A.N: Hello again, everyone! Here is Chapter Eight of this Afterlife fic, being focused on Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler! There's also some more general stuff because I still need to follow the progression of the game. Anyway, I hope you like it!
Chapter Eight: The Greed Leading to Flames
Celeste looked around, sighing as she realized that there was no mistaking it: she was dead. Being hit by a firetruck didn't leave many chances of survival to anyone, after all.
Well, fuck. The fallen gambler thought, observing the new environment some more. Hifumi was as useless as he always was, and even after losing, I couldn't get the end I wanted. Damn that fashionista, ruining my dream! And exposing my fucking real name like that?!
Without even wanting to, Celeste's face reddened with anger, fury even, as she thought back to how she'd been outsmarted by not only Makoto and the rest of the group, but by the Ultimate Fashionista, first and foremost.
It's not like her money would have done me any good… I don't think anyone's up for building a castle these days… With another sigh, she got moving, trying to think of something else.
Of course, this was a failure like no other. The girl couldn't not think of the Killing Game. Even if she tried to hide it from even herself, she just couldn't act as if nothing had happened. Celeste considered herself an intelligent young woman, and she knew she was right to have ambitions. But there, she had been too ambitious, and this had led her to die miserably.
I might have taken my success for granted… Makoto proved to be sharper than I thought he was, even without Kyoko's help… She recalled how intense the Ultimate Lucky Student could be, even when he looked outright depressed by the group's ordeal. Closing her eyes in thought, she let out another sigh, accepting a truth she didn't find pleasant. "Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be… especially with an idiot like Hifu-"
"You bitch… You motherfucking bitch…"
"H-Huh? W-Who-?"
The girl gasped as she opened her eyes and felt herself being grabbed by the tie and began to choke with two strong hands around her neck in a split second. The panic on her face was evident, and she struggled to focus on anything else than the lack of oxygen or the barely bearable pain she was feeling. But as her vision blurred, she could definitely recognize who was in front of her. It actually surprised her even more.
T-That's… T-This dumb biker! Wasn't he supposed not to hit women…?!
"I don't give a shit about my morals now… You didn't give a damn when you sent that fat piece of shit to kill Taka, didn't you…? You fucking bitch… I'll make you pay more than that despair-addicted chick did!"
Mondo readied a powerful punch, making Celeste's eyes widen in fear. Given how insistent he was on not hitting girls, the gambler realized how furious he was… and probably rightfully so, too.
"Drop her. Now."
"Don't fucking get involved in this, Mukuro… Don't you fucking dare…" Mondo threatened as Celeste noticed a black-haired figure sneakily walking behind the biker
T-That's…! T-That's Junko's sister! That bitch! She's the reason I'll never fulfill my dream!
"I said, drop her. I don't give a fuck how much you hate her, but I'm not going to let you harm her. So drop her before I have to force you." the soldier's voice turned threatening as she said, "You don't want me to force you, believe me."
Celeste could see the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader's face redden with hatred and fury before she was tossed away to the ground, gasping for air.
"I swear to God, Mukuro, I'm not going to let you fuck with me for much longer…" the boy pointed at the goth lying on the ground, swearing, "I'll give that motherfucking piece of trash a piece of my mind, whether you want me to or not!"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you will," Mukuro told him, dismissing his threats. "Now, you go back with the others while I deal with her and make her eat a well-needed slice of humble pie… verbally."
With a grunt, Mondo turned around, sending one last murderous glare at the gambler, who shivered in fear. Somehow, someway, she still considered herself lucky, considering that someone, who, the last time she had checked, was an enemy, had helped her.
T-That bastard! H-He's lucky to be so much stronger than I am, or I would have killed him again! Me, a piece of trash?! How dare he?!
"While I don't agree with his way of saying it, Mondo's not entirely wrong." the other girl told her, looking at her with contempt. "If someone had ever told me I'd find an equal in terms of the wrongdoing I did, I wouldn't have believed them. But what you did was unacceptable, Celeste. I know pressure can lead you to do things you don't want to, but you didn't orchestrate that plot out of despair. You did it out of greed. Maybe you would have done it, even if you weren't in the Killing Game, am I wrong?"
"O-Oh, don't give me your fucking moral lessons now!" the gambler exclaimed, getting up with difficulty and dusting off her clothes. "Weren't you the one who helped to kidnap us and put us in that game?"
"Yeah, I definitely was. And I'm not proud of it." Mukuro shot her back instantly. "But I'm being humble about it. I did shit, and I apologized for it, damn it! With that attitude, the only thing you'll do is get on everyone's nerves. Sure, Mondo hates you to no end, but come on, even Taka would be willing to forgive you! But if you continue to act like an arrogant bitch, then you'll be all alone, and you don't have death as an escape route anymore!"
Celeste's red eyes met Mukuro's light grey, and the gambler was forced to notice that there was no hate in them. And she had to admit that the soldier brought up a good point, too. Being alone for the rest of eternity seems… debatable. Maybe I should act to get their trust, even if I don't think a word of what I say… after all, the smarter ones haven't died yet…
Quickly, the trio of Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya flashed through her mind, and a small smile appeared on her lips.
"Very well. You have my apologies, then." the gambler said and gave a polite and classy bow. "Now, might you lead me to the others so I can give them proper apologies, too?"
The Ultimate Soldier narrowed her eyes, and it was easy enough for Celeste to see she was doubting her sudden change of behavior and tone. After a short while, though, she dropped her gaze and began walking.
"Follow me. And for your sake, I dearly hope this isn't another act you're putting on…" the short-haired girl cast a quick glance behind her to make sure the gambler was following. "Trust me, it would be your last…"
Great… Just fucking great…
Mukuro threw the door open and entered casually, not waiting for the deceased gambler. She sat next to Sayaka as all eyes focused on Celeste, making the lolita girl hide her gulp. They were all around a large table in a room the soldier had explained linked the two houses the group lived in. A sort of Dining Hall, though evidently different from Hope's Peak's.
"I've brought her here. What we do of her is for you to decide." the soldier told the others calmly, eyes closed. "Let's hope we can have a debate without someone acting like a crybaby, for once."
Mukuro opened her eyes and cast a glance towards Mondo, who didn't return it. The stares the gambler noticed the most apart from the biker's were Taka's and Hifumi's. They were her two victims, the pawns in her failed plans, but right now, she was back to being their equal, and they knew the real her.
The Ultimate Fanfic Writer clenched his fist under the table, something Celeste noticed from the corner of her eye. Taka seemed perfectly calm, waiting for someone to say something.
"Well, what else do you want us to do apart from accepting her into the group?" Sayaka wondered, looking genuinely puzzled. "It's not like you rejected me for trying to kill Leon…"
"The hell are you on, girl?!" the biker exclaimed, looking at the pop sensation with widening eyes. "That bitch didn't give a shit about anyone! C'mon, her fucking dream was to live in a castle, and she killed two people for it, damn it! She can go to hell and see if I care!"
Both Mukuro and Leon sent the deceased biker a dark look, the baseball player warning, "Don't talk like this to Sayaka, Mondo… You didn't hear us debate about rejecting you when you smashed Chihiro over the head with that dumbbell, did you?"
Ouch. Celeste thought and couldn't hide a mocking grin. Low, but true. And oh-so-satisfying…
"Agreed. As I told you during the last Class Trial, arguing like this only serves Junko." Mukuro spoke up and said in the blue-haired girl's defense. "I'm not condoning what Celeste did, but apart from Chihiro and Taka, no one's blameless in all this. But she went through Junko's punishment, perhaps deservedly, perhaps not, and she's there. I see no reason to reject her when you literally accepted the co-orchestrator of the Tragedy among you."
"C-Can I say something…?" they all turned towards Hifumi, who spoke timidly. "I… I think I'm the one who knew Miss Yasuhiro the best before the Tragedy of anyone here, s-so…"
"Sure. I don't see why not." the soldier and self-designated moderator of their debate said, urging him to proceed. "It might be wise to hear her victims tell us what they think."
And perhaps hearing ME out could be a good idea, too…? Just a random thought, you know? Damn, they can be stupid when they want… Celeste thought, finding her position to be tougher to defend than expected. Let's hope the piggy doesn't say anything… unfortunate…
"Thank you, Miss Ikusaba. Y-You see… M-Miss Yashiro was often mean to me before the Tragedy, and even during our sheltering inside Hope's Peak, but… I've thought about it a lot, and I don't think she is only a villain. A part of me still thinks that's she's a treacherous witch, but when Mister Ishimaru forgave me for killing him, I realized that, maybe, I could forgive Miss Yasuhiro, too. I was blinded by my hate for Mister Ishimaru when we both wanted Alter Ego for ourselves, which led me to do terrible things. I don't want to repeat the same mistake again…"
"Indeed!" Taka exclaimed in agreement, raising his hand. "I… I am deeply hurt that someone used me as a pawn for their mischievous plans, but I don't want to see our group be separated because of this! As the Ultimate Moral Compass, I must ensure everyone's unity, even with the person who plotted against me! I shall hold on to no grudges, even against Taeko!"
"T-Taka…" Mondo muttered. Then, he glared at the gambler again, trying to judge her. "If Taka's willing to forgive her, then I'm obviously not going to break her stupid lolita face, as much as I freaking want to… Do whatever you want, it's not my fucking problem…"
"Good. Then it would seem we are in agreement. Somehow…" Mukuro said after a long sigh and received no objections. "Is there anything you'd like to say, Celeste? I'm pretty sure there is."
W-Wait, these morons are willing to forgive me so easily?! Are they really so dumb?! The gambler thought, flabbergasted. Of course, she made sure to hide it well behind her sympathetic mask. Well, I'd be stupid not to make the best of the opportunity…
"Very well. As you well know, I have committed terrible sins that have led me here. You may believe I am but a heartless monster, and perhaps you would not be wrong…" Killing two innocent persons might have been… a tad much, yeah… However, I'd like you to know that I would never have acted the way I did if not because of that horrible Killing Game we were put through, as our two years of living at Hope's Peak Academy together prove. I… genuinely feel remorseful for what I did, even if you might not believe it…"
Worst thing is, I really think I fucked up… Not that any of my classmates are gonna believe it now, obviously, but it's true. I'd take my plans back if I could, considering that even if I had escaped, these bills would have been nothing more than worthless pieces of paper…
After deciding to be partly honest with her peers, and maybe with herself, too, the deceased gambler admitted, breaking character, "It hurts a fucking lot to have lost my dream, y'know? I have risked so much for it, and I was probably an asshole on a couple of occasions, yeah. I built my entire freaking life on being Celestia Ludenberg, and it was all taken away by that fucking fashionista… If you're going to support Makoto, Kyoko, and the others against her, then I'd like to do it alongside you. She ruined everything I had ever built and fought for, so all I can do is fight against her now, even if it is pointless…"
The sigh she let out was as genuine as she had ever been. If she had been given another chance to pursue her dreams, she would have taken it, and admitting to it was something Celeste knew she had to do. They knew she could be dishonest when it served her interests, so being truthful for once was the least she could do if she really wanted to earn their trust again.
"Yeah, you kinda were a witch from time to time, not gonna lie…" Sayaka told her very casually, forming a small crack in her smiling mask. "But I know what you mean. I also tried to kill someone very dear to me for my dream, and I still regret it. I had my flaws, and probably I still do, but I'm trying to change, and I know we all do. If you genuinely want to change, then I'm going to give you a second chance."
"Same here." Leon agreed, adding, "I know what it's like to be the blackened student, so while I'm not sure if you're being honest with us, I'm gonna follow babe and trust you. I ain't the type to doubt others!"
"Y-Yes, I agree with this, too…" the Ultimate Programmer said, gaining confidence with every word. "What you did wasn't okay, but you were punished for it, and with your memories back, I'm sure you are a good person! Besides, I don't want to doubt my friends anymore, so I'm going to trust you, too!"
The others - save Mondo, who didn't seem to care much at all - nodded in agreement. Mukuro pulled out a chair and gestured to it. "Have a seat, then. And let's hope you'll be the last one to join us here…"
"Oh, alright…" That was surprisingly easy… Apart from that biker, they all forgave me for what I did… I suppose… I should try to act more kindly with them, especially if I have to spend eternity with them. The deceased gambler walked with dignified steps, her drills slightly moving as she did so. Maybe I can be the girl I always wanted to be, even if it's not in life…
As she sat down, Celeste decided to be humble and not say a word. Still, exchanging a couple of smiles with the Ultimate Pop Sensation, the Ultimate Baseball Star, and the Ultimate Programmer made her realize she really was part of a group again, even if she maybe didn't deserve it…
"If I may ask, what exactly is this place?" Celeste asked as they all filed in, some begrudgingly (Mondo) and others with hopeful smiles (mainly Chihiro, Taka, and Leon). "A theater of some sort, perhaps?"
"Yeah, exactly," Sayaka replied, her fingers enlaced with Mukuro's. "This is the Afterlife Theater, where we can see everything happening on Earth through this projection screen. We've used it to watch the Killing Game unfold and support everyone."
"Ah, I see." So they must know everything that happened to the smallest detail… "Well, I was admittedly wondering how the others were doing since my execution, so I suppose this will give me an answer."
The pop sensation nodded as they got seated in a row that was getting more numerous as the days passed. They were already eight, not counting the Headmaster on the other end of the row, though they had hope not to see this number increase anytime soon.
"Makoto's point of view, as always?" Mukuro asked and got a series of nods. "Very well."
The screen turned on and revealed the Ultimate Lucky Student chatting with the Ultimate Detective inside the changing room. They stood next to the lockers in which the Ultimate Gambler had hidden Alter Ego, visibly discussing something.
"Can we take a second? Since we have this opportunity, I want you to be honest with me…" Makoto told her, looking concerned. Kyoko remained silent, her eyes not meeting his and her expression cold. "Kyoko, please tell me… What are you trying to do all on your own here at the school?"
"Good question…" Taka said aloud in the projection room. "We can suppose she's been investigating, but to find what exactly, I am afraid I don't quite know…"
"The mysteries of the school, as well as her missing memories." they heard the Headmaster tell them, his voice assertive. "Kyoko needs to know the basic facts of what she's dealing with to work properly. This applies to Hope's Peak… but also to herself."
This makes sense… The gothic girl thought, observing the Ultimate Detective cold eyes stare at the Luckster. We are like-minded in the sense that we both want to hold as many cards in our hands as possible… Only she has been fighting to figure out the school's secrets while I tried to escape…
"Is that why you wanted to come here with me?" before Makoto could answer, the detective dropped the Kirigiri stare and told him, "Regardless, that's not something you need to know right now."
"Geez, poor Makoto!" Leon chuckled. "But knowing him, he won't back down yet!"
"Yes, you're right! Mister Naegi is not the type to give up before it's all over!" Hifumi agreed with a quick nod.
"I don't… need to know? That just makes me even more worried!"
"Worried…?" genuinely caught by surprise, Kyoko's eyes displayed a rare but cute moment of emotion, showing the boy a softer side of herself.
"Aww, she's cute when she drops her guard a bit…" Sayaka said with a fond smile. "Makoto is having such a good influence on her; it's amazing…"
"Indeed. Even if Kyoko doesn't say it, Makoto might be the only person she trusts in this Killing Game." Jin added in agreement with the Ultimate Pop Sensation. "If the group were to lose him, she would probably be the most affected… and vice-versa."
"Like what happened during the investigation this time. You disappeared, and we didn't see you again. Without warning, without explanation… When you do that…"
The amnesiac detective's face grew back to being unexpressive, closed-off.
"…it's only natural that they think I'm the Headmaster's spy, right? And you too…"
"Hey, that ain't right at all!" Mondo exclaimed, finally coming out of his muteness. "The guy's probably the one who trusts her the most!"
"Yes, Mondo is right…" Chihiro said, looking intensely at the screen. "He's the only one she's bonded with, so I know he must trust her!"
"No! I… I believe in you!" the Ultimate Lucky Student told the purple-eyed girl with passion in his voice, something that surprised Kyoko even more.
"You believe… in me…?"
"Isn't it obvious? People believe in their friends, right? That's why I want you to tell me! And I want you… to believe in me, too. Because we're friends."
"Makoto truly has a gift for gaining people's trust via kindness. It is quite remarkable." the gambler allowed herself to say. I suppose… it didn't reach me soon enough… That, I regret…
"… I understand." Kyoko said, showing a small smile. "Then… maybe I can believe in you… just a little bit more."
At that, they all shared a happy smile, knowing that if the detective and lucky student cooperated even more than before, they'd be unstoppable! Even Celeste had to admit she found the moment quite lovely and was actually a little jealous.
Kyoko truly is a great young woman… I might never have been able to tell her this, but her ability to hide her emotions at appropriates times while still being an intelligent and kind woman is something I envy… She thought, blushing slightly under her foundation as she did so. The two of you are lucky to have each other…
"Then…!"
"Fine. I'll tell you. I'll tell you why I've been disappearing and where I've been going. You see…"
As the Ultimate Detective began her explanations, the group discussed among themselves.
"These two are just so adorable together!" Sayaka said with enthusiasm, turning towards Jin and asking him, "Don't you agree, Headmaster?"
"O-Oh, um…" a little embarrassed, which made the former students laugh a bit, the man answered, "Yes, you're quite right. Makoto is a good person, and he brings out the best in Kyoko. I have no doubt their growing bonds will help everyone in the near future."
"Given Junko doesn't try to off one of them soon." Mukuro cut him, her words sending a shiver down everyone's spine, even Celeste. "Kyoko's secret investigations might bring her some trouble, so she'd be willing to plot against her. And I think you're all aware of the effect losing Makoto would have on the group, am I wrong?"
She brings up a good point… Junko's been following the rules so far, but does that mean it's going to continue…? The gambler wondered, trying not to show the fear she was feeling for her two friends. I might be a hypocrite, thinking that when I recently tried to kill them all for my own benefit…
Celeste bit her lip, feeling her first real wave of guilt since her arrival in the Afterlife.
When things seemed hopeless for them, I thought I was doing the right thing… but now that I realize they have their own hope to grasp… I'm almost glad Makoto managed to expose me as the culprit… even if it led to my death, and they probably think I'm a bitch…
"Hm, I don't mean to interrupt anyone's chat right now, but do you think we should be looking at Mister Naegi going to the bathroom…? This seems a little too… invasive…"
They all turned back towards the screen after Hifumi's comment and realized that, indeed, Makoto was heading inside the second-floor bathroom.
"Yes! Such an invasion of privacy would be unacceptable!" Taka proclaimed loudly. "Everyone, please close your eyes until our classmate is done with his vital needs!"
"I don't think this will be necessary," Mukuro said with a widening smile. "I think they've just hit the jackpot because Makoto is definitely not going to the bathroom. Rather, he's heading inside the storage closet."
"Huh? The storage closet…? Yeah, you appear to be right…" Chihiro muttered as the lucky student proceeded inside, finding a bunch of brooms, towels, and other cleaning material. "But why would he go there?"
"… Kyoko must have told him something she found, correct?" Celeste spoke up with her deduction, earning a nod from Mukuro. "It makes sense."
"Indeed. There is a hidden passage leading to a secret room in there. Kyoko must have found it during the latest investigation and told Makoto while we weren't listening." the soldier explained before she got curious. "I wonder… Headmaster? Were you aware of this room's existence?"
Jin sighed. "I'm afraid not… This building was built way before I became Headmaster, so any secret rooms weren't built under my authority. Besides, I might have been the Headmaster; there were many secrets surrounding Hope's Peak I never was told about. The Steering Committee kept its secrets well, and if it wasn't for Kyoko's Ultimate talent, I would never have discovered anything. Not that it was enough to stop Junko, unfortunately…"
"I see. Well, this room contains files that could lead them to understand that they've lost part of their memories. Starting from there, they might be able to fight back against Junko." Mukuro said as Makoto placed his hand on the wall, seemingly a bit lost. "Considering how he's standing, Makoto is bound to fall through the wall anytime soon…"
And indeed, only a split second after the deceased Ultimate Soldier had said that, Makoto triggered the revolving door and fell on the other side with a loud *Ba-bump*. Some of the students in the projection room giggled, having to admit seeing the surprise on Makoto's face was amusing.
"Huh…?" he uttered, his rear visibly aching with the fall as he stood awkwardly. "So this is the secret room… But what's in here?"
The room fit the description of a "secret room" to perfection: dark, bunker-like, and more importantly, there was an entire bookshelf of files against the wall.
"Good, they're still there," Mukuro said, mostly to herself from what the others could guess. "Most of it isn't important, so let's hope Makoto can focus on what's essential."
It is very awkward to know that this girl knows everything that's going on… Celeste thought, being forced to wonder, How did she even switch to the side of hope…? Perhaps being pierced to death by those spears made her change her mind about despair?
The Ultimate Lucky Student rummaged through some files, though considering how dusty most of them were, he didn't pay much attention to them. But even from the point of view they had, the deceased students and the former Headmaster could see one single file that didn't have a speck of dust on it. This was the one that quickly caught the Luckster's attention.
"Hope's Peak Academy Student Registry…? This is the only thing in here not covered in dust," he muttered to himself, making his voice barely audible inside the Afterlife Theater. "Has someone been looking at it recently…?"
The brown-haired boy took the file into his hand, making a note slip out of it. Makoto turned his attention to it, the deceased students narrowing their eyes to try to get a better look at it.
"What's this…?" he read the words written with perfect calligraphy, probably from a word-processing device. "'You must not leave.' That's… kind of weird. I could understand if it said, like, 'I can't leave.' But, 'you must not leave?'"
As Makoto stared at the note, a strange feeling invaded the room, making everyone shiver - with no exceptions.
"I… I have a bad feeling about this…" Sayaka said in fear. "I… I think Makoto should leave as soon as possible!"
"Yeah, I agree with babe!" Leon said, paling a little. "This can't be good!"
"Fuck, Junko must have put this note here to confuse him!" Mukuro swore, clenching her fist. "And knowing her, she might be up to something…!"
A couple of gasps were heard in the room as their favorite lucky student seemed really distraught. He muttered a few more words they couldn't comprehend. Suddenly, a masked figure appeared behind him, making everyone's eyes widen in panic.
"L-Look out!" the pop sensation exclaimed, though he obviously couldn't hear her.
They raised a baseball bat and, with one swift swing, smacked the Ultimate Lucky Student from behind, making him gasp in pain before immediately falling unconscious.
"M-MAKOTO!" they all exclaimed as the screen went dark, and for once, the most panicked one was the Ultimate Soldier. "F-Fuck, fuck, fuck…! T-This is bad! No one but Kyoko can find him here, and they're gonna lose their best shot at solving the mystery now!" under her breath, they heard her curse her sister.
Among them, Celeste found herself shaking in fear for the Luckster, just like everyone else, save perhaps the Headmaster. Upon realizing that, it caused her to question her own emotions.
I… I'm scared for M-Makoto… a-and for all the others… T-They… They might die… and I-I'll be partly responsible for making t-them fall to despair…
As Sayaka's cries echoed through the room, the Ultimate Gambler was forced to realize something: real despair was ruthless, even when you thought you could control your own emotions…
"I… I wanted to apologize to the two of you." Celeste said, throwing away parts of her pride as she addressed her two victims. "There was a time I believed that if you weren't smart enough to counter my plans, then you deserved to die. But now that we don't even know what Makoto's status is after he was so good to the group, I realize… I might have been wrong."
The fallen gambler bowed her head in apologies, feeling this was a great weight get off her shoulders.
"M-Miss Yasuhiro…"
"T-Taeko… I…" Taka paused, thinking deeply about his next words. "I don't think you need to apologize to me… I believe we must all work together to encourage our friends, especially in these dire times. We have almost all committed mistakes, but I think we must look towards the future rather than back at the past! If our commitment to the rules was lacking, then we will improve! That should be our true goal!"
"I… I agree with Mister Ishimaru! We had many disagreements during the Killing Game, but we have decided to leave them in the past and work on our friendship stat!" Hifumi added. "Only like this will we obtain the best ending and save the princess!"
U-Uh… W-Who's the princess of this story, exactly…? Celeste wondered, discreetly rolling her eyes. Hifumi will never change, apparently…
"V-Very well. I will make sure to tr-"
"Oh, he's waking up!"
"H-Huh?!"
They all turned towards Sayaka as the girl shouted and pointed at the screen, which was slowly roaring back to life. The deceased students quickly got back to their seats, watching as the Luckster woke up.
"T-Thank goodness…" Mukuro muttered and breathed in relief. "The files are gone, but this is nothing compared to how catastrophic it would have been if Makoto had been either severely injured or killed…"
"G… gh… Oww…"
The Ultimate Lucky Student slowly got up, bringing a hand to soothe his head where he'd been hit.
"B-Being hit on the head like that must have hurt…" Chihiro commented, and for some reason, the Ultimate Programmer of all people being the one to say that made the room very awkward for a couple of seconds.
Makoto looked around, clearly dazed, until his eyes widened, and, referring to the bookshelf, exclaimed, "Gone… It's all gone! What does this mean…?"
"It means that Junko took everything…" Mukuro said, biting her lip. "And she's probably disposed of everything by now or hidden the files somewhere they can't access…"
"T-This… is bad… r-right?" Leon asked, quite rhetorically, and got a nod from the soldier. "F-Fuck…"
They noticed their lucky (which seemed debatable right now) friend wince a couple of times with difficulties focusing. "F-For now… I should go back to my room… Get some rest…"
"That is wise! Professor Makoto needs some rest after an intense day!" Taka exclaimed, looking pained even if the loudness of his voice didn't betray it. "Given he can make it back to his room…"
No one could disagree with him. In the end, Makoto struggled but managed to reach the first floor, even if his footing was more than shaky.
"Gh… Nng…" suddenly, a sound in the distance got his attention. "Hm…? That sound… It's coming from… the gym…?"
It was barely audible, but I do believe there was a sound… But why in the gym, especially right now…? Celeste wondered, as did everyone else.
The Ultimate Lucky Student managed to reach the gym, though he had to take a couple of breaks on the way to regain his focus. He had almost fallen down the stairs a good number of times, and considering how weakened he seemed, it was a miracle he could even make it there with his consciousness intact.
And as he had hypothesized, the closer he got to the gymnasium, the louder the sounds were getting.
"Anyone have a fucking idea what's causing this…?" Mondo asked, looking as lost as the others. "Monokuma turned the gym into a construction site or somethin'?"
"I guess we'll know very soon…" the Headmaster said from his seat as Makoto placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it very quietly.
Everyone held their breath as the lucky student peeked through the door. And when they saw the scene taking place inside, they couldn't even gasp in surprise.
"Why you…! What do you think you're doing?" Monokuma inquired, looking furious. After being met with silence, the bear added, "I asked you a question! What's the meaning of this? How dare you defy me…? This wasn't part of the deal!"
A… deal…?
"I've made a decision… I will no longer retreat, no longer compromise, no longer regret… I've made my decision! I'm going… to resist you!"
W-What the…
"Hmm… Okay. But… you do realize what will happen if you go through with this, right? You haven't forgotten, have you? What I'm holding hostage…?"
There was a moment of silence in both the Afterlife Theater and in Hope's Peak's gym. They all shared confused looks… until all hell broke loose…
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"N-No way… Motherfucker T-Togami was right! T-There was really… A-A SPY!"
"A-A-A S-S-SPY?!"
Confusion made way for shock, and among all this chaos, one voice emerged.
Mukuro stood up, closed her eyes, and after a deep breath, let out a yell that made everyone realize one thing…
"DAMN YOU, JUNKOOOOOOOOOO!"
The Mastermind always was a step ahead of them, whatever despair they might have caused or endured…
To be continued…
A.N: Believe it or not, this chapter was extremely difficult to write! Celeste is objectively the only blackened in the game who doesn't have a sympathetic motive, so it was really difficult to give her a redemption chapter without either breaking character or making it unrealistic. Writing her two personas as Celeste and Taeko was fun, though. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're getting closer and closer to the final chapter, now! Until the next chapter, please leave a review, and I hope you all have a great day! :)
