A/N: Here's Chapter Thirteen of "The Naegis' Secret Diary!", covering Episode Eleven of Future Arc. Please read, review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Naegis' Secret Diary!
Chapter Thirteen: All Good Things!
"Alright Kiki, you ready to see what your mother deduced about the killing game?"
Kiki nodded solemnly as she opened the diary and read from the top of the page. "After your Aunt Hina revealed that she knew who the attacker was, we all sat down. The shock of the news needed time to sink in. Finally, as we all caught our breath…"
"So you, of all people, figured out who the Attacker is." Kyosuke spat in disbelief.
"Munakata, please." Makoto gently scolded as Kyosuke merely stared quietly at them. "We owe it to her to listen. Where's the harm in that?" Besides, if I'm right, what Hina's about to say is Kyoko's last testament.
After a tense moment of silence, Kyosuke closed his eye and exhaled in concession. "Start talking." He demanded as he opened his eye, though his voice lacked any of the bite it once had.
"Go on." Makoto urged the former swimmer.
"Right, yes." She held up the notebook in her hand and explained "Well, these are all the notes Kyoko had made up to this point, and…" She flipped through the notebook until she settled on a page. "Yeah. There. Have a look."
Makoto focused intently as he read Kyoko's notes, the last reminder of his beloved detective. "The only latent prints found at any of the crime scenes have been from the victims themselves. Stab wounds are situated in easily accessible areas of the body. In other words…" Makoto's eyes widened in shock as he breathed "Suicide?" Makoto regained a minor degree of composure before he finished "…is the only logical conclusion that fits the facts."
"She can't have been serious." Ryota exclaimed in disbelief.
"You see?" Hina pointed out. "Nobody was actually murdered."
"That's insanity!" Ryota denied. "Why would they've killed themselves? What could possibly have pushed them over the edge?"
"Let me see that for a minute."
Makoto gently took Kyoko's notebook from Hina before he began to intensely comb its contents, analyzing every single punctuation point for information. Eventually he stopped on a page with a diagram drawn on it.
"She made a map of the rooms showing where the victims were found, where the survivors stayed, and the monitors."
Ryota grit his teeth in anguish as Hina asked "So you think there's some kind of connection?"
"Ano…" Makoto felt the gears turning in his head as he concluded "Now that you mention it, there has to be." Kyoko, what was going through your head when you wrote these notes? He closed his eyes and sifted through his memories. "One was there. One was there. In fact, I think that's true of every crime scene."
Makoto opened his eyes, staring intently at the diagram Kyoko had drawn before her death.
"Yeah, whenever we found a victim, there was always a monitor." Makoto mimicked Kyoko's thinking gesture, resting his finger against his chin as he admitted "Of course, that doesn't explain the role they played." We need to figure out conclusively what happened when the victims looked into the monitors…
Makoto hummed in contemplation before he gingerly stood up. Hina rushed to support him as he got to his feet and turned to the vice-chairman. There's only one thing to do… "All right, Munakata. I have a proposition."
"Su…Suicide?!" Kiki exclaimed in shock.
"It is unbelievable, though it does create a valid interpretation of Munakata's hypothesis that everyone was the attacker." Tsumugi pointed out. "If they all committed suicide, then it technically counts as killing one person."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Kiki admitted. "All those people died…for nothing…they suspected each other…for nothing…"
"How cruel…" Tsumugi muttered. "Still, at least your mother seemed to figure it out before she was incapacitated."
"Yeah…that's Mom, all right." Kiki gave a sad, yet proud smile. "I just wish it hadn't cost her so dearly."
Tsumugi nodded sympathetically before she pondered "What I'm wondering is how the monitors caused the victims to commit suicide…and how your father found out the truth."
Kiki nodded before she turned the page and continued reading "After I made my proposition to Munakata, we went to an empty hallway with monitors attached to the walls. After we went inside…"
"I'd like to go on record saying this is a terrible idea." Everyone stared at Makoto, now bound by a metal cable as he knelt on the floor. "I get what you're doing, but if you're right, you're dead."
Makoto merely smiled at Hina and told her "It'll all be fine, Asahina. Why else do you think I'd have Munakata tie me up like this?"
"Still not the most foolproof plan."
"Hey, guys, we're almost at the, ano, time limit." Ryota pointed out.
With a worried frown on her face, Hina clenched her fist against her heart as she stared down at Makoto. "Listen, whatever you expect to get out of this, just swear to me Kyoko's death hasn't pushed you past some kind of breaking point, okay?"
Makoto chuckled and shook his head. "She'd be pissed at me if it had." Besides, I promised as far back as Hope's Peak Academy that I'd carry the memories of my friends who couldn't make it out alive. I'm not breaking that vow now, especially not to Kyoko! "I would never dishonor her memory like that."
Makoto stared up at the monitor on the ceiling as he remembered his beloved detective fondly.
"She looked for the truth. Nothing kept her from searching. She held out hope 'till the bitter end. After all, if she could do it, then I'd darn-well better, right? And plus…"
Komaru's face flashed in his mind as Hina asked "What?"
"I made a promise to my little sister. I told her I'd come and get her once this was all over." Makoto clenched his fists in determination. "So, yeah. I intend to be a survivor."
"Wow…that's intense." Tsumugi breathed in awe. "Your father was totally dedicated to honoring your mother's memory."
"Yeah, though I have to agree with Aunt Hina, his plan was kinda stupid." Kiki grimaced, feeling guilty about insulting her own father. "He put himself in harm's way just to test out Mom's hypothesis. If even one thing went wrong, Mom could have woken up to a world without him!"
"Yeah, but the fact that your parents are both here proves his plan worked, right?" Tsumugi pointed out, causing Kiki to sigh in concession.
"I guess so…guess there's only one way to find out." Kiki glanced at the next page and continued reading. "The others went into another room before the time limit expired. Once the sedative wore off, I awoke to a loud beeping sound followed by…"
"Top o' the morning to ya!" Makoto gasped at the sound of Monokuma's voice as he stared up at the monitor, now activated with Monokuma's hellish image on full display. "Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey! Attacker! Come out, come out wherever you are! Yep, it's time to work your bloody magic. Who shall be the target for today?"
Monnokuma stopped, staring in surprise at the defiant Makoto.
"Ah, well bust my buttons, it's you! What? There must…"
"That's how it's done." Makoto realized as Monokuma droned on. The monitors must do something to persuade the victim into committing suicide…and that's not all that are involved. "The bangles. They wake you up when you're near a monitor." Makoto glared angrily at the monitor and demanded "What's going on? What are you planning?"
"…what everyone in your position says." Monokuma continued as if Makoto had said nothing at all. "C'mon. Being the Attacker ain't that bad. Get-Get-Get this! Believe it or not…"
"This isn't live." Makoto realized. "It's a recording."
"Hm? Eager to find out what it is? Sure you are. That's what I like about you. Now, pay close attention."
Makoto watched as the monitor feed changed to a black screen with Monokuma's rotating, red eye. It began to count down from three, Makoto's heart beating with each change of the numbers before it changed to a low-quality theatre production.
Monokuma's Gloomy Sunday…? And what's with the awful music?! Makoto wondered as he stared at the screen. All of a sudden, the screen began to flash with different colored lights. What…what's happening…? Makoto thought as he felt the hallway bleed out of existence, turning everything around him to black.
"Huh?" Kiki frowned as she noted "The page stops there."
"Hey, no fair!" Tsumugi whined. "I can't just end on a cliffhanger!"
This isn't an anime, Tsumugi… Kiki deadpanned as she turned the page. "Hey, it looks like there's a note here from Dad."
"What does it say?" Tsumugi asked curiously before Kiki began to read.
"Kiki,
I know your mother and I promised that we wouldn't keep secrets from you anymore, and believe me, I went back and forth so many times over whether to tell you what that monitor made me see. But…I've finally decided…that what I saw is something that I can't possibly subject you to, even as a written summary.
What I saw back there…it was the most horrific thing I had ever experienced. It was so terrible, that to this day, it still gives me chronic nightmares. It was so awful, it threatened my engagement and my marriage to your mother in our first year. That is something nobody should ever have to know about, the horror, the trauma, the despair, I can't in good conscience subject you to that.
I know I sound like a hypocrite right now, but your mother and I swore we'd protect you and your siblings from what we suffered. Please, let us protect you from this at least. Some things are better left unsaid, and what I saw back there is one of them. Please forgive me for keeping this one secret of my past from you. I love you, Kiki Naegi.
-Your father,
Makoto Naegi."
"Dad…" Kiki sniffled, tears welling in her eyes as she felt touched by how much her father loved and wanted to protect her.
"Kiki…are you okay…?" Tsumugi asked, a concerned frown on her face.
Kiki smiled at her as she wiped her eyes with her wrist. "I'm fine, Tsumugi…let's just continue." She turned the page and continued to read.
"By the time the monitor had turned off, I no longer had any sense or semblance of where I was. All I could feel was despair; I had lost all hope. I thrashed on the floor in anguish, screaming when…"
A metallic clatter echoed in Makoto's ears as he gasped for breath. He weakly lifted his head, spotting a curved, metallic knife. He gingerly crawled over to it in desperation until he gripped the hilt with his right hand. With his restraints loosened and pooled at his feet, Makoto held the tip of the knife against his heart.
"Sure. On my way." Makoto muttered, an unnerving grin stretching from ear to ear as his eyes seemed to turn into glowing red swirls.
He drew the knife back in preparation to end his own life, only to gasp in shock as it was knocked away from him.
"Uh…?" He yelped in pain as he was lifted by his wrist and pinned to the nearby wall by a crushing elbow.
Makoto made a choking sound as a familiar pair of angry, pink eyes glared into his soul. "You're the man who defeated Junko Enoshima."
Sa…Saka…kura…?
"If you think I'm gonna let you kill yourself, you're dumber than you look!"
Makoto's eyes turned back to normal, now shaken out of his despair. His hazy vision cleared, revealing the bruised, pissed off Sakakura, whose teeth clenched together in angry determination.
"Hear me, ya little punk? Not now. Not ever!"
"He…he tried to kill himself?!" Tsumugi shrieked, eyes widened in shock as Kiki struggled to keep her hands from trembling.
"…Now I understand." Tsumugi turned to the frowning Kiki with confusion. "…Why Dad honored Sakakura…he saved his life back there…it…it still doesn't excuse what he did to Mom and Dad…but…I can't ignore that he's the reason Dad's still alive today…"
Tsumugi could only nod, lost for words for once as Kiki glanced at the next page. "Sakakura threw me against the wall, wracking my body in pain. As I looked up at him in shock…"
"How are you even…?" Makoto coughed as Juzo picked up the dagger.
"You wanna die so bad, allow me."
Holy…is he still planning on killing me?! Then why did he save me from myself?!
Makoto closed his eyes and held his arms in front of him in a panic, awaiting the end. I…I'm sorry, Kyoko…I couldn't survive until the end…huh?
Another, quieter metallic clang caused Makoto to open his eyes.
"Damn it." Juzo grunted.
What the…what happened to you?! "How…How are you still awake?"
Makoto's eyes widened as Makoto took another look at the former boxer. Blood pooled around his abdomen from a single incision against his upper stomach. His left hand had been cleanly severed, leaving him with only his right. The blood from his left hand had been stemmed with a bandage that had long since been stained red.
"You cut off your arm? That's one way, I guess." That's how he removed his bangle without violating the rules…
"Figured I could make the scene before it happened." Juzo gasped. "I could meet whoever's behind this Kami-forsaken game face-to-face. Take the Attacker and be done with it."
Makoto gasped before his eyes narrowed at the exhausted Juzo. He needs to know the truth. "There is no Attacker. There never was."
"Huh?"
Makoto looked up at the monitor as he revealed "It was suicide. The victims, they were all brainwashed into killing themselves by what they saw on the monitors. When the time limit was up, we were all knocked unconscious. But whoever was closest to a monitor got woken up by a special signal from their bangles. Awake and alone, they were subjected to a video. After that…"
Makoto felt the bile threaten to travel up his throat as he imagined the pain and suffering all the other victims must have felt while they died.
To think…if it wasn't for Sakakura…I would have joined them…
"What sicko piece of shit thinks this is entertaining?"
"That I don't know. At least not yet. But they wouldn't even have to be here for it to work."
"What are you tellin' me?" Juzo questioned weakly. "They could've set this up? Controlled it remotely?"
"Probably." Makoto smiled as he pointed out "On the bright side, at least we don't have to suspect each other anymore."
Makoto frowned as Juzo burst out into a mixture of chuckles and coughs, startling the former luckster. "What are we supposed to do now? It's all a shell game. We've been manipulated from some unknown other place. Killing each other like a bunch of animals. Yukizome. Gozu. Kimura. Some video brainwashed 'em into taking their own lives? All the horrible things we've done to smoke out the killer and it's been us."
The hand gripping the dagger shook as Juzo realized just how ridiculous his efforts to snuff out Makoto and his friends were.
"Son of a bitch!" He grunted as he stabbed the dagger into the ground, causing the blade to break.
Juzo bowed his head in shame before he gingerly got to his feet, groaning in pain. "What are you doing?" Makoto asked as Juzo gripped his severed arm.
Juzo stayed so silent, one would have thought he had suddenly died. It was at that moment that Makoto got to his feet, a determined fire in his eyes.
"Let's end this game." For all the people who died! "If we destroy all the monitors, that should do it." And unlike the Killing School Life, there's no rule saying we can't destroy the monitors.
"Heh." Juzo turned to Makoto with a skeptic smirk on his face. "You got any idea how many of those things there are?"
"Ano…But…"
"Don't let me stop you. Just don't expect me to help either."
But why?! I know it's a lot of work, but it's the best plan we got!
Juzo barely took two steps before he stopped in his tracks. "True story. I wanted you to die. Heh. I'd have gladly done it myself. See, I'm not a man who can forgive and forget. I hated you. No, from the moment you walked out of Hope's Peak academy alive, I loathed you. Despised you."
Makoto's eyes widened in sad shock as he took in Juzo's admission. Juzo Sakakura…hated me…the moment I joined the Future Foundation? That explains why we never got along in the office…but why…? What did I do to earn his hatred?!
"So I'm not gonna lie, when Munakata told you to kill yourself, I thought, It's about damn time."
"But why? I don't…"
"Because…you defeated Junko Enoshima." Juzo stated simply as he looked over his shoulder to glare at the former luckster. Makoto gasped as Juzo lamented "That, that's right. Bitch played me like a fiddle. I knew she was up to something and I kept my mouth shut. I had one job and I botched it. This is the result. It's all on me. I couldn't stop everyone dying. I couldn't kill you for Munakata. And in the end, he threw me away. Like an old pair of boots."
So…that's how he got that wound! Munakata…stabbed him! But I can't just let this go! Sakakura needs to know his self-worth, regardless of what mistakes he made before the Tragedy! "He was wrong. It's the game. The man was fooled into believing you'd gone over to the enemy!"
"No kidding." Juzo mumbled as he continued to walk away.
Makoto could only watch sadly as Juzo continued to walk away, out of sight, but not out of mind.
"Sakakura…hated my dad…because how he defeated Enoshima?" Kiki muttered in shock. "But…why? Dad never wanted to defeat some evil mastermind! He just wanted to survive and get out! He even gave Junko a choice to live!"
"Yeah, that's no reason to want to kill someone!" Tsumugi concurred with her best friend. "And where did he go? Why didn't he go and help your dad destroy all the monitors?"
"Only one way to find out…" Kiki grimaced as she turned the page. "After Sakakura walked away, I rushed back into the room where your Aunt Hina, Munakata, and Mitarai were sleeping. As soon as I opened the door…"
"Asahina! Munakata! Mitarai!" Makoto bellowed as all three participants groaned, their eyes focusing on the relieved young man.
"Na…Naegi…?" Hina mumbled.
"Hmph, so it seems you've survived your little experiment." Kyosuke muttered as he got to his feet.
"Does…does that mean Director Kirigiri's theory was wrong?"
"No, Mitarai-kun, it was right!" Everyone stared in shock before Makoto told them "We need to take down all the monitors! They contain a knife in each of them that the victims used to kill themselves. Just trust me on this!"
"Oh…okay…" Hina yawned one last time before her eyes narrowed, fully alert and determined as she placed her faith in Makoto's gut. "Alright, let's go trash one of these monitors."
Hina marched over to one of the monitors before she gripped it by its sides with her bare hands. With a bellow that threatened to pierce their ears, Hina ripped it off the wall and tossed it against the ground. They watched as the screen shattered, allowing a familiar dagger to fall on the floor.
"Oh snap!" Hina exclaimed in shock. "Kyoko's theory was bang-on! I don't believe it." Makoto's eyes lowered as Hina picked up the dagger. "Everyone really was forced to kill themselves. Okay, but by who?"
Makoto glanced at Ryota, who seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts, as he stared down at his shoes. As the former animator seemed to gasp in realization, Kyosuke finally spoke, attracting the others' attention.
"There's only one possibility. Apart from me, there's only one human being capable of altering this facility's machinery, who knows it like the back of his hand. He warned me. Told me that in a manner of speaking the Attacker was all of us. I refused to believe him. He built the Foundation from the ground up. In fact, he was the former Headmaster of Hope's Peak. Kazuo Tengan."
Everyone gasped in shock, Makoto thinking Chairman Munakata…was the…mastermind…?!
"Oh, that can't be right!" Hina denied.
I wish that were the truth, Hina… Makoto thought sadly. I wish that were the truth…
"We've established that those closest to a monitor when the time limit ran out were compelled to commit suicide." Kyosuke pointed out. "Tengan's Forbidden Action was answering a question with a lie. And since any of us could potentially become the Attacker, he told me the truth."
"But…Oh Kami…" Hina breathed, finally accepting the horrible truth of the matter. "Why would Chairman Tengan want us all to kill each other?"
"Is it not perfectly obvious? Kazuo Tengan…was the true Remnant of Despair."
"No way!"
"That can't be the answer!" Ryota exclaimed in agreement with Hina. "He was the Foundation's leader for Kami's sake! How could…? How could he do such a thing?"
"Who knows?" Kyosuke shrugged. "But he's the only solution." As everyone fell silent, Kyosuke finally turned to Makoto and asked "Naegi. Have I told you? Chisa Yukizome was with the Remnants as well."
"No." Hina denied.
"But she was my teacher." Ryota defended the deceased former teacher.
"I know." Kyosuke admitted. "She was part of an undercover investigation into Hope's Peak while you were there. Everything we could find, every shred of evidence, every possible lead pointed directly at Junko Enoshima."
In other words, you had the chance to stop Junko before she could put the worst of her plan into action… Makoto realized.
"And yet, Yukizome and Sakakura both insisted on her innocence. Foolishly, I took them at their word."
That's what Sakakura meant when he said that Junko played him. She must have said something to keep him quiet…and allow her plan to go unimpeded! Makoto realized.
"Worst mistake of my life." Kyosuke clenched his fist as he barely refrained from growling. "They were my friends, and Tengan took advantage of that."
Ryota fell to his knees, eyes widened in shock as his emotional composure finally shattered. "I didn't know."
Makoto stared at Ryota sympathetically before the lights dimmed, causing everyone to gasp in shock.
"Okay, what's happening?" Hina exclaimed as the now orange lights glowed, illuminating the hallway.
"Those are the emergency lights." Makoto realized.
"Naegi, take a look." Hina looked up at the monitors. "I think the monitors are offline. The power's been shut off!"
"But by who?" Makoto wondered. And why?
"Sakakura!" Kyosuke gasped as the gears turned in his head. "He must be in the breaker room! From there, he can cut off power to the entire building!"
"You think he'd do that?" Is that the plan Sakakura had in mind when we split up?
"I don't like this, guys." Hina admitted dreadfully. "Something tells me we should've found the breaker room first."
"Munakata, please." Makoto pleaded as he turned to the vice-chairman. "He's out there trying to save you. Got to him. He's not the enemy!"
Kyosuke looked down in shame, recalling how he had betrayed his best friend. "Even if you're right…I ran him through and left him to die. He was my…my friend."
"Is your friend! If he didn't believe in you, he wouldn't be doing this! Please! You have to let him know! Look around you. The power's been cut off. He's shutting down the game. All for you!"
With a single sigh, Kyosuke turned around and quietly walked away. His slow pace gradually turned into a mad, desperate dash as he rushed to save his best friend.
Good luck, Kyosuke. Makoto hoped for the best as Kyosuke Munakata disappeared from sight, but certainly not from mind.
Barely a minute had passed when a loud beep echoed from his, Hina, and Ryota's wrists. What the…what's going on?! Why are our bangles…huh?!
Everyone stared in awe as the bangles opened, falling loosely off their wrists. "The arm bangles!" Sakakura…he did it…he stopped the game!
"So that's what his plan was…" Kiki realized. "That's why he didn't just try to destroy the monitors one-by-one…he shut them all down and deactivated the bangles all at once!"
"He completed two major quests at once!" Tsumugi looked down sadly. "It's too bad he wasn't able to enjoy the experience boost!"
Kiki nodded, concurring "Yeah…with how much he had bene bleeding, there's no way he'd be able to survive that for long…"
Shaking the melancholy thoughts out of her head, Tsumugi wondered "So…what was your father doing once his bangle had been deactivated? Did he go back and try to retrieve your mother's body?"
"Let's see…" Kiki muttered as she turned the page. "Once it sunk in that we no longer had to abide by the rules of the game, I turned to Mitarai and told him what was on my mind."
"So, Mitarai." Makoto began gently. "The video I saw, it was able to brainwash a person into actually killing themselves. Think it's fair to assume that's not something a normal person could make?"
"Wait…" Ryota weakly objected.
"I mean, seriously, I wouldn't even know where to begin. You're the former Ultimate Animator. Do you know anything about it?" I hate even considering that you might have bene involved in all this…but I've been deceived by my friends before, so I need to at least consider the possibility…that's what Kyoko would have done…
"I…I'm sorry. But it wasn't me." Ryota muttered, causing Makoto to feel a small rush of relief.
"No, I wasn't accusing you…"
"Blame Junko Enoshima!" Ryota bellowed, turning to glare angrily at Makoto. "She used my technology!"
"Junko Enoshima?" Ryota averted his gaze, kicking himself for his slip-up. "What are you talking about?"
Before the interrogation could continue, a ringing sound echoed from Ryota's pocket. Surprised, he took it out of his pocket and looked at the screen, reading "You have a message from Tengan."
"It's Tengan." Shock laced into his voice as he stared incredulously at the phone.
Makoto and Hina's eyes widened in shock as Makoto thought But how? Tengan's…dead…? So how…could he have sent a message to Mitarai?!
"Tengan's ghost sent a message from the grave!" Tsumugi nearly shrieked. "He set out to curse Mitarai when he died!"
Kiki sweatdropped, telling her skeptically "I…don't think that's what happened, Tsumugi." With a heavy sigh, she admitted "What I'm more worried about is Mitarai himself. Like Dad said, only someone skilled in animation could make something effective enough to make people commit suicide."
"He did seem rather defensive…" Tsumugi admitted before her eyes widened in shock. "Wait, are you saying that he really did have a hand in the killing games?"
"…I don't know if he was a willing participant…he was always a little too rattled to make me believe that. It is more believable however that he was forced to provide the contributions to the respective killing games."
"But how could he have been forced to provide those things? What did Junko Enoshima use to persuade him?"
"Maybe it'll be explained in tomorrow's chapter." Kiki suggested as she placed the bookmark on the current page and closed the diary. As Tsumugi opened her mouth to protest, Kiki cut her off. "As tempting as it is to keep reading, it's late, and I need to get some sleep for tomorrow's test."
"Yeah, good point." Tsumugi sighed before she reluctantly slid off the bed. "Well, good night, Kiki."
"Sweet dreams, Tsumugi." Kiki smiled at her friend as she walked out the door, closing it behind her.
Yawning, she put the diary on her bedside and crawled under the covers. Once she curled up and yawned one last time, she closed her heavy eyelids and succumbed to slumber.