear, took a swing with his pipe. I dodged it, taking a quick step backwards. He swung again, and again, knowing that I couldn't come in for a counterattack because his range was larger than mine. I continued to dodge, moving farther and farther back to get out of range. Eventually, he'd tire himself out, and then I'd be able to come in for the kill-
THUNK
I hit something behind me. The bookcase. It seems I've ran out of space to retreat...
The force that I backed into it with caused the contents to rattle, and a book fell from the upper shelf. It was red and worn out, and I quickly grabbed it. Juzo seemed to be startled, too, because he paused in his offensive.
The cover of the book read 'The History of the Future Foundation'. I couldn't analyze more because Juzo started attacking me again with the pipe.
I used the book to shove the pipe away from me. He continued to attack in long, powerful strokes, and I defended the best I could with this simple, useless book about a simple, useless subject. I could tell the book was losing its shape with every hit, as the binding that held the paper together became looser and looser.
This was a losing battle. I needed to find a way to regain the upper hand, and quickly.
Juzo eventually got angered over his attacks being deflected with a mere book, and took a stab at me directly this time. The pipe was heading towards my chest fast enough that I barely had time to think.
I swiftly pulled the book in to guard my chest, like a shield. Juzo's pipe pierced through the front cover with some difficulty, but not enough to stop it. However, the pipe didn't make it to the back cover, thanks to the countless pages of worthless information some imbecile decided to have printed.
Juzo growled at my successful defense yet again, getting increasingly frustrated. I could see the tension boiling up in his veins, as he aggressively yanked on the pipe in an attempt to free it from the book.
This ruffling of paper gave me an idea.
Yes, this would work quite well...
After a couple seconds, I could no longer hold Juzo's pipe hostage in the book. Juzo staggered backwards a bit once his pipe was free, rebalancing himself because he was pulling with such force.
I took one last look at the book. What a fitting end...
I tore all of the pages out in one attempt, thanks to the weakened binding, and I threw the cover to the side. Juzo, confused, decided to do the only thing his imbecilic linear brain could think of, which was to try to hit me before I could execute my plan. He lifted the pipe up, ready to take a swing.
However, I didn't give him that chance. I tossed all of the pages in the air, in Juzo's direction. With the number of pages in that large book, I'd have at least a couple seconds of privacy...
Juzo's eyes widened in anger as he swung his pipe through the hundreds of pages fluttering in front of him. It took him numerous hacks and slashes to finally clear the path. He stepped forward, pushing away the remaining floating pages, winding back his pipe in preparation to strike.
But I wasn't there.
My nervousness turned into approval as I watched Izuru hide from Juzo. Juzo's anger levels rose dramatically once he realized what happened, turning back and forth quickly in an attempt to spot him.
It wasn't that hard to find him. Juzo just wasn't looking in the right places...
"Hey! Detective! Where'd he go?"
Huh? Oh, Juzo was relying on my intelligence, because his specialty had little to do with it. I jumped a bit at his request, not knowing how to respond.
I did know where he was. Izuru was inside the hole, grabbing the edge with his fingertips. Even though they were covered by the book pages he threw, all Juzo had to do was look down to notice that something was amiss.
But I wasn't going to tell Juzo that. I couldn't possibly out Izuru. He was the first man who I ever truly loved. And even though he could very well be on the side of Despair, even though I had a responsibility to the Foundation to catch him, I had a responsibility to myself as well. And if I learned anything from my past mission, I valued this more than anything else in the world.
"You're good at this, right? You must have seen where he went. So tell me!" Juzo growled, angered by my consistent ambivalence.
"I didn't catch him. The papers blocked my sight, too." I lied
"Seriously? There were barely enough papers to block my vision, let alone yours. One of us had to have seen him!"
"You're underestimating the power of Izuru Kamukura. He has more abilities than you can count. There's a very high chance he could have evaded my vision as well."
Juzo finally reached his breaking point. He began yelling at me, angered that one of his own wasn't helping him. He started to stomp over in my direction, displaying the same hostility towards me as he did towards Izuru.
"Listen up! You're gonna tell me where he went, or you'll be-"
From the ruffling of the papers beneath Juzo, I could tell Izuru released one hand from the edge, and he lifted his arm up. As Juzo was walking towards me, with one foot rising from the floor, Izuru's arm flew out in front of his legs, causing Juzo's feet to get caught. He tripped, and he began to fall forwards with a grunt. Izuru grabbed the ledge again and used his legs to push off the wall, flying backwards to put the hole between him and Juzo. Izuru's back hit a wall, and he slid down a bit, sitting on the ground. He quickly picked himself up and began looking for weapons to use, to combat the pipe that Juzo held.
There's nothing here. Nothing to use as a weapon.
Books were already proven to be useless against pipes. And the only other thing in the room I could use was a table leg, which would take time to remove...
Hmpf. I guess it came down to this.
Rapidly, I searched my pockets for Fuyuhiko's knife, and I pulled it out. Juzo was just getting back on his feet. Now was the best time to strike.
I ran around the hole towards Juzo, ready to stab with the knife. His face was the epitome of anger now, gripping the pipe with excess force. He began taking small steps forward, as to my surprise, bringing the fight dangerously close to Kyoko.
I'd have to finish this up as quick as possible, then. I got within three feet of Juzo when he carefully readied his pipe and swung.
But it wasn't directed at me. He stopped the pipe next to Kyoko's neck, her eyes widening and her body jumping.
No... After all this time...
"Don't move, or she gets it." Juzo growled in a low voice.
I halted my movement, the knife mere inches away from Juzo's chest. I looked upwards, into Juzo's eyes. They were strained and heavy, looking like they've seen everything. I could tell Juzo strongly hoped he would never have to deal with any of this again.
And then I turned towards Kyoko. She was nervous, extremely nervous, even though her face didn't show it. Her wavering eyes said it all.
"I knew something was up... Who knew our very own detective was working with Junko's greatest pupil?"
Kyoko opened her mouth and spoke in an attempt to disprove Juzo, but all she could do was stutter before he cut her off.
"Don't say anything. I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of having to listen to you people. It doesn't fucking matter what you say, I'm done letting others change my mind for me when mine's already made up."
Juzo was almost trembling, but he kept enough composure to prevent me from attacking.
"Put the knife down."
I blinked, still unable to believe Juzo's actions. He recognized that Kyoko was my weakness... And now he's using it against me...
I clenched my fists in anger. Why did this have to happen? If only she left the room instead of staying here and providing no help at all... Juzo wouldn't have found this out if she left...
I couldn't be mad at Kyoko, as much as I wanted to. I loved her too much. This is my fault for letting this happen...
I had the upper hand until this point. But Juzo understood my true motive. This is why you never let your enemies see through you...
"Put it down!" Juzo yelled, voice wavering a bit, growing impatient with my ignorance.
I put down my only weapon slowly. How am I supposed to beat him now? He's got the woman I love hostage, and there's nothing I can do without him killing her...
My hopes for this plan succeeding were slowly dwindling... Is this really how it would end?
No. There's a way out. There has to be. I'm Izuru Kamukura. I cannot possibly lose.
But what can I do when I'm reliant on a less perfect individual?
"I'm tired of this long, futile war between Hope and Despair. It ends here." Juzo said, with the anger returning to his voice and his eyes.
"A noble cause. That is my goal as well." I said, hoping to buy enough time to think of a way out...
"Don't say anything. Don't even move a muscle. Or you know what'll happen."
I willingly complied, not wanting to risk Kyoko's life as well. Juzo moved the pipe away from Kyoko, slowly to ensure he could respond to any action I took. Once the pipe was within range to attack me, Juzo swiftly raised the pipe in preparation.
Was this... Was this the end?
I started filling my mind with possible actions I could take, but all of them resulted in the same undesirable outcome: either me or Kyoko dying. My brain went into overdrive, considering every possibility. There has to be a way...
Juzo Sakakura gave me a condescending look as he began to lower his pipe, aimed to slice my neck open, to end this.
