ACT 2: NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE

Chapter 2: A contest of screams

Day 6

Tartarus Keep

I seemed to have lost track of the time during the conversation I had in the bar alongside Inu, Ashley, and Kai. It was the first time in many years I had been so open about my history with people other than my parents (not even my sister was privileged to such knowledge about the disjunction that nearly tore our family apart before she was born nor the tragic accident that nearly took my own life), and, naturally, the feeling was novel like a young bird sensing the cool air on its extended wings as it took flight for the first time. Honestly, I was afraid. I thought I would have cold feet at some point, or I would stutter like hell telling the story about myself, but in the end, I remained cool until the conversation was over.

Finishing my drink, I decided it was time to explore the next among the latest addition to our, in Monokuma's word, "lebensraum".

Which room should I go to next?

Library

Laundry room

Library

11:30

A voice in my head told me I should not be here, for it would only bring me more pain then I deserved. Just as Minako found herself at home in the botanical garden, now no longer safe to enter thanks to genetically mutated plants, Akihiko would surely have been exuberant knowing the existence of this place. The Ultimate Librarian's untimely demise prevented that and the knowledge of how happy he would be had he survived just another day was a testament to the suddenness of human mortality, especially in what kind of game we were playing.

Shoving such dark thoughts away from my mind, I opened the door to the library. The rectangular chamber expanded on the two sides twice as long as its width, the floor still covered by the same red carpet and the ceiling slightly higher than the corridor to accommodate a trio of chandeliers. In the middle of the room were bookshelves placed into two rows and eight columns, with more lining up the walls completely. To the right, I could see a study quarter with four wooden tables placed together and on the left was the librarian's desk now occupied by no one.

As soon as I entered, I immediately regretted my decision not to heed the voice in my head as it warned of imminent suffering should I entered the library. In a way, it came true for I barely made three steps when Fitzgerald appeared in front of me, nearly startling me.

Before I could regain myself and greet him, probably chastising him for scaring my wits out, he said, "Fight me," and proceeded to throw a clenched fist across my face with the speed of a rocket.

For a split second that seemed like an eternity, I saw my life flash before my eyes. I tended to have that whenever something dramatic occurred that affected or should have affected my physical body in a negative manner, such as Ashley's trap throwing me three hundred sixty degrees into the air or Hijiri stabbing me through my hand or every time I started bleeding uncontrollably. Before knowing the despair and mental degradation that Monokuma brought in spades, I was only afraid of physical harm, stemming from the fact I was a defenseless pile of meat during my primary school years and a perfect target for the likes of Jason Botch and other bullies. Secondary school was no better as, despite losing most of my weight, my anti-social behaviors made more enemies than friends. The threat of bodily injury always struck me harder than anything else. It was a primal fear that originated from my dreadful childhood and resonated even in my mature mind.

The feeling of fear soon gave way to purpose, however. Because I did not want to be physically harmed, I had to defend myself. Just like I did with Hijiri, I would see to it that Fitzgerald did not cause any injury to me until I got to the bottom of his strange behavior.

Amelda Douglas Mason vs Fitzgerald Scott

FIGHT

I took a step back to evade the blow, feeling its vehement force as it went by only an inch in front of my face; that was an inch from putting an unsightly crater into my (second) most prized possession. As I completed my maneuver, still in confusion as to the meaning of this abrupt and unexpected hostility, Fitzgerald renewed his attack and I quickly found my back against the bookshelf next to the wall. I was now cornered with no more room for a withdrawal.

"What in God's name are you trying to pull?" I cried.

"Killing you, maybe," Fitzgerald replied callously.

The next punch was savage. Despite his lanky build, the Ultimate Private Detective packed some decent strength and agility, no doubt acquired to get him out of sticky situations which his shady profession demanded that he entered in the first place. As I moved my head away, the bookshelf shuddered under the concussive effect of the blow.

At this point, I realized I was once again thrust into a battle of life and death, a battle where I could only come out the victor or the slain. Though I was not prepared to be assaulted in broad daylight by Fitzgerald, my body and mind had remained on high alert ever since that incident in this keep where my life was first threatened. Unlike what happened between me and Hijiri, I was more aware this time. With growing confidence, I knew what I must do. In the life of every man in this world, even the most zealous pacifists, there must come a time where the only way they avoid violence was not to run away but to confront it, defeat it, make sure it would never cause any hard again either to myself or to others. Such was the principle when Wayne's Corp trained their employees the art of self-defense, and now was the right opportunity to put all the skills I learned there to the test.

I parried the next blow, a swing at my temple from the left side, and deflected an uppercut. I could not retaliate, however, as my left hand remained unusable. Seeking a different angle to this combat where I was not at an immediate disadvantage, I grabbed a book from the shelf behind and tossed it at my assailant. It bounced off Fitzgerald's shoulder harmlessly. Changing plan, I kicked out with my foot at his shin and was rewarded with a yelp in pain.

"Good one, Mason," Fitzgerald gritted his teeth while maintaining his smile.

"Please, stop this right now," I begged.

Of course, he did not comply. Honestly, what was I expecting from a guy who dragged me into the lady's room without my permission and then came up with an excuse to Monokuma that we were doing queers' stuff in there? Ignoring the second front at the bottom, Fitzgerald relentlessly threw his fist at my face and chest until I could block them no more. One blow to the backside of my injured hand was particularly devastating, sending a shockwave of pain across my body and rendering all other sense numb. I had underestimated the severity of the wound by believing only my palm needed protection – the knife had sliced into the palm and went through it, after all – and did not paid as much attention to the other side. The mistake cost me and I dropped to my knees, clutching my left and screaming in agony.

Result: Fitzgerald Wins!

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!"

"Is everybody alright?" asked Rin, popping out from behind the bookshelf with a worried look on her face. She was followed by El Viento, Hokuto, Tatsuya, Eliza, Yume, and, to my pleasant surprise, Minako who had decided to willingly step out of the botanical garden for the first time. "I heard screaming."

"Amelda, your hand," Yume exclaimed and rushed to assist me. "Goodness. You must be in great pain." He clutched my injured hand and, before I could say a word, placed it on his cheek lovingly. "Here. Let my magic make you feel better."

"What the hell did you do?" Hokuto inquired as he turned his suspicious gaze to Fitzgerald who wore the smuggest expression I had ever seen on his face.

"Relax," said the Ultimate Detective. "It's not a big deal. We were just having some combat practice."

"Combat practice?" I asked, amazed by the innocuous explanation. "That came out of nowhere. Forget the hand; I nearly died of a heart attack. You could have at least warned me about it."

"Did Hijiri warn she would drug you and cut your throat?" Fitzgerald countered. "Did either I or Akihiko receive any notice that Kazuki was out for our blood? I don't think so. We made the same mistake, you and I, Mason. You believed in unity while I trusted my senses. Either of us could have been killed, yet we are lucky to survive; it's a shame the same thing cannot be said about either Akihiko or Kazuki. That is why we must not repeat our mistakes. That is why we must be ready for anything."

"But R-r-r-rin had already set up precautions for us," said Tatsuya. "Won't they be enough?"

"More like a regime, if you ask me," Eliza snorted.

"Still, that should prevent another m-m-m-murder from happening, right?" asked Tatsuya hopefully.

"Damn sure it will," Rin stressed.

"That assumption is flawed," said Fitzgerald. "I have every reason to believe another killing is not only unavoidable but also imminent. Humans are unpredictable, even for the Ultimate Private Detective myself, and the bear seems to know exactly how to exploit that."

"Please, don't say something like that," Minako begged, water filling her eyes. While I was the most physically hurt by the previous events (with the possible exception of Inori who was never alright to begin with), the greatest blow to morale was definitely landed on her. "I don't want anybody to die. Why can't we all live happily together? This place isn't too bad,… is it?"

"Nobody is killing anybody," said Yume resolutely. "Friends don't kill friends."

"We are classmates, not friends," Eliza corrected. "Friendship demands the existence of something alike between individuals."

"We are in the same situation here," Yume insisted. "Students of the same class, trapped together and meeting each other every day, is that not a good basis enough?"

"Doesn't mean we should not prepare for the worst," El Viento concurred with Fitzgerald. "As we already see with Kazuki, the threat of corruption is both vile and unpredictable. Your value in friendship is a wonderful thing, Yume, but who knows what's going on in the minds of others. Still," she changed her voice to a more critical tone, "beating up an already wounded man is disgraceful, just like an adult willfully hurting a child. You are pushing the boundary a bit too far, Fitzgerald."

"All of us saw what happened to Kazuki," said Hokuto. "Would anyone wish to commit the ultimate crime, only to die like that?"

"For now, perhaps," said Fitzgerald. "Fear may be holding us back for now, and a powerful tool it is. However, when Monokuma introduces the next motivation which I am certain he will, the Mutual Killing Game will begin anew, and once again we shall be at each other's throat. Until then, we may as well use our time of respite for something productive."

Rin glared at the Ultimate Detective. "How is further damaging Amelda's hand productive? What kind of logic are you using? I don't understand your reasoning at all." She turned towards me. "An eye for an eye, that's one of the oldest and most basic laws in human history. You want me to break his arm to even up for you, Amelda?"

I had no reason to believe she had any qualm doing so; the Blue Devil had committed much worst in her career. "That would not be necessary," I told her.

"Are you sure?" asked Rin. "He knew of your injury and tried to exploit it. What a despicable scoundrel he is. And you still think he should walk away unharmed?"

"Everyone with an axe to grind with Mason would exploit his injury," Fitzgerald cut in. "I merely gave him my warning."

"I think you gave him the axe," said Hokuto angrily. "How is his hand going to heal now?"

"At the same pace, no less," Fitzgerald replied.

"How do you know?" pressed Eliza. "Are you the Ultimate Doctor as well?"

"No, but I conferred with Inori," said Fitzgerald. "We both took care of Amelda when he was unconscious. I asked her many questions and her insights are remarkable, to say the least."

"It's fine," I raised my voice. "My hand does not hurt anymore." It was the truth: the pain receded as quickly as it came. To be truthful, I could barely feel my left hand much like before, but that was considered an improvement over the agony that nearly caused me to pass out just moments ago. Perhaps Fitzgerald had planned it all along, to land a blow that would cause vehement pain without leaving any long-term effect using the knowledge he acquired from Inori. He did on purpose so that I would learn my lesson (not that I ever wanted to) and still be able to apply it.

Or maybe Yume's magic had work after all, though I still did not want him or his sister to use it to wipe out humanity.

"Are you sure?" asked Hokuto incredulously.

"Pretty sure," I told her. "It's okay now, Yume. I would like to have my hand back. Thanks for healing me with your magic."

Yume beamed brightly as he let go of my hand, "You're welcome."

"Next time if Fitzgerald is bullying you again, just call me," El Viento assured. "I am no fan of bullying the weak and the defenseless. My muscles will defend you from any harm that might befall you."

"I'll keep that in mind," I told her. I vaguely realized despite being assaulted in the middle of the day in an area with other people in, I did not cry out for help at all. This option didn't even occur to me back then and a part of my talent as the Ultimate Accountant was always being out seeking the best alternative, so I pondered about it for a few moments. Just like in the horror movies, the girls would do all the screaming and the guys would usually die silently, sometimes (stupidly) trying to fight back, when the killers got to them. Perhaps it was one of the things that constituted masculinity, a mindset as ancient as humankind itself that originated when societies were simple, gender role division was clear and males were forced to do all the dirty, dangerous, and daring jobs. Even in modern societies, this had become sort of a diehard tradition. I wondered if Akihiko knew he would be killed by Kazuki, would he try to repel the murdered by himself, run away as fast as he could, or cry out for help.

Of course, that was only the age-old belief. It depended on the person's readiness and physical prowess, irrespective of their gender. I knew for a fact that Rin and El Viento would choose the former option, whereas Inu would probably head-over-heels making his escape.

In the aftermath of the brawl, the others and I spread out across the library which seemed as large as the main hall itself, looking for anything that might be helpful, whether as a source of entertainment or knowledge. The library was indeed a good place to be in right now. Perhaps some of the books here could be read to kill time, extend our knowledge, or even learn a bit about the current situation.

To my disappointment, most of the books weren't readable. There were no comics (colored Western comics, not black and white Japanese manga) and I could really use some Hulk or Squirrel Girl to occupy my tattered mind, satisfy the lizard part of my brain and ease my woes. Biology, economics, geography, and many common types of science studied in the twenty-first century were all but missing. The majority of books in the library were either seriously old-schooled or too complex for anyone other than scholars: philosophies, language, middle-age laws, religions (while a Judaism devotee myself, I had zero in the study of my religion), stories I never knew even existed and extensive studies into subjects my average mind could not grasp even the slightest concept. Finally, I found some that looked quite promising and picked up one of them, A Small Treatise on Modern History – Volume 7 – The Cold War. The book was relatively short (about one hundred fifty pages with many pictures) which was a good thing because I had no intention of staying around in Tartarus Keep while, at the same time, was loath to begin a book without finishing it.

"I'm sure Akihiko would have loved this place," said Minako next to me. She had chosen a couple of books for herself as well, a dictionary of plants with medicinal values and one on alchemy. I used to have an interest in alchemy until I realized the best metal to create gold was platinum - something even more expensive than gold. I noticed her turquoise hair no longer tied to a side ponytail; the yellow feathers were still on. She looked cuter with her hair down. "We have a library here, but the Ultimate Librarian is no longer with us. Ironic, isn't it? And I'm the one to blame here. If only I…"

"He sure would have," I cut her off. After a brief moment of silence, I continued, "Minako, I understand how you feel losing somewhat that was close to you. He was a good friend to all of us and we will remember him. But we also need to move on."

"You're right," said Minako. "Sorry I am a bit emotional sometimes. There are not many humans with whom I could relate to. Anyway, do you like reading, Amelda-kun?" As I noticed, she was referring to us using our first names from now, probably out of Ashley's insistence.

"Yeah," I said. "It's my favorite hobby." And also the reason for my lack of social interaction back in high school where I spent too much time in the library.

"It's great to hear that," said Minako cheerily. "I love reading a lot. Hanako taught me all the amazing things that reading brings and I have been seeing them ever since. What kind of books you like Amelda?"

I had a sense of déjà vu hearing that question. On my first day in Tartarus Keep, someone else had asked the same thing about my type of books, someone who was no longer with us. "Fairy tales and classic literature," I replied. It was the same answer.

"Really? I thought a person like you would be all about mathematics and finance."

I shrugged and replied, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Of course," said Minako. "Well, given the botanical garden is no longer safe thanks to Monokuma's evil meddling with Mother Earth's children, I think this will be the place where I will spend most of my time. My room is beautifully decorated to my liking, but… I don't really like being in a closed space for too long."

"No problem," I told her before suddenly realizing the danger it would pose. "Wait, you don't plan on sleeping out here, do you? I understand you have your animal senses, but this is not a jungle anymore and it's not safe being outside at Night-Time."

"I know," said Minako and I sighed in relief. "Rin-chan filled me in on the new house rule. She's being a little overprotective to us, like a big sister or a mama bird protecting its younglings, but I see her point. I will gladly comply, especially since I had no idea how to even use the handbook anyway."

"Let's just hope we'll find a way to get out of here soon," I said.

"Me too," Minako replied.

"Me three," Eliza chimed in. I did not see where she was coming from, but here she was right in front of us, armed crossed and looking rather disappointed at the lack of books on technology to read. "You know why? Because mister I-am-going-to-get-us-all-out-of-here is back to business again. Just look at him."

We all looked where Eliza was pointing at and saw Hokuto tabbing on the bookshelves that lined up the walls and listened carefully.

"What are you doing, Hokuto?" I asked, suddenly worried he might attempt something so drastic again. If anything, the murder and trial sure motivated him further.

"Trying to find a way out," the Ultimate Miner said, confirming my fear. "What does it look like? I went through the library before you got here. Nothing caught my interest."

"Well, how what you are doing is supposed to help find a way out?" asked Eliza skeptically.

"All castles have secret passageways," Hokuto elaborated. "I'm sure of that. With power comes liability. Kings and lords all need to have some places to go, either safe havens or secret escape routes, when their enemy comes knocking or the oppressed people storm their property."

The concept was simple for me to understand. In most societies where authority was centralized, one day the lord might be sitting their ass on their throne and the next their neck might be under the guillotine. It was only logical that they always had a plan B should the power they held made them a target for those who desired it. I knew for a fact the White House had a contingent underground safe-house for the President and other high-ranking government officials in case of emergency.

"And how do you know it's in here?" inquired Eliza.

"Most secret passageways are accessed through flipping some books, so if there is any place we can get to them, it should be here," Hokuto explained. "At least that's what happens in the movies."

"We are in a twisted game show anyway," I agreed. "So I guess it wouldn't be a surprise if we find any…"

"Wait, wait….," said Hokuto suddenly, tapping on the shelf he was examining. "Bingo. I think I found it. Behind this shelf and this wall is an open space. The hidden route must be right here."

With that, the Ultimate Miner began throwing out books from the shelf indiscriminately. Before we could say anything, his crazy plan worked and the bookshelf swung open like a door, revealing the entrance to a tunnel behind it.

"See? See?" Hokuto whooped. "I told you, didn't I?"

The bookshelf opened too rapidly and in a huge arc, ultimately coming into contact hard with another bookshelf that was not near any wall. To the unspoken horror of myself and Minako (Eliza just looking passively as if she was expecting as much from Hokuto), the impact caused the collided shelf to topple and collapse into another which then repeated the process and it was not long before the whole column came down like domino pieces. The worst part was the angelic boy still deep in his reading at the end of the falling column oblivious to his impending doom.

"It's going to crush him," Minako exclaimed.

"Tatsuya, watch out!" I cried out. The Ultimate Delivery Boy looked up with a puzzled expression. His face then turned to abject horror as he saw the massive shelf coming down on him.

As all hopes seemed lost, a booming voice rang out, "Never fear, for I am here to save you!" Springing into action like a superhero, El Viento flung herself at Tatsuya, taking him in a clutch, and pushed him out of the way a split second before the bookshelf came down with an earthshaking wham.

All of us rushed towards El Viento and Tatsuya as the former let go of the former. And by that, she picked up the Ultimate Delivery Boy like a totem, placed him on the ground so that his feet would hold his balance and, as if an afterthought, wiped the dust from his clothes. Tatsuya did not move a muscle as she did so, perhaps too shocked by his near-death experience or overwhelming presence of the Ultimate Luchador who had at least six times in body mass was too much for him to handle.

"God in heaven. Are you alright, Tatsuya?" I asked. With one shocking incident after another, I doubted my fainted heart could take it much longer.

"Mother Earth be praised," Minako sighed in relief seeing Tatsuya standing on his own wobbly feet. "You're safe."

"The landing was a bit r-r-r-rough," said Tatsuya, checking his body for any sign of significant injury. "But I'm okay. Thanks to El Viento here. I don't know if I would even s-s-s-survive if she had not saved me."

"Good work, El Viento," said Rin, tapping the shoulder of the Ultimate Luchador in compliment.

"It seems the mountain of muscle finally does something useful for once," Eliza commented. Out of all the people in the library, only she was unimpressed. Even Fitzgerald took note of the incident with interest. "About time, too. It would be a damn waste of nutrition and training otherwise."

"Hahahahaha," El Viento laughed. "I have made it the duty of my life – nay, the purpose of my very existence – to defend those who cannot defend themselves. No evil shall have its way if I can help it. Even the hands of fate can be delayed by my very hands. Saving this amigo right here is just in my alley."

"Sheez, you could have just said the last bit," Eliza scowled.

"I'm so happy we have another ally of justice here," said Yume excitedly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Hokuto apologized frantically. This was strike three for him: first Kai, then Minako and now Tatsuya. If Rin put Hijiri on a lockdown, I wondered why Hokuto was not given the same treatment given the danger he posed to the safety of the group. "It was an accident. I swear I didn't mean to."

"Accident or not, you nearly killed a fellow student, Hokuto," said Rin sternly. "This is not the first time it has happened. And that is not to mention the mess you've caused." She indicated the fallen shelves and the hundreds, if not thousands, of books scattered across the floor.

"Hokuto," Fitzgerald shook his head wearily. "You should be more careful next time when attempting to off someone, not this amateurish display. It would be a shame if someone dies and we don't have a murder mystery to solve. A damn shame."

"Now you're just being creepy," Yume remarked.

"Well, I'm alive and n-n-n-nobody else got hurt," Tatsuya summed it up. "That's the good news, right?"

"WRONG!" A deafening high-pitched voice wailed in, heralding the arrival of our liege Monokuma. Though his expression was the same as ever, I could see he was not happy at all. "Someone did get hurt. Me! Overlord Monokuma does NOT approve! My heart aches at the sight of my precious property in ruin because of you."

The library was in total and complete disarray. Eight shelves had fallen down and there were a plethora of books covering the floor. As a book lover myself, I found it outrageous, even though most of the books here I would never read anyway.

"I'm… sorry," Hokuto stuttered. His face lost color as he recalled the rule that disallowed the destruction of Monokuma's non-current assets; the crime was considered on the same level of treason, even.

"Sorry? Sorry!" Monokuma ranted, waving his paws like swatting flies. He seemed to have lost it. The bear had always been collected and sarcastic when around us so far, so I was genuinely astonished to see him hurling his anger at Hokuto like that. "You think an apology is all it takes to stay my wrath? You honestly I am letting you go scotch-free after what you did?"

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

"N-n-n-no," Hokuto panicked.

"That's right, NO!" Monokuma yelled. "I will rip you to shreds. I will cut you to ribbons. I will feed your flesh to my hounds and grind your bones to dust and make fake medicine out of it and sell it at slaughtering prices. Any last word?"

"Guys, a little help here," the Ultimate Miner turned to the rest of us for help.

"How?" I asked incredulously. "Monokuma does have a point. It's the rule as written and treason is indeed among the worst of offenses."

"I would love to deliver you from this devil, but…., I am afraid I am powerless here," El Viento admitted, knowing very well how her last attempt at Monokuma ended up.

"Don't say you weren't warned," Rin added.

"You merely reap what you sow," El Viento said critically.

"Goodbye, you will not be missed," said Eliza.

"Oh come on guys," Yume begged. "This is not the time for jokes. Even though he nearly got us killed, Hokuto is still our friend. We can't let Monokuma do whatever you want to him."

"Are you saying I should grin and bear it while half of my library has been destroyed?" Monokuma grunted the Ultimate Baker who found himself lost for words.

"Wait, I can explain," Hokuto excused. "It's the design of this entrance to the tunnel. I simply activated the switch and it came out like that. How am I supposed to guess opening it would cause such a ruckus?"

To my surprise, instead of flying into an uncontrollable rage like Hulk, the murderous bear actually calmed down and pondered about it for a moment. He reviewed the tunnel with some interest. "Hmmm. You're kind of right. It is a stupid feature."

"It's your castle," said Fitzgerald. "I thought you would know about it."

"Tartarus Keep has a long history since before I was even a cute little cub," Monokuma explained. "Many of its designs, its secrets included, are unknown to me. I didn't even notice the entrance to this tunnel until now. But that doesn't change the fact my beautiful library has been devastated by a horrendously flawed design. I would have executed the architects if they weren't already dead at this point."

"So, does that mean I get to live?" asked Hokuto.

"Since I am a lenient lord, I decree that your life may continue," said Monokuma. "Bow before my generosity."

After an awkward moment, Hokuto dropped to one knee and knelt before Monokuma like a knight before his lord.

"But seriously," Monokuma continued. "One more like this and it will be the end of you, accident or not. For now, clean up this mess. If I come back and the library is not sparkling clean, I swear upon the grave of my mother you will regret the day you were born. Got it?"

"Yes, yes," Hokuto replied quickly. "I'll do it right away."

"Good. Carry on."

Dungeon

14:00

It took us an hour or so but we finally did it. We cleaned up the library, standing up the shelves and, under my instruction (I learned a lot from Akihiko when we sorted out the items in the warehouse together), putting the books in their place in the right order. El Viento once again was a lifesaver. Without her, lifting the shelves would have been impossible. Even Yume helped a lot and the fellow was confined to his wheelchair. Moments like this when the class joined efforts for an important common goal made us think our camaraderie must be unshakable in the face of all odds no matter what the bear might pull out.

With the deed done, the threat of Monokuma no longer applicable, and the library looking as good as new, our attention turned towards the secret entrance. There was a stair leading to utter darkness as far as we could see from here.

"It's quite creepy," Minako commented.

"So, what do you think is in there?" Rin asked.

"It could be our way out," Tatsuya suggested.

"Or it could lead us all to our death," said Eliza. "Which is also a way out."

"Or something else entirely," Fitzgerald mused. "Regardless, whatever down there is something not even Monokuma is aware of. We now also know that Monokuma didn't build this castle specifically for the game, but is making use of one that was already in existence. The name Tartarus Keep doesn't ring any bell, but perhaps the knowledge where exactly we are might be helpful in our escape."

"And we can find it down there?" I asked. It appeared Monokuma was not so omnipotent as he claimed himself to be for not even he knew every wall and corner in this place. The lack of knowledge was a weakness and, just like my injured hand, it could be exploited to our advantage.

"My intuition tells me so," Fitzgerald agreed.

"One way to find out exactly what it is," said Rin.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," Hokuto urged.

"The path ahead could be dangerous," said El Viento loudly. "I shall lead the way."

"Talk about bold and foolish," Eliza sighed. "You can't make me enter that shithole. I'll stay here, just in case you guys need back-up."

"I am afraid traveling these stairs would be unfeasible for me," said Yume. "I'll be with Eliza. If you need anything, just call."

The five of us, El Viento at the forefront, Fitzgerald, Rin, Tatsuya, Minako, and I, entered the dark tunnel using our Electronic-IDs as flashlights. The path was gloomy and uneven, so we walked slowly and watched our step. The stairs stopped about twenty meters and we entered some sort of room that differed starkly to what we had seen so far in Tartarus Keep, almost as if we had been transported to another place altogether. This one had a stone floor instead of marble and had no carpet. The smell was dank, ancient, full of decay, and very dry.

Minako stayed close to me as we walked in, her hands clutching mine with the force of an anaconda squeezing the life out of its prey. A swarm of bloated rats ran across the room and startled us. I noticed Minako didn't even react to this: she was not afraid of creatures of nature, only the evils unleashed by humankind.

As we proceeded, the furniture in this room became obvious. They were medieval torture devices, or at the very least, devices created to mimic what were actually used in that era because one of them was the Iron Maiden and I knew for a fact that did not exist in the Middle Age. These did not look like just for show, however. Without even touching them, the horrid, brutal authenticity was patent, the dried blood only the icing on top of evidence regarding what macabre acts these devices were used in. There was no sign of any victim, though, no bodies or severed parts, no bloodied clothing pieces, or name stamps.

"This is some sort of d-d-d-dungeon," said Tatsuya with fear palpable in his voice.

"Dungeon?" echoed Rin, reminiscing. "Huh, I remember once suggesting the Department of Justice reform one of the prisons to a model based on the London Tower before they changed it to a tourist attraction. Needless to say, the proposal didn't go through." A good thing it was; there were plenty of reasons why the Middle Age could be used as a model of society failure of epic proportions and what should NOT be applied in the twenty-first century.

"Monokuma is right when he said this place had been here for a long time," said Fitzgerald as he examined the state of the equipment and the dust that covered them. "The chamber, that is. The equipment is new, however. Someone must have discovered this place and brought it back to use."

"If that someone wasn't Monokuma, then who?" I asked.

"Have a look at this," Hokuto cut in as we approached the end of the room. "Oh my God."

All eyes looked in horror at the scene before us, all except Minako who quickly buried her face in my jacket; the sight was too much for her. Under the dim light, we could make out two emaciated humans being chained to the wall, their bodies colorless and little more than skeletons draped in thin layers of skin. For one frightful moment, I thought I was looking at Akihiko and Kazuki, two deceased members of the group then I remembered after what truly what happened to the latter, his body would not be so intact. The two poor sods were in their forties, one male and one female, probably a couple. They were dressed in expensive-looking purple and red regal clothing, though filthy and slightly tattered by now, and each had a crown on their head.

Neither of them was moving.

"W-w-w-who are they?" asked Tatsuya. "Are they d-d-dead?"

"Whoever they were, the might have been royal once," said Fitzgerald. "Their clothes were made from fine materials that outlasted the wearers. Could be the king and queen of this castle. As for your second question, it appears so, though I am certain it didn't come easily." Even in their current state, both bodies were ravaged by traces of extreme and painful tortures which this chamber was used for. The wounds ranged from whip slashes to burned marks, electrocution to chemical exposure. I wondered what these two did to deserve such a horrifying fate.

"This is just sick," El Viento spat contemptuously.

"If they were the previous owner of Tartarus Keep and Monokuma isn't responsible for this," I reinstated my question. "Then who is?"

"Amelda, I-I don't want to look," Minako wept into my chest. "Why does everything have to be so wrong and depressing?" I pat my hand on the back of her head. For a moment, I found myself not comforting Minako Yuza the Ultimate Herbalist anymore, but my very sister Alice Douglas Mason. A devil in the making she was, Alice was not without her tender moments, and one of them came when our beloved pet dog Butch died of sickness five years ago. I still remembered how many tears came out of her reddened eyes that day as she squeezed my hand as if with the intention of crushing it while dad was burying the poor thing in our backyard.

"It's alright," I told her softly. "I'm here for you." I wished I had the power to protect her. But I felt so useless in the moment. If I could not protect Alice like any good big brother should protect their little sister, how could I do so to others?

"Are you seeing this?" Hokuto indicated the text on the wall behind the chained couple. It was written in dry blood.

I love my mother and father

Mother is always sweet

Father is kind and forgiving

And they love me also very much

I love being a princess

But I love being a queen more

But I could not be a queen, not when my mother was

And I could not be a queen, not when my father was the king

So forgive me, mother and father

I love you all very much

But I love being a queen more than anything

"Usurped by their own offspring in the struggle for power and domination," said Fitzgerald, sighing. "Classic."

"To think all of this was caused by their daughter," El Viento bit her teeth to hold back her rage. "Outrageous. Just wait until I get my hand on that niña demonio."

"Are those real gold and real gems?" Hokuto wondered out loud as he looked closely at the elaborate crowns worn by the unfortunate couple. He reached out to snatch them.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"My town has been in shamble ever since our mines ran out," Hokuto explained. "This could change that."

"This is very very VERY bad idea," said Rin, overwrought.

"Don't you have any respect for the dead?" El Viento scowled.

"Oh come on," Hokuto persisted. "It's not like they're going to need them."

"Don't do this, man," I warned. "Don't do this."

My words fell on deaf ears and Hokuto touched the crown from the former king and tried to remove it from his head. As he did so, the supposedly dead man came back to life and seized for the encroaching hand. His eyes opened, white and lifeless, casting a baleful gaze on all six of us. The jaw dropped, revealing two rows of half-broken, rotting teeth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!" Hokuto screamed for his life.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Tatsuya squealed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Minako's distressed voice joined in. She didn't need to see it happen to know what was going on; she could always guess and the options were narrow when it came to what could have caused such widespread terror.

"S-s-s-so-n-n-nia…." the zombie man groaned.

"Let go of him!" I shouted to Hokuto.

"Don't let him bite you!" Rin added. At that moment, we both froze in our feet watching in trepidation as the scene unfolded itself and one of our classmates struggled for his life from the grip of the zombie king.

"Let go of me!" Hokuto cried. "Don't bite me!" As if that was going to work with a living dead.

Finally, El Viento regained her composure and took action. Shouting, "I'm coming for you," she rushed in and pulled Hokuto free from the zombie.

"Th-thanks," Hokuto stammered.

"T-t-that was a close one," said Tatsuya. "A second later and he w-w-would have been bitten. And b-b-b-become one of them."

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Fitzgerald proposed and nobody dared refuse.

In retrospect, the man might not have been a zombie after all and instead had been alive when Hokuto tried to loot his crown. If we had acted a bit more collected, we might have been able to help him, though more likely only to put him out of his misery considering the helplessness of his situation. But we were all afraid. The strange, almost alien setting and Monokuma's Mutual Killing Game had triggered our long-forgotten fear of the unknown and fear of death, respectively. With fear came irrationality. Without any thought, we all ran out as quickly as possible, me carrying Minako on my arms and El Viento carrying Hokuto on her shoulder.

"We heard screaming," said Yume anxiously as the six of us exited the tunnel back to the library. The light and warm air and presence of Yume and Eliza brought me immeasurable comfort. Though we had left for barely half an hour, it seemed like a year had passed since we last entered this room where Hokuto had created a mess that nearly led to his demise at the hand of Monokuma. "What happened?"

"You might not want to know," said Fitzgerald, panting.

"Hah, I was right not entering that shithole in the end," Eliza pouted triumphantly. "Consider yourself lucky you were able to make it out of there in one piece."

"Oh God, Amelda!" Rin cried out, her face as white as a paper. The Blue Devil had a fearsome reputation for being one of the cruelest, most brutally effective justice enforcers in the whole world, her fame spreading to even the United States where the crime rate was on a rapid increase. But to see her so frightened like that, I wonder what it could be. "What's happening to you?!"

"Me?" I asked. Confusion quickly gave way to disturbance as I felt the hot liquid trickling on my face.

"HE'S BEEN BITTEN!" El Viento shrieked with a voice that could have flattened a mountain. "HE'S BEEN BITTEN!"

Author's notes: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. You can see there is a new segment in the story where one character would engage in kombat with another. As tension rises and threats become real, the characters must be able to defend themselves. Since action is not going to be the main focus of the story, I decided to have a separate segment for them. Tell me what you think about it. The clash quotes, like the ones in the final showdowns, are heavily inspired by Injustice 2.

I am actually a bit anxious when writing this. I love all of my readers, but I feel like some of you guys are reluctant to review my story somehow even though you don't seem to have much problem reviewing other stories. Did I do something wrong? Did I offend you guys in any way? Please speak up so we can sort this one out.

Finally, whose scream do you think is the best in this chapter? Comment in the review. Let me know.

Good luck to all of you.