Happy Holidays to all! Consider this chapter my gift to you all.
Chapter 18: Projects
With the hour of death drawing nearer, MC and Yuri quickly ran to Yuri's house. When they arrived, Yuri was a bit shy letting MC enter. The reason for this is because Yuri wasn't ready for MC to see her knife collection. She was hoping to either gain enough confidence to show him or to get rid of all of them. With no time to spare MC assured her that he won't judge her.
Hearing him say that gave Yuri a small amount of courage to let him in. To MC surprise her house was very elegant. He didn't notice this until now, but her house is almost the same size as Monika's. This kind of knocked MC ego down a bit feeling like he's mooching off of Yuri. When Yuri noticed this she let MC know that he's not selfish or greedy and that he will be a strong man that takes care of his family with the wealth he earned.
MC cheered up a bit as Yuri said that. Guess they are made for each other. The two of them searched all around the house. MC looked around the bottom floor while Yuri checks upstairs. While searching the bottom floor MC notices that all of them have a house with two floors. Is this convenience or just plain laziness? Don't ask me I'm just telling the story.
With no luck MC went upstairs to see how Yuri is doing. When he entered Yuri gave him a look of distrust.
MC: "What's wrong?"
Yuri: "I found this photo of all of us."
MC: "Ok?"
Yuri: "But take a look at it." She hands the picture to MC. The photo contains all five of them. Everyone looks exactly the same as they are now except MC.
MC: "Who the fuck is this generic Protag? (Wait is that supposed to be me?) The photo has MC with long hair. Long enough to cover half his face. He can't even see his own eyes.
Yuri: "What?"
MC: "Nothing, we found another great clue. You don't trust me right?"
Yuri: "… No I trust you. I'm sorry for doubting you."
MC: "I'm sorry about all this."
Yuri: "Why? Why are you apologizing for? I'm the one who should apologize. I'm your g-girlfriend and here I am not trusting you."
MC: "It's ok, I have a feeling Libitina is playing mind games with us."
Yuri: "Y-yes you right."
MC: "Did you find anything else?"
Yuri: "Not yet. I still haven't went through my father's office."
MC: "Then let's go there together." He offers his hand and Yuri takes it. Yuri guided MC to her dad's office and when they entered there was something that caught both their attentions. "Is that a safe?"
Yuri: "Seems like one, but I don't recall it ever being there? I should know as I always come here whenever I needed to use the printer or whenever I tell my father dinner is ready."
MC: "Hmm … wait the password!"
Yuri: "Password? What password?"
MC: "When I was looking through The Portrait of Markov a piece of paper fell out of it. The same paper you gave me when you went nutty."
Yuri: "I-I see." She gets nervous as she remembers.
MC: "Don't worry about it. I still love you. Now let's see what was the password? Oh that's right 092217." He enters the password and just as he excepted the safe opened. "Perfect!"
He opened the door all the way and saw some files. "Is this the special prize? Now I feel ripped." The file was pretty hefty with papers. Yuri helped hold the file as MC goes through them. To him and Yuri's surprised it wasn't just any normal file. Project Libitina. "Libitina!"
Yuri: "Is this file about her?"
MC: "Most likely let's give it a read. Let's see if we can learn more about her."
Project Libitina
Name: Elyssa Renier
Sex: Female
Birth: 01/5/2001
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 125 lbs
Cup size: DDD-cup
The following occasional behaviors have been noted and should be ignored in future examinations.
Suffers random laughter, self-harm, harm to others, eye twitching, biting, epiphora.
Yuri: "Her last name Renier sound familiar?"
MC: "I know right? Have we met someone with that last name?"
Yuri: "I don't recall. Should we continue?"
MC: "Yeah we should."
Project Libitina tested out to be the perfect super human. Due to her immense power she is yet to unlock her third eye.
Years went by and in the end Project Libitina was a complete failure. Due to this she was disposed of. Ordered and in charge Doctor Renier.
MC: "Looks like their plans failed, but how is she here then?"
Yuri: "I don't know, but this is scaring me."
MC: "Yeah I'm feeling scared too. Wait there's another file in the safe."
Yuri: "Please read it."
Project Ultimate Despair
Name: XXXXXXX XXXXXX
Sex: Male
Height 5'7"
Weight: 150 lbs
Name: XXXXXXXX XXXXXX
Sex: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 128 lbs
Cub Size: D-cup
For future testing These siblings are known to have red eyes and have the lust for blood.
Project Ultimate Despair are two siblings with similar super powers to the previous Libitina Project. Though not as power full as her, the two siblings are tough enough and have fast reaction to fight. There is no third eye on them. An order from Doctor Renier. Three days after the subjects are given their powers they are shown to strong enough to take down an entire police station with just one knife and gun.
The male is shown to have great reaction and power. He is capable of ricocheting one bullet to kill ten people. The female is shown to have good eye sight and is able to deflect any attacks including bullets shot to her from the police. It is known that the two siblings mental health are a bit warped. The female volunteered for the project. As for the male, he had to go through a painful experiment to the brain. Brainwashing ordered by Doctor Renier. Not much info is given about the two siblings.
MC: "My God that's terrible." Yuri remains silent. Clearly terrified at what she just read. (Could it be that they are the same siblings that are mentioned in the books? Just who were they?)
Yuri: "MC that doctors name, it's the same as Elyssa."
MC: "Renier. By the looks of the reports he must've approved both projects."
Yuri: "Indeed. How awful."
MC: "It is." Yuri shivers. "We found as much as we could, so we should go somewhere else."
Yuri: "But where to?"
MC: "I want to check Monika's place."
Yuri: "Do you think she'll lets us?"
MC: "She has to or else we'll never know the truth. Let's go. We don't have much time left."
Yuri: "V-very well."
The two of them headed off to Monika's house. During the walk MC looked at his watch and saw that they only have an hour left. When he saw that he grabbed Yuri's hand and rushed off quickly. With time running out MC had to work quicker. All the pieces are coming together, but he wanted to know more. Just thinking about it makes him want to puke. The Despair he's feeling creeping into his back.
With so much at stake he shook it off and continues to run to Monika's house. By the time they got there. Yuri wanted to at least let Monika know that they are going to search her house, but MC stopped her for it would only waste time. MC wanted to let Monika know, but he felt that the truth might be too much for her to handle. He opened the door and they both were amazed that it was unlocked.
MC: "Guessed she didn't have time to check before she went out looking for me?"
Yuri: "Indeed, but then again I would do the same."
The two of them entered. MC looked around the kitchen while Yuri goes through the living room. With no luck MC and Yuri met up and went upstairs. Yuri made the decision to go through Monika's room and MC decided to go look around her parent's room and office. When MC entered Monika's parents room he found a tablet on their bed.
He turned it on hoping it didn't need a password or anything or at least not show anything inappropriate. Instead of seeing what a normal tablet would show it instead showed a title. The Anti-Despair Program.
MC: (What?) His heart skips a beat. He continued to read more that he could about it.
The Anti-Despair Program was originally created for virtual gaming. This program would allow players to feel like they are in the game without any real life side effects. In other words, if the player witnesses a death, they will not die in the real world. They will however still be able to taste, feel, see, and hear in this world.
The original creator intended this to help players feel better about themselves and to witness their heart's desire. One of the first gaming programs was a dating simulation, meant to help single people develop skills to talk to the opposite sex or same sex depending on the player's preference. The game would be known as Doki Doki. However due to the creators untimely death the virtual world is not yet completed.
However his successor took over and wanted to share his father's ideals for the program. Instead of just developing it for gamers. He would develop it to help those suffering depression and any sort of despair the patient is suffering from. The Virtual World Project would later be renamed to what it is now. If only his old man would see him now. With this project completed he will be able to give complete happiness and hope to others who need it.
In an interview he only had this to say. "My father wanted to give people a place to feel safe and have the courage to face the real world. It may seem dumb to you, but to me and my old man. This was hope." That is his dream and his father's.
In memory of Dan Salvato.
MC: "Salvato? Wait could that boy really be Jason? I see so his untimely death was caused by The Ultimate Despairs. I'm sorry for your loss." He took the tablet and placed it in his backpack. He went to see how Yuri was doing. "Hey Yuri did you find anything?"
Yuri: "No nothing. I'm sorry."
MC: "It's alright. Come on lets go check her dad's office." Yuri agrees and they both head to the office and started looking around.
Yuri: "Hey a poem."
MC: "What does it say?" Yuri starts reading it out loud.
Hope
The world may be filled with Despair
But our lives have meaning
Our deaths opens a new path
There is Hope in our hearts so don't give up
My heart is light and soul is burning
Life will knock you down
But so can you
You ask for the truth and so you shall receive
True Hope is in front of you
The truth will set you free
There is Hope for you
So don't give up
MC: "Wait a minute? This hand writing? That's my hand writing, but I don't remember a writing this?"
Yuri: "Your right? This looks very similar to your hand writing, but when did you wrote this?"
MC: "I don't know? Man this is freaky."
Yuri: "Now what will we do?"
MC: "Take the poem and lets go."
Yuri: "Okay"
With nothing left to find, both MC and Yuri left Monika's house. When they walked outside they heard an anonymous sound. They heard a loud bell ringing. It was loud enough for everyone else to hear.
Libitina: "Attention Literature Club members. The investigation is over. You must all report to the Literature Club room right now. Don't keep me waiting."
MC: "Damnit! We ran out of time."
Yuri: "Michael, I'm scared."
MC: "I know, so am I. But we must face her head on. Don't worry we can stop her."
Yuri: "Do you think we can?"
MC: "We won't know if we don't try. Let's go. The others are probably waiting."
Yuri: "Very well." She grabs on to MC's arm in fear.
The both of them walked all the way back to school. By the time they got there, they both see Monika, Natsuki, and Sayori Waiting out front of the gate.
MC: "Hey everyone did you find anything?" Monika and Natsuki remained silent.
Sayori: "Sorry MC we couldn't find much."
MC :(Seriously? Am I the only one who found clues? What kind of BS plot convenience is that?)
Sayori: "But Natsuki and Monika did and their not too happy about it."
MC: "What did you find?" Sayori gave MC what they found and it was pictures of all five of them. "Wait these pictures have me, but with longer hair too."
Sayori: "Too?"
MC: "Me and Yuri found one too."
Sayori: "I see and I'm guessing you found plenty if clues MC?"
MC: "Yeah, but before I show you all in the club. I need to apologize." He gets down on his knees and bends so his forehead touches the ground.
Sayori: "Why are you apologizing?"
MC: "Because during our investigations I had to go through all four of your houses without permission."
Monika: "Get up, as long as you found something I'll forget about it."
Natsuki: "If it makes you feel better my old house isn't even my home anymore."
MC: "Thank you. Ready to face Libitina?"
Sayori: "Yup! Let's get going."
Natsuki: "Of course you idiot. There's nowhere to run.
Yuri: "Indeed, let's go."
Monika: "If everyone's ready to go then so am I."
MC: "Then let's go!"
With determination to face off against Libitina all five of them went to their club room. They weren't sure what to expect, but even in fear they knew they had to face her. There was no turning back now. When they reached the club room. They stood still reflecting all the good and bad times they had in here. It was clear that they are all scared, but MC took the first step.
MC: (No matter what happens. I will protect them. I can't give in to my fears. If I do then they will get scared too. I must stay strong and reveal the truth. Behind those doors will be Despair, but I will not let them stop me.) MC started to remember what Libitina has said to him before.
Libitina: "The truth will lead you to Despair."
MC: (This is it. The final battle. The true final boss. A battle between Hope and Despair. Who will win? Only time can tell. I have to have faith that we will win. If I don't we'll all suffer.) After taking a deep breath he places his hand on the handle of the door. "Alright then! Let the true game begin!"
End of Chapter 18