ACT I: THE TITANS, THE BEAR AND THE FORTRESS OF DESPAIR

Chapter 3: First motivation

Tartarus Keep

Day 3

Botanical Garden

9:00

I had always believed skepticism a virtue. It had served me well, both in my profession and my everyday life. But I also knew for a fact that if a drowning person saw a lifesaver and pondered why it was there in the first place, whether it was a gift from God or bait by pirates who would sell them into slavery, they might needlessly lose their life. And so, for all my bad feeling towards Hokuto's bizarre, if not dangerous, escape plan, I held on to hope when it was put into motion.

Right after breakfast, the Ultimate Miner Hokuto gathered everyone minus Inu and Minako and explained how he was going to get us all out of here by drilling a hole on the wall. He had examined the structure of the keep (at least the parts we were allowed access so far) and found that one section in the botanical garden had open space on the other side. It could be a very large chamber much like the main hall, or it could be the outside. Whichever the case, he said it was worth a try and we all went along with it, more because we were curious as to what his device would do than wanting a way out.

For this mission, Hokuto had developed a drill the size of a minigun. According to him, all the components were available in the storage room and all he had to do was assembling them inside his room. Both Kai and Tatsuya provided him with assistance, though the latter appeared to sleepwalk as a result of lack of sleep last night. Despite her talent, I was glad Eliza didn't take part in the drill's construction - her past record supported this sentiment. Overall, the makeshift contraption looked sound and functional, something I was both surprised and impressed at. Trapped and isolated from society, Hokuto had shown to be both resourceful and handy, and that deserved some respect even if the result was less than expected.

As we entered the botanical garden, complications arose when Minako who had been sleeping there last night and who had not shown up at breakfast put a stop sign on our path.

"My friends, surely there is another way to do this," said the Ultimate Herbalist. She looked at the drill Hokuto was carrying seemed visibly worried about it, as if someone had brought a flamethrower into her new home. "What about the storage and the kitchen? Can't you drill there instead?"

"Sorry for this inconvenience," said Hokuto, his voice warm but firm. "I have inspected the walls in those places. The other places I checked are well-fortified and though I have no doubt in the power of this baby," he tapped on his device proudly, "drilling there would risk bringing the whole place down. Very dangerous. Not to mention it would probably destroy some of the monitors and cameras which are not allowed according to the rules."

Minako was insistent. "But what about the walls in our room?"

"Well, I am not letting any get into mine, if that's what you want," Hijiri announced.

"Over my dead body," said Fitzgerald coldly.

"I have only ten percent faith in the success of this operation, so count me in as well," said Elize.

"If the drilling doesn't work, then where are we supposed to sleep?" I asked. I had no secret to hide, but to lose my place of habitat would be a sore blow. Tartarus Keep was uncomfortable enough to be in; a warm bed and a cozy room were two of the things that stopped me from going mad.

"I don't really need my room anymore," Minako suggested. "This place is enough for me. It feels just like home. More than home, in fact. The grass is very soft here and do you know that…."

"So you are saying we could use your room for this operation?" Kazuki cut into her blabbering, slightly annoyed at the impasse that was happening. The flautist talked little and played his instrument even in group conversation without missing a single word. When he did raise his voice, however, we could all tell it was serious.

"Yes, that's right," the herbalist replied briskly.

"The wall in my room is what I inspected first for any sign of weakness," said Hokuto, sighing. "Sure, I think I can work there, but on the other side, I could sense even more walls waiting. I could go on drilling, except for…" He stopped at this point, as if not knowing how to phrase it.

"Except for what?" asked Rin.

"Is there something wrong?" inquired Ashley, worried.

Hokuto did not respond right away. Instead, he closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't know. It is very unlikely for me to be afraid as long as it is technically safe. I have dug up entire vegetation fields and angered people only to pay them back three-fold thanks to the resources found underneath their soil. But this, I felt something behind the wall in my room. Something…moving."

There was silence.

"Other people trapped here like us?" Rin suggested.

"No," said Hokuto. All of a sudden, he looked tense as if he had just received the mail informing the loss of his family member. His voice was shaky and his eyes lacked focus. "I know what kind of sound and vibration a human makes even on the other side of a wall. And I didn't like what I heard."

"You can discern what kind of sound and vibration a human makes from behind a wall?" remarked Hijiri with some concern. Of course, out of all the people, she would definitely be the one to fear getting unknowingly stalked by someone else the most, and this kind of talent could facilitate that. "Wait, have you ever…?" She could not finish what she said, but we all knew what she meant.

"What do you think is on the other side?" Elize cooed. "A dragon? Cause that fits the whole medieval theme nicely."

"I do hope they are magical ponies," said Yume, imagining. "They live in castles as well. Gotta love them."

"Any guesses what it might be?" I asked. If Monokuma had an entire castle and a bunch of ass-kicking bodyguards at his disposal, there was no saying what else he might have gotten his paws on. "Do you think they are dangerous?"

"Whatever they are, I prefer to leave them alone," said Hokuto as another shiver ran through him. If his discovery were true, it would be disturbing indeed, the existence of something sinister which was barred from our safe haven by thin walls. "Especially when there is another path much safer." He pointed at the X mark wall in the botanical garden. I did not realize he had chosen the spot to drill when coming here yesterday. Minako looked even more dismayed by this.

"Will you promise me that no plant will be hurt in the process?" said the Ultimate Herbalist, accepting the fact she was on the losing side of the argument. One against fifteen was not the best odd, and anyone aside from the most persistent pig-headed lunatic would give up at this point.

"Don't worry," Hokuto assured her. "There are no trees nearby. I can keep the damage on the wall only. Trust me on this."

"Alright," said Minako, defeated. "Do it then."

Without further ado, the miner got to work. As he started up the drill, it emitted a horrifying screeching metallic noise that sounded much like what would happen if Colossus and Emma Frost were to share the same bed. Minako had second thoughts about this, as did some of us, but it was too late now.

Hokuto approached the wall carefully with the drill in hands. He was visibly vibrating, barely able to keep control of that thing.

"You need any help handling that?" asked El Viento. The luchador was absent for the entirety of yesterday due to the knock out suffered from one of Monokuma's bodyguard, but now she was up, as lively as usual, and ready to make a comeback.

"Thanks, but I've got this," Hokuto stated. His excitement contained, the Ultimate Miner continued his advance with extreme caution knowing very well the consequences of an accident. "Just stand back. This might get a bit dirty."

As the drill was one centimeter away from the wall, a familiar black and white bear appeared right behind Hokuto and shouted with an authoritative voice, "By the order of Overlord Monokuma, hold it right there!"

"What?" Startled, the miner lost control of his device and fell on his back. As he did so, the drill which was still powered flew at the audience standing behind him in a spectacular fashion like a rabid dog released from its leash. Though his intentions were good, Hokuto's overconfidence and lack of safety measures REALLY worried me. Last time, Kai nearly got her head split in twain due to his mistake, and now…

WHIZZZZZ!

"Watch out," Hokuto cried. It was no surprise that we all expected something like this would happen. And so everyone got into motion before the words left his mouth.

Kai, Rin, and Tatsuya walked sideways and avoided the drill, though the latter barely so and scratch on his arm. Inori and Hijiri were frozen solid with neither able to react in time, only to be saved in the last second by El Viento who threw all three of them to the ground (Hijiri might not be happy her clothes got stained again, but she still had her life). Fitzgerald was in the way next. He stood his ground with an expression that said "is it over yet?" and the drill flew past him harmlessly. We were all safe now. No one else was in the way, except a very old and large tree which should pack enough staying strength to stop the drill's rampage.

"That was a close one," said Kai.

"Watch it, for God's sake," Rin complained. "Someone could have gotten killed, or seriously injured because of that."

"Can't breathe," said Inori weakly under the immense weight of the Ultimate Luchador.

"Get off me," Hijiri whined as she was in the same situation. I guess a "thank you for saving my life" was a luxury these days.

"Is everybody alright?" asked Hokuto.

We all thought the threat from the drill had passed for the time being. We all thought the impact between the unstoppable force and the immovable object would cancel out both. None of us took into account one certain person who defied convention. Like a firefly into the flame, Minako jumped in and attempted to stop the drill from destroying the tree.

"Minako, get out of there," Kai hollered.

"No," shouted Minako, struggling to keep the out of control drill at bay. "I cannot let it cause any damage to Mother Earth's children. It is my duty to protect them, especially from human intervention." Her strength was insufficient compared to Hokuto and without any expertise in handling such a device, she had little success. The drill twisted and flung around with the Ultimate Herbalist clinging onto it like a mad bull in a rodeo. The noise it was making was also terrifying to hear.

"This is nonsense," I proclaimed. There was no way risking your life for some plant was justified. But then again, perhaps I was not thinking with the mindset of another talent-wielder.

"I'll help you," said Akihito and joined in. Both of them swung to and fro together for a few moments as the rest of us watched in amazement but too afraid to intervene before Akihito had the bright idea of turning it off with a single simple flick.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Kai, rushing over along with the rest of us.

"I'm fine," said Akihito. "I am afraid Minako bruised herself a bit though." The Ultimate Herbalist stood up wobbly covered in dirt, a trail of blood running along her forearm. Inori quickly came over and helped her bandage the wound; being a patient for so long, it was unsurprising that she learned quite a bit from the doctors treating her. Hijiri was once again turned away by the sight of blood and Tatsuya watched how Inori did it closely, probably trying to learn as well.

"Argh," Minako moaned, cradling her injured arm. "It hurts. Thank you so much, Akihito-san, Inori-san."

"That was dangerous," said Kazuki accusingly, addressing both Hokuto for his allowing the drill to go haywire and Minako for putting herself into harm's way. I always got the impression that the flautist was a collect person who preferred expression through music. To see him so fussed up told me how serious this was. "What were you thinking there? Both of you could have died right there. One to the accident and the other to execution, because it is as clear as crystal who is responsible for this mess."

"I'm sorry," Hokuto blushed. "It was Monokuma. He startled me. I didn't expect him to just pop out like that."

"My fault?" echoed Monokuma, unimpressed. The Ultimate Luchador looked to be on the edge about running in and ripping his head off, but the presence of the four chess piece bodyguards behind the bear deterred any rash action. They must have access to some secret passageways: I could understand Monokuma, but there was no way four people could afford to be so stealthy all the time. "Is that how you talk to your liege? You almost blew it up, you maniac. If someone had actually died, you would be held responsible, and that means we are off for a very short and uneventful trial. Do you know what that will do to the rating?"

"Rating?" Ashley spurted. "So this is just a television show, isn't it?" She sighed in relief. "I knew it. So we don't have to kill each other, after all."

"Being a show doesn't mean no real killing, my dear," said Monokuma. "Call it an exotic form of entertainment."

"More like morbid entertainment," said Elize.

"On what planet?" Rin cried. "The law does not permit this complete negligence for human safety."

"And who the hell is watching this?" I asked.

"Shut the hell up," Monokuma bellowed angrily. "Such disobedient subjects you are. I left you for a day and here you are, trying to escape."

"And we would have gotten away with it, too" Hokuto chimed it. He picked up the drill again, looking more determined than ever. "If it weren't for you big bear and those meddling bodyguards. Well, I guess it's not too late to try again."

"Not so fast," said Monokuma. "I am one step ahead of you."

There was a beep sound resonating from our electronic IDs. All of us took them out and saw a notice on its screen.

Attention

A new rule has been added

Rule #9: Damage to Monokuma's property will be treated as treason and punished accordingly.

"What the fuck?" Hokuto hollered in outrage. "That's not fair. You can't just go adding new rules at your own discretion like that."

"Yeah," I added. "A good ruler must always know to listen to their subjects. Without limits, you are just a tyrant and a bully." However, I was pretty sure after that disaster, if a vote were to be called, drilling might have been banned anyway.

"Not that we were any closer to getting out with that drill," muttered Kazuki.

"Villains like you don't have any right to tell others what to do," El Viento grunted.

"Jeez, you bastards are so judgy," said Monokuma. "Listen here, I am the Overlord of this castle and everything here belongs to me, you included. Treat my properties with the same respect as you would to your friends. And by that, I mean destroying them and you will be tried for murder."

"That's bullshit," Hokuto cursed, throwing his unpowered drill to the ground. I shared his disappointment, yet could not feel a sense of relief that drilling our way out was a thing of the past now.

"On the bright side," said Yume. "At least no one got hurt. And we are still together, bonded and resolved. I am sure a way out would materialize somehow. We just have to wait and see."

"The dude here is right," said Akihito. "Let's not rush anything. We have enough facilities, supplies, and sustenance here. There's no need to endanger ourselves."

"Well, isn't that just boring with you guys getting along so quickly?" said Monokuma. "But trust me when I say I have seen groups bonded much quicker and still they let their baser instinct took over during the game and turned on each other like a bunch of savages. All they needed was some motivation. Like the one I am giving to you now. All subjects, to the main hall."

Main Hall.

10:00

Out of curiosity or fear or a combination of the two, we did as we were ordered to and headed back to the main hall where, according to Monokuma, he had devised the plan to finally make us play his sick game. Fifteen of us stood before the throne when an entrance opened up behind it, leading to a large empty room with multiple doors on the other side. The name of each student was printed on each of the doors.

"Now then, since you are all here…," Monokuma began.

"No, we are not all here," Fitzgerald pointed out coldly. "One of us is missing. Take a guess who."

"You mean that scaredy chemist?" replied Monokuma. I had not seen Inu since the announcement of the Mutual Killing Game. To be honest, I was not very active around others yesterday due to sleeping late, my work alongside Akihito to sort out the warehouse and momentary unconsciousness as a result of spontaneous bleeding, but from what I heard from others, the poor fellow did not show up during either breakfast, lunch or dinner. Tatsuya tried calling him multiple times to no avail. Out of all of us, the Ultimate Chemist took the situation at face value on the spot and had been in a state of paranoia ever since. I hoped he was alright. "Nah, he's not needed here."

"What do you mean?" asked Rin suspiciously. "Don't tell me he is involved in this somehow."

"You will find out soon enough once you walk through those doors," Monokuma said, his paw indicating the series of doors on the opposite side. "Trust me. Once you see it, you will not be able to un-see it."

"And what if we refuse?" I inquired. "Are you going to add another dumb rule to make us see what's behind those doors?"

"These rules are NOT dumb at all," Monokuma retorted. "If football has rules and you are all fine with it, then why are the rules of the Mutual Killing Game any difference?"

"Because we don't have to kill each other in football," I pressed.

"One of the many reasons I don't play that sport," said Monokuma grumpily. I guessed that much, judging from those stubby legs. "Anyway, I need no rule to compel you to enter. I have another motivation for that."

"A motivation within a motivation?" asked Elize sarcastically. "Give me a break, will you?"

"And what is this secondary motivation you are talking about?" asked Rin.

"Whatever it is, we shall not give up to," El Viento claimed.

"Big words as always," said Monokuma. "But remember when I said you all suffered from memory loss when arriving at Tartarus Keep? Well, there is a way to help you refresh that memory. More or less. And that is behind those doors."

"What are you talking about?" Ashley asked with unmasked fear. Intimidation was a feeling shared among all of us. Whatever Monokuma kept in there could not be good, yet all of us had this urge, this morbid curiosity, to find out exactly what. For all I knew, it could either give us an edge over the mastermind or it could destroy our resolve and turn us against each other just like he said.

"Why not go in there to find out?" Monokuma replied with a voice that screamed of someone with no qualm on murdering children. For a few seconds, all fifteen of us froze on the spot, not knowing whether to accept his proposal or walk away.

Then, Fitzgerald was the first to step forward. "I will solve the mystery behind this, even if it breaks me in the process," he stated. "Let's see what you've gotten."

"Can't just sit here, can we?" I concurred.

"Fine then," said Rin, walking up.

"I hope I will not regret this," said Ashley.

"If you guys are certain," Tatsuya mumbled. "Then I'll go too."

With that, we each picked the door that had our name on and entered. I found mine leading to a dark narrow corridor with a window of glass on the opposite side. As I walked in, the door shut close and, for a moment, I was engulfed in total darkness before the lights turned on along the hallway leading me to the other side.

I took careful steps across the corridor. As I looked, I saw there was someone behind the window, their uncertain face dimly by the lights. I could tell they were female and not in the best shape, barely able to stand on two legs.

I took careful steps closer when a familiar voice rang out like a spear to my heart, "Amelda? Is that...you?"

"Alice?" I called out. "You are here, too?" Rushing closer revealed the person behind the window was none other than my younger sister. I could see the light blond long hair that always got into my face when we were sitting on a couch playing video games together. I could see the necklace which she desperately begged me to buy for her on her tenth birthday, which I desperately begged her to change her mind (not because of the cost, but I thought it looked completely stupid). In the end, I relented for that one. In retrospect, I thought I spoiled her a bit too much.

But at the same time, she was not the Alice I was hoping to see. Gone was the childish look on her face, her visage tired, and her eyes red as if she had had many sleepless nights. But what caught my attention the most was her left arm: it wasn't there anymore! The sleeve of her shirt slacked where an arm should have been there to support it.

"Amelda, you are alright," said Alice, a surge of happiness overcoming her. Her exuberant provided me with no comfort. If the mere sight of me encouraged her so much, I could not tell what she had suffered so far.

"I'm here for you," I replied as I embraced her through the window, tears running on both faces. I reached out to where her arm should have been. It was unbelievable. I needed to confirm it. I needed to touch it with my very own hand.

There was nothing, to my disappointment. I seized the sleeve with force and felt nothing. The feeling of emptiness where flesh should have been filled me with terror like never before. Worse than the biggest bullies, worse than father's failed investment, worse than all the crooks and madmen I had seen in courts. My little sister, how could this happen? "Your...your arm? Jesus Christ, Alice. What...is going on?"

"You...don't remember?" Alice replied through her tears. "At all?"

Her words struck me like lightning. How long had it been since I could remember? What had transpired that led to this? So many questions I had on my head, and still no answer to much frustration.

"Our parents," I asked. "Are they alright?"

"I don't know," said Alice.

"How long have they been holding you?"

"I don't know."

"Good God."

At this point, I realized asking any more questions about what happened outside would be impossible. Alice was already unstable enough and pushing the information out of her would likely result in more harm than good.

"Listen to me, Alice," I told her, wiping the tears from her face with my sleeve gently. Though my inner thoughts were screaming with rage and sadness, I could not allow my sister to see me broken, for it would only hasten her breaking down. If there was a time where I needed to stay calm no matter the odds, this was exactly it. "I will get you out of here. I promise."

"How?" asked Alice.

"I will find a way," I assured her with as much conviction in my voice as I could muster amidst the frantic feelings threatening to overpower me. "Do you remember Patrick Handerson, that famous singer you are a fan of?"

"Yes," said Alice, looking up. "You got me a signature on his autograph."

"You always wanted to get it yourself, but you never had the chance because he was always followed by so many people that it was impossible to squeeze through," I continued. "And then I was called to audit some tax document for him. The guy had been evading payment for quite a while. I told him I would let him slip if he signed the autograph, and he did."

"Did you give him the slip?" asked Alice as a hint of mischievousness returned on her face. This was more the Alice I knew, the one who faked my signature and give my clients modified opinions for no good reasons, the one who constantly bombarded me with an endless discussion about which of the singers is most handsome or pretty, a subject I had not the least interest in.

"No, of course not," I replied, smiling. Being publicly famous did NOT mean exemption from paying taxes to the country. "He went to jail. But I did get the autograph for you in the end."

There was a paused moment between the two of us as we remembered that awkward memory. Then, I spoke to her, "I know my way around better than you think. I will get you out of here, one way or another."

"Promise?" Alice raised her right hand and gave her a pinky finger.

"Promise," I confirmed, returning the gesture.

"TIME'S UP, BASTARDS. PLEASE RETURN TO THE MAIN HALL IMMEDIATELY AND SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE REST OF YOUR FRIENDS."

The blaring voice of Monokuma interrupted us and as the window started closing, shutting the only connection between me and sister, I said quickly, "Just wait, Alice. Everything's going to be okay. I will see to it."

"I will," replied my sister before we were separated.

The conversation left me cold. The words were only to comfort her, cliché in every situation where a loved one is taken hostage, not that I had gotten any credible plan in motion yet. Those bastards had my sister and they were using her as hostage for me to participate in this sick game. And her arm. HER ARM! She was only eleven, for God's sake. How could she go on living like that for the rest of her life?

I returned to the Main Hall and from what I could see, all of us had a rough moment in there. Some like Minako and Ashley were in tears and looked to be on the verge of breaking down. Even Hijiri who always kept up her stoicism in front of others was visibly trembling from the revelation. A couple of students including Rin and El Viento were brimming with rage.

"So, how was it?" asked Monokuma nonchalantly. The ever-presence of that cute yet sinister smile was getting on me. "Are you sad? Are you angry? Are you motivated now to kill each other?"

"You bastard," exclaimed Rin. "What have you done to him?"

"What on earth are you talking about?" asked Monokuma.

"My uncle," said Rin. "He is completely shell-shocked somehow. He can't even speak right. Can't even walk right. How dare you? I swear to God if you were to lay a single finger on him, I am gonna make you regret the day you were created."

"Oh, how touchy," Monokuma remarked as if on the topic of the weather. "Do you want to help him? Then I have a solution for you, commit the murder and both of you will go free. That applies for the rest of you lot as well."

"H-how could this be happening?" Yume said shakily. "This is all a dream. A very bad dream. This can't be real."

"I don't want to believe this," said Inori. "This is so cruel."

"No...no," Kai mumbled as she fidgeted her fingers wildly. "Why are you doing this, Monokuma? What has my sister ever done to you? And...she said that my mentor Karin Osaka is...dead,...killed. Was it your doing as well?"

"Maybe," said Monokuma indifferently. "But honestly I have seen waaaaaay too many cold-blooded killing in this life that I don't bother to remember each and every face anymore. Heck, you humans all look the same to this bear, hence the clothes I gave you all."

"Leave my parents out of this, Monokuma," Elize hollered, face red with tears.

"Mine too," Hokuto cried. Out of the people around, he alongside Akihito, Kazuki, and Fitzgerald seemed to be coping better than the others. "We are the Ultimate Students here. If it is our talents that you want, I will comply. Just please don't pull anyone else into this."

"You honestly think your talent is everything?" asked Monokuma. "Maybe it's time to rethink your life choices."

"I see you are using our loved ones against us," said Kazuki in disgust. "How despicable. Wait until I get my hands on..."

Before he could finish, El Viento took drastic actions by launching herself forward and seizing the bear with her iron grip threateningly. "Bastardo. You will not get away from this."

"Get your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human!" roared Monokuma.

"El Viento, stop this," said Akihito. "I am saddened by this revelation us much as you are. The man I respect the most is in the clutch of the enemy as we speak. But destroying him will not make any difference."

"Look at him," Eliza called out. "He's just a mechanical avatar controlled by someone somewhere else."

"I cannot just stand here and do nothing," said El Viento angrily.

"Calm down," I told her, even though I was panicking on the inside as much as anyone here. "We need to come up with a solution, together. And that means no breaking the rules until we have a good idea about our way out."

"Please, El Viento," begged Inori. "Be reasonable."

"Haven't you forgotten the ass-kicking two days ago?" Rin admonished, her voice shaking but resolute. "You are just making it worse. For all of us here."

"Fine," El Viento conceded, putting the bear down, as nicely as her bulging muscles could.

"That's more like it," Monokuma gloated. "Glad to see at least some of you here still hold respect for the rules I so meticulously brewed up. Otherwise, I might have to cut down the list of you bastards a bit, and that would hurt the rating. Nobody wants to see a student punished for breaking the rules, you know? That's just sooooo lame."

"What do you want from us?" demanded Rin. "Why are you so intent on making us kill each other?"

"As I have said before, you need to find that out yourself," Monokuma replied smugly. "Remember that your loved ones continue to suffer cruelly under my paws until one of you makes your move. Well, gotta go now. See ya later."

The bear disappeared along with the bodyguards. This time, we were all glad not having to tolerate him any further. But the situation still stood. We were trapped in this place with no way out. Our loved ones were abducted, tortured, and even killed, to force us to kill each other for the purpose of the Mutual Killing Game. And to make matters worse, a time passage has occurred, bringing unexpected changes in every corner, whether we liked it or not.

Attention

A new rule has been added

Rule #10: After a murder has occurred, ALL hostages except those who participate in the Mutual Killing Games (if any of you consider yourself to be) will be released.

"This is quite an interesting situation," said Fitzgerald. Unlike the rest of us, he showed no sign of being in distress.

"Interesting?" Ashley retorted. "How could you say that? The one you cared for most is in jeopardy and you are..."

"I have nothing to worry about that," said Fitzgerald as cool as a cucumber. "I will be honest here, all I saw was an empty window in that room. No one was there waiting for me."

"You have no one to care for, not at all?" I asked, appalled.

"No," Fitzgerald confirmed. "Not as far as I am concerned. My profession demands that I keep a distance from anyone I met and the memory loss prior to this negated any chance of me recalling the faces I once knew before that."

"You are talking about it as though it were a good thing," Yume gasped.

"How could you live with no one to care for, no one caring for you?" asked Tatsuya.

"It is a good thing," replied the Ultimate Detective, "for I am looking at an advantage for myself in this game. Or more likely, I have no exploitable weakness when it comes to any person that could be used to threaten me. A shame, though. I would have preferred having someone behind that window to help me...refresh my memory, not that it would be enough to motivate me to commit murder anyway."

"But it doesn't mean you won't become a victim," Ashley lashed out furiously. She ran at Fitzgerald like a wild beast seeking blood. The Ultimate Pranking Queen had been so far a moderate person, if not a bit reserved when it came to aggression. Perhaps the motivation had triggered something in her I did not know. Perhaps it had triggered something in all of us we didn't want to be known. "Perhaps kombat will refresh your memory! I'm going to teach you a lesson for mocking our pain!"

What happened next was drastic. Ashley fell upon Fitzgerald punching and slapping wildly. The Ultimate Detective did nothing of the kind to repel her; either he believed he fully deserved this retribution or he had no doubt we would get him out of the situation. Regardless, it took us a while to separate them and a little longer to calm Ashley down. El Viento and Akihito volunteered to escort her back to her room.

"Let us...relax for a moment," I said. "We are all mentally exhausted right now. Perhaps it would be wise to discuss this at another point."

"No disagreement there," said Rin.

"Definitely," concurred Kazuki.

And so, with nothing left to say or do, we all headed back to our room to let the whole thing sink in.

Main Hall

19:00

I missed lunch. I had no stomach for that. But missing dinner as well would be a detriment, so I decided to swallow my pain and headed back to the main hall for some food.

Rin, El Viento, Kazuki, Akihito, Inori, and Yume were there when I entered. According to Rin, some others joined dinner but they took some food on a plate and left to their room. Not the best display of friendship or culinary courtesy, but given the ordeal, I could not blame them.

Still no sign of Inu anywhere. I grew worried about him. Given what Fitzgerald had said and how the fellow had been reacting, it wouldn't be surprising if he had no important person in his life as well. But unlike the dirty detective, the chemist was clearly emotional about it.

But for now, I needed to worry about myself and my sister. Though I deplored the others' plights, mine must take priority. We all must have an order of priorities.

"I tried to have a meeting, but attendance was poor," said Rin, disappointed. "We must all be here at breakfast tomorrow, that is if no one has decided to take initiative in this game. I will have Tatsuya calling your doors." That sounded more like a threat than anything, but compared to Monokuma's, I could live with that.

"Still trying to keep order around here?" I asked.

"You bet," the police officer replied.

I took my plate of food, some braised lamb chops, beef steaks, bell peppers, and asparagus, and went to a table. My stomach was grumbling for the lack of feeding since breakfast, so I dug in like a T-rex.

"Still can't believe what happened, can you?" asked Kazuki as we sat next to each other.

"Yeah," I said. "I wish this were a dream which I can wake up from. But apparently, that is not the case."

"Don't think like that," Kazuki discouraged. I noticed his plate was full of waffles. "We need to face our fear with everything we've gotten. Only then can we overcome it."

"Thanks," I replied.

Hang out with Kazuki Ishikawa?

Yeah, sure/Not now

"So, who was it that you saw?" Kazuki asked.

The question made Amelda feel uncomfortable but seeing his counterpart was willing to be frank with him, Amelda brushed up his courage to return that honesty in kind.

"My little sister," Amelda replied. "Her name is Alice. Alice Douglas Mason."

"What kind of person is she?" asked Kazuki.

Amelda chuckled mirthlessly. "Oh, you will be glad she is NOT your little sister. Quite a devil in the making, that girl is. I don't think I have ever been with her for more than five minutes without getting a headache. She obsession with punk music and singers, always playing them loudly and singing after them in my presence."

"You disapprove of her taste?" Kazuki continued.

Amelda shook his head. "Not really. However, I prefer that she uses a headphone and keeps quiet while I am working. She also tends to mix up my documents. Sometimes it took me whole days to organize them back. Other offenses include jumping on my bed without washing her feet, deleting my game save files, and casually inviting my ultra-rare collector's edition Batman figure to doll parties."

Kazuki smiled. "I never had any sibling, but from your description, I think I would love it if I had one. Is she faring well?"

Amelda was silent as he shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, sorry for asking," Kazuki apologized.

"Don't worry about it," said Amelda, sighing as he held back the tears. "But...well, she's not alright. Let's get that straight. But it's not like any of us can do anything about it."

"Take your time," Kazuki soothed.

Amelda recollected himself, but the wave of memory with his sister hit him like a tidal wave, and he never realized how he cherished those moments until now. How could everything be alright when his sister, only eleven years old, was subjected to such cruelty? And how could he, her beloved brother, have no inklings about it?

Amelda took a deep breath, saying, "Well, I guess nothing could be done about it. Except following the instruction which I have no desire to. As for you, I hope you don't mind if I ask. What did you see in that room?"

"Ayame Miyazaki," Kazuki replied plainly. "When I saw her, she was still in good condition."

"Thank God for that," Amelda replied. "But who is she?"

"She was part of the orchestra I was performing and a friend of mine," Kazuki stated. "We were quite close to each other and had many concerts together. Her talent is questionable, however, and there was not a single practice that I did not have to correct her. She even messed up once during a live performance, nearly embarrassing the whole team in front of the audience. I thought I told her off quite harshly after that."

"Then how did she get in?" Amelda asked.

Kazuki frowned as he cupped his chin. "I'm not sure. The instructor was very sketchy about it. He said he saw hidden potential in her and invited her to stay late at the studio for training. I thought I could help her as well. It took endless sessions of practice and rehearsal together to fix all her mistakes. I can say, at this point, she can stand well on her own. We became more than just friends at one point. I...confessed to her."

Amelda raised his brows. "Did she return?"

Kazuki shook his head sadly. "No. She did not state the reason why, but I think it has something to do with the instructor and how she was accepted in the first place if she didn't have the required talents, to begin with. I then left the orchestra to enroll in Hope's Peak Academy. We still have contact with one another, but every time I see her it is like a needle to my heart. But not even that could prepare me for what I saw behind that door. She still appears fine, physically, but I can tell her emotions were all jumbled up. I also learned that the orchestra is no more and the instructor dead at some point."

At this juncture, Amelda thought it was wise to change the subject. As Kazuki said, it took time for us to let the fact sink in, and he looked to be no exception.

"So how did you get into playing the flute?" Amelda inquired.

Kazuki laughed softly. "Oh, it goes back a lot. I was given a flute when I was five years old. I remembered playing it every single day. My guardian, Akira, discouraged me from playing during meals, but that surely didn't stop me."

"You live with your guardian? Amelda asked.

"Yeah," said Kazuki. "He took care of me after my parent's abandonment. Akira is a very good man, one who I look up to a lot. He always provides me with the supports I need, comforts me whenever I feel weak, and gives me a role model to follow. Anyway, I signed up for flautist class at the age of five and after two years and a half, the teacher stopped teaching me."

Amelda was surprised. "Why so?"

"Because there was nothing left for him to teach, nothing left for me to learned," Kazuki explained. "I have already mastered every technique and every tune. I even outperformed him in certain plays."

"You sound a lot like a prodigy," Amelda remarked.

"Call me whatever you wanted," said Kazuki. "I played a lot in the neighborhood and everyone appreciated that. A lady even called me to get rid of her rat infestation, though I had to tell her it didn't work like in fairy tales. It was not before that talent show when I was nine that catapulted me into a national sensation. They told me the crowd went wild at my performance, clapping and cheering as I finished my play, but I wasn't listening to that. Whenever I am in total concentration, only the sound of music flows through my ears. This goes on even after the play is complete as I recall every single note I blew."

Hope's Shard Obtained!

Kazuki Ishikawa

The Mozart of the twenty-first century, Kazuki showed excellency with his flute at an exceptionally young age. His first attempt at a relationship did not end well and now the girl he liked in the past is the push for him to kill in the present. His former orchestra, however, reeks of deceit. I have maintained my suspicion of human motives long enough to know this. Kazuki seems aware as well. I am glad he has moved on.

Author's note: It's been quite a while. However, I got this one written out a few days ago but, due to a computer breakdown, was unable to publish it. So here it is, the first motivation. Yes, motivation, not motive like in the game. Motivation is vaguer. The reason is that you guys gave me a large variety of motives that if I were to be too specific, the sender would probably expect their character to be the murderer. So here it is. The chapter merely dumps the motivation. Next time, we will have a look at it. In the meantime, you can have whatever speculation you want.

I did not choose people with the most elaborate background or personality. I chose the people I thought I could work with and let my imagination does the rest. I hope you can agree with how I handle your characters in a way that only avoids direct confrontation with what you wrote in your character submission.

Due to popular demands, I have gone back to previous chapters and did an extensive grammar check. The things I do for you guys.

Please enjoy. I will see you next time.