God… just a fair warning guys, get ready for a roller coaster with this one! It's without a doubt one of the most thrilling chapters of this fanfiction, don't get me wrong, but… oofta.
Anyways, here are the replies to the reviews of my lovely readers! :
Zephyrius29 - Hm, hm, interesting theory… well, the reveal of the death for this motive doesn't really happen until the last few paragraphs, but we'll see if you'll be proven correct!
Fallenstreet01 - You could not be more right, my friend… ah, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll… probably wish that they weren't all trying to kill each other. You know.
In this chapter, Byakuya and Ishimaru decide to have a little blade fight, Sayaka forgets things, and Leon likes bats! Also, Kirigiri does a little experimenting with chloroform.
My hands shook, teardrops escaped from my waterline and down onto the parchment resting beneath trembling fingers. Oh god, what had I gotten myself into? I didn't want to kill someone! I never wanted to kill someone! Even if the person who had decided to duel me was Byakuya Togami, the formerly esteemed heir of Togami Corporations, I couldn't - I - I-
It truly was quite ironic how scared I was of murder, considering the quite heinous deeds I had done in the past. Most of everything I had done was at Junko's bidding, but I was - no, I am my own person! So I cannot blame my previous sins on Junko Enoshima, when my foolish actions had been the ones that led to her death in the first place! Were I more complacent, less suspicious, perhaps I would've been the first victim… but it's useless to think about that now.
Truthfully, Byakuya had not officially requested to be my dueling partner for the fourth motive quite yet. However, the short stares we had thrust at each other were more than enough to confirm each other's thoughts!
He was the only one who knew that I was the mastermind fully and completely - the only one that had heard such a thing from my mouth itself. Because of the fourth motive's enticing reward of class-wide graduation in exchange for my death, it was only natural that Byakuya would feel a longing to kill me. He has been swearing that he would kill the mastermind with his own two hands since day one.
Because he was so determined to kill me, because he had his mind set to murder me the next time we interacted, I knew that I would have to retaliate. Quite honestly, I truly don't want to. I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want despair anymore. Hope is so much more nurturing and forgiving - it makes me feel so much lighter inside, it makes me actually want to embrace the world, to protect those I care about… however, because I care about someone as physically weak as Chihiro, as his sworn protector I might have to break my own inherent moral code in order to keep him safe.
… That's what Mondo would've done, I think.
Usually, I would think the need to protect someone would be condescending, at best! But now as I have begun to get to know Chihiro once again, the rumbles in my stomach and the rapid beatings of my heart beg to differ. Perhaps I had wished to protect him because he was my friend? Ah, yes, that must be it! Friends are supposed to wish to protect friends! … probably.
Nevertheless, I don't quite know what my plan for after I kill Byakuya is… The reason I'm choosing to even kill him now is so Chihiro isn't alone again, but once the class trial comes… it's all over for me. What am I doing this for? What is my goal? Not despair… retribution? Companionship? I don't know.
I hate not having the answer. Normally, I would be able to prod textbooks for hours and hours in search for answers to formulas and, god forbid, once in awhile resort to the infamous Google, but that is what I despise about my own mind! It is hard enough to read others, much less communicate with them, but now my own mind is not making sense of itself! It simply did not make any logical sense!
Ah… but I should really focus on my current task, shouldn't I?
Currently, I am in the middle of writing a proposal, per say, to the one and only Byakuya Togami! Usually it takes me quite a while to concisely and eloquently perfect the calligraphy and structure of a proposal, but I had wrote it in a hurry. To be precise, four hours! Yes, I was slacking, but I mustn't spend too much time on it… I had already messed up the penmanship of the letter enough with smudged tears and hasty attempts to correct them with white-out and towelettes.
Deciding to end the letter, I carefully seal it into a crisp, white envelope, hurrying outside my room and to Byakuya's, casually slipping it underneath the door. Thankfully, no one had seen me. It was near curfew, thank god, so if anyone were to see me they'd quickly have to scurry off to bed soon enough! (Although, thinking on it, that wouldn't quite prove my innocence if Byakuya were to turn up dead…)
Ah, now that that was over, I could finally relax and hurry off to my own bedroom! It had been strangely quiet ever since the fourth motive was announced earlier today, so perhaps I could take the edge off with a nice, quick, cold shower! (According to scientific studies, it was healthier for you as opposed to hot ones!)
Right as I am preparing to strip out of my blazer, I hear an incessant knocking at the door. Oh, gods, what is it now? I think, furrowing my brows into a deep frown. Perhaps it is Byakuya? Oh no, I hope he didn't think I meant that I wished to have a duel with him now!
Trepidly, I stand in front of my bedroom door, gauging my options. I could answer the door and possibly die, or I could stand inside like a coward and be completely rude to my possible guest! Hmm… it truly was a tough decision! What would be the wiser one? Moreover, what would be the socially appropriate one? Answering a door is very socially appropriate, I would think! But in a killing game, perhaps the etiquette is a bit different… Ah drat, I should've studied for this kind of scenario!
*Ding, dong*
Erg…
*Ding, dong*
I suppose answering it wouldn't be too bad, considering how hectic they seem to be to have me answer their calls. Perhaps it is an emergency!
*Ding, dong* *Ding, dong* *Ding, dong*
I throw open the door, only to come face-to-face with the glowering scowl of Byakuya Togami. His arm is paused mid-motion, his pointer finger hovering over the doorbell.
"Can I help you, Byakuya?" I inquire, leaning on the door frame. "Did you have such a problem with my request that you thought to blast my doorbell?" I cross my arms. "I thought I made my point very clear within the letter!"
Byakuya frowns harder. "Of course I had a problem with it! What makes you believe that I would attempt to dirty my hands by murdering you?" He pushes up his glasses, staring away from me. "Not only that, but this parchment is clearly damp! If you were to suggest such a thing to the one and only Byakuya Togami, then you could've made more of an effort!"
Byakuya unrolls the letter from his clenched fist, shoving it harshly into my face. I cough slightly into my fist, deciding to give Byakuya enough respect to make sure that I possibly hadn't of offended him somehow in the letter.
Dear Byakuya Togami,
It is I, the mastermind! I realized how out of sorts you must be given the new motive, and I am here to inform you that it is quite alright! I have decided that for this motive I must try to murder someone as well in order to protect my name, so I have a proposition for you!
What if we were to try and murder each other? As in, we clashed swords completely honorably, and both of us stood a fighting chance? It would be quite the event, I think! So, tomorrow night right after curfew it shall begin! Good luck!
Sincerely,
The mastermind.
The ink was smudged and blurred over each other, but it was still decently legible. I was still able to make out each individual letter, so it definitely wasn't very difficult to read! Hmm… Byakuya does wear glasses, perhaps he had a hard time deciphering the text? He does ring me as the type to be too embarrassed to admit that…
"Ah," I begin, "did you have trouble reading it? I could read it for you!"
Byakuya looks nothing if not offended. "Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?"
"Kiyotaka Ishimaru!"
"No, you idiot!" two fingers rub each of Byakuya's temples. "God, how is someone who organized a killing game such an imbecile? Unless that is an act…" he contemplates.
"Erm… what do you mean?"
Byakuya waves me off, flipping over the letter and reading it once more. He appears deep in thought, as if considering what I was saying in the letter. Is he? I wonder. I do really need him to be! Murdering someone again is bad enough, but in cold blood and without any warning… now that's just cowardly! Surely Byakuya would understand!
"Tell me, Ishimaru," begins Byakuya, lifting his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He peers at me with an indecipherable expression. His lips purse, his brows furrow, and his body posture is as straight as always, but I can see the muscles in his neck tense. "Why is it that a mastermind cares about honor?"
I freeze. I don't know… why do I? It didn't make sense… had Bro's constant teachings of it made me suddenly have a huge fascination with honor? It is certainly not what Junko wished to manifest within me. "Perhaps…" I start, subconsciously licking my lips. They feel dry and chapped. "Perhaps… I view it as cowardly to attack you without your knowledge!"
"Perhaps?" questions Byakuya. His lips twist into a condescending smirk, and he starts chuckling to himself. Erg… this man! "Are you unsure?"
"No!" I shout out, "I am sure! I am as sure about this as I am about everything else in my life! Everything I do is done with complete certainty!"
Byakuya raises his eyebrows. "Hm… then perhaps I will indulge your request. To be quite honest, I do want to see you fall by my own hands, and I may be one of the only ones capable of doing it." Byakuya scowls once more, "although I would've preferred to kill you easily and quickly without your knowledge. Things such as honor are useless to me."
I pry my mind for my file of information on Byakuya. Anything to fully convince him… ah! "Well, Byakuya, you do like games, do you not?"
Byakuya frowns slightly. "It depends what kind."
"Think of this battle as a game… the winner lives, the loser dies. It's a game with just the right amount of stakes. You enjoy that, I would think!"
Chuckling to himself once more, Byakuya turns away again. "I already said I would indulge your silly, childish notion of honor. You have no need to attempt to further convince me." Byakuya glances at me over his right shoulder, his blue eyes piercing into my own red ones; sharply contrasting each other and both spewing their own version of electricity. "After Monobear announces curfew tomorrow, it is everyone for themselves. Do not expect me to go easy on you."
With that, Byakuya exits the room, closing the door behind him. I heavily sigh, only then noticing a letter on the floor. It appears to be the one I had written him… he just left it here. I wonder why that is…
Monobear's face flickers onto the television above me. "It is now nighttime. The cafeteria and other…"
Ah, it appears I won't be getting that shower after all.
I had been holing up in my room for far longer than I should have. Already, it had to have been a few hours since the morning was announced by Monobear, but I still sat quivering in my boots atop my bed. Last night I hadn't been able to sleep a wink either… I was simply too scared! I did not want to kill someone!
I have killed others before, yes, but it had always been inadvertently. I had never plunged a knife into someone and watched the life drain from their eyes. Junko has, Mukuro obviously has, all of the remnants have… and me, I was always sat in the back observing the chaos that the despair sisters and I had helped to create. I felt so guilty - it hadn't been until I had been faced with all of my classmate's despair that I truly realized the gravity of my actions. I had attempted to create a perfect world where the common man should prosper and the geniuses of the world should burn, but in the end I had only managed to help Junko create her world. How was that fair?
Byakuya, despite being a rich, elitist snob, did not deserve to die by my hand. For the first time, I could not find it in myself to wish to kill him - I could not find a solid reason for why he should die. Despite his words, even in our regular high school days he was all bark and no bite. Quite honestly, if I hadn't proposed the idea to him I wouldn't be surprised if he got through the High School Life of Mutual Killing without killing someone. He may say that his plan is murder, but he did care about other people, even subconsciously. Though I had quite a hard time seeing that side of himself sometimes.
I vowed to protect Chihiro, yes, but from what? Other murderers, perhaps, but I sat holed in my room, contemplating my next actions wryly. Contemplating how to murder someone. In a way, I wished to prevent Chihiro from the knowledge that he had been betrayed by his current closest friend. However, I would have to reveal myself as the killer in the class trial should I prosper against Byakuya in order to fully protect Chihiro. And knowing Monobear, I'm sure he will reveal me as the mastermind that everyone had been trying to kill in the first place.
Ah… the incessant thoughts that had unleashed the floodgates of my inner mind were useless! I had wasted another thirty minutes just thinking…
Perhaps I should chance it and go get some food…
With that in mind, I depart, heading straight to the dining hall. Upon entering, I am not surprised to see it nearly desolate, save for Sayaka and oddly enough Mukuro. Sayaka waves to me as I enter, a perfect idol smile on her face. She must've practiced that, I think.
"Ishimaru-kun!" she calls, "over here!" she waves me over to the table that she is currently occupying - just a simple two-seater near the center of the room. Thinking on it, I think that is where Mukuro and I sat yesterday.
Mukuro shoots me a look from her table in the corner of the room, hunching in further on herself as she stares at the two of us. She must've noticed me staring, because she straightens up the tiniest bit and continues to read a rather thick book that she has sprawled on her lap. I attempt to peer at the cover, but I can not detect anything. It is most likely is a military book of some kind.
"Ah!" yelps Sayaka. When I turn to look at her, her eyes are bulging out, transfixed on Mukuro's slouching form. "I didn't even realize she was in here!" she attempts to peer at Mukuro's book as well. "Ikusaba-chan!" she calls, "what're you reading?" Well… she has more guts than I do. Mukuro appears to think the same, because as she looks up from her book to face Sayaka, she smiles slightly. It is an incredibly tiny, barely-there smile, but it is still planted on her face nevertheless!
"The Art of War," she replied blankly. She stares at Sayaka for a good few seconds before turning all of her attention back to her book.
Sayaka shakily smiles. Even I can feel the nervousness spewing from her; almost like she is afraid that Mukuro will just come jump at her with a knife wielded in her hand in the blink of an eye. It's certainly possible, but that's besides the point completely! She gasps in a breath full of air and attempts to continue the conversation, "oh! Really? That's nice! What is it about?" she asks, her idol-esque smile planted on her face once more.
Mukuro doesn't answer her. She simply continues reading, oblivious to all else.
"Ikusaba-chan?" questioned Sayaka, "is everything alright?"
Mukuro fails to answer.
"Ikusaba-chan?"
Slamming her book shut, Mukuro stands up and struts towards the two of us. She scowls, glaring at Sayaka in particular. "Can I help you?" she spat, "or are you going to keep attempting to make conversation with me?"
Sayaka freezes, her perfected smile slipping ever slightly. "O-Of course not, if you don't want, Ikusaba-chan!" she answers, giggling slightly to herself, a lone fist planted in front of her lips. "I was merely trying to talk to you! We haven't really had a chance to talk!"
"For good reason," replied Mukuro, "it was your boyfriend's idea to tie me up inside of his room for all of you to question, was it not?"
Sayaka flushes a deep, crimson red. "He's not my boyfriend! Don't say that - it could ruin my career!" Sayaka takes a few deep breaths, calming herself, and turns to Mukuro once again. "I apologize if that might've hurt your feelings-"
"-it didn't hurt-"
"-but you must realize where we are coming from!" continues Sayaka, "you had just attacked Ishimaru-kun, one of our precious classmates! Of course we would be a little suspicious of you! Plus your sister was confirmed by Monobear to be one of the masterminds… odds are that you were as well!"
"You're right," answered Mukuro, "I was one of the masterminds. But I did not, and still do not to this day, have control over Monobear. I did help create the killing game, but that was all I did as far as you know."
"As far as I know?"
"Yes, as far as you know," Mukuro sighs, locking her book under her elbow and against her ribcage. "Now, are we finished here? This book was interesting me, and I do not care for trivial things like small talk," her voice suddenly becomes significantly quieter, "I am no good at it."
Sayaka nods, her hair curtaining her face as she stares downward. Mukuro exits the dining hall, purpose in her shoulders and back; she looked as if she were going on a life-changing mission.
I stare after her for a few moments. Silently, I turn back to stare at Sayaka. "Are you okay, Maizono-kun?" I inquire.
Sayaka nods, but I do not fail to see a single teardrop fall from her eye to her skirt. Oh no… "Maizono-kun!" I shout, "you are crying!"
Sayaka jumps, lifting her head. She puts a delicate finger to her left eye, then swipes it away. "Huh…" she mumbles, "I am…" She takes a napkin from the table, dabbing herself gently. When she pulls it away, I see the faintest of mascara stains on it.
"What's the matter?" I ask, leaning in slightly. "Did Ikusaba-kun hurt your feelings?"
Shaking her head, Sayaka buries her head into her hands. "No! No, she didn't… but I feel like I just… forgot something. Like, something in my mind is telling that it isn't right… I feel so nostalgic…" I frown. It must be an effect of the memory loss. "What's happening? Why are we all hurting each other?"
I stay silent. After all, what can I say to that? Sayaka's memories must be coming back, even subconsciously… Otherwise, she wouldn't be crying right now…
"Ishimaru-kun…" Sayaka is now staring at me, mouth agape and eyes red. Her makeup is splotched over her eyelids, and small streams of eyeliner and mascara trail down her reddened cheeks. "I know that you most likely didn't come in here with the intention of talking, seeing as you would be in danger out in the open… the last motive wasn't too kind on you guys…" Sayaka takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself. What is - "so please let me accompany you to your room!"
I freeze. "What?"
"Oh, that was a bit direct, wasn't it?" Sayaka dabs away the mascara lines on her face with the napkin she had previously been using. Her cheeks are lit up in a scarlet red fire, and her lips are curled up into the tiniest of smiles. "What I meant to say was… perhaps we could talk in private… I have something that I would like to talk to you about."
I'm not wholly sure that I trust Sayaka Maizono. She had always been a bit of a wild card - in or out of school. She wasn't insane or irrational surely, but she always had that spark of madness to her. I do believe her to be a genuinely kind-hearted person, but I couldn't quite say that I believed her to be one who believed that cheaters would never prosper.
She had cheated the world of normality several years ago; she had simply started out as a normal school girl in a world where everyone wished to be an idol. That wasn't the odd part. The odd part was how she had succeeded. While I do not like to doubt my classmates, Junko had told me before that she suspected there was more to Sayaka's persona than just frilly dresses and innocent smiles!
Now Junko is not quite the most reliant of people, but she had always had a point when it came to basic social interpretations and interactions. She could read people; she knew exactly what made them tick, and exactly how to trigger such an emotional response from a person. I did not. I do not know how to tell whether or not Sayaka is leading me into a trap, or whether she is simply just a classmate looking for comfort.
Sayaka still stared up and into my eyes, pleading with a trembling smile and an oceanic, entrancing gaze. "Ishimaru-kun?" she murmurs, "please, I know how it must sound, but I have no weapons on me!" She lifts up her arms for me to see and true to her word I see nothing. She could possibly be hiding something under her sailor girl uniform, but what were the chances? She wouldn't have been able to plan that far ahead! "And if I do happen to try and attack you…" she paused, "you could easily overpower me, right?"
She was right! I am physically stronger than her, so I did not have any reason whatsoever to be so scared of my classmate! I am simply overreacting - I have been told that I over think, after all! That must be the case now!
"I-If you insist," I stuttered, a warmth spreading to my cheeks. "B-But I am not sure how appropriate it is for a man and a woman to be in the same dormitory!"
Sayaka waves me off, giggling slightly to herself. "Oh, it is completely appropriate! As long as you have no intention of doing anything scandalous, we'll be fine!"
Anything scandalous? Just what is she implying? I frown, my eyebrows hunching in on themselves. "It would never be my intention to cause any sort of discomfort to any of my fellow classmates!" My scowl deepens, "d-do I give off that impression?" I cringe at how timid my words sound even to my own ears. Gah, why must I react that way? I'm sure she meant no harm! I'm sure now she'll think I'm a pathetic loser and tell me to get a life and-
"Oh, of course not, Ishimaru-kun!" gasped Sayaka, as if appalled by my statements. Oh no, now I had offended her… "I had no intention of making it come across that way! My apologies!" From her seat, she leans into a deep bow - as deep as she can manage without smacking her head on the table, at least…
"No, I was the one who had overreacted!" I hurriedly shout, waving my hands frantically. "Do not fret! It is my own fault!" I cough exaggeratedly, hoping to steer the conversation in a separate direction. "A-Anyways, let me just get some food to eat, and then we will trek back to my room! How does that sound?"
Sayaka giggles once more. She sure giggles a lot, doesn't she? "Like a plan!" I furrow my brows in confusion. Of course it sounds like a plan, it is a plan!
Sayaka sat on my bed, looking around the room with a pleasant smile on her face. Her eyes pause over the many graphs and charts scattered along the walls, assumedly deciphering them! "So this is your room? It looks very educational!" I swell up at her compliment. She understands! The first time I had shown Mondo my room, he had shown nothing short of mockery!
"I consider our education to be of the most vital importance to us as students! We must be prepared at all times to sit down and study, and I hope to reflect that in the decor of my room!" I nod once to further convey my point then proceed to sit across from her on the floor in criss-cross position. She is oddly quiet for a moment, then two, then three…
"Are you alright just sitting on the floor?" she asked, "I could sit on the floor if you would feel more comfortable-"
"No, no, it is quite alright, Maizono-kun!" I cut her off, continuing to dutifully munch on my ham and cheese sandwich. "It is my duty as host to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible!"
Sayaka argues, "well, then you should sit on the bed with me!"
If my cheeks were already red, then now they must've been a blazing inferno. "I-I-I could not POSSIBLY sit with a FEMALE on a BED, Maizono-kun!" For the first time since the start of our conversation, I finally decide to look at the idol. She sits daintily on the bed, one leg crossed over the other. She peers down at me, her lips pulled down in a firm frown.
"Ishimaru-kun!" she complained, "you're being immature!"
I gasp. How dare she? "Me? I'm immature?" I have to clench my fists in order to prevent them from launching up in anger. "That is very rude, Maizono-kun!"
Sayaka raises her eyebrows. "My bad." Agh! And now she is being snarky!
I very pointedly look away from her. "Nevertheless… what did you wish to talk about?" As soon as the words leave my mouth I want to take them back. Now I had made it seem like I didn't believe she belonged here unless she had a valid reason to be here! Gah!
Sayaka doesn't appear too perturbed… "oh, right! To be quite honest… I'm afraid."
I lift my eyebrows. "Of what?" I push.
"Of Leon." As soon as the words leave her mouth, I sit ramrod straight, a very tense feeling filling my nerves. She seems to notice my predicament, as she frantically begins to wave her hands. "Oh no, I'm not afraid of what he'll do to me!" she cried.
I let out a deep, heavy sigh of relief. I had truly begun to worry for her for a second… but… wait… "Are you implying that he's going to do something to someone else?" I gulped out of habit; a familiar nervous tic. Was Leon on to me as well? Of all people?
Sayaka sadly nods. Her lips twist into a small frown. "He's been acting… strange…"
"Strange?" I repeated, fearing I had heard her wrong, "how so?"
Sayaka slouches ever slightly atop my bed; getting comfortable, I suppose. I suspected that I was in for quite the long conversation. "He has been getting increasingly tense throughout the entire time we've been here. I'm sure all of us have. But I fear that yesterday was the final straw for him. He's been holed up in his room all of yesterday and today. I've been knocking constantly but he never opens the door! And on the rare instance that I do see him, he avoids me completely, like he's afraid of me or something! Why would he feel any need to be afraid?"
I purse my lips in concentration. Hmm… Leon is a male… he's most likely feeling as threatened as all of the other male participants of the killing game. It was inevitable. The only reason Junko had decided to structure the game the way she had was in order to sink everyone into despair. She wanted everyone to be paranoid of each other!
A small part of me wonders whether or not she had designed this motive as well…
"He is most likely just afraid!" I replied back after a minute's hesitation, "we all are!"
"Well, of course he's afraid!" snapped Sayaka, shooting me a sharp glare. I flinch back from the shock of it. Since when had she become so aggressive? Sayaka quickly catches herself, stumbling over her words, "u-um, I mean - that is a fairly - I'm sorry, Ishimaru-kun, he most likely is! Thank you for the input!"
I bow my head. "It is no problem, Maizono-kun!" I shoot her my best politician smile. After hearing no words from Sayaka, I open my eyes slightly, only to see her staring off into the distance, eyes glazed over. Huh. "Maizono-kun!" I shouted. Sayaka jumped in her seat, spinning around to face me. "Is something else bothering you?"
Sayaka slowly nods. "I feel like he is going to kill someone."
My blood ran cold. On one hand, I felt a quite detestable sense of relief: if Leon were to kill the wrong person, I wouldn't have to kill Byakuya and reveal myself as the mastermind. However, if he were to suspect and attempt to murder me... then we were going to have a problem. Despite how much I wished to argue otherwise, logically speaking I would stand no chance against a professional baseball player! Perhaps in the future if I trained hard enough, but currently my body was simply not at the needed fitness level to defeat him! After a long pause, I utter, "who?"
"I don't know. That's what scares me the most."
I frown. "He never shared his suspicions of the mastermind with you?"
Sayaka shakes her head. "No, he said that he couldn't trust me. He said that he couldn't trust anyone. He… he never used to say that when we first began to talk to each other! What changed?"
I ignore her final question. I didn't quite have the answer to it. Nevertheless, "what makes you think he is going to murder someone?" I stare at her intently. She seems to retract in on herself. "Do you have any evidence?"
"None yet…" she mumbled, "but, if someone does turn up dead, we might have to begin suspecting him as the killer… as much as it pains me…" A single tear slides down Sayaka's face, falling on to her upturned palm. "Oh," she yelped, "I'm crying again…" she giggles, but her laughter soon begins to turn into desperate gasps of air as she frantically rubs at her eyes. "Why do I keep crying?" she asked. I'm not quite sure if it's rhetorical or not. "I haven't even known him that long… I shouldn't be crying…" she genuinely looks to be at a loss. Her subconscious memories must be acting up again… We may have erased all of our classmates' memories, but it is impossible to erase their emotions. Sayaka must remember how much she enjoyed Leon's company, how much she adored him, and if my suspicions were correct, how much she loved him.
Sayaka still desperately patted at her eyes with a loose tissue paper. "I don't get it!" she snapped, "why am I feeling this way?"
I desperately felt the need to get up and hug her, to pull her into my arms and spew out the truth; why she felt the way she did, why the killing game was happening in the first place, how much of a despicable person I truly am - everything! However, I know how foolish those actions would be, so instead I just settle for a: "it's okay to cry, Maizono-kun! It shows a willingness to be open with people!"
Sniffling, Sayaka sets the damp tissues next to her. Her tears appear to have stopped for the most part. Her eyebrows and lips are twisted into a low scowl, and her blue eyes appear tight and constricted. "Well, that'd be all well and good if I knew what I was even crying about!" she yelled. This time she didn't bother to backtrack.
I avert my gaze from her's. "... right," I mumbled, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
Sayaka huffs in a fit of annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hate this! I absolutely hate that stupid mastermind that decided to put us in here in the first place!" I shudder. "If I knew who he was, I wouldn't hesitate to end his life!"
"Maizono-kun?" I gasped, "are you certain that is a good idea?"
Sayaka lowers her gaze to the ground. "I said if I knew who he was…" she sighed, "but I don't. I won't kill someone innocent just because of our newest motive."
Something inside my gut told me that Sayaka Maizono was truly a dangerous woman, and I wondered how true her words really were.
Chihiro Fujisaki wasn't ready to die. Like he had told Taka before, he knew that he was a prime target for the newest motive. He was weak, effeminate, insufferable, pathetic…
He pretended to be a girl, for Christ's sake! Just to hide how truly pathetic and pitiful he was! However, it appears that his secret may actually work to his advantage this time around… no one except Taka knew of him as a man! Maybe, just maybe, he could continue to become stronger, so when the next motive came around no one would dare to mess with him!
… alright, that was a long shot and probably wishful thinking. Taka had said himself that it takes time to become strong. He even had said that he used to be weak! If someone like Taka had once been weak, what was stopping Chihiro from following in his footsteps and becoming strong?
The answer: the fact that he is Chihiro Fujisaki, a short, thin, fourteen year old boy who crossdresses as a girl to hide his own weakness. From the little time that he had known Taka, he had already caught onto how often he exaggerates. Despite what he says, Taka had never been weak. Taka had always been strong.
As Chihiro slung a duffel bag full of gym clothes across his chest, he felt a swell of admiration for the man. To be quite honest, Chihiro had originally been planning to ask Mondo for help with becoming stronger after the second motive was announced. But all too soon, Celes was dead and Mondo was next. At first Taka had been understandably devastated, but quite honestly Chihiro was simply amazed at how quickly he had learned to adapt and cherish Mondo's memories in a positive way!
That was Chihiro's dream. He wished to become strong enough to do that one day.
But for right now he was trying. He stood outside Taka's door, ready to knock on it to ask him to work out with him, when a sudden thought popped into his head. Taka is in more danger than him right now, isn't he? Everyone was always accusing Taka when he left the room, even though he was such a good friend to him! Despite the fact that Taka was quite possibly the highest valued target in the school currently, Chihiro had no doubt in his mind that as soon as he asked for Taka's assistance he would give it. Even if he was quivering in his boots, the boy would find some way to justify to himself why he should help Chihiro!
Because of that, Chihiro let his hand fall back by his side and began walking straight towards the second floor landing. Taka should rest today. Chihiro would be fine on his own.
Naegi had heeded Kirigiri's advice against his best wishes. Of course, no one was going to kill each other over as silly a motive as the one they had been given, but no one in the school had the same mentality as him… except for Fujisaki and Maizono, maybe.
But it was currently nearing eight o'clock, and he was beginning to get awfully hungry. Ever since the motive's announcement he had been holed up in his room praying that no one would knock on his door. As expected, no one had.
Naegi's stomach growls again… hm, it wouldn't hurt too much if he decided to go get food, right? No one really suspected him as the mastermind, and everyone seemed a bit afraid of each other anyways, so what are the chances of someone waiting to kill him were just around the corner?
Nodding, Naegi looks back at the clock. Nine o'clock. It's now or never.
Naegi exits the room hastily, quickly looking both ways down the corridor as he does. No one. Smiling, Naegi speed-walks to the cafeteria. What should he get? He had been craving soup a lot lately… hm… maybe mushroom soup? That sounded good!
After getting to the cafeteria, Naegi quickly serves himself some soup and begins to bring it to a lone table. Alright, now that that's out of the way, he'll just -
*CRASH*
In one fluid motion, his bowl lay on the floor, shattered into a million pieces with yellow broth seeping from it. Shakily, Naegi turns to look at the offender, praying to god it had just been a simple accident on his part. Immediately, Naegi's breath stills. Leon Kuwata stood just behind him, bat outstretched and at the ready.
Oh no!
Naegi hurriedly jumps out of the way, nearly tripping on his own two feet as he scatters. "K-Kuwata-kun!" he called, hands outstretched in front of him on the floor. Kuwata ignores him, wordlessly lifting up the bloodied bat that he wields once more to strike it down upon Naegi's head. Naegi rolls out of the way quickly, but before he can so much as blink, Kuwata's bat hits him on the side.
Letting out a harsh gasp, Naegi begins to crawl away. "Kuwata-kun!" he rasped, tears burning the edges of his vision. "Please! Why are you doing this?"
If Kuwata wished to make another move, he stops now. "Why am I doing this?" he repeated mockingly, "because I'm onto your tricks, mastermind." Kuwata leans down next to Naegi's head, gripping the ahoge at the top of his head roughly. Kuwata pulls Naegi to be level to his eyes. A pained moan erupts from him.
"M-Mastermind?" stuttered Naegi,"what are you talking about? I'm not the mastermind!" Naegi felt a tear slip down his cheek. He was going to die, wasn't he? "I'm telling you! If you kill me then Kirigiri will figure you out when the class trial comes!"
Kuwata lets out a harsh, barking laugh. "See! You're doing your mind tricks again!" He glares at Naegi, lips pulled into a low frown. "Monobear came into my room with this, you know-" he gestures at the bat clenched within his fist. "He gave me a bit of a hint regarding the mastermind."
At that, Naegi's eyes widen. "A hint?"
"Yes, a hint!" snapped Kuwata irritably, "he said the mastermind would be the person least expected… and so it made me think… who is the one who has always been solving our mysteries from the get go? Who is the one who always seemed to know a little too much? I came to one conclusion: Makoto Naegi."
Naegi shakes his head frantically. "No, Kuwata-kun, it isn't me, I swear! Usually Kirigiri-san was the one figuring everything out, I was just her sidekick! You have to believe-"
"-believe you?" asked Kuwata, bewildered, "why should I believe a talentless loser whose only self-proclaimed use is being optimistic? Ya know, I'm not even sure I quite believe that whole Super High School Lucky Student thing, either!" He growls from the pits of his throat. "Why would an esteemed school like Hope's Peak accept someone so useless?"
At that, Naegi's heart sinks. He is useless, isn't he…? He had no reason to be accepted to Hope's Peak in the first place… Kuwata was right about that. But he could not let one of his friends die because they falsely believed him to be the mastermind! Kirigiri would figure Kuwata out right away, and then Kuwata would be executed! Naegi did not want that to happen no matter what!
"K-Kuwata-kun," gasped Naegi, the pain in his ribs suddenly intensifying, "please, I beg of you, don't do this! You'll die too!"
Kuwata stares blankly at Naegi. "Die?" he repeated, "I won't die." He said the words with such confidence that Naegi felt a pang of pity for the boy. Monobear had truly driven him into despair… as his friend, no, as a human, Naegi felt it was his duty to let him see the light of hope once more!
As Naegi sees Leon stand up, the bat ready to be swung down atop his head, Naegi acts purely on instinct. With a quick flourish, he brings his right foot up, kicking out Leon's feet from under him. Leon topples to the ground with a curse, but Naegi does not care to look behind him. He sprints out of the cafeteria, intent on going back to his room and bolting the door closed, when a sharp, hot pain ignites within his back.
Leon stands tall over him, a furious expression on his features. "Where the hell do you think you're going, Naegi?"
I stare hollowly at the box cutter lying in front of me. I had taken it from the storage room after deciding to find a weapon for the killing game Byakuya and I were undergoing tonight, but now I was quite curious as to whether or not it would be an effective weapon… Byakuya was sure to grab something obvious, such as a knife or something. Byakuya didn't have the most muscle strength, so he was most likely going for something easy to wield, something that wasn't too hard to kill with…
Now the most difficult part was how to make sure Kyoko's door was closed for the killing game. It would be unfortunate if she were to hear the two of them trying to kill each other… I'd have to close it right after midnight, but she would be sure to wake up to the sound of her door closing, unless she kept it open with an eraser or something along those lines, but the entire point of that would be lost seeing as everyone knew she slept with her door open now.
There was the chance Kirigiri did decide to forgo her previous statements in favor of safety tonight seeing as there was a new motive, but considering the fact that Kirigiri is a girl the chances are unlikely.
*Ding, dong*
My head snaps towards my door. Who is deciding to visit at this hour? I shuffle over to the door, timidly reaching out my hand to open it. Hm… maybe I shouldn't… there was the chance the person behind there might be coming here to kill me.
*Ding, dong*
On the other hand… truthfully I did not want to wait around and listen to a doorbell go off excessively. With that, I swing open the door, my first sight being the perky face of Sayaka Maizono.
"Hello, Ishimaru-kun!" she greeted, waving her hand.
"Oh…" I murmured, "come on it!" I gesture for her to enter. She bows her head, doing so gratefully.
"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes immediately drawn to the box cutter on the center of my desk. How had she caught onto that so quickly?
"Ah!" I yelp, "I-I am, uhm… cutting boxes?" I cringe at how awkward and forced I sound. Shoot… she isn't going to believe me, is she? Hesitantly, I add, "it's for self-defense!"
Sayaka shoots me a doubtful smile. "Yeah… um, anyways, I was just coming in here to get my keys."
"Your keys?" I repeat. Her eyes drift towards my bed. I follow her eyes, spotting a shiny pair of keys resting on top of it. "Oh!" I yelled, "yeah, go ahead!"
Sayaka nods, going towards it. Silently, I return to sit at my desk, resting my face in my palm contemplatively. Now, back to Kyoko… how should I -
I spot Sayaka approaching from my peripheral. Apprehensively, I turn towards her, spotting her worried expression. She leans slightly on the desk in front of me, her palm just next to where I had put my own keys. "Ishimaru-kun," she whispered, "you're not hoping to murder someone, are you?"
I jump, gulping. "W-What do you mean?" I inquired, already cringing at how obvious my nerves were. I attempt to cool my head, taking a couple deep breaths. "I mean… I'm not!"
Sayaka stares at me. As much as I try to decipher her thoughts, I can not - she doesn't appear to be anywhere near unfeeling, but try as I might, I can not read her. "Are you sure?" she finally asked.
"Yes!" I shouted, a smile stretched upon my lips. She looks at me, concern finally etched onto her face. "Do not fret, Maizono-kun! All will be fine!"
She sighs, nodding. "I should probably get going in that case then…" She walks towards the door, almost hurriedly. She opens it, and right before she passes through it, she turns to look at me over her shoulder. "Don't do anything drastic, Ishimaru-kun."
Before I can even think to respond, she is gone. I sigh heavily, resting my head in my palms once again.
What to do?
Kuwata struck Naegi on the leg as he attempted to run away once again. Naegi let out a bellowing screech as he felt something snap on his leg, tears springing to his eyes and running down his face. Kuwata let out a sneer, lifting his bat to rain it down on Naegi once again. Naegi, without really thinking about it, hops onto his good leg, racing forward to avoid Kuwata's next strike.
Kuwata races after him. Of course, he is much, much faster than Naegi, and he has the strength to go along with it. Naegi knew his time was limited. There is absolutely no way he was going to manage to survive this if Kuwata doesn't screw his head on straight!
Kuwata tackles Naegi to the ground, straddling the poor boy's body as Kuwata lifts the bat far above his head, ready to strike it down upon Naegi's skull. Kuwata takes a deep breath, thrusting the bat forward.
Naegi begins to see his life flash before his eyes. Memories of his sister, his family, his friends, his school, his life… he remembers the good times and the bad times. He remembers going to his grandpa's funeral, but he also remembers his first kiss with a girl - despite how hazy the memory is. He wanted to live more! He wanted to see more! He wanted to be alive!
With a strength Naegi never knew lied dormant within him, he grabs Kuwata's wrist, using the boy's own momentum to strike it hard into the ground. A sickening crack is heard, and various fragments of wood suddenly litter the air and scatter the ground. There, right next to Naegi's head, lay a baseball bat split into two completely separate parts. Naegi would've hated to have been hit with that!
Kuwata looks stunned for a good few seconds, but he quickly rights himself. "Tch! Doesn't matter anyways! I don't need that stupid thing to kill you!" Kuwata reigns back his fist, punching Naegi square in the nose. Immediately, Naegi hears his bone break and feels blood begin to gush out of it.
If he somehow did manage to survive this, he was going to be very injured.
Kuwata lays punch after punch on him, mostly aiming for his chest and face. Naegi feels himself begin to slip into delirium - a dark, void blackness fills the edges of his vision, and Kuwata's fist soon becomes a distant nudge.
Naegi whimpers slightly, "K-Kuwata-kun… please… you're going to die if you keep this up…" Kuwata doesn't pause to contemplate his words in the slightest; he keeps punching Naegi, neverending. Naegi felt death begin to creep up on him. Tears gush out of his eyes and down his cheeks - he didn't know whether it was from the pain or from the sorrow that death would bring him.
He still had so much to do. He needed to end this killing game.
In his moment of delirium, Naegi swears that he sees Kirigiri suddenly appear behind Kuwata, a white cloth in her hands. The Kirigiri-hallucination grasps onto Kuwata's head, putting the white cloth up against his nose and mouth. It almost feels as if Kuwata is actually being forced off of him, but - wait a second.
"Kirigiri-san?" asked Naegi, blearily looking at the lavender-haired girl. Kirigiri doesn't pay him any mind, too focused on smothering Kuwata. After a couple more seconds, Kuwata's eyes roll into the back of his skull and he slumps to the floor, motionless and on top of Naegi.
Kirigiri pushes the baseball player off of him with her boot, looking towards Naegi contemplatively. "You didn't listen to my advice."
Naegi ignores Kirigiri's snark, instead focusing on the still unmoving form of Kuwata. "Is he…" he trailed off, not quite having the right words to say. He looked almost… dead. His eyes were partially open, but Naegi was only able to make out the white of his eyes and the veins within them. Had Kirigiri killed him?
"He's only unconscious," said Kirigiri, as if reading Naegi's mind. "He'll be unconscious for a good few hours. I used chloroform, so it should take him a while to recover. Whatever the case may be, I sincerely hope he won't choose to go after you again, nor anyone else." She stares at Kuwata's unconscious form. "... perhaps we should tie him up."
The sharp pain in his leg and nose still pulsing and throbbing, Naegi attempts to sit up, but only falls back down to the ground with a screech. Nevertheless, "w-why do y-you have chloroform?" he stutters between ragged breaths, "where did you even get that?"
Kirigiri spares him a tight-lipped smile. "I figured you wouldn't heed my advice from yesterday. So I figured it might be a good precaution to make some, just in case." Kirigiri sighs deeply, tucking her lavender hair behind her ear. "It appears I was correct… but I might've come too late."
At that, Naegi sat straight up, ignoring the hissing reluctance in his leg. "T-Too late?" he rasped, "are you saying that I might die?" No… he couldn't be saved last minute just to die of injuries later… he can't!
Kirigiri shakes her head quickly. "No! But you do seem to be very injured… I don't have the widest array of first aid knowledge, so I might not be able to help you too much."
Naegi frowns, staring at the ground intently. He actually did have some knowledge of first aid, but obviously he couldn't apply it to himself. Perhaps… "it's okay, Kirigiri-san! I know a bit of first aid myself, so perhaps I could just direct you on what to do!"
Looking away, a pink tint came to Kirigiri's cheeks. Uncertainly, she asks, "are you sure you trust me to do that?"
"Of course!" smiled Naegi, blood spilling from his split lip and the corners of his mouth straining against his bruised skin, "we're friends, right? What kind of friend would I be if I didn't trust you?"
Kirigiri looks blankly at Naegi. "Friends, huh?" she softly smiles, "I like that…" She walks over to Naegi, bending down besides his fallen form. With hardly a margin of effort, she wraps her arms around his petite body and lifts him up in her arms.
"K-Kirigiri-san?" questioned Naegi, frantically wrapping his arms around her neck. "What're you doing?" A crimson blush tinted his cheeks and ears. He truly felt like he could die of embarrassment! "I can walk on my own!"
Kirigiri lifts her eyebrow inquisitively. "It makes more sense like this, doesn't it? That way you don't have to put any unnecessary strain on your leg. It looks broken." she nods at his left leg. Naegi, not having looked at it before, nearly faints at the sight of it - the bone isn't protruding from the skin, but it looks damn near close to it. From the middle of his calf down, it looks to be bent sharply to the left and crushed. Kuwata had done that much damage with just a baseball bat…
"He is the super high school level baseball player," stated Kirigiri matter-of-factly, "he must've been hitting as hard as what you would see on TV." She turns to stare pointedly at the broken bat on the ground. "... if that is any indication."
Naegi gulps. If that had hit his face…
"Do you still have any complaints about me carrying you, Naegi-kun?" she asked, "or are you going to hold onto the frail amount of masculinity you still have left?"
Naegi didn't know whether or not to be offended by her statement, so he merely shook his head. "N-No… I'm good."
I gently close my bedroom door behind me as I exit, box cutter in hand. It was five minutes past curfew… everyone should hopefully be in their beds by now. I actually did feel slightly guilty for breaking curfew, but what must be done must be done!
Right as I fished my keys out of my pocket to lock the door, I hear, "you took an awfully long time," the pompous voice of Byakuya Togami drills from behind me, "did you have a problem deciding whether or not you would physically able to kill me?" I turned around, deciding to face Byakuya's criticism. A wry smirk plays on his face, "it wasn't too long ago that Mukuro injured you. If worse came to worst, the wrong move from me and all of your stitches might come flying open."
I furrow my eyebrows. "You are severely doubting my physical abilities, Byakuya! I could take you with one eye closed!"
Byakuya yawns into his palm, pointedly looking away from me. "Are you attempting to incite anger in me with useless boasting? I will have you know that you are truly outmatched in that department." Did he just admit to participating in useless boasting?
I firmly shake my head. "It is quite futile to attempt to anger you with words! We will show who is the better man in the way of the sword!" I look to his hand, spotting a kitchen knife peeking out of his sleeve. "... or in the way of the knife and box cutter!"
Byakuya scowls, looking away from me. "Kirigiri's door is closed, by the way." He gestures to Kyoko's bedroom door. Sure enough, it is completely closed - "it was already that way when I checked. It seems that Kirigiri is slacking."
That doesn't sound quite right! But nevertheless - "let us commence, then!" Without further ado, I thrust up my box cutter. Byakuya looks up just in time to see it rushing towards him, to which he quickly leaps out of the way with a small yelp. "Never turn your back to an opponent! It is quite disrespectful!"
Byakuya merely clicks his tongue. "So we're starting this already?" he grumbled, quickly sliding his knife into his palm. With a flash, he aims towards my throat. I quickly dodge, running full speed towards the landing of the second floor.
"Ishimaru!" he bellows, "get back here!" I heed him no mind - I have a plan! I am going to survive this!
Rushing up to the fourth floor, I barrel into the chemistry room, hiding behind a lone table near the corner. Byakuya comes in shortly thereafter, fuming and sweating. "Ishimaru!" he snapped, "I know you are in here! I saw you enter!"
I wait for him to go further into the lab, just past my table… but he doesn't. Instead, he comes straight for me. He doesn't seem to see me yet, but he seems to have the faintest idea that I am hiding! Oh no… With a leap of faith, I jump towards Byakuya, box cutter aiming towards his throat.
Byakuya flinches, barely managing to evade the cutter. Instead, it manages to graze his cheek with a sharp nick. He stumbles, clutching his cheek in one hand and his knife in the other. With that, he charges forward, knife at the ready.
It is then that I realize I've made a terrible mistake.
In my pursuit of Byakuya, I hadn't left any room for me dodge an attack. All of my energy was forced into my hit. Currently, my body was racing towards the floor, and I couldn't move fast enough to stop myself from hitting the floor.
He was going to kill me!
Naegi winced harshly as Kirigiri dabbed at his swollen lip with a cotton ball. "This is why I told you to stay in your room, Naegi-kun…" droned Kirigiri, a passive expression planted onto her features. Naegi had the inkling of a feeling that her emotionless persona was hiding something much more passion-filled. She must be fuming!
Cringing, Naegi bowed his head slightly, "sorry, Kirigiri-san… I was getting a bit hungry…" Kirigiri grip on his chin tightens, and she forces him to stare up at her as she continues disinfecting his lip.
"Then you should've told me something. I would've brought you food." Kirigiri frowns, "I just didn't want you to get hurt… this all could've been avoided."
Naegi shakes his head. "I didn't even know Kuwata-kun thought I was the mastermind! I haven't really done much to support that, I don't think… unless I'm just unaware of it."
"Kuwata-kun was most likely under the effect of Monobear's despair. You mentioned that Monobear had said something to him, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Then he was likely goading himself into being paranoid of everyone around him. It's nothing you did specifically. It is more like what he forced himself to believe, if that makes sense."
After a pause of contemplation, Naegi sighs, "it doesn't… I must be more beat up than I thought. I probably have a concussion too."
Kirigiri nods, "I suspected as much. For the Super High School Level Lucky Student, you aren't quite that lucky, Naegi-kun."
Naegi chuckles, "you're telling me." After a moment of contemplation, he wonders, "should we have left Kuwata-kun out there by himself?" After a moment, his eyes open in a panic. "Wait! He's technically sleeping out there, isn't he? Isn't that against school rules?"
"Don't worry," said Kirigiri, "he's just unconscious, not sleeping. It's a loophole. We discovered it when Ishimaru-kun was attacked, remember?" Naegi furrows his eyebrows. He felt like he should remember something like that, but everything in the distant past seemed so… hazy. Kirigiri must've noticed his silence, because she suddenly heavily sighs. "Yup. Definitely a concussion."
I huddled in on myself, a sticky substance oozing from the gaping hole in my stomach. I cough, blood pouring from my mouth. Shoot… internal bleeding…
Byakuya bends down next to me, a blood-splattered knife resting lazily in his palm. "See, mastermind? It looks like I did reign supreme over you…" he stands up, chuckling to himself. His back faces me. "I have to admit, I am sorely disappointed at how easy of an enemy you ended up being. What an anticlimactic ending to this game."
The box cutter still gripped tightly in my palm, I quietly stand up from the floor, edging towards Byakuya's still turned back.
"Hmm, not only that, but you were a rather bad actor as well," he sighs, "near the end of it all, nearly no one believed that you were truly just an innocent victim in this entire mess…"
I steel my nerves. I have one shot. One shot, and then it's all over.
"Oh, but you already knew that, didn't you? Say, when were you planning to reveal yourself as the mastermind? Were you ever going to? Or did you want us to just kill each other one by one?"
With a charge, I dash forwards, a bellowing yell launching from my throat, Byakuya turns to me, shock and terror filling his eyes. Just one more step… then… Byakuya backs away slightly. With a quick step, I spin around to be behind Byakuya, holding the box cutter to his throat, and then I slash!
Blood follows my blade as I slit the man's throat. Byakuya falls to the ground, motionless. I stare blankly down at the blond heir. I succeeded, but I didn't feel any sort of joy or triumph from my defeat of Byakuya. Instead, I felt like a monster.
Until…
"Tch…" Against all possible odds, Byakuya manages to scoff at me, his voice hoarse and thick. "I-Is that all you have to offer? You didn't even cut deep enough to puncture my artery." My blood stills. I must've not pushed hard enough on the blade… I was too uncertain!
My own predicament catches up with me, and I slump to the floor behind Byakuya, groaning softly as I put pressure on my own wound. We were both going to bleed out here, weren't we?
That is until I notice a flash of silver from my peripheral. Quickly glancing to my left at the incoming blade, I find Byakuya, slit throat and all, glowering at me. He raises his blade higher, aiming straight for my skull.
No.
As the blade comes crashing down on me, I roll out of the way, crying tears of pain. That's right! I couldn't die yet! I still had to protect Chihiro!
I leap up from the floor, racing out of the chemistry room and down towards the dorms. What am I doing here? I wonder, I still have to help him become stronger! I have to live on in Mondo's name! I have to redeem myself!
Despite the pain deep within my gut, I smile. I smile as tears of agony and sadness creep down my face. I smile as Byakuya chases me, a hand holding his own throat. As the world crashes around me and burns, as I feel as though I am fading into nothingness, I smile.
I remember now. I remember my friends. I remember how much I had cared for them. I remember Mondo and Chihiro. They were my best friends! I know now that I can't leave Chihiro in the world to fend for himself!
As I race towards my door, I throw it open with gusto, preparing myself to immediately lock the door behind me. But… something stops me.
The aura inside was rancid, and the energy levels made me feel like the room may just cave in on itself. I choose to ignore this, taking a cautious step inside, then another, and then -
I stop.
I stop and fall down to my knees, reaching a single arm out towards the area directly in front of me. I begin to weep hysterically, and in my head I hear voices shouting: "not again! Not again!"
Because, spread out in the very center of my room, laid the mutilated corpse of Chihiro Fujisaki.
I am so sorry.
This class trial is going to be absolutely heartbreaking, just so you know. Gah… I'm sorry! This chapter was so intense, man… I have been planning since the beginning to kill Chihiro in the fourth arc, and I was so tempted not to because Ishi needs a friend, but this will end up being very relevant to the plot in some way, don't you worry.
Anyways… this chapter came out a bit late too. My chapters might be finished with the writing process but I still have to edit them, and this chapter was an absolute bitch to edit, so I apologize for that. So because of that and the fact that I was rather busy both yesterday and today, it came out late. At least it's out, though!
Question: Without any evidence, who do you believe to be the killer of Chihiro Fujisaki?
Next chapter is Thursday, and it's entitled "the Fourth Investigation"! Good luck! This death is gonna be a bit hard to solve.