Desperate Measures

SPOILER ALERT: Some Chapter III spoilers.

I've once heard that "no plan survives contact with the enemy," which is especially true in situations like the killing game, in which we're our own worst enemies. The plan to have Himeno execute Tatsuki and then die for that to appease Monokuma if we couldn't find a way off the island seemed like a good idea, but that wasn't what ended up happening.

But what if our search of the office complex had revealed nothing, and ended without any deaths? What if we had been forced to take Himeno and Tatsuki up on their offer?

Not long after noon, the twelve of us assembled outside the prison and gave Higurashi our reports. Kirishima had apparently found something very interesting in the basement, but when pressed as to whether it would help us with our current predicament, he gave a flat and blunt "no." Higurashi did ask him to describe it, and he shared what he'd learned, mainly to humor him. It all seemed pretty interesting, but unfortunately, there was much we still didn't know about it, and likely never would.

Upon our return to the prison, Higurashi and Chiyuri took inventory. They then emerged with a bottle of water, and had us form a circle.

"This is the last of the water," Higurashi said. "Please take a sip before passing it to the next person."

Higurashi opened the bottle and took a sip to set an example for the rest of us, then passed it to Chiyuri, who did the same. I took the bottle and had a sip next, then passed it to Sayuri. A few passes later, the bottle, now almost half empty, found its way to Tatsuki's hands, whereupon she passed it to Asakura.

"You're not thirsty?" Higurashi said.

"It's more that I don't need a drink," Tatsuki said. "Now that we've explored every corner of this island, there's only one way for us to leave that doesn't involve us dying of starvation or dehydration. Why waste water on someone who's about to die?"

The others fell silent for a moment, knowing full well what Tatsuki meant.

"I understand what you're saying, Tachibana-san," Chiyuri said, "but it's still too early for any of us to lay down their lives. We might be out of water, but we're not dying of thirst just yet. Perhaps we could search the office complex and other buildings one more time."

Tatsuki shook her head.

"All of our groups had ample time to search their designated areas thoroughly," Tatsuki said, "or at least as thoroughly as the traps and the damage to the buildings would allow. If we continue, someone may trigger a trap or be murdered, an outcome that becomes more likely as we grow hungrier and thirstier. We not only agreed upon this plan to minimize the death toll, but also to prevent us from being betrayed once again."

Higurashi let off a long sigh. He couldn't deny Tatsuki's point, and a part of him probably always knew that we'd end up having to take her up on her offer, but even so, he never wanted it to happen.

"Are you sure about this, Tachibana-san?" Higurashi said.

"As sure as I'll ever be," Tatsuki said. "I once tried to sacrifice you all so that my sister and I could live, so perhaps it's only fitting that I die so that you can live on. The only shame is that someone else will have to go with me."

"And you, Himemiya-san?" Higurashi said.

"I, too, have made my decision," Himeno said. "A part of me always feared that this island would be my final resting place, but at least this way, my death will have some meaning."

Higurashi looked somber.

"If you two have made up your minds, then I suppose none of us can dissuade you," Higurashi said. "Let's begin our preparations."

Higurashi then led us outside.

We headed to the gallows. Kumakura, with some help from Kurogane and Higurashi, dug a grave for Tatsuki, and set up a makeshift cross. While we were waiting, Himeno sat down with Tatsuki on the gallows, away from the noose and pressure plate, and I joined them.

"You know, Azuki-san..." Tatsuki said, "I do actually wish I had my uniform- a clean one, mind you- for my execution. I actually did mean what I said earlier about wanting to look nice if I got executed, partly because I hoped that if my plan went wrong, only I would pay."

"True," I said, "but look on the bright side. The good thing about wearing overalls is that no one can look up your skirt. That's why my mom likes wearing a pantsuit."

Tatsuki chuckled mirthlessly. Luckily for us girls, none of the heterosexual guys (and now that I thought about it, Himeno and Sayuri), were the perverted type.

"You have a point," Tatsuki said, "but at the same time, I do take pride in wearing my uniform. I wore it for each of my performances at school events, and my classmates were proud to have a famous musician as a schoolmate. If only they knew what I ended up doing."

Himeno shook her head.

"You made a mistake, but now you're taking responsibility for it," Himeno said. "I don't think it's fair to make you pay with your life, but nothing about this killing game is. What we decided on is merely the lesser of two evils."

"I know," Tatsuki said somberly, "but if someone has to play this role, it may as well be me."

Tatsuki looked around and saw that Kumakura had finished with her grave.

"It's time," Tatsuki said. "Let's get this over with before I lose my nerve."

The three of us got up. Tatsuki put her hands behind her back, and Himeno, producing a pair of handcuffs from her overalls, handcuffed Tatsuki. I then got out of the way, as Himeno had Tatsuki stand on the trapdoor.

Despite knowing that she was about to die, Tatsuki's expression was calm and stoic. Perhaps she saw this as her way of saving everyone else, as well as her atonement for the last trial, and was at peace. Perhaps she thought she would join Taiga in the afterlife, or at least be free of the killing game. Or perhaps she was as good of an actress as her sister had been.

"The execution is about to begin," Himeno said. "Do you have any last words?"

"I do," Tatsuki said. "I know that not all of you will forgive me for my actions in the previous trial, which resulted in Kojima-kun and Taiga's deaths, but I would like you to know how sorry I am, for my belief that it was right to save myself and my sister at the expense of all of you."

Tatsuki bowed deeply.

"The only way for me to pay for my crime is with my life, but if doing so is necessary to save you all, then so be it," Tatsuki said. "No matter how desperate the situation may become in the future, or how badly you want to escape, please do not allow any more murders to occur. This is my last request."

"We promise, Tachibana-san," Higurashi said. At this point, even he knew that we wouldn't be able to keep that promise, but if that lie gave Tatsuki peace in her last moments, then it was a lie worth telling.

"I'm ready, Himemiya-san," Tatsuki said. "It may be difficult to accept that this was our only solution, but please remember- this was my decision."

"Our decision, Tatsuki," Himeno said. "Close your eyes and think of your sister- it will all be over soon."

Tachibana faintly smiled, and closed her eyes, as Himeno put the noose around Tatsuki's neck. Once it was in place, Himeno took a step back and put her foot down on the pressure plate, which had been fixed.

The trapdoor gave way beneath Tachibana, and she dropped through it, coming to a sudden stop as the rope tightened around her neck. The only motion she made was her body swaying in the breeze, with her legs dangling but not kicking. Upon closer inspection, her neck was bent unnaturally, at an angle that was only possible if it had been broken. As she dangled in midair, gazing at us with lifeless eyes, one thing was clear- Tatsuki was dead.

In some ways, Tatsuki's hanging was more disturbing than the previous two executions. While Yamazaki and Taiga's executions had been gruesome, there hadn't been much of them left once they were done. Here, there was a reminder that the person before us had been alive and well minutes ago.

Suddenly, Monokuma appeared.

"Why hello, everyone!" Monokuma said. "I see you all had a nice necktie party and didn't invite yours truly!"

"You don't need our permission to come," I said. "Is this good enough for you?"

"Eh, I'll take it," Monokuma said, "since Taiga-san is dead and one of you is responsible. Now here's the Monokuma File so you can find out whodunnit!"

We then received the Monokuma file.

Monokuma File EX

The victim is Taiga Tachibana, the Ultimate Songwriter

The body was found at the gallows, at 1 PM.

The cause of death is a broken neck. Death appears to have been instantaneous.

I turned up my nose in disgust. Not only had Monokuma deliberately called Tatsuki by her dead sister's name from the last trial until Tatsuki's death, whether to fuck with her head or cover up his own mistake, he'd even written up the Monokuma File accordingly.

We then checked Tatsuki for a pulse, and failing to find it, confirmed she was dead. We then removed the noose from her neck and lay her in her grave. Before we could deliver a eulogy, Monokuma appeared.

"And time's up!" Monokuma said

"Already?" I said.

"It should be long enough," Monokuma said, "since there was only one area relevant to the crime scene, and all of you witnessed the crime. The ship's at the south beach, where you landed; let's see if you can convict the right person."

Monokuma then left, and after shoveling the dirt over Tatsuki's body and bidding her a silent farewell, we had no choice but to return to the ship.

After returning to the south beach, we boarded the elevator and rode it down once more. None of us said a word to each other on the walk over.

We assembled inside the courtroom. Both twins now had their portraits up- Taiga's had crossed musical notes, while Tatsuki's had crossed guitars.

"It's now time for another class trial," Monokuma said, "one in which you find out who killed Taiga-san. If you vote correctly, that person's going to join her, and if you don't, the rest of you will."

"There's no need for this farce," Himeno said. "Everyone here knows who the culprit is."

"I'm sure they do, Himemiya-san," Monokuma said, "but they still have to make a choice. They've got to identify the culprit, and decide to sacrifice that person."

"Then why don't we cut to the chase?" Himeno said. "Akira, just for the sake of routine, could you please deliver your usual summary of the facts of the case?"

"I can do that," I said.

The groundwork for Tatsuki's death was laid two days ago, when we were stranded on an island until someone committed murder. Obviously, someone had to die, and someone would be executed for that crme, but who? Tatsuki volunteered to be the victim, while another person chose to become the killer.

We explored the entire island in search of an alternative, but to no avail. After the final building was searched, the culprit took action. They handcuffed Tatsuki's hands behind her back, and led her to the gallows. Tatsuki, with no choice, decided to play along.

The culprit then had Tatsuki go to the gallows in the prison courtyard, forced her to stand on the trapdoor, and then fitted the noose around her neck. They then triggered the trapdoor, resultng in Tatsuki being hanged. The culprit was caught in the act, though, and we all know who is responsible.

Is this good enough for you, Himeno Himemiya?

Himeno nodded, and the rest of us simply accepted what I'd just said, since we'd all seen it for ourselves.

"It is," Himeno said. "Unless anyone here disagrees, I think it's time for us to vote. Remember; you need to choose me this time."

"Very well," Monokuma said. "Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

We cast our votes, and Himeno got all eleven votes, including her own. The craps display showed Himeno's face on the die, along with a "GUILTY" verdict

The court was once again silent. Despite being sure that we'd gotten the right answer, we waited to see if Monokuma was about to pull a nasty trick to surprise us.

"Once again, you don't disappoint," Monokuma said. "The blackened who killed Taiga Tachibana-san is none other than... Himeno Himemiya-san!"

I could hear sighs of relief around the courtroom, including from Himeno. Of course, while we'd managed to survive, we wouldn't be able to say the same for the one who had chosen death for us.

"Good," Himeno said. "Does this meet with your approval, Monokuma?"

"Kind of," Monokuma said. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't stand for this kind of class trial, in which neither the victim nor the killer put up a fight, but it's actually somewhat better this way. All of you decided that it was better to let Taiga-san and Himemiya-san die rather than share their fate, so you stood by and let it happen. In that way, you're all guilty, but under the rules, Himemiya-san's the only blackened, so only she has to die. The rest of you get to live, and live with the knowledge that you let two people die so you wouldn't have to. It's not every day that you have everyone in the class being involved in a murder, after all."

As Monokuma let off a triumphant "Puhuhuhu!" none of us could give a rebuttal to him. Most of us had believed that it was better for two of us to die than for the entire class to starve to death, but except for those two people, no one had volunteered. Even those who'd opposed this proposal had done nothing to stop it. All of us had, for the third time, voted for blackened, even though this time, that person had not betrayed us. Except for Tsukimura, the first casualty, all of us had blood on our hands, which only got redder the longer the game went on.

"Normally, this would be where I tell you why I committed this crime," Himeno said, "but you already know, so there's no point. Instead, I'd like to make a few parting remarks to those of you who are left."

We nodded, and listened attentively.

"Akira, once again, I'm grateful for your friendship," Himeno said. "I hope to meet you again in another life...but not as my servant, of course."

"I'm glad you feel that way," I said, "and I haven't forgotten our promise. Your secret's safe with me."

Sayuri looked at Himeno, confused, but didn't press her.

"Sasaki-san... no, Sayuri," Himeno said. "It may be too late now, but I would liike to say yes to your request on the first day. I'm glad to have had you as a friend."

"Oh, Himeno-chan..." Sayuri said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wish we had more time."

"Me too," Himeno said.

Sayuri choked back a sob.

"Higurashi-san, Nagato-san, please look after the others," Himeno said. "Even if you can't prevent another such tragedy for occurring, please never give up trying, both for the living and the dead."

"You have my word," Higurashi said.

Himeno then looked at the camera near Monokuma's seat. She had one last person to address, even if she wasn't in the courtroom.

"Nagato-sensei, please do what you can to guide your daughter, Higurashi-san, and the rest of us," Himeno said. "Even though you may be imprisoned, you are not helpless."

Nagato-sensei didn't give any response, but Himeno hoped she was listening.

"That's all," Himeno said. "Everyone else, please don't blame yourselves for this. If my family asks about me, tell them that I love them, and that I died bravely, so that you might live. I'm ready, Monokuma."

"Got it," Monokuma said. "Well, let's get this show on the road."

I bit my lip and braced myself. Maybe Himeno was prepared for this, but there was no justice at all in this class trial.

"Now, I've prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Archer!" Monokuma said.

"So... this is it," Himeno said. "Kanae... Tatsuki... I'll see you soon."

"Let's give it everything we've got! IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"

GAME OVER

Himemiya-san has been found guilty.

Commencing the punishment!

Himeno closed her eyes, and tried to accept being dragged into the execution chamber- and to her death- with as much grace as she could manage.

The Ultimate Archer, Himeno Himemiya's's Execution: Executed

Target Practice

Himeno was stood against the wall of a gymnasium, her hands bound behind her back and her ankles chained to the floor. At her back was a padded wall, and on her head was an apple.

An army of Monokumas with crossbows took turns aiming and firing. The first bolt found its way into Himeno's thigh, while the second landed in her shoulder. Several other Monokumas took their turns firing, missing the target as well as missing any vital areas.

After several Monokumas had taken their shots, the rest of them readied their crossbows and fired one last volley of bolts, all of which found their marks in Himeno, turning her into a pincushion, and leaving the apple unscathed. By the end, her clothes were ripped and soaked with blood. The apple, however, didn't have so much as a bruise on it.

As if as an afterthought, one last Monokuma, who apparently hadn't joined the others, took aim, fired, and shot the apple squarely through the center.

Once again, we were silent in the aftermath of the latest execution. We'd known that this was inevitable from the moment Himeno activated the trapdoor, and perhaps the moment we set foot on the island, but it wasn't any easier to accept than the other two.

"And that's that," Monokuma said. "I hope you enjoyed this execution. If you didn't, maybe you should have volunteered to kill Taiga-san instead. It might've been interesting if Taiga-san and Himemiya-san had switched places, too."

"What the hell about this is supposed to be fun?" I said. "Two of our friends just died!"

"I guess you still don't have the right mindset yet, Azuki-san," Monokuma said. "The educational half of our trip should change that. Once it's finished, you'll look back on the first half fondly."

I shivered as I thought about it. Either Monokuma was planning on brainwashing us, or the second half of our cruise would be so horrific that the first half would seem pleasant by comparison.

"But I've said enough for now," Monokuma said. "Normally, we'd stay in port for the night, but we've got half a day left, so we'll start sailing for the next island fairly soon. Get back to your cabins, because court is adjourned!"

Monokuma vanished once again. Not in the mood to discuss the aftermath, we simply headed for the elevator.

After we got off the elevator, Chiyuri and Higurashi went to report to Nagato-sensei, while Sayuri ran back to her cabin, crying. As Sayuri left, Mihama walked up to me.

"I suggest that you give Sasaki-san some space for now," Mihama said, "since she has been deeply hurt by losing Himemiya-san."

"All right," I said. "Just let her know that I'm there for her, when she's ready."

Mihama nodded. As Sayuri's cabin mate, she'd probably know best when Sayuri would be ready to talk, since Sayuri would tell her.

"How are you holding up, anyway?" I said. "This is the third time now."

"I am managing," Mihama said, "but this was not easy. Any one of us could have been killed at any point on the island. Worse, as Monokuma said, all of us bore responsibility for Tachibana-san and Himemiya-san's deaths."

"Yeah, we do," I said. "Monokuma might have put us on this island, and they were the ones who suggested it, but in the end, we went along with it. It might've been the lesser evil, but in the end, we still have their blood on our hands."

Mihama sighed.

"Yes, and that was why I did not say that the decision was wrong," Mihama said, "nor that we should have done something else. Even the correct choices have unfortunate results, and we must accept and take responsibility for them. I wonder how we will be judged for our actions."

"If you're talking about whether we deserve to stand trial for this, I can't say," I said, "but the victims of the killing game, especially those last two, deserved better."

What stung the most about today was that the sacrifices we'd made had only bought the rest of us a temporary reprieve. Taiga's sacrifice had only extended her sister's life by six days, so how many days would Tatsuki and Himeno's sacrifice buy us? There were some questions I didn't want to answer, but I knew that as long as we were in the killing game, we'd inevitably have to face the truth, whether we liked it or not...

End of Chapter III

Class Members Remaining: 11

Chest Guard: A memento of Himemiya. It's an essential part of her archery outfit.

Author's Notes

This shows the alternative scenario, in which Himemiya is executed for killing Tatsuki. I wrote this to show that the group would ultimately have resorted to this if not for the unexpected events during the investigation, and what would have come of it.