Chapter 4: Clash, J-Stars! Part 3 (Daily Life)

Remaining Citizens: 11

Ai Mizuno (Zombie Land Saga): Ultimate Idol

Emma (The Promised Neverland): Ultimate Moral Compass

Killua Zoldyck (Hunter X Hunter): Ultimate Assassin

Gold (Pokémon Adventures/Pokémon Special): Ultimate Hatcher

Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse): Ultimate Successor

Yu Ishigami (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War): Ultimate Pessimist

Espio The Chameleon (Sonic The Hedgehog): Ultimate Ninja

Aoba Kuronuma (Durarara!): Ultimate Manipulator

Trunks Brief (Dragon Ball): Ultimate Swordsman

Ryuji Sakamoto (Persona 5): Ultimate Track Star

Bernadetta von Varley (Fire Emblem: Three Houses): Ultimate Recluse

Ai's POV

After observing the… wrecked field (seriously what was that about?), I'm now at the hospital. The waiting room is empty, a bit unsettling, chairs were all disorganized and magazines were scattered as well. There was a computer sitting there at the desk near me, which I accessed to find out where our delinquent friend was.

2nd floor, room N037. Knife wound to the stomach, along with a bruise on his elbow when he collapsed hard on the ground where we were seated.

"Tch… damn it." I thought to myself as I shut off the monitor.

I really hope he's alright, since I really doubt that a robotic bear went to any good medical school. I commend his bravery for saving Bernadetta in exchange for his life, but…

Ugh, no, I just need to go see him. Gold didn't mention how he was doing when he left, and Trunks hasn't talked to me even though he's checked on Ryuji quite often. I need to confirm it myself.

I found room N037 and knocked on the door, "Ryuji, it's Ai. May I come in?".

"Sure, it's open." I heard from the other side, he can speak at least, though he did sound a little weak.

"Yo, didn't expect two visitors today. How have you guys been?"

"We've been… getting by. Trunks hasn't been cooperative as of late, and Aoba is, well, Aoba. Other than that we got a new message to take pictures of the city."

"For real? That sounds boring, the picture taking thing. Can't imagine how that could help at all. Can't get a read on Trunks either, the last time he visited, he just had a scary look in his eyes. Also don't mention that bastard Aoba, I'm just about sick of that asshole, ack..." His voice got a little louder at the end before he felt pain and lied back down.

"Don't strain yourself, just relax until you're fully healed." I told him as he sighed, "So how's Bernie doin'?"

"She's feeling horrible after what happened, thinking that it was her fault that you ended up here. I did try to help her out earlier though."

"Ugh, she shouldn't blame herself for something I did. I chose to throw myself in front of that knife, I couldn't just stand there and let her get stabbed." He said as he shook his head.

"That's what I told her, yet I feel like it will take a while until she'll understand it. Maybe if she comes to visit you she'll be alright." I said while looking over the hospital room.

"Keyword is 'if', that girl would rather stay in her room all day if she could. She's the Ultimate Recluse alright..." He was starting to look a little sad so I thought of something else to ask him.

"Didn't Gold come by earlier? What did you two talk about?"

"Uh, well… he came up with a new way to… get fit in the city until we find a gym! Yeah that's it, he told me to come try it out when I get outta here, ha ha…"

Okay he's being suspicious too, what is wrong with these guys?

"Please be honest with me, Ryuji."

"I am! I have been trying to keep in shape since we got here, and even before I ended up here." He rubbed the back of his head nervously, I can tell he's lying.

But for now I just decide to humor him, "Well, it does make sense that you need to stay active since you're a track star."

"Was a track star, but I am working to get back into doing it." Ryuji took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Really? What made you quit? Or… did something else happen?" I asked him.

"... You know how I told you I was a phantom thief? Stealing the hearts of horrible people and making them confess the terrible shit they did?"

"You have." The concept was absurd, but it intrigued me. I wanted to know more.

"Well… it was all because of our first target, an asshat named Kamoshida. Me and my teammates were well on our way to becoming star athletes of Shujin Academy, until he came into the picture. A volleyball teacher who beat the crap out of the students on his team, sexually harassing some of them, and was getting away with it until we stepped in." Ryuji's story had grabbed my attention as I felt disgust at the man he described.

"What did he do to you?" I asked.

"Well, he wanted his volleyball team to be the main sports team of Shujin, so he pissed me off. To the point where I tried to beat the shit outta him, but he ended up breaking my leg. After that the track team disbanded, and they called me the 'track traitor' for what I did…" Oh my goodness, as if I did not have any more reason not to feel bad for Ryuji.

"I see now… no wonder you made him your target. He did end up confessing his crimes, right?"

"He did… after his abuse led to someone trying to commit suicide and threatening to get me and a few friends of mine expelled."

"That's… terrible. I'm so sorry that you had someone like that cause you so much pain."

"It's all good now, he's in prison for a long time and me and my pals are free to do whatever we want. And I choose to get back to training, well… once I get outta this bed and this crappy city."

There was a lot more to Ryuji than I initially thought, with his dyed hair and poor posture I assumed he was a troublemaking delinquent. This is a case where I was glad to be proven wrong, in doing so I have managed to become closer to him.

"Hey, while you're here, Gold brought me some takeout beef bowls. They're both how I like it, but I know how much you love eating meat!" Ryuji laughed.

"I um… well this conversation did give me somewhat of an appetite…" I hesitated.

"C'mon! Just a nibble isn't gonna make you fat. Though not too much that it would go right to your already large thig—ow! Hey hey, I'm already injured!" I slapped him before he could finish that sentence.

I was right about one thing about him, he's a pervert.

After having a little bit of that beef bowl I bid Ryuji farewell and a "get well soon" before hedging back to the Hope-tel. Took a shower and headed to bed immediately after that. I drifted off to sleep right before the nighttime announcement went off.

MONOKUMA THEATER

"Do you ever work on something that won't be ready in a long time, instead of focusing on what you have now?"

"Like finishing a school project that's months away from being due, or eating a fruit that's days away from being ripe?"

"Or maybe writing a prologue chapter for the third entry in a fanfiction when you still need to finish the first entry! Hmmmmmmmm?"

"Orrrr writing down ideas for a spinoff as well! Hmmmmmm?"

"Anyways, it's good to plan ahead, but not to that extent! But what do I know? Monokuma Theaters are usually where your brain shuts off!"

*Ding dong, bing bong*

"Gooooooood morning Monocity! It is now 7 a.m., and the weather today is a cloudy sky, no rain though! Remember to follow the law, but have fun! Oh, breaking news citizens! We have a meeting at Enoshima Park at 7:30, don't be late! It's very important to attend, because we have a new motive!"

I knew that there would be something sooner or later, I might as well go.

Walking outside my door after putting on my makeup I met up with Emma, Miles, and… Ishigami, I guess he's become another member of our little group. Although one common member seems to be missing.

"Hey! Sorry, I must have overslept, ha ha. So what are we doing?" Gold arrives late.

"We're going to the park, didn't you hear the morning announcement?" Miles asked him.

"Nope, couldn't hear a thing." He scratched his nose.

"You must have been snoring over it. One of the reasons I wish the walls were soundproof and that I wasn't your neighbor." Ishigami yawned.

"Hey, you're exaggerating, pal!" Gold defended himself.

"He's not, earlier I saw Killua with bags under his eyes. He told me that a loud snorting sound kept him up all night, he thought a 'Great Stamp' found its way into the Hope-tel." Emma giggled.

"A what?!" Gold asked.

"Large pigs with horn-like snouts, or at least that's what he told me." Emma explains.

"Did he just call me a— I'm gonna get that brat!" Gold then started angrily rambling as we laughed at him.

It took a while but we all made it to the park on time, even Bernadetta so maybe she's feeling a lot better today. Of course Ryuji is still in the hospital, but he looked to be improving during my visit, so hopefully he'll rejoin us sooner or later. Monokuma was already there when all of us arrived.

"Okay everyone, before we begin I wanted to know if you guys know where I left my battery? I was supposed to use it to power this one execution I have prepared." The bear asked us.

"A battery? With how elaborate these executions have been, it must be quite the power source. How could you leave something like that lying around?" Espio calls out his carelessness.

"No one asked you, Ninja Boy. But to answer your question, it's size is quite small actually, so it is easy to lose. It was kept in a ball that could fit inside your pocket, and when released it's got some spark to it!" Monokuma raised his arms up to emphasize.

I then realized what he was talking about, Gold's Pichu Pibu. I look to him and a drop of sweat falls from his face and onto the stone sidewalk.

"Hm… oh well! I'll go looking for it later. Now then it's time for the next motive!" He exclaimed.

"This again?" Miles rolled his eyes.

"Yes, this again, why haven't you gotten used to this by now?! Ahem, now presenting a reward that you get after completing a challenge I'm setting up. Ta-dah!" Monokuma took out a pale gold card with his face on it.

"What… is that?" I asked him.

Monokuma's sinister smile gets larger, "Why, it's the Get Out of Trial Free card! If you win this baby, then you'll be able to murder and get away with it. Although once you use it, you have to kill someone by midnight, or else your chance will have gone up and left like Cinderelly at the ball!"

"Uh… it's intriguing, but how is this a motive to go murder someone? Killing someone to get a card for murdering another person? That doesn't work since the blackened would either be executed or leave the city, making the card meaningless." Aoba critiqued.

"Well here's the thing… it's not a motive for murder. It's more motivation to survive in my personal challenge!" Monokuma guffawed.

"You keep bringing up this challenge, just what is it?" I asked him.

"A series of tasks in the next area that won't start until it is complete! Finish each task within the given time frame and you move on to the next one, if you don't… then game over!"

"And by game over you mean instant execution." Trunks guesses.

"Correct! You really are the son of a scientist, puhuhu…" Monokuma teases and Trunks just turns away from him.

"Anywho, the first PERSON to finish all of their tasks will receive the card! This competition will also be streamed live on Despair+ after the next episode of The Bear and The Ultimate Soldier."

"I'm more of a SoniaVision guy." Ishigami states.

"Really now? The action scenes of the former impressed me more than the classic sitcom format of the latter." Espio shook his head.

"Wait, I didn't know y'all have been getting a free streaming service here!" Miles says in surprise.

"It's actually pretty decent." Ishigami tells him.

"SHUT UP." Aoba yells and web covers his mouth in response.

"In conclusion, this challenge will be filled with thrills, chills, and maybe kills if you all really want to succeed! Later folks!" Monokuma waved the card in the air for all of us to see before disappearing.

A gauntlet of tasks… they will most likely be far from simple knowing that bear. We need to be ready when it's time to take them on. And that card too… all I know is that if I get it, I'm burning it. I hope almost everyone else is thinking the same thing or something similar.

… Maybe I should go talk to some people.

Next Time: Free Time Start

The motive has been set and more free time is on the way, I'm thinking of Gold or Espio, but I would like to see if there's anyone else you want to see. Be sure to leave your thoughts and I'll see you all in the next part! Thanks.