Chapter 21: Save the Malice Masquerade

The cool wind blew across a dense forest the Future Foundation agents were now in. A mostly bright sky overhead was a welcome sight because it reminded them how despair was on the decline. It was almost as if the Earth itself was in a period of recovery.

Still, they were all on pins and needles because it was enemy territory they were crossing. Just a kilometer away, as they all knew thanks to information found by those back at base, lay Junko's castle. A convoy protectively surrounded the division leaders in case a trap or ambush happened.

"This stinks," groaned Ruruka, tired from the walking—despite being carried on her boyfriend's back. "We're the Future Foundation; can't we just blow that castle away?"

"It could hold valuable information, Ando," answered Chisa, merrily strolling about. "It's crucial we retrieve Takara alive. A siege is better than an all-out assault, in this situation."

"Who even cares about that? Enoshima is dead, and the Future Foundation is too big to fail at this point. I say we not risk it, and destroy them all."

"Just because we have the power, doesn't mean we can annihilate everything in our way. That's not the direction I or the chairman want this organization to go. Just trust my judgment. When have I led us astray?"

Ruruka pouted a bit. "You always get to do what you want. Why don't you just take Tengan and Munakata's jobs while you're at it?"

"I'm quite happy with my position. That workload would prove too much for even the former Ultimate Housekeeper to achieve on her own."

"Whatever." Ruruka yawned before resting her head on Sonosuke's shoulder. "Wake me up if something happens, babe." In no time at all, the confectioner fell into a slumber.

The housekeeper giggled. "I'm honestly impressed she could fall asleep in these circumstances. Although, it shows how much she trusts you."

"I suppose."

"You're impressive yourself, you know? Sonosuke Izayoi, a boy prodigy, and genius at crafting many kinds of tools. Your father was pretty good, but your works were at an entirely different level. Why, at the age of fifteen, you were being labeled the modern day Hatori Hanzo. It led to you being the only person in history to achieve the title of Ultimate Blacksmith. Your talents aren't just limited to iron, right?"

"I started with iron, but I always had an interest in crafting other things. It doesn't matter if it's blades, guns, or robotics… If it's a weapon, I want to try making it my way."

"Artisans, collectors, and royalty from across the world traveled to see your work. You played a big part in making something complex like VEIL for my darling Chiaki, and even Kyosuke was so impressed, he commissioned you to make him several diverse katanas." Chisa entwined her fingers behind her back. "I always wanted to know how the Ultimate Blacksmith and Ultimate Confectioner came to be, if it's not too personal."

"…I was always so busy helping my father in the shop, I was never really around other kids. There was this nice lady who would bring her daughter, Ruruka, along to give us snacks they'd make for the neighborhood. Her daughter's snacks were so good, I asked if she could make me some every day. Since then, I don't think a day has gone by we haven't been together."

"Wow, that's an impressive childhood relationship. You two were made for each other. A quiet, loyal, and strong guy who'll stroke her massive ego when needed, hehe." Chisa narrowed her eyes. "Still, you should be more on guard—those close to us can often become the most dangerous."

"What are you saying?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of how sad it would be if, say…she betrayed you. Ando can be impulsive. That would be an unfortunate ending, I think."

"Why would—"

"I know she'd never do that. I let my imagination run wild when I'm anxious. It's a shame there's nothing to clean because it always calms me down. Don't mind me." Chisa cruised on ahead while Sonosuke averted his eyes.

"Ah!" yelled Aoi, swatting a huge spider from her legs. "These bugs are gigantic! Why couldn't we ride through here on a tank or something?"

"That would've taken too long to prepare," answered Kyoko, fishing a spider web—with her good arm—out of her hair. "We also want the element of surprise. It's strange, though…"

"How we haven't been attacked by a giant man-eating insect yet?"

"I expected there to be traps set around the perimeter of the castle. You'd think Enoshima would be thorough enough to do that much. We're nearing the castle and haven't encountered any kind of resistance…"

"Well, we are supposed to be sneaking up on them. Maybe they just haven't noticed?" Aoi took a quick swing at a rather large fly. "Why did Enoshima even want this place in the middle of nowhere? She was so rich, you'd think she'd buy a beautiful mansion on a beach."

"She likely bought multiple properties around the world. If she was negotiating and conspiring with many organizations, it would make sense why she wanted different places of residence."

"What if there's some super-weapon here…like a giant Monokuma robot the size of a skyscraper?"

"I would say that's ridiculous, but considering what we're dealing with...who knows what they're keeping hidden? There must be something of use if Takara's first move was to hide here."

"I just hope nothing like the Despara Carnival happens again…" Aoi balled her fists while the haunting images of the victim's bodies penetrated her mind. She used to the brutality of Despairs, but the thought of someone making a spectacle out of it was sickening. "How can anybody get off on this stuff? The killing game that took our friends, the Despara Carnival… Just what happened to Enoshima and Takara to make them want something like that?"

"I'm not sure of Enoshima's true desires, nor do think I ever will. Takara, however, exhibits all the signs of a petulant child. A desire for attention, entitlement, emotional instability, and unacceptability."

"Whatever she is, people like her and the Remnants of Despair need to be stopped. The Tragedy has done nothing but ruin families. I still don't know where mine is, or if they're still alive…"

"She'll be stopped," stated Kyoko with a firm look. "I'll see to it."

"Heh, you're a lot more comforting than you used to be. Could it be Naegi rubbing off on you, eh?"

Kyoko flicked her hair uncomfortably. "…If that's what you think."

"You're letting your cute side show, Kirigiri. Does Nanami have competition?" The former Ultimate Swimmer laughed while Kyoko sighed. "I could really go for a snack. Something fried with a sweet topping I could eat at my leisure…"

"Would that be...a donut?"

"Holy cow! How did you guess?"

Kyoko smiled a bit. "Elementary."

"Wow… You really are the best detective." Aoi stopped talking for a second when she heard the duo behind her. "Hehe, it's like a battle of who's more modest."

"No, you're unbelievable for becoming a division leader," stated Makoto.

"It's nothing much," replied Chiaki. "You're incredible for being able to overcome Junko."

"I was only able to do that with everyone's help. It's cool how people respect you enough to consider you their savior."

"That's just a joke. People really do think you're Ultimate Hope, though."

"Ha, I'm not all the deserving of that title."

The humble duo shared a laugh at their inability to boast. After dealing with psychotic housekeepers and uptight superior's all the time, talking with types like Makoto was refreshing. Despite having his talent be the ridiculed Ultimate Luck, he didn't seem to mind much. Any notion of being called Ultimate Hope was met with humble denial from him. In a way, his optimism reminded her of how she used to be as the class representative.

"Were you afraid…? Facing Junko, I mean?"

Makoto looked to the side. "At first, when we found out who it was, it was shocking to see the person forcing us to murder each other was a young girl—it's a different story hearing her talk. The look in her eyes, demeanor, the way she speaks… it's enough to overwhelm anybody. I want to believe everybody has the power to embrace hope, but there's no question that Junko Enoshima…is the total embodiment of despair."

Chiaki couldn't agree with the statement more, for obvious reasons. "Still, you tried to keep her from killing herself. Why?"

"… I guess I wanted her to atone for her crimes and maybe, one day, realize what she was doing was wrong. But, after our memories were restored, there's still something else that bothers me."

"Like what?"

"During Hope's Peak, she was deceiving us about being our friend. What threw me off is…when I remembered the trial, it still didn't seem like she was completely authentic. Something just felt off…maybe? I don't really know how to explain it."

"…Do you think she had a different goal?"

"I don't think she was lying about wanting despair. It's just a weird feeling I had… You know what, forget it; I'm thinking too hard. I remember Ikusaba was more withdrawn and nice. She helped me out on a few occasions, but I guess that could've been an act." Makoto was silent for a moment. "What kind of things did you do at Hope's Peak Academy?"

"I was the class representative. I would plan events and help keep harmony among everyone."

"Whoa, that's great! Having an awesome talent and everyone's respect must've been fun."

Chiaki grinned when she began to feel a little embarrassed. "I really didn't do much. Also, I don't think my talent is all that special. I love games…but I don't think it means anything."

"Of course it does. I remember reading cool things about the Ultimate Gamer on the internet. Hehe, be glad your talent isn't luck."

"You don't feel trapped by it? It's all most people ever expect from me, and it's the only thing I'm good at. I feel like people without talent have more freedom to do what they want and pursue anything."

"Nah, I think that's wrong. I played video games all the time, and I would've been happy if that was my talent. And, like hope, I think possibilities exist for anyone who looks for them—talent or no talent. You're a division leader, the savior, and you stopped the Despara Carnival; I don't think games are the only reason you accomplished all of that."

Possibilities exist for people who look for it, regardless of talent… The gamer smiled as those words sunk in. It was like a precise line her dear therapist friend would tell her. "Thank you, Naegi."

"No problem." Makoto scratched the back of his head. "I guess even in a game, my talent would still be pretty lame."

"Luck is pretty irrelevant in nearly every game I've played, so probably."

"Yeah…"

"Although," began Chiaki with a warm smile, "I think the fact you're so incredible—being Ultimate Hope—all your other stats would be incredibly high too. You'd be the overpowered main character."

"Heh," laughed Makoto with a slight blush, "you don't say?"

"Nanami," began Kyoko, abruptly walking to her, "there's something suspicious over there. Go check it out."

"Huh…I don't see—"

"Quickly."

Chiaki, hastily, walked to some bushes to look for whatever Kyoko saw.

Meanwhile, several different reactions were happening: Makoto looked confused, Aoi was doing her best not to laugh, and Chisa was smiling. "Behold the savior's power, Kirigiri," the housekeeper murmured to herself. "Truly frightening."

VVV

Their journey through the forest had, so far, gone without any problems. The group was split into ten squads consisting of the main group—containing the division leaders with some lower ranked agents—and nine lesser groups, who were scoping out other areas. Everyone was equipped with communication devices in their ears to constantly check in and give status reports. As of yet, nothing out of the ordinary had been announced.

"Naegi," began Chiaki, "how do you get your hair to stick up like that?"

"Well, you would—"

"Hold on, everyone," interrupted Sonosuke. "We've arrived."

Just ahead of them, was the huge structure of Junko's castle. It looked even more magnificent up close. It had a long driveway leading up to it along with grass, hedges, and trees that were beautifully cut. It overlooked a small lake, and the sunshine made the castle appear like it was glowing. It was hard to see because of how low they were, but it appeared a flag was posted at the top with a black and white scheme. What was more noticeable, however, was that no one was around.

"This close," began Kyoko, "and still nothing."

"Attention, all squads," announced Chisa, opening communications. "Has anybody encountered abnormalities?"

One after one, everyone reported how there was nothing of note to be seen.

"They're expecting us," assumed Sonosuke. "The gate has even been left open."

"Then, let's accept their invitation." Chisa smiled before opening communications again. "Everyone is to convene at the entrance of the castle."

Within minutes, all the squads gathered as they were ordered. They quickly walked up the driveway, crossed the yard, and arrived at the front doors. A few agents acted as the vanguard before attempting to open them. Amazingly, they swung open without any problems. While being wary of traps, they slowly walked through the entrance and was greeted with an eye-opening sight.

A room full of many extravagant adornments and decorations invaded their eyesight. There were quality paintings and odd tapestry everywhere. A humongous gold chandelier was overhead while there was a nice scent of lavender in the air. A red carpet covered the floor and a huge staircase, leading to a second floor, was visible. A unique sight was the huge statue in the middle of the floor— a statue who's likeness wasn't hard to figure out.

"I should've figured she was a narcissist," said Aoi, looking at the big statue of Junko. The mastermind had her left arm on her hip and another making a peace sign.

"Greetings, my welcome guests!" yelled a voice that reverberated everywhere. Everyone knew who's voice it belonged to.

"What the hell?" stated Ruruka while she opened her eyes. "What's with all the noise?"

"It's Takara," answered Chisa. "It looks like there are speakers installed in this place."

"Haha, as if this beautiful voice could belong to anyone else! You probably figured this out already, but you are in Junko's castle! When you're really rich, you can buy things like this—not that any of you losers know. Junko and I had so much fun hanging out and making our plans for despair in these walls. Regardless, that's in the past now. Do you know why I let you filth waltz in here and dirty up the floors?"

"Um," began Aoi, "because you're insane?"

"How rude! You could stand to be a little more courteous to the woman who's hosting you. How could I not want you all to visit? You've been kind enough to bring several division leaders, that phony savior, and you even brought along Makoto Naegi! Oh, this day just keeps getting better! I guess nice things do happen to good people!"

"What is it that you want, you crazy bitch!" yelled Ruruka.

"What I want is to put all your heads on pikes, and place it in the courtyard as a decoration! Today, I'll get revenge for my ruined Despara Carnival as well as the death of my best friend at the same time! I'm still getting some things in order, so you'll have to be a little patient. In the meantime, feel free to explore the castle. I promise there are no traps. Bye now!" The speakers went silent.

"What a sociopath," concluded Ruruka. "We're not going to just do as she says, are we?"

"No matter what we want to do," began Kyoko, "we don't know where she's at in this castle."

"We should explore and find some clues," suggested Makoto. "There could even be some stuff about the Remnants of Despair in here."

"I doubt they'd leave that information lying around, but I agree," stated Chisa. "Everyone is to navigate the castle and search for anything useful. Be wary of anything strange, and report in if you find something."

Not wasting any time, everyone scattered and went for any open hallway they saw while not dropping their guards. Chiaki took another uncomfortable look at Junko's statue. There was a certain animosity it was giving off. It was like her ghost was smiling at her from the grave. She left the ghastly object and went searching.

The first suspicious thing to be found was a huge pair of metal doors that were locked shut from the other side. It was decided to be investigated later. The rest of the castle didn't seem to have anything of significant note. Many of the rooms were vacant or filled with old supplies. There were many rooms that contained books and documents, but no one could find any information about the Despairs.

"What's that noise?" muttered Makoto, walking into a room filled with bookcases. His eyes were immediately drawn to the two individuals pulling books out. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing Chiaki and Aoi's strange antics. "What are you two doing?"

"Boss had a great idea!" answered Aoi. "Maybe, if we keep pulling books out, a secret passage will appear."

"In games," began Chiaki, "big castles like this have secret areas you can find when you interact with things."

Makoto scratched his chin. "You are the former Ultimate Gamer. Though, that could actually work. Mind if I help?"

"The more the merrier!" answered Aoi.

The energetic trio proceeded to pull out books as fast as they could. For a minute, they forgot it was an important investigation, and competed to see who could take out the most books. Any passerby would just shrug and walk away.

"That's five dictionaries now," stated Chiaki. "I'm in the lead with seventy points."

"Darn it," scoffed Aoi. "You're more physically formidable than I thought you'd be! I only have fifty!"

"Hold on…we're keeping score?" asked Makoto. "Also, why does it matter if you pulled out a dictionary?"

"Come on, Naegi! We can't let her beat us! It's for the pride of the seventy-eight class!"

"You're pretty good…but I won't lose." said Chiaki "I can be as swift as a hedgehog!"

I'm so lost, thought Makoto. It's probably best if I just play along.

Unbeknownst to them, Sonosuke and Ruruka walked by and observed. "Should we—" began Sonosuke before Ruruka cut him off, pulling him along.

"Nope."

After several minutes of intense competition, there were no more books left on the shelves. All of them fell to the floor in exhaustion. In the end, Aoi managed to have the most points after staging an epic comeback.

"You're pretty good, Nanami," complemented Aoi. "It wasn't even a video game, and you still made me go all out. It's surprising how competitive you actually are. I guess that makes sense, with you the being world's greatest gamer."

"I don't know if I'm the greatest. There's still a couple of genres I need improvement in."

"Guys," began Makoto, "did you forget we were supposed to be investigating? We didn't find anything."

Chiaki looked down. "My mistake. I guess it's not that kind of dungeon..."

"Ha, well, I still think it was fun. It reminded me of the fun times we used to have during school, right, Naegi?"

"Yeah." Makoto, suddenly, had a question he wanted to ask Chiaki. "What was the Ultimate Lucky student of the seventy-seventh class like, if you can remember?"

Chiaki made a mental note of what she shouldn't say. "He was smart, unusual, and he really loved Hope's Peak Academy because the Ultimates were symbols of hope. But, he didn't think much of himself and could be a little...unpredictable at times. He was a guy who just wanted to help in his own way, I think. I should've tried harder to understand him."

"I see. So, what happened to—"

"Um…Naegi?" Aoi bent over and whispered in his ear. Chiaki figured she was telling him about the situation of her "missing" classmates. When she finished, Makoto looked down, apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't know…" Reassuringly, he glanced at her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure if you just keep believing, you'll find them. Maybe I'll even get to meet them, one day."

Chiaki forced a smile, but her feelings weren't happy ones. She knew full well what her classmates were doing right now. In all likelihood, they might find her before she finds them. "…Maybe."

Before any further conversation could be had, a voice went off in the communication devices in their ears. "There's been a suspicious person spotted in the far-left corridor of the second story. They aren't resisting, but they seem to be guarding a door. They've requested Ms. Nanami be the one to open it."

"What?" Chiaki looked towards Makoto and Aoi to see they looked just as confused.

"Let's go check it out," suggested Aoi.

After they all agreed, the three walked to the designated area with much skepticism. They quickly arrived in a hallway filled with agents keeping their eyes trained on an individual standing in front of a door. The gamer's eyes widened when she saw a female maid wearing a Monokuma mask, just like the one from the prison.

"She requested you," informed Chisa, who was standing by with a casual smile. "She's unarmed."

Chiaki was still hesitant but approached the maid and asked, "Are you the same person I saw in that prison?"

"I have never met you before." She spoke in a soft, wispy voice.

Now that she was close, Chiaki could tell this was a different woman. "What do you want with me?"

The gamer took a step back when the maid reached out to her. The ominous woman opened her palm to reveal a key. "I've been told to give you this key for the door behind me. Personally, I don't know what to feel when I'm in that room…"

Chiaki looked at the key before glancing at Chisa. She could see the demented housekeeper give her permission to do it—or, rather, she was telling her to. The gamer grabbed the key and approached the door. After inserting the key in the lock, she turned it until a click was heard. Slowly, Chiaki opened the door to see a moderate-sized room filled with an assortment of items.

"Well…this is interesting," stated Chisa, walking into the room. She went to a picture frame sitting on a nearby desk. After examining it for a second, the housekeeper handed it to her former student. "Do you know what this is?"

Chiaki grabbed the picture and studied it. A grown man and woman were standing behind two identical looking young girls. They were all smiling, and a ragged house could be seen in the background. One of the young girls had jet-black hair, and the other's was scarlet. When Chiaki looked at the red-haired girl, she felt a strange sense of recognition.

"Ms. Yukizome…who are these people?"

"That is a picture of Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba with their parents."

The gamer gasped when she was told what this picture was showing. If Chisa was being honest, then this was a picture of a young Junko and Mukuro. The two sisters looked no older than ten. Their house and clothes would suggest they were relatively poor. Knowing the flamboyant Junko Enoshima came from such a humble background was unexpected.

"You're a sharp girl, Chiaki. Take a guess of what this room is."

Upon looking around at the toys and trinkets littered around the floor, she found a music box on the ground and opened it. A ballerina popped out before a soft, yet eerie tune began to play. Chiaki had a good idea what this room was. "This room contains objects from Junko's childhood…"

When it was announced to everyone else what the room contained, Kyoko wanted to investigate it—immediately. The detective examined everything she could get her hands on and requested only a few people be in the room at a time. She found things such as old clothes, notebooks, and pictures. While the search continued, Kyoko spotted Chisa looking at what appeared to be a sketchpad.

"Did you find something?" asked Kyoko.

"Oh, just an old sketchbook," answered Chisa, revealing it to the detective. "If this really is Junko's, her art could've used some improvement." Kyoko didn't notice the crumpled up piece of paper hidden behind Chisa's back. I think I'll keep this to myself.

"So," began Ruruka, who happened to walk in, "aren't we gonna address the fat elephant in the room?"

"I'm sure you'll do that for us, Ando," replied Chisa.

"Don't pretend like you don't notice. A room full of stuff belonging to Enoshima…and the person meant to enter was Nanami? Why would Enoshima want Nanami, of all people, to come here? Doesn't this prove the two were in contact at some point?"

Chiaki assumed Chisa would interject, but Makoto beat her to it. "Don't you think that's a little unfair? It does look weird, but there's no way—"

"No, it's strange," cut in Kyoko, who was examining something. "This room contains objects regarding Junko Enoshima herself, and someone told that maid to specifically ask for Nanami. Not only did someone want her to see this room, they knew she would be coming here."

Kyoko didn't bother to look up from what she was doing, while her statements caused an awkward silence in the room. The gamer thought it was strange how Chisa still remained hushed throughout all of this.

Finally, Aoi addressed Kyoko. "Kirigiri, don't you think that's harsh? I know you're a detective, but suspecting Nanami is—"

"I didn't say that," interjected Kyoko. "We have no idea who wanted Nanami to come here because the maid never gave a name. It might be Takara trying to play a trick. There could be some secret collusion but, as of right now, I don't suspect Nanami of anything. Besides, she'd be smart enough not to come here with all of us present, I'd assume."

Chiaki, Makoto, and Aoi all smiled at the assuring detective. Even Chisa could be heard giggling a bit.

Ruruka, meanwhile, was struggling to think of how she could recover from this. "…Well, of course! It's not like I actually thought our savior could be lying. I was just testing all your loyalties." The confectioner put her face uncomfortably close to the gamer. "You can thank me later for another favor I did for you!"

"Um…okay?"

"What a nasty woman…" Aoi murmured under her breath.

"Attention, idiotic Future Foundation agents!" Kitta yelled through the speaker. "Please make your way to the magnificent ballroom! I'm sure you came across a pair of huge metal doors you couldn't open, right? Come quickly… I'm not patient!" After a few seconds of silence, it appeared Kitta had nothing to add.

Chisa had an unreadable expression while she crossed her arms. "Let's go meet our host, shall we?'

The orders for everyone to gather near the previously locked doors were given. As Kitta said, they opened easily and revealed a long hallway. The tension could be cut with a butter knife while they began traversing through the empty passageway. Everyone was on guard for any ambush the ringleader might've planned.

The group finally arrived at another pair of doors. Once these were opened, only darkness was on the other side. Everyone hesitantly walked into the dark room, looking for any clue as to what this area could be.

"Light's on!" yelled Kitta before bright lights shined overhead, revealing a massive ballroom that was meant for a large audience.

There was, indeed, a surprising sight waiting for them inside.

"Holy cow!" yelled Aoi, getting into a martial arts pose, which wasn't that good.

The reason for her shock, along with all of her fellow agents, was the long line of Despairs standing across the room. They were all wearing fancy attire, held firearms, and were equipped with the signature Monokuma headgear. All of them stood side-by-side, unmoving. Their lack of reaction and movement seemed almost inhuman.

"…Talk about a party," murmured Ruruka, hiding behind Sonosuke.

"If we engage them," began Sonosuke, reaching for his knives, "it'll be a bloodbath."

"Did you all noticed my faithful servants?" asked Kitta, who still hadn't shown up in person.

"How could we not!" yelled Aoi. "Are you scared to come out?"

"I'm further in the back, behind those red doors you see behind my servants. I'm on a much more…fitting stage."

"You're just going to sacrifice all your allies while you hide?" asked Makoto with an angry expression.

"Not quite, you little dweeb. As easy and fun it would be for me to kick back and watch you all tear each other apart in a storm of gunfire, I have something much more gratifying in mind. Cleaning up all that blood would be a pain. The maintenance in this place isn't cheap, let me tell you."

"This mingling is fun," began Chisa, "but what is it you're after, Takara? Naegi?"

"I was really tempted to change my mind and pick him—but no. Today's guest of honor is none other than the phony savior, Chiaki Nanami!"

"…Why me?"

"Because I hate your existence the most out of anyone present! Now, let me offer you all a preposition: have the phony savior walk through those red doors and face me—and me alone. Whichever one of us comes out gets to decide what happens. If she wins, my servants will stand down and your infiltration of Junko's castle will be a success! If I win, I'll kill her, hang her corpse on that flag above the castle, and you all can have your little gunfight in here! Although, I might borrow Makoto Naegi as well if I'm feeling frisky."

"…If we refuse?" asked Kyoko.

"It'll be open season, and you all can go die for all I care!" aggressively yelled Kitta. "If you don't want more dead bodies of your Future Foundation subordinates—send me the phony savior! This is the least you could do after the Despairs wasted those pathetic agents during the ambush! If there is no decision in five minutes, or you all try to leave this room—I'll give the order to fire!"

"We're not going to send her in there alone...are we?" asked a worried Makoto.

"She probably has Despairs waiting to kill her behind those doors!" exclaimed Aoi. "We can't trust her word!"

"If what we're seeing is all of them, we have the superior numbers," began Kyoko, "but there will still be many fatalities...even if we are victorious."

"Damn it," grunted Ruruka. "This is your fault, Yukizome! I told you we should've just annihilated this place, and now we're stuck in this mess! What do you have to say!" Chisa seemed to be looking off into space. "Hello!"

"This is pointless," responded the housekeeper. She then turned towards Chiaki. "What do you want to do?"

"…" Everyone had been so busy deliberating among themselves, the quiet gamer had gone unacknowledged. Now, all the attention was firmly on her. Chiaki's eyes were glued to the ground while she searched for her response. Regardless of the terrible feeling in her gut, she knew her answer. "If it helps save people…I'll do it."

"B-But…Boss," began Aoi, "it'll be like throwing you into a pool of sharks. She probably has like, a hundred more Despairs surrounding her."

"You have my word that it's just me," replied Kitta. "You might not think so, but I always honor my deals. All I want is a good old-fashioned confrontation against the phony savior."

"Oh, please!" yelled Ruruka. "As if we'd—"

"I think she's telling the truth," cut in Makoto. There was a collective gasp from the room after he spoke that.

The confectioner, looking beside herself, yelled, "Have you lost your mind! What kind of Ultimate Hope would trust some insane bitch over his own allies?"

"I know how crazy it sounds, but I don't think she would lie about wanting to go against Nanami by herself."

"I agree with Makoto," added Kyoko. "From what we know about Kitta, she prides herself on being superior to others. If she resorted to underhanded tactics to defeat the former Ultimate Gamer, who has already overcome her precious Despara Carnival, that would be a blow to her pride…and Junko's legacy. What would Enoshima think if her successor was too afraid to personally defeat a mere game enthusiast? Do you agree, Kitta Takara?"

There was no reply from the speakers. It wasn't a sure thing, but Kitta was likely still listening.

If Takara was lying, thought Sonosuke, it would validate everything Kirigiri just said. From what I know, Kirigiri's deduction is spot on. She's someone who's always trying to prove her worth while disregarding rationality and sanity. She probably won't try anything now, even if she was planning something. That was a smart move to say it out loud like that.

"If I may," began a young man who was a part of Sakakura's division, "you're feat during the Despara Carnival was inspiring. There would've been many more dead bodies if you hadn't acted. We're not all from the same division, but I think I speak for all of us low-ranking agents when I say—we trust you with this task."

There were no looks of disagreement from any of them. They all gave her looks of trust she hadn't received in this quantity before.

"Hehe," laughed Aoi. "I still don't trust Takara, but I have faith in you. Go kick her crazy ass, Boss!"

"Just from what I've seen," began Kyoko, "I'm confident in leaving this to you."

"Yeah," added Makoto, "you'll do fi—" He stopped when his earpiece fell out. He sighed before picking it up. "Just my luck to get a broken earpiece..."

Chiaki had no idea why that made the idea she was having take form—but she widened her eyes when it did. It might've been pointless, but she decided to follow her gut. She made sure to keep her voice low so Kitta wouldn't overhear. "Ms. Yukizome, would it be possible for a single-channel connection between just us to be made? It needs to stay open, constantly."

"Huh?" questioned Aoi. "Why would you—"

"It can be done," answered a smiling Chisa. "Why would you need such a thing?"

"…Just a feeling."

Chiaki looked straight into her former teacher's eyes. The housekeeper laughed under her breath before reaching into her coat pocket. She pulled out two earpieces and handed one to Chiaki. "Luckily, we made sure to bring some of these too. I don't know what you have in mind…but I'll trust your judgment. We are telling you to go headfirst into an incredibly dangerous situation for our sake."

"Thanks." Chiaki put her earpiece in before walking forward. The moment she arrived at the line of servants, they split apart enough for her to get through. The gamer walked past them and headed towards the red doors.

"A brave decision, phony savior," uttered Kitta. "The next voice you all hear through the speakers in the ballroom, after those red doors close, will be the victor! Make sure to stay tuned and place your bets accordingly! Spoiler: I'm the safe bet, haha!"

Chiaki ignored the idol's repugnant behavior and put her hand on the handle. She took one last look at all of her allies' reassuring looks.

"Good luck, Nanami!" yelled Ruruka. In her mind, she was completely freaking out and thinking about how she could get out of this. She is so gonna die…

With one last smile, Chiaki opened the doors to reveal a long, dark hallway. She walked through the doorway before they shut on their own, eliminating her source of light.