Chapter 23: The Struggle

The battle against Michelle keeps on going. Showing no signs of stopping. She manages to convince Yuri and Sayori to stay in the Virtual World. However MC, Monika, and Natsuki refuses to let her win. They still have some fight left in them and will not give in so easily. However the longer they continue to interact with Michelle, the more they slowly give in to her. They have to end this quickly. If one of them votes to stay here, then they all lose.

MC looks at both Yuri and Sayori's eyes. He could see that they are afraid of going to the outside world. He can't blame them after hearing the crimes they committed as Ultimate Despairs, he's scared as well. However MC refuses to leave them behind and to give up to his sister.

Michelle made a rule that only five of them have the right to vote whether to stay or leave. Her vote will not be counted and neither will Jason's. Despite her vote not counting, she can still persuade them to stay. MC must do the same in order for them to be free from Michelle's control. If he fails then they will all stay trapped here and forever be tortured.

Michelle has told them her plans of taking control of their bodies and leaving their conscience trapped in this gaming world. Jason has told them about their lives out in the real world. However Michelle has told them about the crimes they committed and how she could easily manipulated them. She was the one that caused Sayori to be depressed, Natsuki's dad being abusive, Yuri going crazy, and Monika being the one who manipulated them into doing it, when in truth Michelle was the one pulling the strings.

To the girls they were shocked to know the truth about themselves. For MC he was surprised to know that he was the one who brought them here in the Virtual World after he betrayed the Ultimate's. While the girls were controlled by Michelle, he was controlled by Jason. A promise he made with him before entering this world. With all this revealed they all have to make a choice. Sayori, Yuri and Michelle on one side. Monika, Natsuki, and MC on the other side.

One question now stands. Should we leave the Virtual World or should we stay?

Michelle: "Show me the Hope you have within yourself. Can you bare to handle reality?"

MC: "You just won't shut up about that. Is that all you ever say?"

Yuri: "I think we should stay here? We'd be safer here."

Natsuki: "What are you saying? We should all get the hell out of here. This world is messed up because of her, so don't be stupid."

Sayori: "But after everything we did, we should just stay here and accept our punishment."

Monika: "Did you forget that she's the one that killed all of our friends? We did nothing wrong. It's all her fault."

Michelle: "Look at all of you. The argument between friends. Your all murderers and nothing will change that."

MC: "I don't care what you say. I'm not leaving without them."

Michelle: "Try to remember the blood you all spilled as Ultimate's. Is there really Hope for any of you?"

MC: "It isn't our faults. You were the one who made us this way. You stole our futures from us, our happiness. You psychotic bitch!"

Sayori: "But what if we all secretly wanted to be this way?"

Monika: "Stop having negative thoughts. We were force to be Ultimate's. We were brainwashed to commit those crimes."

Yuri: "Even if that's true? What would the outside world think of us? We killed so many. Surely the survivors would want their revenge on us."

Natsuki: "But we have Jason to help us out. I'm sure he can explain everything to the world?"

Michelle: "Like hell they're listen! No one wants to hear from murderers even if it is the truth. Just give up. As soon as you all agree to leave the humans will just hunt you down and kill you for taking away their precious friends and family."

MC: "Are you sure about that?"

Michelle: "Hell yeah!"

The argument continued between both sides. While they argue Jason could do nothing, but watch. The heat intensifies as neither side showed any signs of stopping. Despite MC's side refusing to give up, Yuri and Sayori shows no signs of changing their minds.

Michelle: "Is that all you got? Seems like your about to lose."

When she said that the room changes again. It regained its old prison look, but no one seemed to noticed. They were all too busy arguing to notice the change. There was no room to stop. The argument kept intensifying that everyone started shouting at each other. All the girls started yelling at each other about whether to stay or leave.

Monika: "Just stop being childish and just come with us!"

Sayori: "No I won't! You're not the boss of me!"

Michelle: "Can you imagine all the hate people have on all of you, for all of your crimes!?"

Natsuki: "Stop being so stupid and come with us already!"

Yuri: "Fuck you! I don't want to go so shut up!"

Michelle: "If you step out there you will die!"

MC: (Damnit! I can't concentrate with all of them yelling like this. If this keeps up then Yuri and Sayori won't change their minds. What do I do?)

Monika: "Stop being a child and make the right decision for once in your life!"

Sayori: "Stop treating me a child!"

Natsuki: "Come on! I thought you were the smart one, but here you are making a dumb decision! Why are you acting so stupid!?"

Yuri: "It's you who's stupid! Go to hell!"

MC: "Enough. Enough! That's enough!" Everyone stopped arguing and looks at MC. "Don't you understand? I don't want us to keep arguing. Just stop, I don't want to keep going. Please I don't want to continue with this any longer.

Michelle: "Seems like this is over. It's clear that you want to stay here."

Jason: "What are you talking about? No they don't."

Michelle: "Just look at their faces. It's clear they're all in denial at this point."

Jason: "W-what?"

Michelle: "Michael, Natsuki, Monika, Sayori, and Yuri have given up. There's no point in dragging this any further."

Jason: "No that can't be?"

Michelle: "This is getting boring now. Oh well it's clear that you all want to stay here. A place where no one else can hurt you. A place where you could be safe from the outside world where there are people out there waiting to kill you five for everything you've done."

Jason: "You're wrong! The outside world is rebuilding itself. They can start a new life."

Michelle: "How boring. Just look at their faces, because clearly you still don't understand. They have all given up. They don't have the will to fight on any further." Jason looks at everyone's faces. They all had the same look of defeat. There was no sign of life within their eyes.

Jason: "Guys?" He looked at MC. "Michael come on say something." A drop of sweat runs down his head.

Michelle: "The look on my brother's face is so beautiful. It's the only thing in this world that gives me true satisfaction." She holds herself like she's trying to give herself a hug.

Jason: "No it isn't, you're a monster that needs to be put down permanently."

Michelle: "I'm the monster? Did you not mention to them that once they leave this world, they will be force to remember everything they've done. Oops did that slip?"

Jason: "Wait I …"

Michelle: "Heh, and you told me to be honest. You didn't even tell them that as soon as they leave they will remember everything they have forgotten when they entered this world."

Jason: "Tsk!"

MC: "Wait is that true? Will we remember being Ultimate's as soon as we leave?"

Jason: "Y-yeah" He looks down in shame.

Monika: "Why didn't you say that sooner?"

Jason: "I couldn't bring myself to tell you guys."

Monika: "So you were hiding the truth from us? You told us how Michelle is evil, but here you are not letting us know about the whole story."

Jason: "I-I know, but … No your right. I should've told you everything, but still I'm not lying about the world rebuilding its self."

MC: "Is it really?"

Jason: "Yeah it is unless we let Michelle's plans go through."

MC: "What?"

Jason: "Remember her plans to take control of your bodies? If she wins here then The Great Massacre will start again. I don't want anymore people to suffer by her hands again. That's why I need you all to vote to leave here."

Michelle: "Your efforts are worthless."

Jason: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Michelle: "Just as I said. Its worthless."

Jason: "How? How is my efforts worthless?"

Michelle: "You still don't understand? Then allow me to tell you then. You're asking the Literature Club to choose between leaving this world only to suffer for their crimes just to stop me from starting The Great Massacre again?"

Jason: "Yeah?"

Michelle: "Then how will they feel when they leave? Do you honestly believe that everything will be fine when they put a stop to me? No because they will have memories of all the face of the people they killed and the world will never accept them into society again. They will be hunted down force to hide away from the world they all tried to destroy. Never to be appreciated, never to be accepted, never to rest easily, never to find true happiness. Only true utter Despair. You may be able to help them in this world, but out there, there is no Hope."

Jason: "N-no your wrong. It's not over just yet. I believe they can make the right decision. They can defeat you. They can fix their wrongs. Come on everyone! Don't give up on me." With nothing left to lose Jason had to convince them that they must defeat Michelle and move on.

"You all can't give up now. Please you got to keep on fighting against her."

Sayori: "If we go out to the real world, we will remember all the horrible things we've done. We will remember being Ultimate Despairs."

Jason: "Do really want to be tortured here forever!?"

Yuri: "You may think I'm a fool, but I think we should just stay here a little longer?"

Natsuki: "If we go out there, then everyone would want to kill us?"

Jason: "I won't let that happened. You're all innocent people. You all became what you are because of her and that damn Doctor."

Monika: "This is everyone's fault. There the reason why I'm suffering!"

Jason: "It was for your protection! I did it to save you all and so did Michael. If we don't stop her here then The Great Massacre will start again."

Monika: "I know, but …"

Michelle: "Looks like they all have decided to stay here. There is no happiness in The Literature Club. There is no Hope for them, only Despair."

MC: (No Hope, No Happiness. This is my fault. I wanted to save them, but in the end I failed everyone. I'm so weak, pathetic, helpless. Everything that has happened here is my fault. All of my friends suffered because of me. I'm no hero, I'm no savior. I'm just a Devil. I let them all down. Why? Why was I born?) "I-I can't take it anymore."

Jason: "What? Can't take it anymore?"

MC: "I can't decide anything that could help them. I can't choose. I can't decide on anything. I can't choose the right thing. I made a decision once before and what did it cause? More pain. There is no Hope, there is no happiness. None for us."

Natsuki: "Both options we are given. Are both Hopeless."

Yuri: "Don't make us shoulder theses burdens. It's too much for us to handle."

Sayori: "How much longer do we have to suffer before we can finally be dead?"

Monika: "There is no future for us. I just want death to end it all. Just death."

Jason: "Come you guys, don't say that. Michael say something. Please, Michael tell them that there is …"

MC: "No just shut up! I can't do anything right. Who am I to make a decision like this? Michelle's right, there was never Hope for us to begin with. I'm just an Ultimate Despair, a mistake. I wish I was never born. Just please give me death."

Jason: "Michael no."

Michelle: "Looks like Despair won. Hope is dead. Humanity is over. You know Hope was never a real thing to begin with. The future will lead you to your demise. Relationships will break. Despair is like a virus. It spreads to all who comes in contact with it."

Jason: "This can't be? This can't be how it ends?"

Michelle: "Heh, heh. Just look at your face. Your losing Hope yourself. It looks good on you."

Jason: "Tsk!"

Michelle: "Wonder what else I could do here before I continue with Father's plans?"

Jason: "No … I can't lose here. All my dad's efforts would be for nothing. I'm sorry dad." He whispers to himself.

With no signs of Hope. MC remains lost in thought. He has made a decision to stay here. They all have given up and will remain in this gaming world. Just as MC falls to his knees his favorite card falls out of his jacket.

Michelle: "Lets all stay here forever. A place where we could all have fun only to suffer in the end. That is how our Despair Club is."

MC: "Stay here to have fun and to suffer?" (Maybe that does sound appealing?) As Michael looks down on the floor in defeat, the world around him started to fade away. Soon enough he found himself in the darkness once again.

Game Over

End of Story?