A/N: Here's Chapter Eight of "The Naegis' Secret Diary!", covering up to Episode Six of Future Arc. Please read, review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Naegis' Secret Diary!
Chapter Eight: No Man is an Island!
"Hopefully, your father had good dreams after that time limit…" Tsumugi commented hopefully as Kiki opened the diary.
Kiki frowned as she admitted "As much as he deserved that, I don't think he had the luxury. I'm skimming the next page and it looks pretty dark."
"Dark?"
Kiki nodded and read "I had hoped that I could find some reprieve from the Final Killing Game in my dreams, but my luck didn't kick in this time. Instead, what I saw…"
Makoto groaned as his eyes opened and he sat up in his chair. What he saw when he turned his head shocked him awake and horrified him to is very core. Sitting in a chair next to him was Kyoko's corpse, blood streaming down her bruised body as a knife lodged itself in her heart.
"Oh, Kami." Makoto gasped in anguish as he leapt out of his chair and kneeled before her. "Oh, Kami! Kyoko! Kyoko, wake up!"
Makoto tried to shake her awake, as if she were merely sleeping, but to no avail. His despairing cries were silenced as he turned his head to the sound of feet walking through her puddle of blood. Standing in said puddle was Kyosuke Munakata, who merely looked down at the anguished young man.
"There is no one to blame but you. Makoto Naegi. What lines are you willing to cross to stand on the side of hope? How badly do you want to see despair vanquished? Coward. Why did you turn?"
"That's not what happened!" Makoto cried as he closed his eyes, pleading Please, don't let this be real! "I only…I only wanted to help!"
"Hope cannot be built on platitudes." Kyosuke retorted as he pointed his katana at the grief-stricken man.
"They're not just platitudes!"
"So terribly naïve. Did you think this could be resolved without bloodshed? Without lives being lost?"
"Yes, I did!" Makoto insisted. "There's no reason she had to…!"
"This is not a game." Kyosuke interrupted. "There are no rules for you to set a course by. Hollow words are only good for rallying the rabble to a lost cause!"
At that moment, Kayoko's corpse leaned to the side, startling Makoto as it glared at him with one glowing lavender eye still open.
"That's the nature of reality."
Kyoko, you…what are you…no, this isn't real…NOOOOOOO!
"AH!" Makoto yelled as his eyes opened, his face dripping in a terrified sweat.
"Naegi!" Makoto heard Hina exclaim from behind as he gasped for breath. She walked up to him, concern all over her face as she asked "You okay? What is it?"
"It was just a dream." Makoto muttered. Just a dream…Kyoko's still alive…for now, anyway…
"Well, that's a relief!" Hina sighed with a relieved smile. "Oh, man! Must've been one heck of a dream, though! Scared me there for a sec."
"Me too!" Monomi exclaimed. "The way you were thrashing around."
Makoto finally stood up from his chair and turned around to face his new friends before he asked "Is, ano…is everybody safe?"
"You bet'cha!" Hina assured him excitedly. "We got Ultimate Good Luck on our side!" Makoto gave a sigh that echoed a mix of relief and despair, causing Hina to frown as she asked "Ano. Something wrong?"
"I'm glad the three of us are okay. But while we were all asleep, the Attacker must've gotten someone." Makoto pointed out. Who…who could've died? Was it really Kyoko like in my dream? Or was it someone else…?
"Uh?" Hina and Monomi gasped before sighing in disappointment, realizing that Makoto was right.
"Well…" Monomi began hesitantly. "If you really want to know, you can connect me via the USB cable in
my chair to the monitor, and I can access the surveillance camera network."
"You can do that?!" Hina exclaimed as she and Makoto gasped in surprise.
"That's right!" Monomi exclaimed proudly. "You probably won't like what you see, but if it'll help stop this killing game, I'll be happy to!"
Makoto and Hina looked at each other before they reluctantly nodded.
"Okay, what do we do?" Makoto asked. I need to know…if Kyoko's still alive…and if she is…then who was murdered instead.
"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said your father's dream was dark!" Tsumugi exclaimed. "It could give any modern survival horror game a run for its money!"
Kiki nodded, commenting "Yeah, Dad's always been susceptible to nightmares, especially ones resulting from traumas like that. I still sometimes get woken up by the screams of his occasional night terror."
"It's too bad your mom wasn't there to help him, but at least your Aunt Hina was there to make him feel better."
"Yeah, though in a killing game, there's not much you can say to cheer someone up. That's usually Dad's thing, and if he's distraught, it's not so easy to brighten his mood."
"Yeah, I can see that." Tsumugi admitted. "Hopefully your mom didn't have any bad dreams."
"It's not in the next section from her point of view, so it doesn't look like it." Kiki informed her before she began to read. "I was just waking up from the sedative when my eyes tiredly focused on the Great Gozu's corpse in front of me. As I laid my hand over my right eye to support my head…"
"Third time." Kyoko muttered. "Looks like we're all still intact."
As Koichi yawned and Ryota opened his eyes, Kyoko knelt in front of the Great Gozu's body and removed his mask. Once she set it reverently aside, she took out a sheet of parchment from her jacket and draped it over his face, obscuring it out of respect. Koichi frowned, kneeling with Ryota as he removed his fedora in mourning for his deceased colleague.
"Is…Is that, ano…?"
"Gozu, yes." Kyoko answered Ryota's question as she got to work. "The Attacker's second victim, poor devil."
"What a way to go." Ryota muttered before he closed his eyes and Koichi replaced his fedora.
"Well, what do we do now?" Koichi asked, smiling as he held up his sake container. "Drink to our continued survival?" "Huh?" Koichi asked with a mixture of confusion and disappointment as Kyoko grunted.
Once she stood up, she explained "There's likely a third victim waiting to be found. I suggest we go look."
"Oh, yeah. Sounds great." Koichi chuckled unenthusiastically.
Kyoko sighed and walked away as she told him curtly "Just stay out of my way, Kizakura."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Koichi called as he got to his feet and jogged after her.
"Hey, wait for me!" Ryota cried as he too stood up and ran after them.
"So why're we doin' this?" Koichi asked as they wandered the halls. "To out the Attacker?" He smiled at the serious detective as he assured her "Mind you, I'm not questioning your methods." He raised the rim of his fedora with his finger as he inquired "How many bodies you need to figure it out, though?"
Kyoko exhaled through her nose, but otherwise not even acknowledging Koichi's question.
He let his fedora fall back on his head as he continued "You know what's funny? I read once detectives are why murderers exist. Makes sense in a warped kind of way. Barring crimes of passion, you gotta figure most are in it to one-up some know-it-all."
Are you going to spend the rest of this game gossiping about my profession, Kizakura? Kyoko thought, exasperated as she came to a stop.
"Oo. Ha, ha. Eh…"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Don't listen to me. I'm kiddin'." He circled around her as he explained "Look, a buddy of mine hates detectives, like seriously hates 'em. Probably rubbed off on me."
"You have a buddy?" Your last buddy was my father, and even if you're referring to the bad blood between him and Grandfather, my father is long dead, Kizakura.
"Nobody special. Not exactly germane to the story, 'kay?"
I can tell you're avoiding the question, Kizakura.
"Humble advice from a former teacher?" Koichi offered. "It'd do you some good to break outta that logical mindset now and again. I realize the world of human emotion can get murky, but still."
Kyoko sighed in exasperation, thinking dryly Is he commenting on my and Makoto's working relationship? This is neither the time, nor the place to deal with my rekindled love for him.
"There you go. Didn't that feel good?" Koichi questioned in good humor.
"Sure." Kyoko replied sarcastically. "Are you following me?"
"Uh, do what? So now I'm following you if I happen to be walkin' in the same direction?"
She turned to her right and told him exasperatedly "Fine. Then I'll go this way, thank you."
With a roll of his eyes, Koichi followed after his friend's daughter, leaving Ryota to catch up to them.
As they rounded the corner, Kyoko's eyes slightly widened, causing her to jog ahead. Once Ryota caught up to her, he screamed in horror as they saw the sight of the now deceased Sonosuke Izayoi, sitting in front of some rubble with a knife in his chest.
"A single knife wound to the chest." Kyoko observed as she knelt in front of Sonosuke's corpse.
"I'm assuming the Attacker did this." Ryota uttered in fear as Kyoko took out a notebook and started jotting down in it.
"Hey!" Koichi called as he jobbed up to them, only to stop in his tracks at the sight of the corpse in front of them. "Well, that doesn't look healthy." He deadpanned as he took of his fedora and held it to his chest.
"W…We found the latest victim." Ryota stated.
"Huh. I wouldn't be so sure." Kyoko gasped in surprise as Koichi hesitantly asked "Could you maybe…come with me for just a sec, please?"
"Whatever it is, we don't have time." Ryota insisted, causing Koichi to sigh.
"Ano, yeah. The clock's not really on anyone's side here."
…Kizakura's rarely this serious… Kyoko considered. If he's insisting that his is urgent, it must be important. Besides, as strange as it sounds, it could be just the clue we need for our investigation. "This better not be a waste of time, Kizakura."
"Wait, so we're actually…?"
Kyoko turned to the protesting Ryota and stated "As a detective, I need to consider all the evidence. If Kizakura has a vital piece of evidence to show, then we need to see it."
Koichi smiled grateful and offered "Well then, follow me."
Without another word, Kyoko and Ryota followed Kizakura, curious as to what discovery he made.
"…Your mother's relationship with Kizakura seems incredibly complex." Tsumugi concluded.
"Yeah, that's my mom's side of the family in a nutshell." Kiki agreed. "The Naegis were a normal, united family. The Kirigiris on the other hand, were incredibly split, and their relationships were filled with strife."
"I see…that must have been really hard for your mom."
"It was." Kiki informed her. "Meeting my dad was the first time in years that Mom got to be a normal teenager and feel loved by people she could consider family. I think…she made sure we were close, because she didn't want me to grow up like she had, bitter and alone…"
Tsumugi nodded in understanding before she commented "Well, at least she trusted Kizakura enough to see what he had found, even if he got on her nerves half the time."
Kiki giggled "yeah, let's find out what he found, shall we?" As Tsumugi nodded, Kiki turned the page and continued to read "We walked a short distance away from Izayoi's body. What he found was…"
Ryota gasped in horror as Kyoko stared seriously at Seiko Kimura's corpse.
"This young lady also has a single knife wound to the chest." Koichi explained as he held his fedora against his chest. "Seems to be the Attacker's preferred MO."
"A…Ano…" Ryota stammered in confusion. "I thought only one person was supposed to be killed at a time. This doesn't make any sense! We're all members of the Future Foundation."
Mitarai has a point. Kyoko realized. Monokuma stated the Attacker would only have enough time to kill one person, yet we have two victims in the same timeframe with extremely similar causes of death. Either Monokuma broke his own rules, which wouldn't be the first time… Kyoko shook away the memory of Makoto's brush with death before she refocused …Or there's a copycat.
As Ryota struggled not to vomit Koichi sighed "Damn shame. Well, blame the traitor." As Kyoko took notes and Ryota ran away to vomit away from the scene, Koichi commented "Somebody clearly identifies more with the Remnants. So, spill the beans. You got yourself a favorite suspect yet?"
Suddenly a nearby door opened, cutting off their conversation as a terrified Ruruka peeked out.
"Please, you gotta help me! I'm begging you!"
Kyoko glared suspiciously at Ruruka before Ryota asked "What happened? Director Ando, what's wrong?"
"It…it's Yoi!" She cried. "We were together before the time limit, but when he woke up, he was gone! I can't find him anywhere!"
"Oh, ano…about Director Izayoi…" Ryota stammered, struggling to come up with the words to tell Ruruka the truth.
"…Izayoi is already dead."
"Dead?!" Ruruka gasped, tears threatening to escape her eyes. "My Yoi is…dead…?"
Koichi frowned, nodding sympathetically as he confirmed "It's true. Kirigiri and Mitarai found his body just a little bit ago."
"Please…" Ruruka pleaded "…Can you…can you bring him in here? I'd like to…pay my last respects."
"…Very well, I suppose that would be acceptable." Kyoko agreed, surprising her two colleagues. "It'll give me more room to investigate his body for clues. Kizakura, Mitarai, would you two please retrieve Director Izayoi's corpse? I'll finish investigating Director Kimura's body in the meanwhile."
"Ano…sure…" Koichi agreed hesitantly before he and Ryota walked away.
"I'll…stay in here until you get back." Ruruka whimpered before she hid back in the room she peeked out of.
As Kyoko continued her investigation, her brow furrowed in suspicion.
Something's off about this…two lovers fall asleep together after the time limit, one of them leaves before the other, and we just happen to stumble upon their corpse? There's something more going on here…could Ando be…huh?
Kyoko's thoughts trailed off as her eyes focused on a cylinder in Seiko's clawed hand. With some effort, she managed to pry it from the deceased pharmacists grasp before she inspected it.
Cure W…obviously it's some kind of medicine, but for what? I never heard of her division creating something like this. So…what did she…?
"Hey, Kirigiri, we got Izayoi!" Koichi called as he and Ryota carried the deceased blacksmith's body.
"You coming?" Ryota asked as Kyoko hurriedly stuffed the container in her jacket.
"Yes, I'll be right there." She told them before she stood up and walked after them, closing the door behind her as they rested the body on the floor of the room.
A library… Kyoko observed before she approached Sonosuke's body. Alright… She thought as she stretched her gloves. Time to get to work!
"Was…your mother suspicious of Ando?"
"Well, she is right." Kiki admitted. "For all those events to happen in such close proximity to each other…I don't think it's so simple as Ando was leading on. And something else is bothering me." Tsumugi stared curiously as Kiki explained "What was that container Mom picked up? It must be significant, or she wouldn't have written about it in the diary. What did Kimura create before she was killed?"
"Wow, Kiki, you're really thinking like a true detective!" Tsumugi's eyes sparkled as she gushed "You could even give Saihara-kun a run for his money!"
"I wouldn't go that far." Kiki giggled. "Saihara-kun is much more of a professional than I am. He's training to do this stuff, like Mom did when she was a little girl. I'm just making observations."
"Still, you could totally have a knack for this!" Tsumugi insisted.
"I'll think about it…" Kiki giggled before she suggested "Why don't we keep reading?" She turned the page and noted "It looks like the next scene is from Dad's point of view." She took a deep breath before reading "After I pulled the USB cord out of the port from Gekkogahara's wheelchair, I walked up to the monitor and…"
"There." Makoto grunted as he stood on his toes, connecting the cord into the monitor.
"This how we're s'posed to do it?" Hina asked as she knelt next to Miaya.
"Perfect!" Monomi confirmed. "Well done! One moment while I peruse the surveillance camera network. Yoo-hoo, latest victim, where are you?"
I…don't think they're gonna answer… Makoto deadpanned Miaya's monitor changed to a surveillance feed. Makoto and Hina stared intently as the video feeds cycled before he gasped "Stop!"
Miaya zoomed in, revealing the slumped corpse of Chairman Kazuo Tengan.
"Chairman Tengan…" Makoto breathed in sorrowful shock. "It…it can't be." You said you'd be fine!
Makoto stumbled backwards before his knees buckled, causing him to fall on his rear.
"This wasn't the Attacker." Monomi pointed out. "Tengan's wounds indicate the use of a katana." Her ears drooped as she concluded "Munakata must've finally killed him. I'm so terribly sorry."
"Naegi?" Hina asked worriedly as Makoto shook with anger and sorrow.
"I thought if we just talked it out, we could…we could come to an understanding, without people dying." Makoto wept, hanging his head. It's my fault…Chairman Tengan is dead, because of my stupid idea! "I really did. Everything I did…there was no point to any of it."
"Hey, c'mon…"
"That's not true and you know it!" Monomi interjected, cutting Hina off. "It's in your nickname for cryin' out loud! You of all people know how infectious hope can be! Watching you try your very best, my whole outlook on the situation has changed! And as someone who's benefitted from your unflappable attitude, now it's my turn to give back a smidge of that same hope!"
Makoto sat up, now paying close attention to Monomi's pep talk.
"I'll be the first to admit things aren't going so well right now. But so what? It'll get better before the end. I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life!"
"Me, neither." Hina agreed, turning to Makoto with pumped fists and an encouraging smile. "Everything's gonna turn out for the best."
Are…are you sure about that…? Makoto wondered skeptically as he bowed his head.
"Wait." Monomi exclaimed, catching their attention. "Take a closer look at the body."
Makoto and Hina watched as Monomi zoomed the camera feed, causing them to notice several kanji written in blood next to Kazuo's leg.
A dying message! Makoto exclaimed in his mind as Hina read aloud the message.
"I entrust the hope of the world to you. Whoa. He had to mean Naegi, right?"
"That couldn't have been addressed to me." Makoto gasped in denial. It can't be…right?
"Why not?" Hina countered. "It's a heavy burden, sure, but you don't have to carry it alone."
I don't have to…carry it…alone…?
"I can help, too, you know!" Monomi interjected. "That's what being soul mates is all about!"
Makoto closed his eyes before he smiled and stood up.
"You're absolutely right." He replied once he stood up. After Hina stood up, he continued "I just have to stop thinking like a lone wolf."
He rested his hand against his heart as he closed his eyes, recalling various moments from the Killing School Life.
"When I fought Junko Enoshima, it certainly wasn't a one-man show." He chuckled "I…I have to remember I'm not in this alone."
"Of course not." Hina agreed, smiling at her friend.
"We'll pull through together. As a team." Makoto vowed as they turned to look at Miaya.
"All right, thinking caps on." Hina pondered "How do we beat whoever it is at their own game?"
"Ideally, we'd find and put a stop to the Attacker before he or she strikes again." Monomi interjected. "Precisely how, I'm not sure."
"That's an easy one!" Hina proclaimed. "Punch their friggin' lights out! Yeah!" She then paused, her brain catching up to her as she tapped her bangle. "Oh, right, our Forbidden Actions. I hate this game so much."
No argument there. Makoto thought before a light bulb turned on in his head. "Wait. What did you just say?"
Confused, Hina repeated "Oh, ano. I said I hate this game. I mean, the rules make it impossible to win. It's totally rigged."
"The rules…of the game." Makoto mused.
"Yet for all that heroism, you only won because it was no more than a game. Out here, things aren't so cut and dry. In the real world, there are no rules."
"Guys, that's it!" I never thought I'd be getting an idea from Munakata's cynicism! Makoto questioned excitedly "Why are we playing Monokuma's game in the first place? It's so simple! We just need to shut it down!"
"What're you talking about?" Hina asked, confused by Makoto's idea.
"Any of us are free to leave whenever we feel like it!" Makoto pointed out.
"Uh, yeah, but correct me if I'm wrong; I thought we confirmed all the exits were sealed." Hina reminded him as she pointed to her head.
"Who cares when we can just make our own exit?!" Makoto pointed out. "We can do it. This isn't like the last time. The rules don't say anything about busting our way out."
"A-ha!" Hina exclaimed as she finally understood what Makoto was getting at.
"There's got to be something we can use lying around. All we have to do is get through the walls!"
"Or perhaps we could have someone else break them down from outside." Monomi exclaimed, using Makoto's idea as a springboard.
"From outside?" Makoto wondered.
"Heave-ho!" Monomi exclaimed as she pulled up the map of the facility. "We'll use the Monitoring Room! I'll hack into the comm network and get us in touch with our Future Foundation comrades on the mainland! They'll have the resources to help!"
Comrades…like Byakuya! "That's genius!" Makoto complimented. "See what happens when you think outside the box?"
"Yeah, we were so caught up trying to abide by the rules, it didn't occur to us to look for loopholes." Hina mused. "Nice work, Miss Gekkogahara! You're a Warrior of Hope!"
Maybe don't use that exact phrase… Makoto sweatdropped, recalling the footage he had seen of Komaru's battle against Monaca and her former comrades.
"Oh, yeah! Darn tootin' I am!" Monomi agreed.
"What are we waitin' for? Let's call for help!" Hina exclaimed.
"One moment, please, while I calculate the most efficient route!"
Makoto nodded, replying "Right. Let's go!" We're not gonna play the mastermind's game anymore! We're bustin' outta here!
"Wow, I never thought the answer to their problems would be to just leave!" Tsumugi exclaimed. "It's so simple, but so genius!"
"Well, sometimes the most complicated problems have the simplest solutions." Kiki frowned as she pondered Still…I wonder if the answer really was as simple as just leaving…
"Hm? Kiki, is something wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing, Tsumugi, just lost in thought."
"Ah, okay. Well, I bet they found a way out once they regrouped with your mom!"
"…Speaking of which, I wonder how her investigation was going…" Kiki pondered before she turned the page and continued reading. Kizakura, Mitarai, and I had just entered the library. Mitarai was consoling Ando while I was beginning to properly investigate Izayoi's body…
"I can't believe Yoi's dead." Ruruka wailed as she shook Ryota by the shoulders. "You don't understand. What'll I do on my own? I'm helpless!"
Kyoko did her best to tune out Ruruka's wailing as she inspected some powder that rubbed off on her gloves.
Meanwhile, Ryota awkwardly apologized "I'm…sorry…" before Ruruka stepped back in fear, holding her arms protectively over her chest.
"Please, oh please, tell me you're not the ones behind this!"
This seems incredibly emotional… Kyoko mused. This could very well be an act…
Kyoko flashed back to Sayaka's intense cries during the Killing School Life as Ruruka questioned "Are you the Attacker? Am I gonna die?"
"No! Of course not." Ryota assured her, causing Ruruka to sigh in relief.
She folded her hands and stared intensely into Ryota's eyes, startling him as she exclaimed "I believe you. Look, can I be a part of your group? I really can't do anything on my own. So, you know…"
"I, ano…" Ryota stammered hesitantly, turning his head pleadingly towards Kyoko for guidance.
"You heard the girl." Koichi answered as he sat comfortably on the couch across from Kyoko, who was recording notes in her notebook.
"It's not as though we can just leave her here." Ryota reasoned.
I have a bad feeling about this, but I don't have any evidence to deny her company. "Then we don't have a choice." Kyoko sighed, causing Ryota to sigh in relief.
"Thank you."
Ruruka turned to Ryota tearfully as he told her "Of course."
"Can we maybe go to a different room now?" She asked. "I'm sorry. I can't bear to see him like this anymore."
"Don't apologize. I…I wasn't thinking." Ryota replied before Kyoko dashed Ruruka's hopes.
"We're staying." Why the rush to leave? "There are several things I still need to ascertain before moving on." As tears welled in Ruruka's eyes, Kyoko turned to face her and stated resolutely "I intend to avenge Izayoi's murder. Will you help me?" If you cooperate, I'll know whether or not I can trust you, like Makoto trusted Sayaka.
Ruruka hesitantly nodded, satisfying Kyoko for the time being.
"Wow, your mom really didn't trust Ando, huh?"
"Well, Mom was still learning how to trust, and given the circumstances, I can't really blame her for keeping her trust close to her chest." Kiki justified. "Anyway, what I'm curious about is why Ando was so eager to leave. I get it must be hard to see your lover's dead body, but like Mom said, this was a chance to avenge his death. I'd think Ando would have been on board with that."
"Hm, good point." Tsumugi admitted. "Personally, I'm curious to find out how your dad's plan went."
Kiki nodded and turned the page, exclaiming "Oh, looks like the next page starts with his perspective." She continued to read "Once we got to the monitoring room, we started connecting Miaya's wheelchair to the main computer, following Monomi's instructions. Once we connected all the wires…"
"Cool. Are we good?" Hina asked.
"If I can hook up the network cable, we're golden. Now cross your fingers and let's make some magic happen!" Monomi exclaimed "Come on, baby! Make momma proud! Oh! Yeah! We have connectivity!"
"Well that was easy." Makoto uttered.
"Hailing frequencies are open, Captain." Monomi announced before the screen turned to static and a dial-up tone echoed from the speakers.
Wow, old-school… Makoto deadpanned before he and Hina knelt in front of Miaya's screen. "Um, hello? Can anyone hear me? This is…"
"Read you loud and clear."
"Byakuya?" Makoto asked in slight surprise as the former Ultimate Affluent Progeny's face appeared on the now clear screen.
"Pleasure to hear from you." He pushed his glasses up his nose as he observed "Even if you do appear a bit harried. What's wrong?" Byakuya's eyes narrowed in recollection as he asked "Ah. Aren't you on trial or some nonsense?"
"Things are complicated." Makoto replied, causing Byakuya to hum.
"I'll need a bit more detail than that, please."
"So, a Mutual Killing game?" Byakuya asked as he picked up his tea.
"Wait, you…you didn't know?" Makoto asked, surprised. "But Monokuma told us it was being televised, just like last time."
"I assure you, there has been no such program." Byakuya replied before he took a sip of his tea. "It would be very intensive. I don't believe the Remnants have the wherewithal these days." Byakuya suddenly gasped, his eyes narrowing as he realized "No. Scratch that. One of my little birds reported back. A Future Foundation peacekeeping squad is en route to a certain island as we speak. But, for some reason, none of the other branches have been informed."
Jabberwock?! Makoto exclaimed mentally. "Are they headed where I think they are?"
"Indeed. Jabberwock Island."
"But…who would possibly send them there?" Makoto pondered in a panic.
"The peacekeeping squad answers directly to the Vice Chairman. Ergo, we may reasonably deduce whatever the meeting's outcome, Kyosuke Munakata means to treat the inhabitants of said island as Remnants of Despair."
No! Hajime and the others! But we worked to hard to cure them, and they've come so far! "So everyone here's in danger."
"I think we may further postulate a connection between this operation and what's happening to you. As you might imagine, I don't like this one bit. I thought it best to deploy my own forces. They shall reach you momentarily."
Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel! Makoto held in his sigh of relief as he replied gratefully "Thank you. Just…be careful." Hopefully Hajime and the others will be alright…
"I'll let Fukawa into the loop. Kirigiri is there with you, correct?"
"Yep!" Hina exclaimed cheerfully "It's time for the 78th graduating class to reunite!"
"Well, mostly." Makoto pointed out. Hiro's still out on the landing pad. "There's someone we're forgetting."
"I would not call this a good time." Byakuya reminded them dryly.
"Honestly, we're just glad you're coming." Makoto told him as he scratched his cheek. "We can hold out."
"I meant for Monokuma and his excellency, Vice Chairman Munakata." Byakuya clarified, causing Makoto and Hina to gasp in surprise. "You're quick on your feet, tenacious, and singularly fortunate. I'd sooner cavort with sharks than risk making an enemy of you."
Did…did Byakuya just make a straightforward compliment? Makoto wondered, not used to praise from the former heir that wasn't qualified with phrases like for a commoner.
"Good luck." Byakuya finished before disconnecting the call.
"Your party has been disconnected." Monomi announced as she popped back up on the screen.
Hina gave an impressed hum as they stood up before she said with surprise "He was so reassuring. That was nice of him, huh?"
"Yeah, must be turning over a new leaf." Makoto chuckled.
"The guy still has a way with words, though!" Hina giggled, causing Makoto to join her in laughter.
Once they stopped, their smiles turned to serious expressions as Makoto vowed We're all in this together. And that's how we can survive. With my friends at my side, however bad things get, we'll move forward one step at a time. I may not know what's waiting for us, but…we'll keep going. Come what may. That's what hope does. It charges ahead.
"I always wondered what your Uncle Byakuya was like." Tsumugi admitted. "I've heard his name a handful of times in your house, but I've never once met him."
"Yeah, Byakuya's not exactly the type to visit often. We normally only see him at extended family gatherings, like Christmas."
"Ah, I get it. Is he always so serous, though?"
"Yeah, he's not exactly the good-humored type, though apparently he mellowed out a bit after meeting my dad. He's still not someone who came to babysit a lot as kids, but he's family."
Tsumugi nodded as she mused "Well, in any case, it looks like help was finally on the way for them!"
"Yeah, hopefully they got there before anyone else died." Kiki sighed as she replaced the bookmark and closed the diary. "Anyway, it's late and I'm tired. I need to catch some sleep."
"Yeah…me too…" Tsumugi yawned as she swung her legs over the bed and stood up. "See you tomorrow, Kiki."
"Yeah…good night, Tsumugi." Kiki yawned, placing the diary on her bedside table as Tsumugi drowsily lumbered out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Feeling slumber fast approaching, Kiki crawled under the covers and curled under the blankets. Her heavy eyelids closed with one last yawn as Kiki slipped into her dreams.