A/N: Well, here we are again ladies and gentlemen. After a few days, I have finally written the latest installment of The School Life of Mutual Killing II. This chapter is pretty much a left field chapter, none of you will expect the ending, because even I didn't expect the ending, and I wrote the damn thing. After the hell that the anime has been going through, and the despair I've been feeling, I finally felt the need to turn that despair into this chapter, and I hope all of you enjoy it. We are coming close to the end of Chapter four, and it will most likely be the shortest chapter to date, seeing as it might only have four acts, but a lot of information will be in this final act, and it will be a set up for the two final chapters of this story, Chapter Five will not only start kicking the despair into high gear, but it will also set up for Chapter Six, where everything will come together. There will also be a pause between these chapters to explain what Hiyoko is currently doing. If you are all reading the Prequel to this story, do not fret, I will be writing a new chapter for that story soon enough.
That being said, this chapter will be full of emotions, and blue balls. I hope you all enjoy it, and make sure to leave a review, telling me how it was, or how much of a dickhead I am, or to tell me if I gave you blue balls. It's all welcome here.
Also, should I include a lemon in this story? I ask because I am planning on writing one for Yuno and Sayaka. they are the main pairing in this story, and I was thinking of adding a couple more of them, probably giving Leon and Makoto some action with Taeko and Mikan respectively. If that's something you want to see, than please let me know, if not I'll just make it an after story omake or something.
Hope you all have a wonderful day/night. And remember, Mistress Junko is always watching...reading...waiting...
Update: 6/29/17 Act 3 of Chapter 4 has been edited and re uploaded. It contains various grammar fixes as well as some continuity fixes and added content.
Danganronpa
The School Life of Mutual Killing
Chapter 4
Act 3
Hopeful Situations
(Daily Life)
With the addition of Ryouko into the killing game, Yuno had grown extremely worried. A new unknown player, and a motive of money, no one knew how to react and so far people weren't taking it too well. Now, they all sat at the cafeteria, going over the things they had found on the fourth floor. Bryce of course had gone off to explore on his own, and Sakura had insisted on going with him, but Yuno talked her out of it. Discussing what to do with Ryouko was more important than dealing with Bryce, no matter how dangerous the situation.
Yuno also had to deal with Chihiro's last will, as he hadn't gotten a chance to see what it was before they were all ushered into the Gymnasium for their next motive. Whatever the case, the twelve remaining students were at a loss of what to do. However, it seemed as if there was a ray of hope in their current dilemma.
"Honestly, I say we let her into the group." Makoto said.
"Are you insane man? We don't even know her! She could be a murderer." Nick added.
"Dude, if you hadn't noticed all of us are deadmen walking. We're all at risk of becoming a murderer, so making false claims like that is asinine and it's a waste of time." Leon said, his face free of emotion.
"I agree with Leon, we mustn't waste time on trivial matters." Sakura said.
"Alright, so let's see if we're on the same page. You want to let Ryouko into our little group, without knowing what the hell could happen, instead of singling her out and keeping an eye on her, just in case she turns out to be dangerous?" Nick asked, slightly taken aback.
"It's the only thing we can do Nick, we can't just leave her all defenseless in this academy, especially with Bryce going around. If he was able to use Chihiro's secret to do what he did, surely he can take advantage of her condition to make her do the same thing. I would gladly let Ryouko into our group over letting Bryce taint her mind." Hina said. The baker sighed, standing up from his seat.
"Whatever, if it gets you all killed then that's fine by me. But I am not willing to trust her, not yet. I'm not gonna die here." he said, ducking into the kitchen.
"Ugh...what a mess. Surely this was a side effect of what Monokuma was planning. Anyway, let's recount what we found on the Fourth Floor. I'll start, me and Sayaka found the Music Hall, it was pretty huge, filled with all kinds of instruments and loud speakers. She also expressed an interest in throwing a bit of a concert, and thinking about it, perhaps her music can get through the metal plating and bring attention to this building." Yuno said.
"Not a bad strategy. Surely making a lot of loud noise will bring attention to us. Similarly, I explored the Faculty Room next to the Headmaster's office. It held no means of escape but there were several interesting files stashed within the cabinets. They were mostly school records, test results and entrance exams for the International Branches of Hope's Peak, including Morning Hope High School located in America, and Hope Hills Academy located in Canada. It also listed an affiliation with an Elementary School located in this city, Hope's Peak Elementary School. It also lists all of the possible candidates for what would have been Class 80, including several people of interest, the Ultimate Electrician, and the Ultimate Autobody Specialist being the prominent ones." Byakuya said, earning a nod from everyone.
"Me and Nick checked out the Chemistry Lab on the west side of the Fourth Floor. It was filled with a lot of interesting things. There was also a large glass case, filled with several different things. Everything in case A happens to be Proteins and Health Supplements, case B is filled with Reagents, split by color, and case C is filled with Poison. Me and Nick put bright labels on each case so everyone knows what is what." Hina said, a proud smile on her face.
"There's also a back room filled with Pheromones and Pharmaceuticals." Nick added, earning a nod from everyone.
"Mikan and I explored the classrooms. We didn't find anything of interest, but there were a bunch of text books stacked up in the back of Classroom 4-A, and it had the names of several students belonging to Class 77, other than that we didn't find anything. Odd thing is, Mikan doesn't recall ever meeting any of them, even though they were part of her class." Makoto said.
"It could be due to the fact that each class is split in two. If you have noticed, aside from the first floor, all of the other floors have two classrooms, meaning each class is split in half. That means all of those students were part of Class 77A, where Mikan was most likely part of Class 77B, and most likely never met class A." Taeko said, earning nods from everyone.
"That does make a lot of sense, now that I think about it." Yuno added.
"The final room of interest was the Headmaster's Office, along with the Data Processing Room, access was restricted to both of these rooms, but I theorize they may hold something within them that would explain our current situation. We have to figure out a way to gain access without breaking Monokuma's new rule." Kyoko added.
"Man, what a chore. This is getting more and more annoying as we progress." Leon said.
"Yeah, but I figured we don't have much else to this academy. There's only one floor left after this one." Sayaka said with a smile.
"Meaning, one or more of us will have to die if we want to figure out what lies within. Think before you add useless information to the conversation." Byakuya said, making the Ultimate Pop Sensation frown.
"Hey man, no need to be a dick about it. She was just saying that there isn't much left for us to see. Other than the blocked stairs leading up to the second floor of the dorms. There has to be something that this academy is hiding from us, and we'll get to the bottom of it." Yuno said, glaring at the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. He smirked, standing from his seat.
"Be that as it may, there is still the chance of murder on the table. Ten Million Yen isn't much to a person like me, but for a bunch of plebs like you, it's a small fortune. Choose wisely among yourselves, though I'll make sure that none of you enjoy the boon." he said, taking his leave.
"Even after all this Byakuya is still an insufferable prick." Taeko said, making a few of her friends chuckle.
"He does have a point though. I trust that none of you will fall victim to the money that Monokuma has put in front of us, but there are people who aren't on the same page as us." Yuno added.
"There isn't much for us to do now. I say we all take a break and relax! We've been working hard all day, coming up with ways to get out of this academy. It won't be long until dinner is ready so let's take it easy until then." Mikan said, a bright smile on her face.
"Um, excuse me...does anyone know what dorm I'll be staying in? No one told me." Ryouko said, raising her hand high into the air. Everyone groaned. Sayaka stood up, a smile on her face. Yuno handed her Junko's room key, giving her a nod.
"Are you sure about this? You'll have to sleep in your dorm again." She said.
"No I don't. Remember, Monokuma lifted that rule, so I'll be sleeping in your dorm from now on. Besides, I doubt Leon wants me sleeping in the same room with his woman." he said, giving the Baseball Star a wink, making him blush a deep red.
"Okay, Ryouko why don't you follow me. I'll take you to your dorm." Sayaka said, a smile on her face.
"If you say so! Um...what's your name again?"
"I can already tell this is going to piss me off." Leon muttered under his breath. Taeko rolled her eyes, running her clawed finger over the top of his hand.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you distracted from that lowly wretch. I can teach you how to play Poker. After all, I still am the Ultimate Gambler, and I'll need someone to help me get better in the future...then again I never have lost a game." she said with a grin.
"I wouldn't mind learning how to play Poker, as long as I get to spend some time with you. It's a win/win for me." he said, returning her grin with one of his own.
"Jeez, what's with everyone hooking up all of a sudden. Wasn't escaping the academy our main priority?" Hina asked, earning a chuckle from Sakura.
"Love knows no bounds, even under extreme circumstances, love can bloom, like a beautiful rose." She said.
"What does that mean?" the tan swimmer asked. The Ultimate Wrestler just chuckled, patting her head.
"You'll know one day, my dear Asahina."
Yuno stood up from his seat, gesturing for Kyoko to follow. He gave a quiet goodbye to his friends, ignoring their curious looks as he left the cafeteria, the purple haired girl hot on his heels. Taeko smirked, looking at her friends.
"You don't think those two are doing things are you?"
"Yuno and Kyoko? No way...besides Yuno is totally in love with Sayaka. I think those two are just sharing notes with each other, or something revolving around the mystery of this academy. Have a little hope in them." Makoto said.
Entering the Bath house, Yuno looked around for a few seconds, making sure that it was indeed empty. Kyoko stood by the door, peeking out of it every few seconds. He moved toward the lockers, looking at the paper in his hands. He found locker number 6 and pulled it open.
"Hello!"
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, jumping back in shock.
He ended up falling over the bench, slamming hard into ground. He clutched his hand over his heart, his eyes widened with shock.
"Yuno, are you alright?" Kyoko asked, already at his side. He lifted a single hand up, pointing to the locker.
"Chihiro's head." he said simply.
Her brows furrowed, and she stood up, looking at the locker. Walking over to it, she peeked inside, not expecting what was inside.
"Hmm...interesting. Chihiro was able to come up with something like this? With such little materials?" she muttered.
"What's happening? We heard a scream." Makoto said, followed by everyone else, minus Ryouko and Sayaka. Yuno sighed, pulling himself to his feet.
"Everything is fine. My cover is blown, but I suppose I was going to tell you this at some point." he said.
"What do you mean by that?" Leon asked.
"It seems Chihiro was able to build an Artificial Intelligence within the laptop we found in the Library. She left it here in hopes for us to find it, or perhaps to hide it from the mastermind." she said, pulling the laptop out of the locker.
"Are you serious? How was she able to do that?" Hina asked curiously.
"You all forget that Chihiro Fujisaki was the Ultimate Programmer. She was able to do this because of her talent, I'm sure the laptop is out of date, but it was sufficient enough for her to work on. Now that we have this however, how will it benefit us?" Taeko asked curiously.
"We're about to find out." Yuno said, taking the laptop from Kyoko he placed it on the counter top. He saw that there was a chatbox open, the cursor already blinking. It was odd seeing Chihiro's head floating there, but he tried to ignore it.
"Who are you?" He typed, pressing the enter key. The program smiled brightly.
"My name is Alter Ego. I was created by my master in order to aid her in the escape of Hope's Peak Academy. I am a self learning program, capable of learning at a high rate." it said.
"Jeez, it even talks like her." Makoto muttered.
"Um...If I may ask, who are all of you?"
"We are friends of Chihiro Fujisaki. It's nice to make your acquaintance Alter Ego. You may call me Yuno."
"Nice to meet you too Yuno! If I may, where is Master? I don't see her among you? Is she alright?"
Yuno's face hardened. He thought back to the previous Class Trial and how it had all played out. He looked at his friends, seeing the same expressions from all of them. Kyoko placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a nod. He sighed, typing out the lengthy response.
"Chihiro Fujisaki was tricked into committing murder. While no one died, she was found guilty of the crime and put through an execution. I'm sorry."
Alter Ego didn't say anything for a few minutes, before giving him a nod. The smile on it's face never left, in fact it seemed to have grown a bit wider, most likely keeping itself together after the news about it's master's demise.
"Alright then. It is a shame that Master was tricked like that, but she foresaw this outcome. That is the reason I was created after all."
"What is your purpose?"
"My purpose was to aid Master in finding out everything about your current situation. The last thing she told me was to scan the hard drive on this computer to see if I could find any information relevant to the situation. I am currently 67% complete on that task."
"Wow, I didn't think Chihiro would be smart enough to actually think of this. Do you think she also made this program with the hope that she could get it into the school network?" Leon asked.
"Perhaps. However, I haven't seen any T-2 lines anywhere around the school, so right now that might not even be possible." Kyoko said.
It wasn't an outright lie, but it wasn't a wise idea to connect this computer to a secure line, not yet anyway. Yuno glanced at her, brows furrowed in thought. He turned back to the computer, typing another response.
"From the information decrypted, have you found anything important?"
"I haven't found anything of interest yet. However I did find one thing that you should all see, it was a picture that was stored in the hard drive, take a look."
Alter Ego faded out, its face being replaced by a picture. Everyone looked at it, completely at a loss of words, especially Yuno.
The picture depicted everyone currently in the room, all of them standing in front of a large Christmas tree, which was beautifully decorated. Snow was falling all around them, and it looked liked it was around Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Night itself. All of the girls were dressed in bright red Santa outfits. Mikan was in the front, being hugged by Makoto who had a blush on his face, and a bottle in his hand.
Sayaka and Yuno were in the back of the picture, kissing each other due to the Mistletoe hanging above them, while Kyoko was watching them with vague interest. Kotoko, Yuno's little sister was also there, holding a box in her hands, decorated with beautiful wrapping paper. Everyone else was either standing around, making funny faces at the camera or throwing snowballs at each other. The faint silhouette of Hope's Peak Academy could be seen in the background.
"What is this...a Christmas picture?" Leon muttered.
"I don't remember this." Hina said.
She was blushing a bit due to the outfit she was wearing, and the fact that she was sitting on Sakura's shoulders, holding two bottles in her hand, which were green in color. It wasn't hard to figure out what was inside them. Mikan was also in the same boat, her face being a bright crimson.
"Makoto, I don't remember this but why are you drinking champagne?" she asked.
"I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine." he said, clearly embarrassed by his actions in the picture.
"My sister is in this picture...I don't even remember having a Christmas party like this...hell I barely knew any of you until a few weeks ago."
Yuno said, looking at Kotoko.
She was smiling brightly, trying to get Kyoko's attention for some reason, and even though he didn't agree with her wearing the same Santa outfits the girls were in, he found it endearing all the same. The picture faded out, and Alter Ego returned on screen, a frown on it's face, most likely from seeing everyone elses. Yuno hovered his hands over the keyboard for a few seconds, thinking his reply, before finally typing it.
"Thanks for showing us this. Continue decrypting the information on this hard drive. We'll check periodically to see how it's going."
"Alright, I shall continue with the decryption. I shall await our next meeting Yuno."
With that, the young archer placed the Laptop back in the locker, and closed it, using the key that was inside to lock the locker tight. He turned back to the others, giving them a firm look.
"This doesn't leave this room. There is a reason why Chihiro brought Alter Ego here, and it's because the mastermind has a blind spot here. Sure, there might exist the possibility that they could still hear us, but with all of the steam here, I certainly doubt it. I will keep the key with me, if you need to use Alter Ego, you'll come directly to me." he said firmly.
"Fine by me, Chihiro gave you the note after all." Leon said firmly.
"I agree with Leon. So long as we can all be here when it finds new information, this is the best outcome." Sakura added.
"We should go back to the cafeteria, dinner should be ready by now." Yuno said.
Everyone started filing out of the Bath house, sparing a glance back at the locker that contained their new friend, a bright ray of hope shined on all of them, and for a few seconds, they could feel closer to the freedom from their prison. Once they left, Yuno turned to Kyoko, silently taking her hand, he slipped the key into her glove. With a single nod, he turned to leave, heading toward the dorms.
xxx
Junko hummed to herself as she looked at the live feed from the camera in the Hotel Plaza. She silently munched on an apple, pressing the sweet fruit against her teeth to get the juice out of it. She found it a little odd that all of her classmates had come out of the Bathhouse together, but reasoned they had been doing something along the lines of taking a bath.
It wasn't exactly prohibited, but due to the camera getting fogged up in there, she couldn't exactly have one installed. It was a burden, but she didn't mind having one tiny blind spot, if it meant she could keep an eye on them everywhere else.
She however hadn't expected Sayaka being so friendly toward her sister. She had taken her toward the dorms, and let her into her own dorm. She laughed when that happened, and if only Ryouko knew the truth, it would have been despairingly ironic. Since she had lifted the rule about who could sleep in what dorm, she noticed a few people had started sharing them, but didn't really care, not like she had at first.
If all of them were preparing to stay within the walls of Hope's Peak Academy for the rest of their lives, it would be good to start getting used to it all. Now that the fourth floor had been opened for exploration though, she had grown a bit nervous, and a bit giddy too. It wouldn't be long until the next murder happened and they were all one step closer to figuring out what happened to the outside world. The despair on their faces, that was what she wanted to see, the beautiful despair of seeing her friend's final hope being torn away from them.
She looked up from the interior security screens, looking toward the outside. Every camera on the outside had been fixed, thanks to the Ultimate Mechanic, but now she had seen something rather interesting. It seemed a few people were trying to get access into the academy proper. She couldn't see who it was directly, since they were hiding behind a bus.
She pressed her finger onto the screen on the panel before her, and spun it in a half circle, enhancing the image a bit more as the lens zoomed in. She squinted her eyes, a grin on her face.
"Ohohoho, if it isn't Koichi Kizakura...never thought I would see you return here. I thought you said being trapped in this academy wasn't your cup of tea, and now you are returning to it? How thoughtless." she said, pouting her lips.
She took another bite of her apple, this time sucking the fruit of it's juice. She slid her finger across the screen, shifting the camera toward the person with him. She recognized her as a P.E. teacher, once part of the academy faculty. She grinned, and spun in her chair, looking at the new flashing buttons on the panel behind her.
"I'll send them a bit of a greeting, hopefully they like it...what am I talking about? They'll love it!" she cried, pressing the flashing red button.
Loud gunshots started filling her ears, as the Gatling Guns attached to the academy roof started firing their payload at them. Kizakura ducked behind the bus, and couldn't be seen, but the woman took her chance, running toward the academy's front door. Junko frowned, and shook her head, pressing another flashing button. A loud boom filled her ears, and the camera was blocked out by the wave of dust and asphalt that had been produced.
When the camera cleared, it showed nothing more than a gaping hole where the woman once stood, a mess of body parts was the only thing left of her. Kizakura looked at it, clearly distressed. He spared a single look at the academy, two words escaping his lips.
"Kyoko, Hisashi."
Junko's eyes narrowed as she returned her sights to the camera. What could that man possibly want with Kyoko and Hisashi of all people. She didn't know why, but she figured the late Jin Kirigiri had told him to watch over his kids. If that was the case, why hadn't he gone after Kotoko Utsugi Kirigiri instead? She didn't make it an exact secret of where she was being held? Or was it that they were more important? As they had the man's blood in their veins. She clenched her hand, turning the apple into nothing more than a pile of creamy mush.
"That man must want that bastard's kids. He did all of this so that the Hope of the world was saved. In the light of despair, he was a man of hope, and that hope flows through their veins. I have to make sure that hope is extinguished, replaced with nothing but despair. But for that to happen, I have to take my inside man and turn him into a psychopath. This should be enough to drive him into the throws of despair, even more so than he already has." she said with a grin, pressing a blinking red button.
A small disc came out of one of the monitors, it was a set of videos she had been saving for another motive, a motive that she couldn't use due to there being less people than she wanted, but the video was still usable. Of course, she had heavily edited the final product to include something that would make the person in question want to die where they stood, and that was the idea. She slipped it into a case, and pulled a black marker out of her bra, clicking it a couple times to bring the tip out, she wrote a single name on it, in fancy calligraphy.
"Bryce Kotenok."
Her smiled brightened as she handed it to the active Monokuma unit in the room with her. It was going to be great seeing him fall into despair, it would drive him to act and maybe to eliminate the thorn in her side, before it got out of hand.
"Soon, you'll be out of my hair. I wish you had left this academy to look for the Ultimate Despair like you said you would, instead you let a little girl talk you into staying. Weren't they your friends? Isn't the despair of seeing your friends destroy the world too much to handle? Apparently not, you bastard. Don't worry, soon enough you'll be eliminated from this game, I won't have to worry about you ever again, Hisashi Kirigiri." she said, glaring at one of the monitors. Her plan already in motion, all she had to do was sit back, and wait.
xxx
Bryce stepped out of the music hall, not finding anything of interest. He for a brief second wondered what exactly the others were talking about in the cafeteria, but figured he wouldn't wanted there anyway. At least the Ogre had left him alone, enough for him to be with his thoughts. Even though he had finally seen the light and had embraced the despair of his situation, he couldn't help but feel that it was bit to convenient for him.
Sure, he was still trying to get out of the academy, and he didn't mind killing anyone else to do it, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Surely he wanted to see more despair, after all the last trial was oddly satisfying to him, now that he had started seeing things Monokuma's way. Yet, he hadn't successfully killed anyone, aside from getting rid of Junko who was by far the most useless player in the game. He still hadn't gotten rid of Yunosuke Nagahama, perhaps the most annoying thorn in his side to date.
They had been in this predicament for little over a month and two weeks, but he was rapidly losing hope of ever escaping the academy. Not that it would be an issue, seeing as he wouldn't mind staying there anymore.
He couldn't stop thinking about his mother. The only person who had ever loved him in his life, and had supported him in everything he did. Seeing her getting kidnapped on that video, it made the reality of his situation all the more real. He knew she wasn't in danger, and he felt it in his heart, but ever since seeing that video, there was a sense of dread etched in the back of his mind, a sense that he couldn't shake, like the fact that something bad had happened, not only within the academy, but within the world itself.
He had been theorizing about it for days, but hadn't come up with anything useful, and finally he just gave up, relenting on the hopelessness of wasting his time. With each investigation, each class trial, he found something exhilarating about the game, and he had focused on feeling that exhilaration every time someone had murdered. Of course, setting his classmates up had been simple, and he had done it successfully since the first trial.
It was a shame to lose people, but those that had been lost had been useless to start...well maybe not the serial killer, than again it wasn't safe having her around, and he knew everyone slept better knowing she had been laid to rest.
Still, he couldn't help but feel like something bad was happening beyond the walls, and that he was powerless to stop it. It fueled his own resolve to leave the academy, but with nothing else to do but to wait until someone busted through the front doors, all he had to entertain himself were his classmates, which he would be setting up for murder once more, should the time come.
That's when Monokuma appeared, hobbling in his own normal way of walking, a happy grin on his face. He had been carrying something behind his back, and had now stopped in front of Bryce, his smile never dropping.
"Heya pal, how are you enjoying the facilities?" he asked.
"They're alright. What is it that you need from me this time?" he asked, a bit annoyed.
Even if he had seen everything in the same light as Monokuma, that didn't mean he liked being near him. After all it was because of him that he was trapped in Hope's Peak.
"From you, nothing. Well...as you know, this week's motive is money, and surely you'll need it after what I am about to give you. Do you think you can handle it?" he asked.
"What do you mean by that? Only the person who gets away with murder will win the money, are you insinuating I risk my ass killing someone so that I could potentially win that money? Sorry, but it's to early for me to take that kind of gamble. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to try mixing a few chemicals in the Chem Lab, maybe I can create something that will melt this iron plates." he said, heading toward the Chemistry lab.
"You want to know the truth about this academy don't you? Of why you are here with everyone else?" Monokuma asked, forcing the teen to stop. He turned around, looking at the bear curiously.
"Of course, who doesn't want to know that? Are you saying you have that answer?" he asked.
"Well, it's obvious I do have it. After all I am your lovable headmaster, the question is, are you ready to find out the truth?" he asked. Bryce stood there for a few seconds, weighing his options.
He could finally get the answer he was seeking, and potentially get out of this academy, with the right set up, he could get everyone to kill each other so he could end up Scot free. On the other hand, there was a chance Monokuma was pulling a fast one on him, and the answers weren't even with him. The options were too tempting.
"Sorry, but like I said I am a little busy." he said.
"Have you not truly fallen into despair? You've seen everything in my beautiful light have you not? Why wait another second? Isn't it despairingly bad as it is? Having to wait for the answers that sit right before you? Trust me, I am your pal after all. I wouldn't betray you." Monokuma said, placing the disk on the ground. Bryce looked at the case, seeing his name written on it in fancy letters.
"This truly holds the answers? Are you are telling the truth?"
"Every word. I am your headmaster, not your warden. If I had the ability to let you all go, I would, but where would the fun in that be? Seeing the despair on everyone's faces every morning is beautiful, it's like my own personal sunrise, or a steaming cup of Joe, except it's a steaming cup of Despair instead."
He supposed the bear had a point. Picking the disk up, he looked at it briefly, seeing that It was actually a DVD. He nodded, slipping it into his pocket.
"I'll go watch this right away."
"God speed. Hope you like the truth!" the bear said, watching the teen disappear down the stairwell. He grinned widely, breaking into a howling laughter.
It took Bryce a few minutes of walking to actually make it into the A/V room. There wasn't a single soul wondering the halls of the academy, so he figured they must all still be within the hotel. He walked into the room, looking around at the emptiness, the box from their first motive still sitting on top of one of the monitors. He walked down a few rows, toward the monitor he had used during his first motive. He sat down grabbing the headphones, slipping them over his ears.
Once comfortable, he slipped the disc into the slot and pressed play.
He was greeted with a bright red screen, with a bright red number three on it. It counted down, going black after it had hit one. He had first been hit with the sound, the screams of agony, the sounds of gunshots and chainsaws, blood spattering, he didn't know what it was. The screen finally lit up, and he saw a familiar sight.
It was a classroom within the academy, and he didn't know when this was or what was happening, but all he knew was that there was a bunch of people killing each other. It was the most gruesome thing he had ever seen in his life, topping even Mondo's execution. He saw someone driving a spear through two other people, before hitting it with the spade of a shovel, killing them instantly. He saw a person literally get cut in half with a chain saw, another person was shot in the chest and killed instantly.
Someone's head was rolling on the ground, bright pink blood splattering everywhere. It was horrific, but to him it was beautiful, it had been the most despair inducing thing he had ever seen, and he didn't know why, but he enjoyed it. The screen cut to black, and his enjoyment was cut short.
Sitting in a chair, was his own mother. She wasn't much taller than him, standing at around five foot seven in height, with long brown hair styled into a ponytail. She had dark brown skin, and bright hazel colored eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved pink shirt, with a bright blue pair of jeans and leather boots. She had been strapped to a chair, and gagged with a rag. He didn't know what the place was, but it was clear that his mother was there.
The woman was crying in fear, especially when an unknown assailant had wondered in front of her. They paused looking at her straight in the eye, their masked face being inches from hers. They looked at the camera, to show that they were in fact wearing a Monokuma mask. The state of the room was a mess, the windows were broken, magazines and papers were strewn around, and he swore he heard gunshots and alarm bells all around him, but still he watched. The person pulled the gag out of the woman's mouth, before looking directly at her.
"Please...why are you doing this?"
They remained silent, instead just looking at the camera.
"I don't know why it is that you have brought me here, but please...I have a son, I'm sure you have children of your own, in this mess of a world we're currently in, but this doesn't solve anything. It wasn't my fault that despair had overtaken the world."
The assailant didn't move, for a few minutes Bryce thought that nothing was going to happen. However, he did see the person pause to take off the mask. His mother's eyes widened, and she screamed bloody murder, shouting No over and over again. The person walked out of the camera's line of sight, before returning with what looked to be a dagger, along with a metal baseball bat.
The person plunged the dagger straight into her abdomen, causing her to cry in pain. Her shirt was starting to tinge pink from her blood, which spattered all over the floor as the person jerked the dagger out of her body, only to be plunged into her again, this time in a leg. For minutes, Bryce watched as his mother was stabbed repeatedly, in places that would cause her the worse kind of pain, but not in areas that wound end her life. Her blood was slowly pouring out of her, her cries of pain and agony filling his ears, as she begged for the person to stop.
Every time she was about to say the person's name, she got stabbed, which lead Bryce to believe it was someone she knew. Finally, the person plunged the dagger in the center of her chest, puncturing her lungs and aorta. She gasped in pain, probably not registering what was happening.
Weakly, she looked at the assailant, a questioning look on her face, before he brought the metal bat down onto her head. An audible crack could be heard, and blood splattered everywhere, including the camera lens. The person pulled the bat back, only to bash it into the dead woman's head once more, and for the next twenty minutes, that's all that Bryce heard, before the video went to black. He didn't know what to think, what to do or how to act. His face was soaked with tears, his eyes glassy and lifeless. He wanted to hurl...he wanted to die.
That's when he heard it, an angelic voice filtering through his headset, right into his soul.
"The world has wronged you, taken away the most precious thing you held dear in your heart. While I cannot give you that back, I can give you the satisfaction of returning their pain twofold. Of course, there isn't anything you can do, not currently anyway. But if you agree to join me, then that money will be yours, regardless of whether you are a blackened or not, and you'll be able to go free. To hunt down the person who wronged you. I give that ray of hope to you, young Bryce."
The video finally ended, and he let out an agonizing cry. He took the headset off, and ejected the disk, throwing it into the wall making it shatter on impact.
He looked at the screen, his face was one of pure agony, but his eyes were crimson, a glowing crimson filled with hope and despair. He had to find the person who had done this to his mother, who had taken her life, and he couldn't do that until he was out of this academy. He let out a chuckle, looking back at the camera.
"You want me to set them up, don't worry...I'll do more than that."
xxx
Dinner had come and gone, and it wasn't long before everyone had retired to their dorms. The nighttime announcement had been set to play in ten minutes, and Yuno had been busy, writing a few more things in his notebook. Due to Sayaka insisting, he had talked to Mikan about his dreams, and she had noted that it was good that he was writing them down, but he wasn't willing to share them yet, as he wasn't done writing everything down. It wasn't sufficient, at least to him.
He had just finished writing down the latest entree into the notebook, the one regarding the picture he had seen earlier. He had reread it, smiling at the detail he had added to it.
He had also been pondering what Kyoko had told him, or at least theorized. Him, being a detective? He didn't see it happening, he was just a humble person working toward the dream of being the best archer in the world. At least...that's how it had been before this hell in the hallways had started.
He had been doubting a lot since the beginning of his imprisonment, but never had he doubted himself. He wasn't going to start either, he would simply continue living his life in the academy, slowly solving as much of the mysteries as he could.
He closed his notebook when he heard the bathroom door open. He looked up, seeing his beautiful girlfriend walking out, in nothing more than a towel. He swallowed the lump in his throat, looking away from her. Sayaka continued humming a merry tune as she moved toward her vanity, undoing the towel from her head, letting the curtain of blue fall down her shoulders. She looked in the mirror, giggling a bit when she saw Yuno's blush.
"Is something wrong Yuno?" she asked.
"No, nothing is wrong. But I know that you are doing this to tease me, and I don't appreciate it." he said, still not looking at her. She giggled, her velvety voice filling his ears.
"Oh? Is this your first time seeing a girl in just a towel? Am I perhaps the first girl you've seen naked?" she asked.
"No, I've seen my fair share of naked girls before. We've all accidentally ordered Girls Gone Wild." he said. She walked over to him, taking long strides to reach him. She stopped in front of him, placing her hands at her waist.
"Now Yuno, don't you dare compare me to those hussies on that video. That is nothing more than soft core pornography." she said.
"I'm not...I'm just not used to seeing the Ultimate Pop Sensation bearing it all in front of me, even if you are still in a towel." he said. She rolled her eyes, pulling the fluffy towel off her body, letting it all to the floor. His eyes widened and he looked at the wall.
"Sayaka please, don't do that. Hurry up and get dressed so we can go to sleep." he said.
She frowned, but didn't move. For a few seconds, she started thinking his request over, until she finally let her instincts decide. She placed her hands on his shoulders before sitting down on his lap, wrapping her legs around him. She gently turned his head until he was facing her before placing a kiss on his lips.
His eyes still wide, Yuno didn't know what to do. Here was the prettiest, most gorgeous singer of this generation, a girl who could have anyone in the world, and she had not only chosen him, but had also bared it all to him as well. She pulled away from him, a pout on her face.
"Why aren't you kissing back? Nervous?" she asked, a pout on her lips.
"Sayaka, please don't do this." he said.
"Don't do what?" she said playfully, twirling a strand of hair. He sighed, pushing her away from him, though it was more of a struggle than anything else.
"Sayaka please...this isn't the time for something like this." he reiterated. She sighed, standing up and turning away from him, crossing her arms.
"Why not? We like each other don't we? I can decide who I want to give my virginity too."
"It's not about that." he said standing up.
She turned to him, seeing the look on his face. He was blushing, but he was also firm in his choice. He placed his hand on her cheek, brushing a bit of her hair over her ear. He slowly traced his finger down her jaw line, looking right into her eyes. The nighttime announcement had started, but it just fell on deaf ears at this point. He gave her a bright smile, looking into her beautiful blue eyes.
"Sayaka Maizono, you are singlehandedly one of the most beautiful people I have had the honor of meeting. You are sweet, funny, crazy talented, and very friendly. Even with your status as an idol, you care about everyone and don't let it cloud your head. You are stern, stubborn and down right annoying when you want to be, but that's what makes me attracted to you." He said firmly, looking away from her, nervousness welling in his mind. He sighed, choosing to continue.
"I lied to you that day, saying that I didn't want a relationship with you due to the situation. From the moment I met you, I knew I wanted to be with you, but I just didn't know how to go about it. I don't care anymore, I trust my memories, we were together before this, beautifully in love. There's nothing else I want but to be with you. Being stuck in this killing game, it clouds us with despair, but we have to keep our hopes up. I get it, any day can be our last, and you feel the need to give yourself to me in case something bad happens to us. But trust me, the time will come. It doesn't have to be now. I just want you to know that no matter what happens and what the situation is, I love you, with all my heart. I can't live without you." he said.
Sayaka just looked at him, completely taken aback. No one had ever said something beautiful to her. Sure, she had heard sappy things from her fans all the time, but this was genuine. She didn't know how to react, what to say or what to do. But it seemed as if her emotions did it for her, as she had already started crying. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. He ended up wrapping his arms around her, even though she wasn't wearing anything. He returned the kiss with vigor, showing her just how much he loved her. They pulled away after a few minutes, looking each other in the eye.
"That was beautiful Yuno, and I want you to know that I love you too. With all my heart, when we get out of this academy, we're going to tell the world about us. I don't care about what my fans think anymore...I'm sure my dad will love to meet you." she said.
"Same here, I want my parents to meet you too. Once I find Kotoko, and your sister of course, we can all hold a celebration." he said.
"Of course, but don't you think you've escaped me tonight. If I'm in the mood again, you and I are going to get down to business, even if I have to strap you to that bed." she said, planting another kiss on his lips.
She turned around, wiggling her hips as she walked toward her dresser, pulling out a pair of pink underwear.
Yuno turned around, blushing a bright shade of red. It was taking a lot not to literally tackle her, but he knew it would be for the best. Though he couldn't help but glare at the camera, as it had been watching them the entire time. He smirked, grabbing the pillows on Sayaka's bed. He shook them out of their cases, and walked over to the camera, grabbing the desk chair to use to reach its height. He slipped both pillow cases over it, successfully blocking its line of sight.
"What are you doing Yuno?" Sayaka asked, looking back at him, now wearing one of his big shirts.
She had insisted in attaining one, as apparently, the all girlfriends wore the shirts of their boyfriends cliché, was something she wanted to cross off her checklist. He turned back to her, giving her a wink.
"Giving us some much needed privacy. Monokuma said we couldn't destroy the cameras. He didn't say anything about blocking their line of sight. Now, how about we go to sleep? It's going to be a long night." he said, earning a nod from her.
The two settled in, for a long night which Yuno hoped was free of nightmares and fractured memories of the past.
xxx
Morning came just as fast as night had, and soon it was time to tackle the day. Yuno and Sayaka had gotten up a bit earlier to get dressed for the day, wearing more casual outfits than they were used to.
Yuno had decided on wearing a light blue tee shirt, with his hooded vest over it, along with a pair of dark jeans and his favorite pair of boots. His hair had been brushed, though it still retained its normal spikiness. He had his pin attached to the lapel of his vest, glittering softly in the light of the bed room.
Sayaka had also chosen something much simpler than she was used too. She was wearing a light pink tank top, with a bright red bow on the front, with a blue gemstone in the center. She was wearing a short white skirt, with a ruffled design to it.
She was wearing a pair of white galoshes, which he didn't know she even owned, then again she was a famous pop idol, so having a lot of clothes was the norm for her. Her long blue hair was tied into a high ponytail, with two strands framing her face, decorated with several Kitty Barrettes which he still didn't know why she had, but found strangely adorable. The two we're walking to the cafeteria hand in hand, lost in conversation.
At least until they saw everyone else waiting outside of the cafeteria. Relief washed on their faces when they saw them, making the two look at everyone oddly. Yuno looked at the cafeteria, seeing the doors were firmly closed, and the cafeteria's grating was firmly shut. Leon gave them a wave, looking at the two.
"Morning you two, what's up?" he asked.
"Nothing much, why is everyone out here though? Shouldn't you all be inside?" he asked.
"That's the thing, we can't get in. The gate is closed and it's showing no signs of opening." he said.
Yuno looked around, seeing everyone in full attendance, well everyone but Nick, who was most likely inside making breakfast for everyone. He saw Ryouko near the gates to the academy proper, looking at her notebook, her focus deeply ingrained on every page.
"Sakura and I have tried opening it for a while, but it seems these gates are made to last. Even with her massive muscles." Hina said, looking at them in worry.
"It seems rather odd that these are locked when normally they are not. It's a sense of foreboding that hasn't left my mind." the quiet wrestler said.
"What the hell is the hold up, I'm fucking hungry." Bryce snapped, glaring at the gates.
As if on cue, they started opening, forcing everyone back. They all watched as they finally disappeared, with a loud bang. For several pregnant moments no one made a movement, no one did anything, nor said a word. After five minutes of silence, Kyoko decided she had enough, and walked to the front, placing her hands on the door handles, and with a single push, threw the doors opened.
Yuno honestly didn't know what to think. After seeing so many people die, he had grown used to it. But even now, the despair felt all the same. He didn't know what to say, what to do...everything in his mind just went blank, as he fell to his knees, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The Ultimate Baker, Nicholas McFay, a person who had been friendly with them all, had taken it upon himself to cook all their meals for them, was now dead, and in such a horrible manner. His body had been suspended to the back wall of the cafeteria, nailed through his hands, almost mimicking a crucifixion. His head hung low, smeared with copious amounts of blood, bruises could be seen all over his face, and one of his eyes had been gauged out, hanging by a tendon.
His baker's uniform, once white, was now tinged pink with his own blood. Several knives had been stabbed into his chest, all covered in his blood. He also noticed all of the fingers on his right hand had been cut off, and tossed onto the ground, the blood pooling all around there, along with a few teeth that had been knocked out. The last thing Yuno noticed, was the dagger that had been plunged into the teenager's heart, most likely the cause of death.
His mind was blank, the smell of blood finally hitting him. He clutched his stomach, vomiting the bile that had gathered at the pit of his stomach. He apparently wasn't the only one as many others had started doing the same.
Hina had cried his name several times, being held back by Sakura who had tears running down the sides of her face. Sayaka was outright sobbing, trying to remain standing but was rapidly failing. Makoto and Mikan were holding each other, unable to look at the scene before them.
"Ding ding ding. A body has been discovered, after a certain amount of time, a class trial will be held. This one as very gruesome one kiddies...will you be able to solve it? Or will it all hang by a thread? Upupupupupu!"
"FUCK!" Yuno shouted, punching the glass doors, hard enough to break the glass, luckily he hadn't cut himself. He wiped his mouth clean from the bile he had just expelled from his body, and stood up, looking at everyone in the room.
"Who the fuck did it? Who the fuck did it!?" he said exclaimed.
"Hey man, it wasn't me. I would never do something like that." Leon said.
"I haven't the time nor the motive to commit such a crime. Your blame lies elsewhere." Byakuya said.
"Perhaps it was the new student, she does seem highly suspicious." Taeko said, looking at Ryouko with a glare.
"What? You can't possibly think it was me. What the hell lady, I just met all of you, why would I even want to kill you?" she asked firmly, her tone clearly pissed.
"Whatever the case, we have a murder on our hands and we have to solve it. I swear, this has to stop. I only trust seven people in this academy, and I know for a fact none of them are involved in this. We will get to the bottom of this, and you will die, a horrible cruel death." Yuno said firmly. Byakuya looked at him, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"If you think you can condemn me of this crime, then your folly is as profound as I thought it could be. The killer is among this group, possibly in front of you, can you bring them to light? Or will you let their crime fall into the darkness and let the rest of us fall into despair? I await the result of this trial." the Ultimate Affluent Progeny said, heading toward the gates leading into the academy.
"Where the hell do you think you are going? One of our friends is dead!" Hina snapped angrily.
"Your point being?" he asked, only to remain there for a few more seconds.
"We mustn't get distracted. For now let us investigate this crime and put it to rest. I didn't think something like this would happen this early in the day." Kyoko said, steeling her nerves before entering the cafeteria, her handbook tightly in her hand.
"Man, the despair written on all your faces...it's truly a marvelous thing. Why, I can feel it flowing through me." Bryce said.
He a smirk on his face, only to get punched across the face by Taeko, who was extremely pissed off. The teen dropped to the ground, unconscious. She looked back at the others, the glow in her eyes not leaving.
"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" she exclaimed.
"I don't blame you." Makoto murmured.
He took a deep breath, turning around to face the crime scene. He was followed by Mikan, who was still sobbing quietly. This murder had hit a little close to home. Nick had been a person who literally didn't do anything bad, not a single murderous thought in his body.
He had fed them since day way, baking fresh pastries on a daily basis, and now he was gone, brutally murdered by one of them. Yuno would do his best to find out who it was, and he would make sure they paid, even if it was someone close to his heart.
(Hopeful Situations: Daily Life End)
(Despairing Hopelessness: Deadly Life Begin)
Remaining Students 13