A/N: Here's Chapter Four of "The Naegis' Secret Diary!", covering the second half of Episode Two of Future Arc. Please read, review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Naegis' Secret Diary!
Chapter Four: Hang the Witch! Part Two
"Alright, let's pick up where we left off." Tsumugi suggested once they settled on Kiki's bed. "Your dad was escaping with Coach Hina, correct?" As Kiki nodded, the cosplayer suggested "Maybe the next page will show how he escaped."
Kiki nodded and turned to the bookmark she had left the previous night before she turned to the next page.
"I had just left the conference room with your Aunt Hina and she was running down the hallway at top speed while I was walking slowly behind her. She noticed I was far behind her and turned around, yelling…"
"C'mon! We gotta get out of here!" Hina cried as she jogged in place.
"Wait." Makoto requested with surprising calm as he walked towards her. "They'll rip each other apart."
"If that's what they wanna do, more power to 'em! They're not gonna listen to reason! Right now, we run!"
"Uh, it's not that simple." Makoto held up his wrist and tapped the bangle, causing his forbidden action, Running in the Hallway, to appear in red font. "Believe me, I would if I could. But under the circumstances…"
"What…?!" Hina groaned before she pumped her fists and exclaimed "Alright, if you can't run, I'll just have to run for us both!"
"Run for us both, what do you…HEY!" Makoto yelped as Hina grabbed him under his knees and flipped him so he was now riding on her back.
"NO TIME!" She argued as she dashed off, Makoto shaking back and forth from the half-secure grip around his legs. "Normally this would be the other way around, but whatever!"
"HINAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Quit yelling, you'll alert the others to our location! I know you'd prefer Kyoko doing this instead of me, but…"
"Huh?" Makoto blushed furiously as he denied "I don't want Kyoko to…"
"You can deny your crush on her later, right now you have to stay quiet while we get some distance between Sakakura and Munakata!"
Makoto nodded as he wrapped his arms around Hina's neck, letting them hang loosely as she continued to carry him far away from the chaos behind them.
"…No running in the hallway?" Tsumugi sweatdropped as she noted "That's such an elementary school kind of forbidden action."
Kiki smiled as she agreed "Yeah, Dad's always had a reputation as an innocent little boy. Remember his embarrassing secret we learned about in middle school? It was wetting the bed until 5th grade."
"Ah, right, I forgot about that!" Tsumugi exclaimed with a giggle. "I'm surprised anyone could accuse someone as blatantly innocent and childlike as your dad of treason."
"Yeah…I just wish the others could have seen that."
Tsumugi nodded before changing the subject "I wonder how your mom fared in that chaos."
"Well, it looks like the next section is from her perspective, so let's find out." Kiki turned the page and read "Eventually the skirmish in the conference room moved into the hallway. I had ducked behind a chair and stayed clear of the immediate danger until the other foundation leaders split up, leaving me alone with the carnage. Once I was sure it was safe, I…"
Makoto. Be safe. Kyoko prayed before she heard a pair of soft footsteps approach from behind.
Narrowing her eyes, she felt to her left and wrapped her fingers around a nearby chunk of debris, only for a familiar, gentle hand to lay itself atop her own. Kyoko gasped and turned her head to see Kazuo staring at her with a stern expression.
"Violence is not the answer. The only thing it creates is despair."
"Uh, excuse me, Chairman, what are you doing?" Ryota interrogated as he crawled over to them. "Isn't this harassment?"
Kazuo smiled in amusement as he chuckled "Not remotely." He turned to Kyoko and assured her "My intentions are pure. Please. You're safe."
Kyoko stared into his eyes, then reluctantly nodded as she stood up.
"I suppose there's safety in numbers." She admitted as Kazuo smiled at her willingness to cooperate.
"So, ano…what do we do now, Mr. Chairman? Director Kirigiri?" Ryota asked.
"Hm…good question, Mitarai-kun." Kazuo replied as he and Ryota stood up. "We can't just stay here; we'll be sitting ducks should we become targets."
Kyoko nodded and told them "We should search for another room in the hallways, one we can barricade. Perhaps along the way, we'll find some new evidence that will allow us to end this game without further casualties." And prove Makoto's innocence in the process…
"As expected of the Ultimate Detective." Tengan smiled and suggested "So, shall we get out of this place?"
Kyoko nodded and led their group, Kazuo and Ryota bringing up the rear as they left the conference room.
"Well, at least she's with a group." Tsumugi commented in an attempt to be optimistic.
"Yes, but with an elderly man and an animator. If only Mom had one of the more battle-ready directors on her side…" Kiki sighed and admitted "I know she can take care of herself, I just wish there was someone there she could rely on." As Tsumugi nodded in understanding, Kiki noted "The next section is Dad's; let's see what happened to him."
Tsumugi nodded as Kiki turned the page and continued to read.
"Your Aunt Hina continued to carry me on her back, circumventing my forbidden action. We continued to flee until we came to a fork in the road, so to speak, and…"
"Ugh. Look at it." Hina sighed as she came to a halt, observing the decrepit hallway.
"They used explosives to block off the entrances." Makoto observed as he hopped off Hina's back. "Step carefully. Floor's bound to be weak in spots." A sudden boom cut off their conversation, causing the two friends to turn frightfully as Makoto wondered "What was that?"
"Makoto!"
With a loud crash, the wall suddenly burst open, causing the Great Gozu to land in front of them, a large hammer in hand. Makoto and Hina stared in shock at the division leader slumped against the opposite wall before a familiar, chilling voice echoed in their ears.
"There you are."
Kyosuke walked through the opening, glaring at the former luckster. Before either him or Hina could react, the Great Gozu stirred, tightening his grip around his hammer as he stood up. Winding up his hammer in a stance similar to Makoto's memories of watching Leon Kuwata play his baseball games, the Great Gozu swung at Kyosuke, who skillfully parried with his hammer. Kyosuke soon went on the offensive, successfully pushing the Great Gozu back several feet and causing him to growl in rage.
"That does it! You've gone too far, asshole!" He nearly roared as he stood protectively in front of Makoto and Hina. "I will not stoop to killing allies! Period. End of story. I'd sooner lay down my life. The Great Gozu knows the cost of doing right, and he's willing to pay for it!"
Great Gozu… Makoto thought in awe, touched by the division leader's determination to defy Kyosuke.
"That's how you combat despair? Pathetic."
"What did you say to m…?"
The Great Gozu's retort was cut off as he parried another attack from Kyosuke's katana, the vice-chairman lecturing "Why can't you understand? If just one of their number is left alive, the despairs crawl back like roaches! Every single member must be eradicated once and for all. Collateral damage in inevitable of course. But such is my duty. I swore an oath! That, my friend, is the true cost of hope."
Their philosophical battle was interrupted by a screeching sound that reminded Makoto of a skidding car. He and Hina turned to their left as saw Miaya grinding her wheelchair to a halt.
"Th…there they are!" Monomi cried. "Our twelve o'clock!"
"Miss Gekkogahara?" Hina wondered in surprise before she turned her head and saw a fire extinguisher lying on the floor.
Oh, she's gonna try to obscure their vision like Kyoko did… Makoto realized as he watched her walk over to it and pick it up.
Her eyes narrowed in determination, Hina walked next to Makoto and held up the extinguisher. She squeezed the nozzle, but to her surprise and disappointment, nothing came out.
"Huh?!" She panicked "You're kidding me! It does this now?"
Roaring in frustration, she raised it over her head and threw it right at Kyosuke's head. Forced to dodge out of the way, the vice-chairman left himself open to an attack from the Great Gozu's hammer. He parried, but the strength of the hammer drove Kyosuke back until his back was against the wall.
"Not a bad throw." The Great Gozu complimented as Kyosuke glared at him and tightened his grip on his katana.
With a roar that would put lions to shame, the Great Goku tossed his hammer aside before he leapt backwards. He bodyslammed the floor, causing it to crumble beneath him, Miaya, Makoto, and Hina, who cried out in surprise. By the time the dust cleared, Munakate was clinging to the other side of the still intact floor with one arm.
"Quickly, we have to run!" The Great Gozu ordered.
"Naegi can't!" Hina explained "His forbidden action…"
"In that case…" The Great Gozu hauled Makoto over his shoulder, causing him to yelp once more as the division leader urged "There, let's go!"
As the two of them ran and Miaya rolled along with them, Kyosuke glared and leapt down before giving chase. Hina hurriedly opened the door, before she and Miaya hurried through. With a hardened battle cry, Kyosuke threw his Katana, though not before Makoto closed the door behind him and the Great Gozu. They heard the sound of the katana lodge itself in the door, causing them to internally tense with panic.
"No time to relax." The Great Gozu instructed "We need to find a room and barricade ourselves before the time limit."
The others nodded and they continued to run, or roll in Miaya's case, searching for a room to hide.
"Wow…that was intense!" Tsumugi sighed "Your dad almost became a shish kebob."
"Yeah, though at least with the Great Gozu, he had someone who could actually stand up to Munakata and Sakakura."
"Yeah, at least now one of your parents had someone they can lean on…speaking of which, does it say what your mom was up to with Tengan and Mitarai?"
"Let's see…" Kiki shook her head and denied "No, the next page is still from dad's point of view, just a momentary time skip." She turned the page and continued "We continued running through the halls for Kami knows how long. Strangely though, Munakata hadn't been following us like he feared. The Great Gozu stopped and realized…"
"He's not following us."
"Guess not." Hina agreed as Makoto turned his head to look at the two of them in surprise.
Wait…Munakata stopped following us the moment the door closed…could opening a door be his forbidden action…?
The Great Gozu interrupted Makoto's thoughts, replying "Not now. But you can be sure he's got a plan. For the moment, I suggest we get as far away as possible."
Makoto tapped on his bangle and noted "Uh, guys, we're almost at the time limit."
"Right, then." The Great Gozu noted as they continued moving, searching for a room to hide in before the time ran out.
"Wow, you're dad's really smart!" Tsumugi praised. "He figured out Munakata's forbidden action just from that!"
"Well, maybe; we don't know for certain if that was his forbidden action." Kiki smiled with pride as she agreed "But yeah, Dad's really intuitive. Mom can outshine him if she really tries, since she had detective training, but Dad's perfectly capable of thinking on her level." She turned the page and realized "Oh, looks like the next section is from Mom's point of view."
"Well what are you waiting for? Start reading!"
"Alright, alright!" Kiki giggled as she began "We had been searching for a room to stay in with little success. Eventually I checked my bangle and…"
"…We're running out of time." Kyoko sighed as she advised "We need to pick a room and barricade ourselves."
"I agree." Kazuo nodded. "Even if the sedative wasn't a factor, I'm getting up there in years, so I get more easily tired these days."
"Ano…what about that room?"
Ryota pointed to a single door, causing Kyoko to nod and agree "We don't have many options. Let's investigate the inside."
As Kazuo nodded, she walked up to it and opened the door, revealing a largely empty room with only a round table, a chair, and a standing coatrack.
"I see…good work, Mitarai-kun." Kazuo complimented as he walked in and observed the room. "We can use the table to barricade the door and lean the chair and coatrack as well."
"…It'll have to do." Kyoko sighed as she and Ryota walked in. "Tengan, close the door and lean the coatrack. Ryota, help me move the table."
"Coming!" Ryota replied as he hurried after the former detective.
After they circled the table ad gabbed the rim, Kyoko directed "On three…one, two, three."
With some struggle, the two of them managed to lift it a few inches off the ground. The two of them walked awkwardly towards the door as Kazuo walked out of their way.
"Alright, not tilt your grip so it's on its side, okay?"
Ryota nodded as the duo tilted their grip on the table until it was leaning just against the door, barricading them from any potential attackers.
"I'll go get the chair!" Ryota volunteered as he ran over towards the strewn chair. Once he picked it up by the back, he carried it over and leaned it up against the table, exclaiming "There!"
"Well, might as well make ourselves comfortable…" Kyoko decided as she sat down in the alcove adjacent to the table, leaning next to the door.
Kazuo sat down in the alcove on the other side while Ryota sat against the far wall and closed his eyes.
Kyoko glanced at her bangle and tapped it once, allowing the time to appear as she thought Five minutes left…
"…You're worried about Naegi-kun, aren't you?"
Startled, Kyoko turned to see Kazuo smiling knowingly at her as he informed her "I can tell you care about him."
"…He's my employee; I'm responsible for his safety." She defended, though Kazuo's smile informed her that he could see right through her lie.
Mercifully, he allowed her to keep her secrets, merely assuring "He'll be fine. He has Asahina-chan with him, so it's not like he's alone in this. Besides, I'm sure we'll reunite with him soon. You could stand to hope a little more, Director Kirigiri."
Hope… Kyoko mused before the timer hit zero.
Kyoko felt a small spark of pain as she felt something prick her wrist. Before elong, she felt herself overcome with a sensation of drowsiness. It wasn't long before she felt her heavy eyelids shut as the room turned black around her.
…One down…
"One down…?" Kiki furrowed her brow as she wondered "I wonder what Mom's referring to…"
"I dunno, but it seems like even back then, your mom was obvious about her feelings for your dad!" Tsumugi teased.
"Yeah, she always called Dad an open book, but she wasn't exactly skilled at concealing her emotions either. Everyone who saw them interact knew how much they loved each other, even if they didn't know it themselves!"
Tsumugi and Kiki giggled before Tsumugi asked "What about your dad? Did anything happen in the few minutes before he was sedated?"
"Let's see…oh, here's a section that he wrote!" Kiki turned the page and continued "The Great Gozu found a room and opened the door. Once we were all inside, he set me on my feet and closed the door. While the rest of us got comfortable…"
While Miaya rested in her wheelchair, the Great Gozu leaned a cabinet against the door. Hina stared at her bangle as she sat against the wall, watching the timer count down. Eventually she let her arm fall as she looked down at her knees, depressed.
"You okay?"
Hina barely acknowledged Makoto's worried voice as she glanced at him before she wondered "Why's this happening to us, Naegi? It's just like last time." Memories of the Killing School Life flashed through Makoto's mind as Hina muttered "They're just…they're gonna make us do it all again. Murder each other till we trust no one."
"It's not like last time."
"What are you talking about? Of course it is."
"I'm here." Hina gasped and looked up at Makoto's reassuring, confident smile as he continued "And not just me. Don't forget Kirigiri. We're friends now. Last time, we didn't even know each other. This time, different ballgame. We have an idea of what to expect. And we know that we're not alone."
"We do. Absolutely!" Hina agreed with a smile, her spirits instantly lifted. "We're a team right off the bat now. That's a big plus."
Makoto chuckled "What'd I tell ya? Not so bad when you put it into perspective."
A hearty laugh caused them both to turn, seeing the Great Gozu standing in front of them as he commented "Oh, Naegi. You're exactly the man portrayed in the Hope's Peak broadcast." He turned his head and mused "Incredible. During the Killing School Life, you never gave in to despair. Countless lives were changed because of that. We need you. Hope is the engine that drives our future."
Hina smiled at her blushing friend as he denied "Uh, that's kind of you to say, but a little overdone."
"The Chairman was thrilled to have you." The Great Gozu continued as he walked up to Makoto. He knelt down and revealed "Said with you on board, a new era was dawning. The Future Foundation would be revolutionized!"
He clapped Makoto on the shoulder, causing him to slightly double over in pain from the force of the gesture.
"So spare me your slump-shouldered modesty. People are rooting for you, jackass!"
"Yes, sir." Makoto groaned, deadpanning But does calling me a jackass really help with a pep talk?
A quiet beeping attracted their attention as Miaya rolled up to them and Monomi warned "Get rady, time's almost up."
"Good luck, comrades. Nothing left but to pray." The Great Gozu told them sincerely as he held his hand over his heart.
Hina glanced at Makoto nervously and asked "Makoto, what are we gonna do? I'm scared. Something tells me this will only get worse."
Makoto clenched his right fist before he turned to Hina with a reassuring smile and told her "We're gonna be okay." E pointe dot himself with his thumb and reminded her "Ultimate Luck here! Nothin' to worry about!" …I hope… "'S long as we stick close, it'll rub off on ya!"
Hina's eyes started to water as she giggled "It isn't fair. Look at you. I mean, how do you always stay so positive?"
A deeper jingle than the one from earlier played before Makoto felt a pricking sensation at his wrist.
"I appreciate it, Naegi." Hina muttered as her eyelids closed and she surrendered to slumber.
"Like I even did anything." Makoto replied sleepily as a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed him. "Give yourself some credit, Asa…"
His encouragement went unfinished as his heavy eyelids closed and the room around him faded into darkness.
"Your dad really does have a way of lifting other people's spirits." Tsumugi observed.
"Yeah, I know." Kiki giggled "Remember when he comforted Gonta after his bugs got out of control?"
"Oh yeah…that used to be one of the most traumatic times of my life!"
"Boy how perspectives change!" Kiki giggled along with Tsumugi.
"Still, with how much he can make people smile, I'm surprised at how humble your dad is!"
"Well, dad grew up in a middle-class house with parents who made enough to live comfortably, but not much else." Kiki explained. "It makes sense that he'd be humble if he grew up like that."
"It seems like you've inherited that attitude, seeing as you seem to detest fame, even when you've earned it."
Kiki playfully glared at Tsumugi and warned "I swear Shirogane, if you call me Princess even once…"
"I won't, I won't!" Tsumugi assured her, sighing in relief when Kiki smiled teasingly at her.
"More seriously, I just don't wanna get a swelled head. If I let it go to my head, then I won't be me anymore."
Tsumugi nodded in understanding before she asked "So, who woke up first? Your mom or your dad?"
"Let's see…" Kiki trailed off as she turned the page. "Ah, I'm guessing it was Dad. The next section is still from his perspective." She stared at the page and began to read "The interval between the time limits came and went. I don't remember how much time had passed, but before long…"
Makoto groaned as his eyes fluttered open. Once the haze in his mind cleared, he raised his left hand to rub the remains of his drowsiness from his mind. When he did so however, his eyes widened at the sight of some kind of red liquid staining his palm, fingers, and knuckles.
What?! BLOOD?!
Now panicked Makoto stood up, looking around frantically before his eyes settled on a horrifying sight. A knife had been lodged between Hina's breasts, causing a pool of blood to flow from under her.
No, please, NO! Hina…Hina…HINA'S DEAD?! THIS CAN'T BE! Makoto exclaimed to himself as he trembled with shock and horror.
"What…the…" Kiki gasped as she shakily replaced the bookmark and closed the diary. "Aunt Hina…"
"But how could that be?" Tsumugi wondered. "She obviously didn't die, or else she wouldn't be teaching. Could she have received a 1-Up Mushroom?" Seeing Kiki glare at her, Tsumugi apologized "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."
Kiki sighed and apologized "No, I'm sory. I know you just wanted to help. I'm just…upset. Aunt Hina was one of my constant babysitters before Maki…even if she and Aunt Komaru could get competitive…"
"Still…maybe the diary explains how she survived such an injury." Tsumugi suggested.
Kiki nodded and decided "Yes, but let's save that for tomorrow. I think I've had my fill for tonight."
"Okay, I understand." Tsumugi accepted as she hugged her friend.
Kiki wrapped her arms around the cosplayer in return, squeezing her tightly before they released each other.
"Good night, Kiki." Tsumugi told her before she turned around.
"Good night, Tsumugi." Kiki returned as Tsumugi walked out the door and closed it behind her.
Once she placed the diary on her bedside, she crawled under the blankets, curling up as she closed her eyes and let slumber carry her into an uneasy sleep.