After the doorstopper that is last chapter, this one was meant to be really short. Instead, it's almost as long as some of the investigation chapters. Oops.
Also, that title. I know some of you probably don't even pay attention to the chapter names (and fair enough, since I don't label them in the actual file), but I've been waiting to use this chapter's title on something for a long time. Maybe I should've saved it for one of the DR3 chapters, but I felt like it fits here. Bonus points since it plays off the previous chapter's title. In the original game, Chapter 5 was called "Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair." Here, the two chapters combine to say "In the Name of Despair, Abandon All Hope."
In case you haven't noticed this far in, I get proud about the weirdest things.
Anyway, this chapter is about the aftermath of the previous trial. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 40
Abandon All Hope
Monokuma slumped back into his seating position as he tallied up the votes. "...Man, I'm pooped. Let's go ahead and announce the result... The traitor from the Future Foundation, and Nagito Komaeda's assailant is... Chiaki Nanami!"
"Are you serious?" Nekomaru asked. "That was correct...!?"
"Chiaki was the traitor... and Nagito's plan relied on luck..." Hiyoko muttered.
"Everything... was true...!?" Sonia shouted.
"Plus, that means he managed to pull it off!" Nekomaru added, pointing a finger toward the boy in the bed.
"...Congratulations everyone." Chiaki said.
"We're not celebrating at all...!"
"Chiaki..." Maki spoke up. "I think there are still a few things left to clarify before everyone can accept this. Are you really from Future Foundation, an agent from the organization responsible for taking us to this island? Is that your true identity?"
She nodded. "...I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys."
"I-I cannot believe it..." Sonia argued. "Even though I do not want to believe it... There is no choice but to believe, right?"
"...I'm sorry. It would've been better if I could've said it sooner... but I couldn't say it no matter what. Cuz... I can't betray the Future Foundation..."
"...Can't betray?" Hajime repeated.
"Even if you want to fly, you can't, right? Even if you want to swim where you please, you can't, right? It's the same for me... Due to the nature of my existence, I will never be able to betray the Future Foundation..."
"What the heck... But in the end, you did something similar... What you did... is no different than sharing your secret yourself."
She thought about it for a moment. "...Haha, you're right."
"Now's not the time to be laughing...!" Hiyoko snapped.
"...But strangely enough, I don't have any regrets. In fact... I'm somewhat happy. I was able to think I wanted to be truthful to everyone. That's why... I feel proud of my actions."
"You're still saying crazy, confusing stuff but... if we ask you what you mean, you won't be able to answer, right? Like, if we ask why you're a part of Future Foundation..."
"...I'm sorry."
Sonia spoke up. "E-Even if you were a traitor... You... never betrayed us. Chiaki... you will always be our friend. Even now... We don't blame you for this! That's why you don't need to apologize!"
"Hey... one thing I don't get." Nekomaru said, turning on Nagito again. "We nearly lost, right? And if Chiaki hadn't said anything, we definitely would've lost. If this were a real trial, then the traitor could have very well survived! Isn't that the opposite of what you planned?"
Nagito stared back in silent defiance, but Monokuma giggled to life. "Puhuhu... you've raised a good point. That's exactly it... Even though Nagito said he would weed out the traitor, he never said he would kill the traitor."
"...Huh?"
"I mean, Nagito's plan was to reveal the traitor... and kill everyone else besides the traitor!"
K-Kill everyone else besides the traitor!?" Sonia repeated.
"That... was Nagito's plan...?" Hiyoko asked. "Wh-Why would you do something like that...!?"
"...It's okay." Chiaki said.
"O-Okay... what?" Hajime asked.
"I mean... it's not just Nagito's fault. If the circumstances had been different... he probably wouldn't have taken things so far."
"...Chiaki... You really are a kindhearted person." Monomi decided.
"...Huh? You think so?"
"Jeez... I wonder where you got your personality from?"
"Aside from my mom, you mean? Maybe our dad and our big brother... don't you think?"
"Hey, don't go talking about your family all of a sudden!" Monokuma snapped. "Now then, I think it's time we moved on to the main event, wouldn't you say?"
Maki raised an eyebrow. "What, we're leaving the island already? I thought we still had a couple of days to wait before that."
"That's not what I meant! I'm talking about the main event of every class trial: The Punishment Time!"
Everyone jumped in shock. From his bed, Nagito growled, "No, you can't...!"
Maki nodded. "He's right, you literally can't. It's against the rules."
"Oh, yeah? Where does it say that?"
She pulled out her handbook. "Rule #4: The lead teacher cannot directly interfere with the students. An exception to this rule is made if any student violates a rule. Rule #5: Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Rule #6: If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed." She looked up. "Ergo, you're only able to kill any of us if and when a rule is broken, or a murder takes place. No rules have been broken, and Nagito is still alive, so you can't directly interfere with any of us."
The bear shook his head. "Objection overruled, Counsellor. If you read Rule #4 again, you will note that it explicitly only applies to students. But Chiaki Nanami isn't entirely a student, is she?"
"I'm both!" She argued. "I'm an agent of Future Foundation, but I'm also a student."
"Meh, for the purposes of the game, your status as the former overrides your status as the latter. You're more like Monomi than you're like your other friends. And I've been beating up Monomi this entire time with no problems, right?"
"Th-That's..."
"Then I... I cannot lose!" Monomi declared. "Just like Chiaki and everyone else... Even if I know it's a fight I cannot win... I must try to retaliate!"
"...Heh? Retaliate?" When the word left his mouth, Monomi was already behind him, wrapping herself around him in a vice-grip.
"I... will no longer let you do as you please!" She declared.
"S-Stupid...! Stop it... what are you doing!?"
Her body began to glow. "Eeee! As they say, we shall die together!"
Everyone backed up against the walls of the small room as Monomi, and by proxy, Monokuma, exploded. As the smoke cleared, their smouldering bodies laid still in a small crater in the floor.
"...Sh-She self-destructed!?" Hajime gasped.
"Wh-What is... what's going on...!?" Nekomaru asked.
"Monokuma just die-" Hiyoko started.
Next to the smouldering bodies, a new Monokuma suddenly appeared. "...I'm not dead! Phew, man, that surprised me... If only I didn't have a spare, I would've died..."
A new Monomi also appeared. "Not yet! I'm not done yet!"
"Hey... wai-"
Once again, she caught him in a hold and began to glow. "If I don't beat you... Nobody can... live in peace!"
"S-Stop it I say! I'm sorry, I lose, forgive me!" But his cries for mercy were drowned out as the two plushies exploded once more.
A new Monomi appeared next to the pile of bodies. "Hey, hey! Not yet!"
Another Monokuma also appeared. "S-Seriously, stop it... If you don't stop right now... it's all going to be destroyed..."
"O-Of course! I'm doing it so you'll all be destroyed! I will be the one... to protect my students... I will protect them with my life!"
"M-Monomi... you...!" Hajime started.
"Now then, how many of you are still there!? You might as well come out all at once!"
"Ummmmm... h-how many... Not that much... Just around 10^60."
Silence filled the room. After a few moments, Monomi asked, "...Huh? What did you say?"
Maki appeared to be doing the math in her head. "Th-That would be, uh... one decillion, I think?"
Chiaki explained, "One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one million, one billion, one trillion, one quadrillion... Jump ahead... 10^52... 10^56... and then 10^60... That's 10 to the 60th power."
"Ha... haha..." Monomi chuckled quietly. "A-After all this, you're still joking around. You sure have quite the daring spirit!"
"Except I'm not joking!" Monokuma insisted. "What are you even saying anymore!? Didn't you see that scene!? While you're doing this... my clones are continuously and endlessly created... in the Monokuma Manufacturing Facility."
"Wh-What...!? Those were just stuffed animals...!"
"Th-That's right...!" Hajime agreed. "I... checked them with my own hands... They're just plushies!"
"He's just bluffing!" Nekomaru roared. "Monomi, finish him off!"
"Even if it's just a plushie, as long as you give it Monokuma's personality... It becomes a fully developed Monokuma." The bear explained.
"Wh-What did you say...?" Hajime asked. "Th-There's no way that's possible! That's not even magic!"
"Magic, huh... Puhu... puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...!"
Monomi's beady eyes widened. "C-Could it be...! Have you already obtained that much power...!?"
"W-Wait a sec! You can't just bring up magic all of a sudden!" Hiyoko argued.
"Well, I don't care how you interpret it..." Monokuma said. "In the end, even if Monomi risks her life or does whatever, it doesn't matter to my army of 10^60. Hahaha, there's no value in that life you're risking! So how about this! This overwhelming despair! Does it make you dizzy from excitement!? And how many Monomis are left to challenge my army of 10^60?"
"Ugh... tch... ugghhhhh...!"
"Puhuhu, you don't have to say anything, I know. Let's see... you just have 7 more left, right? I know everything! I am the conqueror of the new world!"
"I-I won't give up...!" Monomi declared. "Even if I have no chance of winning... I...!"
"...It's okay, Monomi." Chiaki finally said.
"...Huh?"
"It's not about giving up, you know... Let's believe in them... Let's believe in everyone... and leave the rest to them..."
"B-But...!"
"...Right?"
At her insistence, Monomi seemed to finally relent.
"Dammit... what the hell is going on...!?" Nekomaru asked.
"I-I do not know for certain, but the only thing I can say is... Monokuma is an enemy of the Future Foundation." Sonia decided.
"Does that mean... there's another organization that's our enemy besides Future Foundation...?" Hiyoko asked.
"We're in this situation because we're caught up in a dispute between the two organizations?" Nekomaru guessed.
"Okay, that's it!" Monokuma snapped. "Let's just leave that talk for later! Because... because because because because... Because the punishment time's gonna start!"
"N-No... I won't let you...!" Nagito slowly forced himself to sit up straighter. "Maybe... Maybe I'm just another monster destined to be crushed by hope, but... I won't let this end here! I'll defend the last specks of hope in this world until my dying breath! That's all I'm good for... That's the only way I can atone..."
"...Stop it." Chiaki interrupted. "You might have done a lot of bad things in the past, but that doesn't have to be your present, or your future. As long as you keep trying your best to be someone better, then it doesn't matter who you were before. And that goes for everyone else here. Even if you fall into despair, you can always find hope again. That's what I believe."
Maki averted her eyes. "Move toward the future? I wonder how you can say that... when you have no future left, yourself."
"...Ugh! H-Hold on!" Hajime turned to Monokuma, begging. "Just a little more... just a little more time..."
"To wait or not to wait... that is the question. But which will cause more despair? That's the REAL question... If you think about it, you'd know, right? There's no way I'd wait!"
"B-But... I haven't...!"
"...I'm sorry, Hajime." Chiaki said. "Regardless... there's nothing else I can say. I'm not allowed to say anything more than I already have."
"N-Not that, I..."
"Now then, I have prepared a special punishment for Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer!... Ah, for Monomi too!"
At that, Chiaki looked up. "...Huh? Why... even Monomi?"
"It's just a two-for-one special... Like I said before, I could've killed that thing any time I wanted since she's not a student. And also... I don't need anybody that will defy me any more. Ah, also... I remember now... I'm an only child!"
"Wh-What is that!?" Sonia gasped.
"It's okay..." Monomi said. "Even if I'm here, I'd just be a burden anyway... And not just that... I've decided to believe in everyone!"
"You guys, I'm sorry about so many things..." Chiaki admitted. "I'm sorry... for lying to you. I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you to the very end..."
"Just one last time... Let me say something that makes me sound like a teacher. There's no need to be a hero. You don't have to force yourself just to make people acknowledge you. When you do that, you end up blaming yourself, blaming other people... and feeling jealous of everyone... But still... it doesn't have to be like that. Even if people don't acknowledge you, you just have to be someone that you can be proud of! Cuz... you yourself are your biggest supporter! If you can learn to love yourself... That love will continue to support you for the rest of your life. Love... love..."
"Bye everyone... It's okay... A shining future will always be waiting for you. It's true... it's absolutely true... Cuz... I know."
"Bye-bye! Please don't forget about your teacher."
As the two girls stood together, saying their goodbyes to the remaining students, Monokuma let out a malicious laugh. "Then let's proceed with high spirits! This is the very last... Punishment Tiiiiiiiiime!"
With that, the floor beneath them opened up, dropping them into the dark depths of the island as the other students watched in horror. With a scream, Nagito practically threw himself off the bed, dragging his broken body across the floor. The hole had long since shut by the time he reached its edge. He let out a bloodcurdling howl as the monitors in the room sparked to life.
The footage showed Chiaki and the remaining Monomis sitting in a small room akin to a warehouse. Before them were several statues reminiscent of the Space Invaders, as well as school desks. One of the walls on the opposite end of the room came crashing down, as Monokuma rode in with a tank. As he pointed the tank's cannon toward them, his voice blared through the speakers.
"Please Insert Coin!" With that, the bear began driving left and right, shooting each of the Monomis one by one. As the explosions shook the room, Chiaki's sight drifted to the door behind her, labelled EXIT. With nothing to lose, she quickly stood, grabbed the nearest Monomi by the hand, and burst through the door, running as fast as she could down the hall.
Soon, the wall behind them was smashed open as yet another vehicle appeared. This one was reminiscent of Pac-Man, round and yellow, with a mouth that chomped up and down as it chased them. The remaining Monomis that managed to keep up until then were mowed down by the mechanical monster. It nibbled at their heels as Chiaki and the final Monomi finally reached the other end of the hall, forcing their way through the door into the next room.
However, their mad dash was interrupted as they ran into a glass barrier. The way behind them was locked off by a large storage door shutting. A crane hand began laying down giant blocks around the two girls.
Monomi was the first to get crushed, killing her final body and putting an end to her for good. Chiaki sat, cornered by the giant blocks and with nowhere to run. Her face betrayed no fear toward her fate. She stared forward stoically as the crane dropped its final block. She was crushed, and the lined-up row of blocks that marked her tomb exploded one by one. Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer, was dead.
As the video feed cut to black, the only sound in the room was Nagito's sobs.
"Th-This is impossible... How could this happen...? Has hope... actually... lost?" His sobs slowly turned into weak, pained laughter. "I don't get it... I just don't get it at all..."
Hajime had fallen to his knees in the middle of the execution, and stayed like that long after it was over. Sonia was crying her eyes out. Nekomaru stood still as a statue, his bulbous eyes dim. Hiyoko stared at the floor, not saying anything. Even Maki seemed unsettled by the execution.
"Good gracious, that was such a big surprise!" Monokuma giggled. "As for Chiaki, she usually took on the role of pointman during the class trials... And not only was she the traitor, she almost killed Nagito too! Oh well, don't worry about it! There won't be any more situations where you'll need to rely on her!"
"Wait, does that mean...?" Hiyoko looked up.
"Now that the annoying rabbit is gone as well... All of the obstacles that have been keeping us on this island are completely gone!"
"A-Are you serious!? We can really leave this island!?"
"Yuuuuuuup! Congratulations! With this, I shall announce the end of the killing school trip! For you six who've survived up until now, I shall give you the right to graduate!... Thank you for all your hard work!"
"...Are... are you really okay with that?" Hajime asked.
"...Hm? What do you mean?"
"There are still two days left... If you were acting like your usual self, you would be setting things up so another killing happens right away."
"Y-You're right..." Nekomaru agreed.
"What are you saying!?" Hiyoko snapped. "What if Monokuma changes his mind!?"
"...Also... you said "you six" like you were emphasizing that part..." Hajime continued. "Does the number of people matter more than the remaining time? That's why... you're saying it's the end already even though there are still two days left, right?"
"It matters... that there are six people left?" Sonia asked.
"Are you planning to make a volleyball team?" Nekomaru asked.
Monokuma merely stared at them in silence.
"Don't stay quiet... say something!" Hajime snapped. "What's your actual purpose...? You're our enemy and an enemy of the Future Foundation, so what's your true identity!?"
"If the Future Foundation is the World Ender... Then I will end the new world that the Future Foundation has created..."
"...Huh?"
"Well, you'll just have to look forward to the rest after the countdown ends! That timer... has almost reached zero. If it reaches zero, everything will end. The Future Foundation's lame plan... will be nothing but toilet bubbles... And when that time comes, you'll know everything. You'll see all of your questions answered in one go. And then, you guys will find out for yourselves just how messed up this new world is."
"It may be messed up, but... it's the only world I have." Maki argued. "You can't destroy it. I won't let you."
"Well, either way, just think of the remaining two days until the countdown reaches zero as a "bonus." While you're at it, you should enjoy your life on this tropical island to the fullest. Cuz once you leave this island... Your hopeless lives back home will be waiting for you! Ahhhhhhhh-hahahahahahahahahaha! Ahhhhhhhh-hahahahahahahahahaha!"
When Monokuma announced that he was planning to execute Alter Ego Chiaki, I was barely surprised. I had suspected he would pull a trick like that out of his hat. As he said, Chiaki counted as an Observer before she was a Student, in the Neo World Program. With the kind of power he held now, he could take advantage of even the smallest technicality like that.
I had tried to get Chiaki out of the Observation Room. I didn't know what kind of reaction it would trigger, to see an AI copy of yourself get executed, on account of the lack of examples of that kind of thing happening. But I knew that her reaction was unlikely to be a good one. But she was adamant about watching it. I had a hard time understanding why. At least for her friends executions, she could make the argument about needing some level of closure, but she held no attachment to her Alter Ego. She was just a program based on her. It was almost like... she had something to prove.
So when Monokuma dropped the two Observers into the execution chamber, I was ready to get Chiaki out of the room through force, if need be. I didn't usually like doing that, since I knew I'd be upset if my friends did the same to me, but I was also kind of a psychologist. Preventing breakdowns was my job. I expected her to kick and scream, to fight me the whole way out. Instead, she simply collapsed to the ground, holding her head in her hands. The first few seconds of the execution were enough to set her off.
She didn't scream, or cry, or anything. She just sat in silence, in the middle of the room, a thousand-yard stare on her face. Occasional jitters and twitches were her only movements.
And that was where we were as the trial came to an end.
"I-Is she... gonna be okay?" Chihiro asked.
"I don't know." I waved my hand in front of her face, but that got nothing. I considered snapping my fingers a few times, but I wasn't sure what her past events entailed. Sharp, sudden sounds like that had a chance of only further triggering her condition. "Exposure therapy is one of the possible treatments available to PTSD patients, but... this is definitely not the best environment for it. Even if she's not in any real danger, the whole situation surrounding us is too tense. The point of exposure therapy is to give the patient the chance to try and process their negative emotions. All this is doing is stacking more of those emotions on top of the ones she already has."
"What should we do...? We can't just leave her here, but I'm scared of what might happen if we touch her..."
"Yeah, me too..." I spent a moment thinking, running my hand through my hair and adjusting my glasses. "Let your dad know what the situation is, see if he can get started cracking into the system. After that, you should go and get some rest."
"Are you sure...?"
"I know this victory might be bittersweet, but for what it's worth, you did save a life today." I looked him in the eyes. "Never forget how valuable one life can be, or how much of an achievement it is to save one."
He nodded. "You too, Al. Don't forget."
"I know. I won't."
His gaze drifted down to Chiaki. "Are you sure you want to do this alone?"
"Trust me. I think I know what she's going through."
After a moment, he nodded, before leaving.
Alone with Chiaki, I slowly walked over to the monitors. To be honest, my first instinct was to smash them. Like Chiaki, the display that Monokuma showed us filled me with negative emotions as well. But the one that stood out most was anger. These monitors represented Junko's connection to us, how she was able to toy with us even beyond death. I wanted to send my fist through every screen, rip out all the wiring, grind every shard to dust, and light the whole fucking setup ablaze.
I took a deep breath. Even ignoring the fact that we still needed these monitors in order to continue planning around the events of the killing game, I knew my outburst wouldn't help Chiaki at all. And that was what was most important at this moment.
And so, I reached out my hand and began doing something less extreme, but still outside the bounds of what the group had planned. I began shutting off the monitors, one by one. They each had an individual power button visible, but we had never pushed them for the simple reason that, well, we needed to observe what was going on at all times. That was the whole point of having the Celeste/Miaya/Chiaki rotation every 8 hours. But in all likelihood, nothing worth observing was going to happen tonight. And even if it did... my friends came first, no matter what.
As I shut down the last monitor, the room was plunged into total darkness, though given that the room was already dim before, my eyes adjusted quick.
With sudden change in lighting, and her connection to Junko's world cut off, Chiaki finally looked up. "...A-Al?" Her voice was hoarse, like she was an inch away from bursting into tears.
I made my way over to where she sat, knelt down in front of her, and gently pulled her into a hug, anchoring her to reality. "I'm here. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay."
She fought against the hug for a moment, still tense, but slowly, her muscles eased, and she returned it. "I... I saw it again... I saw my execution. The day I died..."
"I already told you, Chiaki, you're not dead. I've seen my fair share of ghosts. You're not one of them."
"B-But... what I saw..."
"What you saw was just your mind playing tricks on you. You're fear and despair is making you remember events wrong. It'd happen to anyone in your shoes. I promise."
"I..."
"I promise. Do you trust me?"
"...Always."
I smiled. "Good. You don't have to force yourself to confront everything all at once. I know I... I spread myself thin among everything that's happening. But I want you to know you can lean on me for support. If you need a shoulder to cry on, all you need to do is ask. It's what I'm here for, after all."
"I know. I'm just... tired of being dependant on everyone. There's not a lot I can do to help, games are the only thing I'm good at... But I feel like, if I could just remember everything... my memories might be able to help."
"I can relate to that. Just remember... you're not the only one who depends on people, or wishes you could do better than you can at the moment. Even when everyone else seems like they have it figured out, they're still a confused ball of emotions on the inside, too. That's just human nature. Hell, I'd bet some of them probably look to you, wondering what you have figured out that they don't. I probably felt like that toward you, back in our academy days."
"You think?... Heh... yeah, maybe."
"No one's an island, Chiaki. That's a lesson that's drilled its way into me ever since I came to this world. Anytime I try to push people out, to shoulder the burden on my own, I end up getting my ass kicked. I'd be lost without my friends. And... It took me a while to realize, but some of them would be lost without me, too."
At my words, her disposition seemed to change. When she spoke, her words carried weight. "By getting involved with others and making memories, something more important than talent is born. Hope. That's something Ms. Yukizome taught me."
"Sounds like she was one hell of a teacher."
"We have to find out the truth about her."
"That's right."
She broke the hug first, and we separated. I rose to my feet and offered her my hand. "You good now?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that, I..."
"You don't need to apologize. I've seen worse. And for what it's worth, you snapped out of it a lot faster than I was expecting you to."
"Then... I'll just say "Thank you"."
I smiled. "You're welcome. Now c'mon, let's get you outta here. Have your eyes adjusted to the dark?"
"Yeah, I can see the door." She slowly shuffled her way over and opened it, flooding the room with light from the hallway. She stood in the doorway, then turned to me. "What are you waiting for?"
"Eh, I think I'll hang back. A lot has happened today, so I'll need to reorganize my thoughts before the two-day time limit."
"I think there are better places to do that than a dark room, right?"
"It's as good as anywhere. I can turn on the monitors if I need some light."
She stared at me for a minute, before saying, "You shouldn't force yourself to be alone just because you're worried, Al. Like you said, you need your friends. You should talk to them about this, too."
I wasn't sure how to respond at first, but eventually I just laughed. "Man, everyone keeps using my own advice against me. Guess that makes me a pretty mediocre psychologist. But you're right. Let's go."
With that, I followed Chiaki, and stepped into the light.
On the final day, the students met in the dining hall like they always had. The only one absent was Nagito, who was still recovering. Of course, the gathering wasn't just for the purposes of breakfast. There was also the video message they found earlier.
While she did her best to hide it, Maki's nerves were shot. Today was the day that everything hinged on. If her plan didn't work, then everything... would have been for naught...
Nekomaru shouted to Hajime as he entered, the last arrival as usual. "Hey, you're late!"
"Is it true?" He asked. "Nagito really left another message?"
Sonia explained, "I was going for a walk with Gundham's hamsters and I found it when I stopped by the factory!"
"Hmph, a coincidence you say? Wrong!" Gundham declared. "That is the will of causality guiding you!"
"Anyway, let's hurry up and play it." Hiyoko said.
"Yeah, you're right..." Hajime agreed.
With that, they played the video. Nagito's face appeared on the screen, same as it had last time. "Um... I wonder who's watching this message?... It is the traitor from the Future Foundation? If so, congratulations... Looks like it ended the way I hoped it would."
"Ended the way he hoped it would..." Hajime repeated.
"Nagito was trying to kill everyone except the traitor." Maki reminded him.
"But... why would he do that...?" Hiyoko asked.
"Enough with your useless talk." The Ultimate Imposter interrupted. "It appears there's still more."
"But... if everyone but the traitor is watching this video... Then unfortunately, I guess I lost. That outcome is the complete opposite of the hope I believe in. Well, not that it matters for me anymore... I mean, no matter what the outcome is, it doesn't matter for a dropout like me. Now then, let's put this meaningless introduction aside and get down to business. Since I don't know who I'm talking to, I'm going to speak so that both sides will understand. First of all, you might be wondering why... I did what I did. Well... I just took action after talking about it for so long. The special prize in the Final Dead Room allowed me to learn a certain truth... It would be troublesome if everyone found out, so I already disposed of that page... But anyway, I was totally surprised. I mean..." The video began to distort and glitch, making it hard to make out what he was saying. "...The Future Foundation's traitor must've known that truth all along... And so, I was able to learn the truth about this world and resolved to take action immediately. I shouldn't have made fun of Hajime. Deep down, I've always wanted to become a protagonist myself..." Once again, the video distorted, cutting out his words. "...But now that I know that truth, as I look back on Monokuma's actions... I'm starting to see what he's planning. By giving us information about the island's mystery and the Future Foundation, he's raising all your hopes... But only so he can lead you to unimaginable despair... Plus... Monokuma's trying to show that despair to someone... Perhaps, that someone is..." The video distorted yet again. "...Jeez... what a hopeless truth... Who is Monokuma's true identity? How could they come up with a plan like that? But... that's enough reflecting on the past. Let's talk about the future now. If you want to escape Monokuma's plan, there's a specific place you need to go to... The key to enter that place... is that message you found at Nezumi Castle. Normally, you need to follow a bunch of steps to enter that place... But since that message gets rid of those steps, you can think of it as an easter egg or something. It was probably left by someone other than Monokuma or Monomi. But that has nothing to do with me..." More distortion. "...I had to hide this until my plan came to an end, but I guess now's a nice time to announce it, right? So then... I'll announce the password. 11037. That... is the password that was written in Nezumi Castle. You have to use that to enter that specific place. That's the only way you can escape Monokuma. I feel like I've been talking forever but... that's all for me. With this, my duty is finished... I believe my actions will become the foundation of this world's hope. And... if that really happens... Praise me. Tell others what I've accomplished. Erect a bronze statue of me. Respect me. Please call me... the Ultimate-"
With that, the distortion returned, and would not stop. The video eventually cut out.
"That number..." Maki muttered. "Why would he choose it, for something like this...?"
"Um... that "11037" number that Nagito said was the password..." Sonia started.
"There's no mistaking it!" Mahiru decided. "That's the password to enter that ancient ruin!"
"You better hurry... I think." Chiaki said. "Let's go before the countdown reaches zero."
"...You're right." Hajime agreed. "Let's go."
The group arrived at the ancient ruins, towering over them just like it had in every previous instance. Unlike those previous times, however, the imposing structure did not block out the sun. The sun was absent from the sky, which was covered in clouds of pollution and dyed a gruesome shade of red.
In an odd show of kindness, Maki had taken the liberty of fetching Nagito. He was bound to a wheelchair, and lacked the strength to push himself, so she had to push him along herself. His mental state had been at an all time low since the class trial, and the only way he was able to communicate was through delirious mutterings.
With that, the six remaining survivors of the group approached the ancient ruins.
"S-Somehow... it is quite nerve-wracking..." Sonia muttered.
"Is it really safe to go inside?" Kazuichi wondered aloud. "Wh-What's gonna be in there?"
"It's so unreliable to be freaked out like that..." Mahiru scolded. "You're a man, aren't you?"
"Hey, we don't got time to be standin' around!" Akane snapped. "It's our last chance to get inside!"
"She's right!" Nekomaru agreed. "We still have the countdown to worry about!"
"I-I'm starting to feel nauseous from the thrills, the chills, the kills..." Mikan admitted.
"Ah, if you're gonna let it out, why not do it in the Tubberware I keep with me?" Teruteru suggested.
"Time and place, Teruteru." Maki scolded. "That said... Mikan, if you need someone to steady you, you could hold my hand..."
"It's going to be all right." Peko assured. "You don't have to worry... I will protect my young master. Now then, let's go forward together."
"...The hell? Don't treat me like a kid." Fuyuhiko argued.
"Believe that hope lies beyond this point!" The Ultimate Imposter told them. "Follow your leader's order!"
"Oink!" Ibuki teased. "Oink oink, oink oink!"
"...What was that?"
"I told her that you only understand piggy-talk!" Hiyoko explained, laughing.
"I said "You're so cool!" in piggy-talk!"
"...I'm going to kill you!"
Chiaki turned away from the rest of the class. "Hajime, the password please."
"Yeah... I know..." He slowly approached the display in front of the vault door. "11037... right?"
"There's no need for you to worry... The only thing beyond this point is a shining future. Now then... let's open the door to the future."
Hajime nodded, inserting the number, one digit at a time. His finger hovered over the "OK" button for a second, before he finally gathered the courage to press it.
As the vault door opened, Maki stared ahead into the blinding light. She felt the hand she was holding, and the presence of all her friends, fade away, until just the six survivors remained around her.
She continued to stare forward defiantly, and took the first steps into the threshold. A single thought crossed her mind.
Prepare yourself, Albert Wright. I'm going to kill you, no matter what it takes.
I know, I know, you're all gonna hate me for killing off Alter Ego Chiaki, but give me a chance to explain. First of all, right now, the number of survivors is crucial to Monokuma's behaviour. He won't let them get off scot-free unless he feels comfortable with the victim/survivor ratio. With Chiaki gone, that number becomes what it was in canon, plus Maki. With Chiaki, things get a little too unbalanced, and I can't see Monokuma taking any chances while Future Foundation's agent still lives. Plus, not killing her off would seriously lessen the blow of this trial. Everyone would simply move on, accepting Chiaki's role as traitor, and continue working with her. Someone had to die, and I honestly really liked the idea of bringing Nagito into the final trial. I feel like he'll be way more interesting than Chiaki would be, because she wouldn't even be allowed to comment on the subject of that trial. And frankly, for the sake of having a diverse survivor cast, I like the one we have right now. Really, no matter what reasoning I think off, there just seems to be every reason to kill her off, and no real reason to keep her other than "I like Chiaki." Which I do, but c'mon. It's almost like she was written to be killed off or something. Hey, wait a sec...
I feel like that scene with Albert and human Chiaki is probably the first time Al's actually dealt with PTSD directly. I probably should write more scenes like that, given his chosen field of study. Thing is, PTSD simply isn't fun to write about, because writing about it involves doing research about it, which involves hearing about real-world examples of PTSD victims. Still, it is a condition that these characters have, and a large chunk of my story is watching them cope with it in different ways. Chiaki's idea was to confront it directly, but as Al pointed out, exposure therapy isn't that simple.
Finally, we have the students moving on to Chapter 6 territory. Oh boy, Chapter 6. We're within spitting distance of the end. It's been a wild ride, and a lot has changed since I started this story, both in my life and in the world at large. But, hey, it's not over yet. Let's go out with a bang, yeah?
Survivors-6: Maki Yugami, Hajime Hinata, Hiyoko Saionji, Nagito Komaeda, Nekomaru Nidai, Sonia Nevermind
Victims-11: Teruteru Hanamura, Kazuichi Soda, Mahiru Koizumi, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari, Ibuki Mioda, Mikan Tsumiki, Gundham Tanaka, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Ultimate Imposter, Chiaki Nanami
In the next chapter, the killing game shall come to an end, and the students shall take the fight to the mastermind.