Epilogue: School's Out
I slowly woke up and emerged from the pod that my actual body had spent the entirety of the killing game in. Despite having been in the simulator for a long time, I found that my limbs responded fairly well. My Saint Mary's school uniform was surprisingly clean, considering that I'd worn it for a month straight in the real world (and unlike in the simulation, I apparently hadn't had the chance to wash it).
After taking a minute or two to confirm that my arms and legs could move, I took a look around and saw at least twenty other pods scattered around the large room. Ten were occupied by those who hadn't made it out of the killing game, while the others were empty.
A Future Foundation medical officer, who wore a white lab coat over a dark skirt suit and necktie stopped by and performed a quick examination on me. I insisted that I was fine, and was more worried about the others. The medical officer reassured me that the others were well, but she had to make sure that we hadn't been adversely affected by the Neo World Program.
Outside, I saw my surviving classmates, also clad in the same clothes they'd worn for much of the killing game.
"You're awake, Chiyuri-san," Tatsuki-san said. "I guess that makes all of us, then."
"Yes," I said. "I...I guess it does."
I was a bit at a loss for words, because I still wasn't quite sure how to feel about this. Part of it was because this outcome still didn't quite feel real, and another part was because it wasn't as good as we'd hoped for. But even so, we were still alive and free from the killing game, so that was something to be thankful for.
"Anyway, I'm curious about something," Sayuri-san said. "Has anyone seen Kaori-chan's group?"
Miura-san's first name rolled off Sayuri-san's tongue easily, as though they'd been friends for a while... and now that I thought about it, they had. I suddenly remembered that while I'd barely met Miura-san, Sayuri-san had often spoken about her, and the two seemed to be close. There was no doubt about it- my memories had returned, even though it would take a long time to recall all of them.
"I saw Inoue-san and Tezuka-san stop by my pod earlier," Himeno-san sad, "but as for Kaori and Sae, look over there."
"Got it," Kurogane-san said.
Looking around, I saw the four survivors of Class 33. Inoue-san and Tezuka-san, wearing matching dark suits, surveyed the room, as well as a few other Future Foundation members that I didn't recognize. Meanwhile, Miura-san and Edogawa-san were nearby, wearing similar suits as their male counterparts, but with skirts and pantyhose, rather than trousers. Apparently overjoyed, the two girls passionately kissed... until they noticed us watching.
"I'm sorry, Nagato-senpai," Miura-san said. "Sae and I... got a little carried away."
I shook my head. While the sight of the two kissing wasn't something I'd witnessed before, something inside me said, "I knew it," and I remembered why.
"You don't have to apologize, Miura-san," I said. "I've... known about you two for a while. I was friends with Sayuri-san at school, too."
"That's right, Kaori-chan," Sayuri-san said. "You and Sae-chan are two of my best friends, so I'm really happy that you two got together, just like Himeno and I did."
Miura-san smiled warmly, and said, "Thank you, Sayuri-san." Not only was her friend back, but she was willing to accept her. After a few seconds, though, Miura-san's smile faded.
"Where is Nagato-sensei?" Miura-san said.
"I'm here," Mom said, as she got our attention.
As I turned to see Mom, I was forced to confront reality. She was wearing the same dark suit that she'd worn throughout much of the killing game, but could see the scar over her left eye. Her hands were cuffed, and she was escorted by a pair of Future Foundation operatives.
"Do you remember what happened, Sensei?" Miura-san said.
"I do," Mom said, "both the past month in the simulation, and the years between when Chiyuri and the others entered Talent High School and when we entered the Neo World Program."
"That's odd," Edogawa-san said. "I was under the impression that the Forced Shutdown would remove all memories of the Neo World Program."
In the case of the surviving members of Class 32, who'd probably been in the simulation for closer to thirty-three minutes than thirty-three days, the impact of losing their memories would be negligible.
"So was I, Sae," Miura-san said, "but I think the important thing is that Nagato-sensei understands the situation."
"Yes, I do," Mom said, "since while my memories of being Ultimate Despair remain, the shock of my memories inside the Neo World Program- most of all the realization of what I'd become- have shocked me into something resembling lucidity. In the end, though, it doesn't change what I have done, or what you must do."
Miura-san let out a long sigh and looked utterly heartbroken.
"I'm glad to hear that, ma'am," Miura-san said. "I suppose that makes this part marginally easier."
Miura-san then took a deep breath.
"Nagato-sensei, you are under arrest for kidnapping Class 32 of Talent High School and collaborating with Ultimate Despair," Miura-san said. "We will take you back to the Future Foundation headquarters to stand trial."
The five of us paled in horror. We knew all too well what punishment awaited Mom, but now, it was actually happening. Just like in the other class trials, we'd been so focused on getting through the trial and surviving that we didn't allow ourselves to think too hard about what would happen to the blackened. Mom would be executed, just like the other blackened had been, and the only difference was that a "civilized" justice system would carry out her sentence.
Thinking a moment, I did remember the time Mom had betrayed us, now with the context of what Miura-san had just told us. Even back then, I'd realized that Mom hadn't been herself, but now, I understood why. Unfortunately, it didn't matter to the people judging Mom's fate, and she would almost certainly hang.
"No..." I said. "Isn't there anything you can do, Miura-san?"
"What do you expect Kaori to do, Chiyuri?" Himeno-san said. "Tell her superiors, 'I'm sorry, I'm going to let a dangerous criminal go just because she was my teacher'? The most sympathetic they'll be is letting Kaori and her classmates hang on the same gallows as Nagato-sensei."
"Himeno-san has a point, Nagato-senpai," Miura-san said. "As we discussed before, if I return without Nagato-sensei, I will likely be accused of treason, which is a capital crime. Worse, it's very likely that my friends and the five of you will be considered accomplices, and receive the same punishment."
"I thought so," Mom said. "Please do as you're told, Miura-san. The last thing I want is any harm to come to my daughter or any of my other students."
Miura-san sadly nodded, and said "Yes, ma'am."
"However," Miura-san said, "while I do have my orders, I don't simply plan to do nothing. On six occasions, my friends and I had to sentence someone to death to stay alive, but since we didn't derive any satisfaction from that, we have no intention to do so again. Because of that, if there's anything I can do to secure leniency for you, I'll spare no effort to do it. After all... you were my teacher, too."
The other three members of the Future Foundation who came from our school nodded, as did the four of us.
"I know I have no right to expect this," Mom said, "but thank you, all of you."
Miura-san and the others smiled.
"One more thing, Miura-san," Tatsuki-san said, extending her arms so as to allow Miura-san to handcuff her. "Since I committed murder, shouldn't you arrest me, too?"
"I was only given a warrant for Nagato-sensei's arrest, Tachibana-senpai," Miura-san said, "so it is unlikely you or anyone else will be charged for whatever crimes you may have committed in the simulation."
"Think of it as a second chance," Edogawa-san said. "Some of our classmates betrayed us and committed premeditated murder, but Katsura-san ultimately couldn't bring herself to kill Kaori, Fukuda-kun killed Katsura-san by accident, and Sugiura-san was forced into killing Iwasawa-san to protect Kaori's family and the rest of us. I'm sure any of them would be grateful for that kind of second chance."
Edogawa-san's classmates silently concurred.
"Then I'll make the most of what I've received," Tatsuki-san said. "Perhaps someday, I'll be worthy of it."
"I'm sure you will," Kurogane-san said with a smiled.
"Anyway, I suppose we should give our boss the good news," Tezuka-san said.
Miura-san then turned to an older member of the group, a man who was probably ten years our senior. After finishing the preparations, he stood aside, and let Miura-san sit down. She then beckoned the rest of us- her three teammates and the six survivors of the latest killing game- over to her.
The laptop then loaded a video call program that showed an office. A long-haired girl who wore the same uniform as Miura-san, as well as a pair of black gloves, sat behind a desk.
"This is Kirigiri," the girl said.
"Hello, Kirigiri-san," Miura-san said. "Are you back from your mission?"
"I am," Kirigiri-san said, "and we all returned safely. How did you fare?"
"We were successful," Miura-san said. "We rescued all the remaining survivors of Class 32 of Talent High School- Chiyuri Nagato, Sayuri Sasaki, Himeno Himemiya, Hikaru Kurogane and Tatsuki Tachibana- and are ready to take Enoshima's accomplice into custody. Several other Ultimate Despair members were present when we arrived, and tried to fight back against us. All but one of them died in the ensuing shootout, and the remaining one committed suicide with a poison capsule."
Miura-san's tone was formal and businesslike.
"It's good to hear that you accomplished your mission, Miura-san," Kirigiri-san said. "You should be able to return soon, correct?"
"Yes, ma'am," Miura-san said. "As instructed, we will take the prisoner to Future Foundation headquarters. As for the others, there is a complication."
"What do you mean?" Kirigiri-san said.
"Eleven of the students are in a vegetative state," Miura-san said, "not quite dead, but not quite alive, either. According to the medical officer sent with us, they may awaken given time and proper treatment, but this is unlikely. We had been prepared to bring back the survivors and bury the dead, but we're at a loss for what to do with them; please advise."
Kirigiri-san paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Miura-san," Kirigiri-san said, "but your presence is required at headquarters, with the prisoner."
I glanced over at the pods, and my gaze came to rest on Akira. She looked as though she was asleep, a far cry from how she'd been repeatedly stabbed and covered with blood at the end of her execution.
Common sense dictated that Akira would never be able to get up out of the pod, talk with her friends or loved ones, or act ever again, but common sense couldn't explain why I'd seen Akira on the last morning of the killing game. I didn't regret my choice to forgo graduation to thwart Alter Ego-sensei's plans, but did that mean Akira was necessarily gone forever?
I shook my head, as if to answer my own question. Maybe it was foolish, but if there was even a small chance that our friends could return, I had to make the most of it.
"I apologize for cutting in," I said, "but while Miura-san was ordered to bring back the prisoner, what about the survivors?"
Both Kirigiri-san and Miura-san looked taken aback for a moment.
"Nagato-san, was it?" Kirigiri-san said, and I nodded. "As Miura-san likely explained to you, her orders were to bring your mother back to stand trial for her actions. However, as for you and your schoolmates, she was only to release you from the Neo World Program."
"That's what I thought," I said, "in which case I have a request. Please, let me stay behind to watch over the people who died in the simulator."
It was an audacious request, to put it mildly, but while Miura-san seemed surprised, Kirigiri-san, who was calling the shots, kept her stoic and professional poker face.
"You may be waiting there for a very long time," Kirigiri-san said, "and there's no guarantee that what you're hoping for will happen."
"I know," I said, "but I owe it to those who died to try."
Kirigiri-san smiled.
"That's an admirable sort of determination," Kirigiri-san said, "one that I witnessed not too long ago. So please allow me to propose this; you can stay long enough for a Future Foundation team to watch over the dead students. Does this work for you?"
"Yes ma'am," I said. "Thank you very much, Kirigiri-san."
"And the four of us are staying with her," Kurogane-san said. "Is that fine with you?"
I glanced at the other girls, but they didn't seem surprised or upset, so they must have privately conferred with Kurogane-san while I was busy talking with Kirigiri-san.
"It is," Kirigiri-san said. "I will officially report that the survivors made this decision."
Kirigiri-san turned back to Miura-san.
"As it happens, I've been called to the headquarters, too," Kirigiri-san said, "so I will see you and your team there."
"Did something happen?" Miura-san said.
"It's... nothing you should concern yourself with," Kirigiri-san said. "Please secure the prisoner and head over."
"Yes, ma'am," Miura-san said. "Miura out."
Miura-san then terminated the call.
"What do you suppose that was about?" Inoue-san said.
"I'm honestly not sure, Inoue-kun," Miura-san said. "My guess is that something happened on Jabberwock Island, and she wants to protect us from any potential fallout by keeping us out of the loop."
"And us, I suppose," I said. "I'll assume what's going on with them is none of our business."
"That would be a reasonable guess," Miura-san said, "but I can't help but worry."
Perhaps the Future Foundation was less united than we thought. Some, like Munakata-san, were zealous and merciless in the fight against despair, while others, like Miura-san's group and Kirigiri-san continued the fight without resorting to extremes. Perhaps not everyone could be expected to agree, but unless this discord was addressed, the factional rifts could potentially be a ticking time bomb.
"In any case," Miura-san said, "we must return to headquarters. I will leave behind a laptop that can be used to contact us; you can check in on a regular basis, or call if something comes up."
Miura-san and her group spent a few minutes discussing the arrangement with us.
"I'm sorry I caused you all this trouble," I said.
"It's fine, Senpai," Edogawa-san said. "If we had an opportunity like this, we would have gladly taken advantage of it."
Miura-san sadly nodded. As she'd said before, she'd been forced to accept her classmates' deaths. Perhaps my decision would be simpler if I were in her situation, or she would do the same thing if she were in mine.
"By the way, Kurogane-senpai," Miura-san said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news about your cousin."
"About Shiro?" Kurogane-san said. "Don't worry, I already know the basics."
"I... I see," Miura-san said. "Perhaps we can talk more another time."
Once again, I was reminded of how I wasn't the only one having a hard time. Any of my surviving classmates could very well have lost their mothers, and most likely had lost at least one member of their respective famillies. There was nothing unique about my having lost one parent and being at risk of losing the other, so rather than feel sorry for myself, I could instead show empathy for those who were suffering in the same way.
Mom then turned to Miura-san.
"I just remembered something," Mom said. "What happened while I was at Hope's Peak is still a blank, but I remember why I came there. Chisa Yukizome, an acquaintance of mine who's a teacher at the school, called me and asked me to come."
"Yukizome-san?" Edogawa-san said. "We may be able to ask her questions about this once we reach headquarters. She's part of Munakata-san's more radical faction, but she mainly goes along with it out of personal loyalty to him, so I'm sure she'd be willing to help us."
"That's good," Mom said. "Of course, even if we got along well as fellow teachers, I'm sure Yukizome-sensei will never forgive me for betraying my students and causing their deaths."
So in other words, I shouldn't get my hopes up about Yukizome-sensei arguing Mom's case. More importantly, while we'd solved most of the mysteries behind our own killing game and Class 33's, some secrets would likely remain hidden forever. That wasn't too much of a loss, since the killing games were senseless tragedies, but if we could learn anything that might help prevent them from happening again, we owed it to the living and the dead to try.
Soon, the time came for Miura-san and the others to leave with Mom. A Future Foundation ship, somewhat smaller than the Ursa Major but large enough to carry about at least twenty people (albeit packed in tightly) had docked on the north edge of the island, near the office building. The sun was starting to set, giving us the first indication of how much time had passed since we woke up on the Ursa Major.
"It's almost time for us to go," Miura-san said. "You should take the chance to say goodbye to your daughter, Sensei; there's no guarantee you'll get another chance to see her."
Mom nodded, at which point the others stood back and let us speak. As far as goodbyes went, this wasn't nearly as bad as I feared, but that didn't mean I wasn't afraid of what the future had in store for us.
"So, Chiyuri," Mom said, "I don't know what to say except... this isn't how you'd hoped it would end, would it?"
"Not at all," I said, "but I realized long ago that this killing game wouldn't end without at least some death and tragedy. I did wish that we could go home together, though."
Mom could only nod.
"But what about you?" I said. "What are you feeling now?"
"Not as afraid as I thought," Mom said. "One part of me believes that I deserve to be executed for my crimes, while another part, the part of me that's still tainted by despair, eagerly looks forward to the despair of my own death. The rest, however, isn't ready to die just yet. Surely there's more that I can do to atone for my crimes than die with a rope around my neck."
"I'm sure there is," I said. "Students will definitely need a good education in this world, and I know someone who can give it to them."
Tatsuki-san stood a respectful distance away, and couldn't hear this, but I was sure that she'd agree with us.
"I'd also like to be there for you," Mom said, "as your mother, as your teacher and as someone who wants to make up for what she did to you. Of course, I'm also fairly sure that you'll mostly be fine on your own. In fact, even though I would've been fine with suffering the despair of your loss, I was confident that you could rise to the occasion."
"You weren't wrong about that," I said.
So in the end, the part of Mom that had fallen to despair was just one part of her. Even obsessed with despair, a part of Mom had cared for and believed in her students, which was why she had put us through this ordeal.
"As grateful as I am to Miura-san for giving us this moment, I'd rather not say goodbye," Mom said. "I hope that this won't be the last time we see each other. I love you"
"Me too, Mom," I said, as I hugged her. "I love you."
"I love you too, Chiyuri," Mom said. With her hands cuffed, she couldn't return the embrace, but I could almost feel her arms around my back.
We broke from our embrace, and Mom walked over to her captors.
"I'm ready to go, Miura-san," Mom said.
"Thank you, Sensei," Miura-san said. "Please, right this way."
As Miura-san escorted Mom inside the ship, I realized it was the second time in five weeks that I'd seen my mother spirited away from me before my eyes. My next reunion would likely be to visit her wherever she was imprisoned, only this time, I'd have to wait longer than a few hours to see her. Thankfully, I felt as though I could trust Miura-san.
After securing the prisoner below decks, Miura-san emerged with her friends.
"If you don't need anything else, we'll be going now," Miura-san said, "but we'll be back as soon as we can."
"Great," I said. "We'll be waiting."
Miura-san and the others waved goodbye as the ship started to pull away from the island, and as they did, I realized that I had no idea what would happen next. Would any of us make it back to civilization? What role would we play in a world that had changed forever? What had become of our families and other friends? The answer was uncertain, which inspired both hope and despair. In the end, while some things were beyond our control, we had the power to shape our future, a step I had taken when I asked Kirigiri-san to let me stay behind and when my friends had asked to join me.
Turning around, I returned to the island together with my friends, ready to await whatever tomorrow had in store for us.
Author's Notes
Thank you for reading this fic and for voting in the poll. Surprisingly, I don't have much to say now that this is over, apart from that I hope you enjoyed it.
This concludes the "fangan" portion of this series, but I'm planning on publishing some more:
*This fic will have some more Side Stories, including Cruise Mode, unused executions and a chapter exploring what might have been included.
*There will be some more stories in Where Talent Went To School, culminating in The End of Talent High School arc, showing the days before the Tragedy
*Where Talent Goes Next, a conclusion to the series showing the lives of the cast in the future. Like Where Talent Went To School, will be a collection of short stories at various points in time.
Two postscript scenes follow. If you're curious what will happen next, stay tuned for Where Talent Goes Next.
Post Epilogue
Miura's POV
Our ship arrived at the Future Foundation headquarters. We knew better than to relax until we reached our destination, but we weren't expecting to see the headquarters of the organization that was rebuilding Japan, on an island that wasn't on any map, look like a warzone. In hindsight, it was fortunate that we'd left the survivors in Class 32 on the island.
Sae and I left the boys to look after Nagato-sensei while we headed in. Finally, we spotted Naegi-kun, Aoi-chan, Togami-kun and Hagakure-kun, all of whom had seen better days.
"Impeccable timing, Miura," Togami-kun said in a tone that made it hard to tell whether he was being sarcastic. "I take it you and your group are finished with your assignment?"
"Yes, our mission was a success," I said, "but what happened here?"
"We were forced into yet another killing game of sorts," Naegi-kun said. "I take it you saw the broadcast on the way over?"
"We did," Sae said, "but we find it a bit hard to believe. It doesn't seem like the Remnants of Despair could have managed this."
'You're exactly right," Naegi-kun said.
Sae and I looked around and saw a wounded Future Foundation operative carried out of the building. Since he was on a stretcher, rather than in a body bag, help had not come too late, but may others were not nearly so fortunate.
"Where's Kirigiri-san?" Sae said.
Naegi-kun could only stare blankly.
"Um, Sae-chan..." Aoi-chan said, "about Kyouko-chan..."
"What about me?" Kirigiri-san said.
The four of us, as well as the other remaining Hope's Peak survivors turned to see Kirigiri-san, missing her suit jacket but alive and well.
Post-Post Epilogue
Chiyuri's POV
A few days passed on the island. Miura-san contacted us as soon as she was available, informing us that Mom had been delivered to the Future Foundation but it would be some time before help could arrive for our classmates. Luckily, we could wait for a few days.
Less than a week after Miura-san's departure, we saw a Future Foundation ship approaching the island, ahead of the arrival date Miura-san had given us. Normally, this would be a welcome sign, especially if the ship was early, but this wasn't the ship we were told would be coming for us. Upon witnessing it, I contacted Miura-san.
"This is Miura. How can I help you, Senpai?"
"Miura-san, this is Nagato," I said. "Did you just send a ship over?"
"No, not at all," Miura-san said. "Due to recent... difficulties, we weren't able to come for you."
In the background, I heard, "Miura-san, please let me talk to them," followed by a "Yes, ma'am," from Miura-san. Miura-san then stepped aside, and Kirigiri-san, who was no longer wearing the jacket of her Future Foundation uniform, took her place.
"This is Kirigiri. Nagato-san, could you please describe the ship?"
I told Kirigiri-san what I'd seen.
"There's no need to be alarmed," Kirigiri-san said. "They aren't from the Future Foundation, but they are here to help. Simply let them through to the system, and never speak a word of this to anyone."
"I understand," I said, "but who are they?"
"You could say they're our upperclassmen," Kirigiri-san said with a faint smile. "You should head out to meet them."
The ship pulled up to the island and the group, led by a student in a shirt and tie, disembarked. Standing in front of a large and varied group, wearing everything from sailor fukus and gyakuran to blazer uniforms, from mechanic coveralls to kimonos, from professional uniforms to casual clothing, all I could do was introduce myself.
"Welcome, everyone," I said. "I'm Nagato. May I ask your name, please?"
"It's probably better if you don't know it," the boy said, "but if you want to call me something, then I suppose Hajime Hinata would work."
The End?
Surviving Class Members: 6?
Laptop: Proof that you've completed the game. A relatively simple laptop from an electronics company affiliated with the Future Foundation.
Cruise Mode Unlocked