Hi! Once again I suggest you to also check the AO3, because there is a picture in it.
warning: violence and death, as well as a lot of despair.
Haruki sighed, looking at her phone. Isuke wasn't even answering to her call, or even her texts, proof that the situation may be worse than she thought.
Even if Haruki didn't consider that she had done something wrong, she still regretted a little bit her action. Since the Hope's Peak exam, Haruki was sometimes texting with Owari Akane, they had exchanged their phone number after their match. But today, like 10 minutes ago, Isuke discovered it and, after a short fight, walked away.
This is how Haruki ended up searching for her girlfriend during the evening, on the campus. At this hours, there was no one around. Well, that what she thought, until she heard a voice behind her.
"Hi there ~"
The redhead froze for a moment, and turned back. She was quite surprised when she discovered the identity of the person who just called her.
"Uh? You...Enoshima Junko!? What are you doing here?" Haruki asked with curiosity.
"Ah, nothing specifically. Just visiting my future kouhai."
Haruki, despite not being wary, was a little bit confused. Why a popular top model, as well as a Hope's Peak Academy's student, would visit them in the evening? There was no sun in the sky anymore, it was kind of late for a visit. But still, it wasn't like Junko seemed particularly threatening. Haruki didn't know what to do. Complimenting her outfit? Asking an autograph? Exchanging their phone number? No, the latter would probably infuriate Isuke even more. But an autograph on the other hand, perhaps it would be a good gift as an apologie for her girlfriend…
Suddenly, Haruki felt some hostile presence behind her. She quickly turned back, following her instinct, ready to fight or defend herself. But as soon as she turned back, she didn't even have the time to raise her fist. She only had the time to see a cold stare on a face with freckles that she received a powerful punched on the head, followed by total darkness.
Furious, Isuke continued to walk on the campus, heading to an unknown destination. In fact, not even herself knew she was was going. She just needed to go away from Haruki, to frustrate at her girlfriend to breath the same air as her.
"Stupid Haruki! She should consider herself lucky and grateful to have Isuke as her girlfriend, yet she's texting with that rude bombo...who is almost a perfect match for her...Damn, now I'm seriously pissed off!"
As she continued to curse Haruki mentally, Isuke suddenly heard what sounded like a groan of pain. The pink haired girl decided to head towards the sound, not because she was worried about the person who uttered the groan, but more by curiosity. And who knows, perhaps this situation could be beneficial for her in a way.
Isuke had the unpleasant to discover Haruki. But despite her frustration, Isuke noticed that her girlfriend seemed in trouble. The redhead had her eyes closed and was inert. But, she was breathing, which Isuke couldn't help but being relieved about.
She then noticed someone else, a girl, who was dragging the seemly unconscious Haruki. Given the fact that the girl was pretty plain and her girlfriend's condition, Isuke was sure this time that the redhead wasn't trying to cheat on her. She was being abducted by that girl.
"Hey, you!" Isuke shouted. "Where do you think you're going with MY girlfriend!? One cannot touch Isuke's property and hope to remain alive!"
The unknown girl dropped Haruki and looked at Isuke with surprise. She didn't seem afraid or worried about the pink haired girl, but she looked like she wasn't expecting her intervention.
"Oh, great, you're there too! It will be easier that way. By the way, I'm not quite sure that 'property' is a really polite way to call your lover."
Isuke immediately turned back when she heard that voice, and what was her surprise when she discovered to whom it belonged to.
"What...Enoshima Junko?"
Suddenly, the identity of the other girl was clear to Isuke. It was Junko's plain-looking sister, Mukuro. Isuke had almost totally forgotten about her.
Without warning, Mukuro rushed towards Isuke, with clear hostile intentions. Isuke immediately took a defensive posture and dodge the attack.
They both fight for a moment. Even if Isuke was fighting well, her opponent was stronger than her. But still, the pink haired girl managed to defend herself and continue to fight.
"Hey, you there! Is it okay if I killed that ginger girl?" Junko suddenly asked casually.
Isuke immediately turned her head towards Haruki, worried. Junko was near her, with an emotionless expression. This sudden moment of selflessness and humanity towards her girlfriend was what doomed Isuke. Mukuro took advantage of that small moment to kick her behind the head, sending Isuke in the same condition as Haruki.
"You...what are you doing here? School is over since hours, and you're not even students here!" Kouko exclaimed with severity.
In her classroom, the class rep was busy working on some school project with her vice-president, when two Hope's Peak Academy students suddenly walked into the room.
"Aww, come on, don't be so harsh, soon we'll be your senpai!" Junko replied with a friendly attitude that seemed somewhat forced.
"Then, Enoshima-senpai, Ikusaba-senpai, what are you doing here?" Kouko asked with a little bit more respect, but still wary.
Junko remained quiet, still smiling, while Mukuro looked at them with a cold expression, contrasting with her sister.
"Why do I have the feeling that it isn't a courtesy visit?" Suzu suddenly asked, seriously.
"Well, aren't you a smart one? I guess that it's true, with age come wisdom," Junko said with some sarcasm in her voice. "So, yeah, we're pretty much here to capture you for our, well, mostly mine, evil master plan. It would be appreciated if you don't resist and behave. If you're cooperative, we'll capture you nicely. But if you try to fight back...well, first you two have clearly no chance, and secondly, we'll be forced to capture you...more brutally. The choice is yours."
Kouko took the time to think about. There was no doubt possible anymore, their safety was threatened. Those two had bad intentions towards them, and Kouko wasn't really interested in experiencing whatever they had planned for them. So what should she do? Attack them? She may be a trained assassin, Kouko wasn't particularly strong in fighting, and she had no weapon on her. And Suzu...well, she may pass a lot of time swimming and stretching, she was far from being a fighter either. And Kouko was worried that, with her condition, Suzu could injure herself seriously if she fights. And since one of their enemies was the SHSL Soldier and looked as sympathetic as Tokaku, perhaps it was for the best to not fight them.
"Could it wait until graduation? Or at least the work we're doing right now…?" Kouko began to ask.
"Seriously? Geez, it's a kidnapping, not recruitment to become scouts," Junko replied. "And about graduation...well, I don't think you should worry about that. Whether or not you graduate will depend on how you behave."
"Fine, I surrender. But you better keep your words and not use violence against us, especially against Shuto," Kouko replied reluctantly.
"Perfect! Don't worry, I'm not into bullying elderly people. Ah, it's so nice to have cooperative victims. Ah, I use the term 'victim', but it doesn't mean I'll hurt or kill you. That will be up to you later."
"So, how do you intend to kidnap us 'nicely'? By gently holding our hands and lead us to where you want to keep us prisoner? By giving us candies?" Suzu asked with a smile that seemed bitter.
"No no, we're not some kind of kids abductors, it's not like we're going to capture you with some white van on which it's written 'Free Candy'. No, for you, I have prepared something more fitting for your similar abilities. Muku-nee, it's time to nicely send them to sleep." Junko said with a childish and cutesy voice.
Instinctively, Kouko put herself in front of Suzu, in a protective way. Suddenly, Mukuro threw something on the floor near them and, quickly, she left the room with Junko, who had taken the time to sarcastically wave at them before leaving. They then closed the door.
Kouko froze when she recognized the object she knew quite well near them: a grenade.
"Watch out, Kouko-chan!"
In an attempt to protect her, Suzu jumped on her and pinned her on the floor, the farthest she could from the supposed grenade. But this act, even if it was heroic, ended up being quite futile. The grenade didn't explode, instead, it spread some kind of quite smoke.
Kouko suddenly felt dizzy and understood what it must be: a soporific gas. Well, it was indeed a "nice" way to capture someone. She noticed that Suzu had already lost consciousness on top of her and, like she feared that it might be their last moment together, Kouko hugged her fondly, before losing consciousness.
Chitaru blocked another attack with her kendo sword but, it was obvious that her weapon in wood won't last too long against the knife of her opponent. That was what Hitsugi deducted, based on the cracks that were increasing on the kendo sword.
It all began when Chitaru and Hitsugi, holding hands since their reconciliation, were walking in a corridor of the main building, heading towards the new dormitory. Before they could reach the dormitory, they had been attacked by a girl, that Hitsugi had seen during their visit at Hope's Peak Academy: Ikusaba Mukuro, the SHSL Soldier.
Chitaru and Mukuro were still fighting but, given the fact that Chitaru's weapon couldn't support for long a blade and the fact that her body was still weakened a little, she was most likely going to lose against the soldier. Wanting to help the girl she loved, Hitsugi opened her teddy bear and took out her tranquillizer gun and aimed at Mukuro. But before she could shoot, someone suddenly grabbed her by behind, wrapping one arm around her neck and grabbing her armed hand, forcing her to drop her weapon.
"Hey, you over there, what's your name again? Ah, whatever, I'll just call you Prince, since that's how your fangirls call you. Is this girl important to you?"
Chitaru turned her head, still firmly holding her weapon. That voice reminded someone to Hitsugi, but it was Chitaru who confirmed their identity.
"You...Enoshima?" the red haired girl mumbled, confused.
"Geez, why everyone is so surprised to see me? Anyway, I got your precious fake loli, so if you don't want anything bad to happen to her, I suggest you drop your weapon and surrender."
"How coward! What's your goal? Answer me, miscreant!" Chitaru shouted with indignation.
"Meh, no wonder why you're called Prince. All you need to know is that I need the collaboration of both of you for some project of mine, and that if you refuse, well...I guess that I could only have your collaboration, if you know what I mean…"
To fully express her threat, Junko suddenly tightened her arm around Hitsugi's neck, which was strangling her. Hitsugi began to gasp in pain. Chitaru immediately looked worried, and gazed at Junko with hatred.
"Let her go, you dastard!" Chitaru shouted with anger.
"I told you to drop your weapon and surrender. Don't make me repeat for a third time, or else...well, I hope that in addition to your lolicon tendencies, you're also necrophile…" Junko threatened in a cold and serious voice.
Chitaru looked tormented. She glanced at her sword, at Mukuro, at Junko, at Hitsugi, and then go back to her weapon. Hitsugi suddenly felt a terrible doubt. What if Chitaru abandoned her? What if she couldn't forgive her after all? Somehow, even if Hitsugi would be devastated if it was the case, she felt that she deserved it. She tricked Chitaru, someone as good as her, while herself was a despicable being. Would it be fair that Chitaru let her die to save herself? After all, she considered that Chitaru deserved to live more than her…
Well, apparently not, since Chitaru dropped her weapon. Hitsugi was shocked for a moment, then realized her mistake. Chitaru was someone who believed in justice, and letting someone died when she can save them was certainly not justice. Even if Hitsugi admired that part of Chitaru, it was mostly thanks to that if she fell for her, right now she almost wanted to scream at her to get back her damn sword and fight, that she didn't need to worry about her, that she didn't worth the risk...but she didn't say anything. Deep down, she was glad that Chitaru chose to save her.
"Happy now? Let her go, I respected your condition…"
Suddenly, Mukuro took the kendo sword and violently hit Chitaru behind her head with enough strength that the weapon break in half. Junko let Hitsugi go and, the latter, worried sick about her beloved, rushed towards her. But before she could reach Chitaru, Hitsugi suddenly felt a slight pain on her arm, similar to a bug's bite. Confused, she looked at her arm, and discovered with fright that there was a dart on it. She slowly turned back and discovered that Junko was now holding her tranquillizer gun. Junko smiled at her in a taunting way.
Fortunately, since the Romeo & Juliet incident, Hitsugi wasn't carrying poison anymore, she even promised it to Chitaru. Instead, she only carried regular tranquillizer, in case she was being attacked. But it seemed that it backfired.
Hitsugi fell on the floor and began to crawl pitifully towards her girlfriend, hoping that she was fine. She managed to reach her and, when she noticed that she was still breathing, Hitsugi sighed in relief. She then lay next to her beloved, facing her, contemplating her for what could be the last time, and eventually fell asleep, knocked out by the drug.
The wind in her hair, Sumireko was facing her opponent, on top of Myojo's rooftop, like it was some kind of over-dramatic scene. This morning, as she went to her classroom, Sumireko had felt a presence observing her, a hostile one. Since she wanted to avoid fighting in a public area, she headed to the rooftop, and when she turned back, she discovered the identity of the person who was following her.
"You...Yes, I had seen you before, at Hope's Peak Academy. Ikusaba Mukuro-san, right? Why are you following me here? And why do you feel some hostile vibes coming from you?"
As an answer, the solder immediately pulled out a knife. Sumireko smiled bitterly.
"I see. It has been a while since someone tried to take my life. Whoever sent you to assassinate me, I will kill the both of you, starting by you."
Sumireko took an offensive posture. She may not be wearing her high-tech cybernetic limbs, but her regular ones still had a superhuman strength. After all, she needed to be ready to protect herself at any moment.
But before they could even start to battle (BATORU!), Sumireko heard a soft and shaky voice calling her.
"Su...Sumireko-san...help…"
The cyborg immediately turned her head and discovered with fear and anger that Mahiru was on the roof, her hands tied up. The silver haired girl looked frightened. Another girl was with her, keeping her as a hostage. Sumireko recognized her and glanced at her grudgeful.
"Enoshima-san...So you are the one who wishes my death. Why? If you are after me, leave Mahiru-san alone! She has nothing to do with this!"
"No, she has a lot to do with this, trust me," Junko taunted.
"You coward, attacking the weak is so insightful. You should have wait the night to do so, at least you would have face someone stronger."
"Well, that's exactly why we wait for the day to attack her, we're not stupid...well, Muku-nee yes, but not me. That's why I'm the brain and her the muscles. But still, my sister is strong sure, but I don't want her to risk fighting with a half-machine, I still need her. Anyway, you better surrender, if you care about your precious pet...I mean, girlfriend."
Sumireko felt a deep frustration. Not so long ago, she would have never put her own life at risk for someone else's. But now it was different. She had given up being only a survivor, being a queen. Even if she still intended to protect herself, she was not alone anymore. Banba was a part of her life, and without her, Sumireko wasn't sure if she could keep living. She would probably go back to be a lonely queen, in that futile quest of being the strongest, even if she had already been defeated by Haru. No, she didn't want to go back there. She liked her life as she was now, she loved Banba, and she was willing to take any risk to keep it that way.
"Fine, I will surrender. But you better not hurt Mahiru-san, or else…"
"Don't worry, if something happens to her, I won't be the cause, I promise," Junko said. "But still, we need the both of you, asleep. But I can't hurt her...oh, I know how I can do that without harming her."
Junko looked around and looked at the sun, and a twisted grin appeared on her lips, which worried Sumireko. The fashionista then grabbed Mahiru and turned her around, forcing her to stare directly at the sun, showing her in the sunlight. The silver haired girl's reaction was instant. She started to scream in fear.
"N-No, please...not the light...it's too strong...don't...don't take pictures of me...STOP!"
Junko released her and, due to her traumatism being triggered, Mahiru fell to the ground and curled up. shivering in fear. Sumireko could even hear her sobbing, which was truly heartbreaking. She rushed towards her girlfriend to comfort her, but it was too late. Mahiru had lost consciousness. All Sumireko could do was to delicately stroke her head, hoping that it could reach her in her sleep.
"Why...it is too cruel. What had she done to you to deserve that? Why are you doing that!?" Sumireko asked with hatred.
"Wow, I never expected someone who called herself a queen to be so interested in someone you should see as a mere peasant," Junko replied. "And don't take it too personally. We're doing this with all your classmates."
"Queen...I am not a queen anymore, and Mahiru-san is not a peasant, she is my lover!"
"Well then, it doesn't bother you if I took that title? Anyway, I've always been a queen, the Despair Queen!"
Sumireko let out a bitter laugh.
"You, a queen? Someone who is attacking the weak cannot be a queen, it is what a tyrant does. If you really are after all my classmates, then you will meet a real queen, and she will defeat you."
Junko didn't reply anything, she was just smiling with arrogance. Sumireko suddenly felt a terrible pain behind her head and fell on Mahiru, before falling unconscious.
"What do you mean, Tokaku is in danger?!" Haru exclaimed, confused and worried.
"I saw Azuma-san fighting with someone, and she got injured. She's inert now…" Junko added seriously.
Haru felt a deep fear. She always had the feeling that something terrible would happen to her, but it seemed that it happened to Tokaku instead. Was is because she swore to protect Haru? This thought made the survivor felt guilty. She didn't want to drag Tokaku in her problems, she had to save her.
Haru followed Junko to the place where Tokaku was supposedly inert, near their old dormitory. But when they arrived, Haru discovered with surprise that her girlfriend was fine. Well, fine was a euphemism, since she was currently fighting someone, both of them using knives. There was no one else around, which was normal, since no one anymore got close from the old dormitory.
"Uh, isn't it your sister…?" Haru wanted to ask.
But she suddenly noticed that Junko seemed quite pissed.
"Hey, Mukuro. you fucking incompetent! You should already have won, so why are you still fighting?! I counted on you to knock her out before I go back with Ichinose-san...so disappointing. You are making me look like a fool."
Haru quickly realized that she had been tricked. But before she could react properly to the threat, Junko aimed a gun at her.
"Geez, I wanted to avoid doing that. All I want was for her to discover her unconscious friend so you could knock her out by surprise, Muku-nee. Well, looks like we'll have to do it the hard way. But seriously, how could you not win against that virgin assassin? You, who had killed so many people..."
Tokaku immediately looked at Haru desperately, neglecting to watch her opponent.
"Haru!"
"Tokaku, watch out!"
The blue haired girl turned back, but it was too late. She received a powerful kick on her stomach and fell on her knees. But, Tokaku managed to grab her opponent's arm and rose up, before twisting her arm in her back and putting her knife under Mukuro's throat.
"You! Let go of Haru, or I kill your sister!" Tokaku threatened.
"Eh? The virgin assassin thinks she can kill someone? How funny."
"Don't test me! For Haru's sake, I'm willing to do anything. So drop your weapon, if you don't want your sister to become my first kill."
Junko remained emotionless for a moment, before she suddenly laughed.
"Ah! I don't care! Her death will cause me despair, which is a good thing. You're the one who shouldn't test me! Now, let's see who's the more willing to let the other die. You with your girlfriend, or me with my sister? If you kill her, well, I'll kill Ichinose-san, so you could share my despair."
Stangely, Mukuro didn't seem offended by what her sister said, on the contrary, she looked happy. Tokaku looked tormented, but she eventually let Mukuro go. Haru felt both happy to see Tokaku protecting her and worried about what was going to happen to her.
"Now, let Haru go…"
Tokaku was brutally interrupted by the sudden punch she received behind the head, and fell to the ground, inert.
"Tokaku!" Haru shouted worriedly.
"Well, looks like I was right, Azuma-san is really injured and inert, I was just...ahead. I must be a seer," Junko joked. "Anyway, don't worry, you'll join her soon…"
Before she could do anything, Junko pressed a wet tissue on Haru's nose and mouth. Just by the smell, Haru knew what it was: chloroform.
Haru felt some hope. Just as narcoleptic, chloroform worked less on her. She may have a chance to escape. Haru closed her eyes and pretend to be asleep. But, while she felt that Junko was about to drop her, she heard Mukuro say:
"She's still conscious. I can see it by the way she breathes."
"Uh? Really? How could she...oh, right. Resisting to such a substance and pretending to be asleep, no wonder why you're the SMSL Survivor."
When she understood that her plan failed, Haru tried to struggle, in vain. Junko pressed the tissue on her face again. This time, Haru began to feel dizzy. She may be resistant to that, there was still a limit. She then thought about using the queen bee ability, even if she wasn't sure she had it, but it was too late. Everything became dark around her and sank into unconsciousness.
Otoya remained in front of the mailbox, thoughtful. She had looked inside and once again, no envelop for her. She was the only one in Class Black who hadn't received a letter from Hope's Peak Academy, and that, since multiple days now. She had no other choice than facing the fact: she wasn't accepted at Hope's Peak.
Otoya clenched her fist with frustration, resisting the urge to punch the mailbox. She was so sure that she did well during the exam, so why wasn't she accepted and everyone else yes!? Damn, she was so mad, she knew that she was as talented, if it wasn't more, than her classmates. Then why…
Perhaps it was because of her serial killer activities? No, otherwise, they would have called the cop, not just refused her. Otoya took a deep breath. It didn't really matter. After all, she only came to Myojo and accept to be a SMSL student in order to kill someone, which never happened for a reason she didn't know and didn't care anymore. She had found something more interesting than killing in that school, a beauty that may never fade, just as she always had, deep down, the desire to find and to keep for herself only. So, even if she felt somewhat humiliated to be the only one in Class Black to not be accepted, it wasn't the main reason why she was mad. No, she was upset because she might lose the object of her desire: Shiena.
"What am I doing with Shiena-chan? I can't let her go there without me...should I kidnap her? Um, going to Hope's Peak as the SHSL Dramatist has always been her dream, she would probably be mad if I refrain her to go there. Not that I care, but if she's upset at me, it'll be a real bother to deal with her. But if I'm not a student there, it'll be hard to be with her, to keep an eye on her, to avoid anyone stealing her from me...Unless...yes, the Reserve Course Students! But it cost a lot...perhaps Hashiri-san could help me with that? But still, going to the Reserve Course while everyone else goes to the Main Course, how humiliating...maybe I should slice some of them to appease my frustration!"
As she continued to gaze with discontent, Otoya heard footsteps behind her and immediately turned back to discover to whom it belonged to, trying to look calm.
"Oh, it's you," Otoya said.
Remaining quiet, Shiena was in front of her, smiling. She had a soft expression on her face when she was looking at Otoya. Even if to see Shiena looking at her so fondly was pleasant, Otoya found it a little bit suspicious. The brunette never looked at her that way...well, not since she had raped her. Did she forgive her? It was improbable, but who knows?
"I see that once again, you came to see if you had received a letter. Let me guess, just like the other days, no envelope with your name on it? It must be really despairful for you…"
Otoya remained confused for a moment. Something felt odd with what Shiena just told her. Was she mocking her? No, if it was the case, Shiena would be smirking, not smiling softly with a loving gaze.
"What do you mean by that?" Otoya asked.
"Nothing. Here, I've got something for you, something that should make you happy."
Shiena took out an envelope from her jacket and handed it to Otoya. Curious, the latter took it and opened it, before reading the letter:
"Takechi Otoya-san, we are pleased to announce you that you passed the exam. We'll be proud to have you with us in Hope's Peak Academy 79th Class as the Super High School Level Scissorer. Congratulation!"
Otoya remained speechless for few seconds. She wasn't expecting that at all, but, it was a good news that indeed, made her happy. But she had some questions about that.
"So I'm accepted at Hope's Peak as the SHSL Scissorer. Ah, this time, they got my talent right!" Otoya exclaimed. "But still, how strange. Why did it take more time for me to receive my letter? And why you were the one who had it, Shiena-chan?"
"I came sooner to check my mail, and discovered your letter. I wanted to bring it to you, but you weren't in your room," Shiena replied.
"I see. Well, this is definitely something that makes me happy. It means that we'll be able to remain together, even at Hope's Peak!"
Otoya was expecting to see Shiena becoming gloomy, but not, she continued to smile softly, as if she was honestly happy about that too. Even if it was to Otoya's advantage if Shiena was happy, it still felt weird and unexpected, like something was odd with that.
"It's a wonderful news! Being separate from you would have been a bother to me. I'm happy to be able to stay with you. Because I love you, Otoya."
The serial killer suddenly felt her heart racing. She was truly happy to hear those words, but somehow, she couldn't help but wonder how it was possible. Shiena loved her, despite everything she had done to her, despite she knew her real identity? It felt too good to be true.
"I love you too, Shiena-chan. But why do you express your love for me so honestly? Did something happened?"
Slowly, Shiena approached her, and when she reached her, she softly stroke Otoya's scissors, hanging on her belt.
"I recently realized the joy of a certain feeling, and it's a feeling that you often caused me. If I stay with you, I know that I'll continue to feel it, which makes me love you even more."
"Oh yeah? What is this feeling?" Otoya asked, curious.
"Despair ~"
Otoya remained confused for a moment. Did she hear well? Shiena continued to look at her with passion, still caressing her scissors. Physically, she looked the same as before. But there was something in the brunette's gazed that shocked Otoya. It wasn't Shiena's appearance that matter for Otoya, it was her soul, her pure heart, her inner beauty. Something she could see through her brown eyes. But she couldn't see it anymore. Instead, Shiena's gaze was dark, as if her purity had been corrupted by something.
"Shiena-chan, what's wrong? You seem...not yourself."
"On the contrary, I never felt so myself! So free, I finally understood the truth. I feel so good now. But...I feel jealous. Jealous of all your victims, who experienced the despair you afflicted them by killing them so horribly. I want to feel it too...Please, Otoya, use your scissors on me, make me feel what you did to all those girls. Stab me wherever you want with them, you...you can even kill me, if you wish too. Yes, do that, please! Make me feel the despair to be brutally murdered by the one I love, I beg you!"
Shiena looked at her with a desperate gaze, like she truly wanted to die. Firstly, Otoya didn't like to see that kind of expression on Shiena, secondly, she had no interest in killing someone who wanted to die.
"You...what's wrong with you!? Did you overwork yourself too much? Is it why you're so...weird? You should rest…I have nothing against some sadomaso stuff, but I don't want to kill you.""
"No! I'm fine! I'm not a masochist, I'm despaired! Please, Otoya...you don't need to kill me, but you can use me in any way you want, and then, we could spread despair together…"
Otoya suddenly felt repulsed by what Shiena was saying, by her corrupted gaze, so much that she pushed her away as if she was something dirty.
"I don't care about despair!" Otoya shouted. "All I care is my own happiness! I do things for my sake, for my pleasure...I don't care about how others feel! But your happiness, it's important to me, because it keeps you pure! I don't want to cause you despair, I'm not interested in causing despair to others either. All I want...is to make you happy, because it makes ME happy. I want...to preserve your hope, so you would remain…"
Otoya immediately stoped talking when she discovered Shiena's expression. The brunette was gazing at her with a gloomy look full of contempt.
"Hope...is disgusting," Shiena mumbled with a grudgeful voice.
"Eh!?"
"So I was wrong about you, how disappointing. I thought you would be on the side of despair, but I see that you're in favour of hope. It seems that I have no choice now. Let me share some of my despair with you, it's not fair for me to keep it all for myself." Shiena began to say, before sadness could be seen in her eyes. "If only...you had chosen to kill me, I wouldn't have to do this…"
Then, Shiena's expression became threatening, as a sinister grin appeared on her lips.
"Otoya, I slept with someone else."
"What!? You...you cheated on me!?"
"Well, not sure if it counts as cheating, since it was a rape…"
Otoya suddenly felt a violent emotion. It had been a while since she had felt so angry, so pissed, so desirous to kill for another reason than satisfying her lust.
"Who...who raped you?" Otoya asked with a calm yet cold voice.
"It was me!" a sudden feminine voice exclaimed cheerfully.
Otoya went quiet. This voice, she had heard before, she was sure of it. She then saw a silhouette approaching them, and finally recognized who she was.
"You, you're…" Otoya began to say.
"Enoshima Junko, yes I know. Geez, everyone said that today, it begins to be redundant…" the fashionista said.
Otoya didn't know what to think about that. Why would a popular top model had rape someone as plain as Shiena, as well as a girl? Was it just a prank?
"Uh, still not despaired yet...you're a thought one. I guess it must be harder for a psychopath to feel despair. But as the SHSL Despair, I accept the challenge!"
Junko then smirked in a maleficent way.
"You thought that you were the one who took Kenmochi-san's virginity but in reality it was I, Junko!"
"What!? You liar! I'm not the one who…"
"Well, you may have explored the surface, but it was me who went enough deep to take her virginity."
This time, it was more than a violent emotion Otoya felt. But before she could rush towards Junko, someone grabbed her by behind, restraining her.
"You bitch! That's not true! I'm Shiena-chan's first one! Who cares about the hymen?! It only matters for straight girls and she's not! You rapist! You just forced yourself on her, it doesn't count…!"
"Say the one who raped Kenmochi-san."
Otoya went silent. She found nothing to say. But she kept struggling, in vain. All she managed to do is to discover who was restraining her: Ikusaba Mukuro.
"And I may have raped her the first time, but it's not like she disliked it. The second time she was the one who forced herself on me, proof that she liked it. Here, let me show you…"
Right after she had said that, Junko grabbed Shiena's collar and kissed her right on the lips. The worst was that Shiena didn't try to push her away, on the contrary, she even kissed Junko back! It was truly a heartbreaking sight for Otoya. This scene made her so angry and enraged that she managed to break free for a moment. But she couldn't even make two steps that she was brusquely pinned on the floor and once again restrained by Mukuro. Otoya could only watch helplessly the girl she loved kissing someone else.
Otoya felt a mix of emotion right now: anger, humiliation, hatred, rage, sadness, hopelessness. Could it be what despair feel like?
Junko suddenly broke the kiss and glanced at Otoya with a victorious expression. She approached the serial killer and squat near her, before grabbing her chin to force the eye contact. Otoya glanced at her with pure hatred, while Junko looked at her with arrogance.
"How does it feel to know that I touched your precious plaything?" Junko taunted.
"You bitch...you did something to her, something bad, you...you corrupted her! You blackened her heart, her purity. I'll make you pay for that, I'll make you suffer for destroying the only beauty I was willing to let live!"
Junko laughed meanly, before she rose up.
"You're so desperate right now. Yes, I stole your toy, destroyed it, and rebuild it to my taste. And frankly, I find her more beautiful that way, full of despair, with no more hope in her, all rotten…"
Before Otoya could say anything to this blasphemous comment, Junko raised her leg and kicked her on the head. The last thing Otoya saw before falling unconscious was Shiena looking at her with a gaze full of despair.
Mizorogi's life had been far from being pleasant these days. Almost all his students had mysteriously disappeared, except Nio. The more plausible explanation for their disappearance would be a kidnapping. After all, the riots that started at Hope's Peak had begun to spread to Myojo too, because of the alliance between the two academies. People feared that the Class Black's students had been kidnapped before they were now officially affiliated to Hope's Peak, that those riots were the cause of their disappearance. This event was now known as "The Tragedy of Myojo Academy", where 12 future Hope's Peak Academy's students had disappeared. But there was also another people suspected of the crime: their teacher.
It was really the worst for Mizorogi. Not only his dear students had possibly been kidnapped, but he was one of the main suspects in their disappearance. The police weren't after him yet, but in the mind of a lot of people, he was the culprit, as well as an ally of those who were causing the riots. It was just too despairful for him to be accused of such a thing, never we would have hurt his precious students. He was also worried sick about them, fearing that they could have been hurt or in danger, or worst, already dead.
But apparently, the situation could get even more worst. Mizorogi woke up in his classroom, not remembering how he fell asleep there (his last memory was drinking his coffee and heading to his class, since he was still giving his class to his now sole remaining student, Nio, who kept coming, as if she was trying to support him). He then discovered with terror that his hands were tied up behind his back. He was currently sitting on a chair.
"Oh, you're finally awake. Good, I was beginning to be tired to wait. After all, we have a video to make."
Mizorogi recognized that voice. Despite the disturbing things he heard, he couldn't help but feel some hope when he heard one of his missing students' voice.
"...Ken...Kenmochi?" he called.
He then saw someone appearing in his sight, confirming his doubt.
"Hello sensei, how are you?" Shiena asked casually, as she began to install a camera in front of him.
"I...I don't understand...why are you here? Why am I...tied up? Where are your classmates? Weren't you kidnapped?"
"Ah, aren't you glad to see me, sensei?"
"Of course I am! I was so worried, I'm happy to see you are okay. But I'm also worried about the others. What happened to you? What video? Why the camera?"
"Aww, you're so worried about them, such a caring teacher, yet so naive. It's almost like you think that you'll be able to teach to two students now instead of one. Ah, it makes me feel even more bad for what I'm about to do to you, I'm sure this guiltiness will bring me a lot of despair. Just thinking about it, it already begins to make me go dokidoki ~"
Mizorogi had no idea what she was talking about, but he had the feeling that something was wrong. Shiena's behaviour seemed abnormal, and even worrisome. He then realized that he had something around his neck. He raised his head and discovered with fright that it was a rope. He had a noose around his neck, connected to some kind of mechanism. He then looked at Shiena, to ask for an explanation, but before he could say anything, the brunette pressed a button on a controller and suddenly, the rope began to move, going up. She must have activated the mechanism.
"If I were you, I would stand up and climb on the chair. Otherwise, you'll end up strangled," Shiena said calmly, as if it was something totally normal to say to your teacher.
When he began to feel the rope against his throat, Mizorogi immediately stood up. But the rope was still going up, threatening to hang him soon. With no other option, he climbed on the chair. He thought that it wouldn't matter since the rope was still moving but, suddenly, Shiena stopped the mechanism. Mizorogi sighed, but he realized in what predicament he was. There was a noose around him, he was standing on a chair, his hands tied up. Now that the length of the rope was shorter, if he fell, he would hang for sure. With this thought, he shivered a little in fear.
"It's perfect!" Shiena exclaimed with a bright smile, before going behind the camera. "And the angle seems perfect too. I want to be sure that I'll film everything, to not miss anything."
"W-What...what do you want to film? Is it...some kind of prank? Was all of this just a joke?"
"I'm afraid that it's real, sensei. I'm sorry, but this is the price to pay for true despair. Don't worry, I'm a generous person. I intend to make you feel despair too, not just me."
"Uh? What do you mean by that? It's not funny! Let me go, Kenmochi!"
"It's not a joke. I want to film your death as I kill you, and use it to reveal my true identity. Don't worry, your sacrifice will allow me to reach a new level of despair, true despair."
When he realized that his life was truly in danger, tears began to appear in Mizorogi's eyes.
"What!? Why do you want to kill me? It's doesn't make any sense!"
"I already told you, it's for the sake of true despair. I intend to watch this video later, and it'll make me feel true despair, the strongest despair I have ever feel. Then, I'll be able to eradicate hope once and for all."
Shiena suddenly put some kind of weird mask on her head. It represented some strange bear that was black and white, with a twisted smirk and one red eye. Mizorogi recognized it. He saw some of the protesters in the riots, those against Hope's Peak, wearing those. He then understood what Shiena was up too, her role in this story. But it seemed that he understood too late. Shiena turned on the camera, still wearing the mask.
"Please, don't do this! I'm your teacher! I don't know why you're doing this, but please stop!" Mizorogi begged as she began to cry in fear, asking for mercy.
"This is…for the sake of despair. Everything that is related to hope…must be destroyed. Because Hope's Peak Academy…is rotten," Shiena replied, almost mechanically, which was accentuated by the robotic voice coming from her mask.
She then approached her teacher. Mizorogi was now even more convinced about Shiena's involvement in the Tragedy if Myojo Academy.
"You…you are behind all that happened, don't you!? Your classmates…you are behind their disappearance! What did you do to them?! Tell me!"
"Nothing…for now. Let's just say that what I have planned for them will be quite…despair-inducing."
"Please, leave them alone!" Mizorogi exclaimed desperately. "They are your classmates, your friends! Don't hurt them! You can do whatever you want with me, but please spare them! They are my precious students…"
He was truly desperate. Not only he was about to die without even knowing fully why he deserved such a cruel fate, but he didn't know what will happen to his students.
"I can't do that. I have to save them from hope, because I care about them. I care about you too sensei, this is why you deserve to die in despair, knowing that you failed to protect your students…"
Suddenly, Shiena kicked the chair. Mizorogi fell from it and the noose around his neck began to strangle him. Desperately the teacher tried to grab the rope to loose it, in vain. He could feel the blood vessel exploding in his head, injecting his eyes with blood. It was truly painful.
Despite the pain, his last thought went for his students. Despite the despair he was feeling regarding his imminent death and the situation, he managed to have some hope, he was hoping that his students will be alright somehow, that they will escape from whatever place they were trapped in. He also hoped that whatever happened to Shiena to cause her to act that way will also be resolved, because he was sure that she wasn't in her normal state. He had no hatred or grudge against her in his final moment, still viewing her as one of his students. He died in despair, but also with hope for all his students. It was the only thing, as well as last thing, he could do for them before finally passing away.
Ah, once again, I feel terrible. I'm sorry everyone.
Me using this chapter to make some shipping moment for the last time, making the death later even more tragic...yep, I'm a terrible person. I'm really an Ultimate Despair.
I realized shamefully that Mizorogi barely appeared in this fic, even if he was there teacher. So I also used this chapter to give him...his moment of glory, I guess. Damn I almost cried when writing his part. I know I re-used his death from the previous fic, but now that I shown his thought before dying...I feel terrible. I'm sorry sensei.
Next chapter should be the last one. I still have some stuff to show in this fic before ending it, so I'm not sure how long the last chapter will be. Anyway, I still intend to post it as one single chapter, so be prepared for a possibly long and quite despairful last chapter!