ACT 3: IN THE GRIP OF DESPAIR
Chapter 1: Secrets and lies
Day 9
Tartarus Keep
10:30
Trial Ground
"What in God's name are you talking about?" I asked, aghast. The Ultimate Private Detective had just accused the Ultimate Police Woman of lying in the previous trial.
"She lied to us," Fitzgerald repeated. "Her claim that Ashley had died instantly was not substantiated. She didn't know."
"And how do you know she lied?" I pressed angrily. This whole thing was becoming unbearable. First, I got stabbed. Then, I nearly killed someone. This was followed by the death of four of my classmates in a span of less than a week. And now, if not Rin, then who could I even trust?
"Intuition," Fitzgerald replied blankly. His answer nearly drove me up the wall.
"Fuck your intuition," I spat. "You, out of all people, should know the danger of creating further mistrust at this point."
"But doesn't Minako already display it?" Fitzgerald said coolly.
I took a deep sigh. The Ultimate Herbalist had reacted with most vehemence to Rin's accusation of Inori, also calling the Ultimate Police Woman a liar. Thinking back, it dawned on me the fact that Fitzgerald's intuition might have been correct and that Minako had known all along. "She's not a lost cause. We'll get her back. Yume and I will do our best."
"Then I wish you success on that," said Fitzgerald, grinning.
"If you knew she was lying, why didn't you speak out?" I continued.
"Speak out?" Fitzgerlad cocked his head. "Why should it?"
"You knew Inori was guilty, then?" I asked.
Fitzgerald shook his head. "No. Even I could not have known until Monokuma spilled the beans AFTER we voted. What I knew was that dragging the trial further was a bad idea. The inconclusiveness of the evidence we've been able to collect meant the ending could have gone either way. We needed a sacrificial lamb, preferably one who would be consent to playing the role."
"And Inori, with her troubled health condition, fit the bill," I finished.
"Precisely," said Fitzgerald. "There is still a huge risk, however."
"Using false evidence can backfire," I agreed. Mulling over it, I realized Rin had been in the employment of law enforcers in several crime-ridden countries where the police forces are, predictably, high corrupted, oppressive, and controversial. Some countries, in fact, might as well have been designated police states. It shouldn't come as a surprise if she had learned unethical tactics while working there. "Rin took a wild guess. Had she been wrong, all of us except Eliza would have been executed. We all took a leap of faith, albeit not knowing it, and we succeeded."
"You are very perceptive," Fitzgerald complimented. "I am glad to have you on my side."
"So she lied to us," I mused.
"That's right," said Fitzgerald. "How do you feel about it?"
I felt conflicted. On one hand, Inori died an unjustified, not to mentioned undignified, death. On the other, Rin did save us from the prolongment of the trial, which would have been much more detrimental to us both physically and mentally.
"It has to be done, I suppose," I concluded, finally coming to terms with reality. "What other choice did we have back then?"
"We did with what we had," Fitzgerald concurred. "It might not be the right thing, but it paid off, which is why you and I are still standing here."
"Should we tell this to the others?" I asked.
Fitzgerald shook his head. "That would be too sudden. The others need some time to get over this trial. I disclose this to you because we are both made of logic rather than emotions. You saw what happened to Minako. The truth did it to her. It could do the same to any of the others. As you said, we cannot afford any more mistrust."
"In part thanks to you," I said accusingly. "You broke my trust. And now I am implicated for hiding the fact you carried a firearm all this time. If only you had not made any more bullets."
"I won't from now on," Fitzgerald confirmed. "You have my word for that and my apology. I shall take it upon myself to bolter self-defense using other methods." I couldn't blame him for saying that. The Ultimate Private Detective might as well have painted a bullseye on his forehead at this point.
"Out of all of us, you sure take this game seriously," I remarked.
"Of course," said Fitzgerald. "I take everything related to life and death seriously. The trials are no exception. You may think I like to fool around, but that is only because I do not wish to take all the credits in solving the mystery. Boosting the self-esteem of you guys and strengthening your logical abilities are also reasons why I didn't simply dominate the whole show. You now see how wholehearted I am about this development, about the fact, despite my - our - best efforts, a big fat lie is what kept us alive."
"I thought you said you didn't want to play the Mutual Killing Game," I reminded him.
"It's not playing it that I am striving for," Fitzgerald corrected. "But playing around it. There is no victor in the Mutual Killing Game except Monokuma."
There was a distinct lack of smugness in his visage, only intent. This was the side of Fitzgerald I had only briefly glimpsed at, but those moments passed by so quickly that I failed to see any pattern. Now, it was clear that I was wrong believing he was a self-loving megalomaniac. Despite all the horrible things that had happened, seeing Fitzgerald like this made me feel invigorated. I had never doubted his talent, and now his character appeared to be sound as well. If anything, he was our best bet in getting out of here with our lives.
"I take back my words." I smiled talking to him. "There is more to you than meets the eyes. I suppose I am glad to have you on my side as well."
Fitzgerald was surprised by my expression. For a moment, I thought I saw him blush. "Yes," he said with an air of aloofness. "It takes a team effort to win the trial. It will take no less to beat this entire game."
"Oi!" Monokuma's shriek nearly caused me to jump. I had nearly forgotten that he was there. Since all the secrets we had so far, including the information exchanged in the female lavatory, would have been made public anyway, I didn't mind him overhearing our discussion. "It's time to leave, bastards. So move your ass. You don't want to be stuck here until the next trial, do you?"
"I guess I'll be seeing you around, then," I noted.
"Do show up at dinner," said Fitzgerald. "That's where we will have our discussion, though I highly doubt all those who survive will be able to attend."
18:00
Residential Area
I didn't expect to sleep for so long. The investigation early in the morning and the ensuing trial took a toll on me harder than I thought and I was completely listless when I entered my room that I didn't get to change before going back to bed. I used to have a tight schedule for all my daily activities which I followed religiously to avoid slacking on one hand and overworking on the other, courtesy of my ever-loving mother for teaching me. However, since moving to this place, in the face of the uncertainty of the situation, I found my self-discipline eroding into nothingness - the effect of which was obvious as I felt my head aching as if I was having a hangover.
Notwithstanding that, I still had an important meeting to attend after dinner. Despite the dubious effectiveness of the meetings so far, compounded by the expectation of poor turnout as we were still recovering from the heart-wrench that was the last trial and Inori's sadistic execution, I still had high hopes it would solve, or at the very least, alleviate, some of the current problems we were facing.
So I pushed myself out of bed. First, I needed a washup. At first, nothing appeared out of the ordinary when I started the shower. The cold water washed away my drowsiness, though not my melancholy.
After cleaning myself, I put on my briefs and looked at myself in the mirror. I noticed my beard had grown thicker beneath my chin. Clients or classmates, I didn't want to look unkempt in front of others. It was time for a shave. The only shaver I could find was in the form of a straight razor. While I didn't mind using it, the thought this could be used as a murder weapon (perfect for slitting somebody's throat, like what happened in that popular Sweeny Todd play which was adapted into a movie) gave me some shudder. Perhaps I should raise this with the others to have everyone's razor confiscated and put away in the storage just like we did earlier to all the medieval weapons so graciously provided by Overlord Monokuma. Hijiri tried to kill me with scissors that were exclusive to her room, so only God knew what the others had that could be used as a murder weapon.
Or perhaps I should stop being so paranoid about everything and deal with the fact the bear would always find a way, obvious weapons laying around or not.
With a deep sigh, I applied the foam around my chin, cheeks, and throat and let the blade run its course. It was going alright at first until my vision started to alter and I suddenly staggered as if a force as great as a truck was weighing down on my shoulder. It felt like what happened during the incident I had with Hijiri back then, though with much less intensity. For once, I was still aware of what was going on.
"What is going on," I muttered to myself. As I looked back at the mirror, much to my surprise, it wasn't my face covered in foam I was seeing, but something incomprehensible and nondescript except for what I could discern as a cruel rictus grin. It was also red, the color of ruby, tomatoes, and Superman's cape. And blood, too. I thought I heard a croaky voice speaking out.
Let me out!
Frightened and angered, I nearly slammed my fist into the mirror, only stopping when I realized it was against the rule to break furniture inside Tartarus Keep.
Rule #9: Damage to Monokuma's property will be treated as treason and punished accordingly.
The bear had threatened to throw a tantrum and deliver swift punishment should anything happened to his precious property, except, of course, during yesterday's evening when Despair Gas was put to use. With the motivation finished the rule against smashing furniture was in full swing once more. I wondered if breaking any of the rules would result in outright execution, or Monokuma would lock us away, or something else that would torture but not kill. Whichever the case, he was the master around here, and it would be wise not to disobey his explicit demands. In the end, I backed off after nearly losing my cool and allowing myself to fall victim to the impulse I had been steering away from for so long.
I felt blood trickling down my throat. For a moment, I thought I had accidentally cut myself with the razor in panic. But the lack of any feeling of pain indicated no wound was (self-)inflicted. There could be only one explanation for this.
Quickly regaining my composure, I dashed back to my room, still only in my underwear and with foamy cheeks. I seized the stash of herbal medicine Minako had prepared for me. The taste was as bad as I remembered, but I persevere. Just like last time, I felt lighter immediately. My hemorrhage stopped before it even became noticeable.
Forget me not!
The strange voice made one last attempt before it was silenced.
"What was that?" I asked myself. Many things must have happened during the period which my memory did not cover. I wondered how I had developed this hallucination and why my bloodletting condition had gotten so much worse. Those questions were for another time, however. Minako's medication seemed to keep it at bay for now, but there was no way I was going to depend on it for the rest of my life. Something had to be done, but until I could find out the cause, there was little I could do at this point.
Admitting my hopeless position, and getting over it, I finished my shave and was pleased with the result. I got dressed in one of the exact replicas of my outfit before heading out.
18:30
Gallery
As I expected, the hallways had been cleaned up thoroughly and all vestiges of the previous struggle all but gone. It was hard to imagine the carnage that took place within these halls just a day before. The extent of the resources and talents poured into this was surreal, much to my chagrin.
When I entered the gallery, three others were there: Hokuto, Rin, and Kai. They were staring at the newest additions to the exhibitions when I came in. From the looks of it, they weren't too happy with what they saw.
"Hey, take a look at this," said Hokuto, revolted.
I braced myself for what I was about to see. My gut wrenched when I realized one of the containers had a bloodied severed hand inside. I nearly vomited at the sight.
"The hell?" I spurred. His intent to torture us into despair aside, I never would have thought Monokuma would resort to the direct method of putting an actual piece of our deceased classmate on a macabre display like that.
Donation of Ashley Wiltarow
The Ultimate Pranking Queen failed to have the last laugh and was devoured by a ravenous classmate who was under the effect of the Despair Gas, leaving us with this. A truly offhanded display.
"How horrible," said Kai, aghast. "Offensive."
"Fucking bear," Rin hisses angrily. "He thinks this is a joke or something?"
A joke? I realized whose container this was and quickly put twos and twos together.
"It's not real," I said.
"What?" asked Kai, startled.
"Look," I told them. "Look more closely. It's just a prop."
All four of us glued our eyes to the severed arm. Without actually taking it out of the container (which was not allowed), the scrupulous examination revealed the blood was jelly-like and the skin was obviously made of rubber. It still looked quite real from afar, though. I had no doubt Ashley made this herself but never for the chance to use it until now.
"So it's a fake all along," said Kai, relieved. "I was having a heart attack there."
"Sounds like something Ashley would come up with alright," Hokuto sighed.
"She does know how to leave her mark," Rin commented.
From beyond the grave, this was how the Ultimate Pranking Queen Ashley Wiltarrow had managed to fool us for the last time. And for once, I wasn't at all upset.
As for Inori, her relic was a notebook that I never saw her carry around. Its content was forever beyond our reach now - not that Inori would have been too pleased, had she been still alive, that we read it without her permission. On its cover, however, was a sketch drawing of all sixteen of us standing and smiling together. In the middle was none other than the Ultimate Patient herself, looking healthy and full of joy. The title said "Tartarus Keep Journal. Me and my friends".
Donation of Inori Hayashi
After spending most of her life alone in the hospital, Inori was elated to make friends with the new batch of killers and victims of the 23rd Mutual Killing Game. Their time together is jotted down in this notebook, which no living person will be able to read from now.
"It's truly a testament of her optimism, don't you think?" asked Hokuto.
"Yeah," I said. "She really was happy to be among us."
"I wish it didn't have to end that way," Kai said, tearing up. "I'm sorry, just thinking about it makes me..."
"Human," I replied, feeling the urge to hold back the tears. "There's no shame in admitting it."
"It's alright to show emotions in front of others," Rin confirmed, despite her hard-as-stone visage. "You don't need to hide it."
With that, Kai busted to tears as Hokuto and I comforted her.
"You don't look affected," I addressed Rin.
"You listened to my story, didn't you?" said Rin blankly. "You should know why."
While I was skeptical upon seeing the exhibition showing the precious items of our deceased friends, my opinion had since changed. This was Monokuma's way of having a memorial for each person who lost their lives in the Mutual Killing Game. Given the infeasibility of holding a proper burial for either Kazuki or Inori, I supposed this would suffice.
19:00
Main Hall
Like the hallway, the main hall had received serious redecoration during the last trial. That much I had noticed when I departed from the courtroom. The black and white banners depicting Overlord Monokuma in various glorious postures were hung in place of the plain ones before and a new set of tables and chairs was in place, replacing the ones smashed during the struggle between El Viento and Minako. Interestingly enough, Ashley's contraption was still there, or what was left of it. With Fitzgerald shooting off the rope and the Pranking Queen herself no more, it was unlikely anyone would be able to put it back in use. In any case, it now existed as part of the decoration, or better still, as a relic of the past, much like many of the other things in this ostensibly ancient castle.
Dinner had been prepared when the four of us arrived, consisting of a more modest menu than before with only half the number of dishes. Perhaps Monokuma's budget was running dry? Then again, the previous meals were only forty-percent consumed, which was a criminal waste of food, and there were fewer of us now. All in all, I welcomed the change. Monokuma might as well be selling off his kingdom to cover all the expenses if the previous menu were to persist. Eliza and Yume were already in the main hall, the latter having whipped up a batch of honey croissant, and, after a while, El Viento and Fitzgerlad joined us.
Which meant Hijiri, Minako, Inu, and Tatsuya were absent. To be perfectly fair, I had feared worse. It seemed all the able-bodied and clear-minded people were able to make it.
Right after the meal, Rin began, "We have survived yet another attempt by Monokuma to force us into killing each other. Regrettably, two of us didn't make it."
"Our ranks are getting thinner and thinner," Kai bemoaned. "When will this ever stop?"
"Is there anything we can do?" asked El Viento. Even the normally boisterous Ultimate Luchador spoke with uncertainty and trepidation. "Anything at all?"
"Fighting back is out of the question," said Yume. "Most of us here are combat-capable, and I have my magical powers. But Monokuma and his minions are on a whole different level."
"The amount of investment into this is staggering," Kai commented. "But why? Why are they putting so much money and effort just to see us suffer?"
"TV rating?" Hokuto suggested.
"That's what Monokuma said," I replied. "But probably not his main goal. Remember what he told us when announcing the Mutual Killing Game on the first day?"
"He said we should consider a job interview," Kai answered. "What does that mean? Does the winner get to join him or something?"
"I did not sign up for this mierda," said El Viento.
"Me either," Hokuto added. "I want no part of it."
"They are not breaking me so easily," Eliza confirmed.
"Monokuma said some of our memory was lost," I interrupted. "We learned about what happened to our loved ones when he introduced the previous motivation. Perhaps we DID sign up for this, just not remembering."
"A sound theory," said Fitzgerald.
"God," Rin muttered. "If that is true, I don't know if I even want to regain that memory."
"I share your sentiment," Fitzgerald continued. "The upcoming battle will not be easy. But we must not lose hope. We have to push onward. In the meantime, I shall reveal a secret that Mason and myself have been keeping away from you."
"More secrets?" Rin snouted.
"Have you guys been planning behind our back and trying to gain an advantage?" asked Kai.
"It's not like that," I insisted. "We weren't sure if it was related to our current situation."
"Well, what it is?" asked Yume.
Fitzgerald brought up the piece of paper with the prophecy on it.
Dark callings are heeded by the Titans
And on the path to memory, they shall embark
Blood of the guilty and the innocent paves their journey
The bonds between the scorpion and the frog steeled only to crumble into dust
Evil rises within duality
And the sack of Iscariot is laden with prizes
One way in one way out
Through despair, they will find the truth
"What the hell is this?" Hokuto breathed.
"A prophecy by the Ultimate Clairvoyant Yasuhiro Hagakure," said Fitzgerald. "I found this when I woke up. It was stored away in a hidden pocket within my jacket."
"Could be a trick my Monokuma," said El Viento incredulously.
"Could very well be," Fitzgerald admitted. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't analyze this."
"Even if this is from Monokuma, the bear hasn't resorted to outright deception during the last two trials," I assured.
"Very well," Hokuto started, looking closely at the piece of paper. "It does seem quite the reminiscence of our current situation, don't you think?"
"The first line uses the term 'Titans'," Yume noted. "We are in Tartarus Keep, aren't we? Is that the name of the place where Zeus imprisoned the Titans?"
"Correct," said Rin. "Following a failed coup, the Lord of Olympia cracked down on his political opponents, the Titans, and imprisoned them in the hell called Tartarus. What irks me is that it says the Titans heed the dark calling."
"All the more reason to believe we entered this on our own will without recalling it," I said.
"Damn it," El Viento cursed. "How?"
"It's still too early to judge," said Rin. "There might have been circumstances we don't know. Fitzgerald, you have been holding this for all this time, haven't you? So why don't you stop blowing hot and cold and cover the analysis for us?"
"Fine," Fitzgerald acquiesced. "The path to memory refers to our current situation, unable to remember what happened that ended us here. If the prophecy is correct, then it seems we are about to find out. The third and fourth lines seem like an accurate depiction of the Mutual Killing Game."
"The innocent are murdered," El Viento noted, "while the guilty are executed."
"Inori was NOT guilty," Kai grunted. "She was a victim as well." To be fair, Kazuki did what he thought he had to do as well to ensure the release of our loved ones. Thinking back, I thought perhaps we had judged him rather too harshly.
"Not to Monokuma," replied Rin coldly.
"Anyway, 'Evil rises within duality'. Could it be Monokuma?" asked Eliza. "He is black and white."
"True, but we haven't seen any contradiction in his actions," said Yume.
"Could it be referring to us?" asked Hokuto. "Whenever there is motivation, at least one of us will become a murder."
"I prefer that line of thinking," I replied coolly. My stomach churned at the fact it could very well be referring to me and whatever I saw in the bathroom earlier - whatever that took over and nearly drove me into killing Hijiri. There was something within me that wasn't normal. It might very well be the reason for the worsening of my medical condition.
But I couldn't let the others know yet. It was too confusing at this point, and I was loathed to be isolated and mistrusted. And so I was determined to keep it a secret for the time being. Only time could tell whether I had made the right choice.
"What bothers me the most is the next line, about Iscariot," Fitzgerald continued.
"Who is he?" asked Yume.
"Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus's Twelve Apostles," said Fitzgerald. "He betrayed his master to the Sandehrin, the Jewish council, who handed over Jesus to Roman authority. Mankind's Lord and Savior was then crucified, which, according to Christianity, was followed by his resurrection on the third day."
"Judas Iscariot did it for mere thirty pieces of silver," I said bitterly. I disliked him with all my passion. He was responsible for the miseries inflicted upon my people for over two millennia and the mockeries for the religion I followed during my dreadful middle schoolyears. "It availed him nothing, though. After the death of his master, he was filled with regrets and unable to rid himself of the blood money he had earned. In the end, he hanged himself."
"Could it be that one of us here has already received the reward for their betrayal and is fully intent on carrying out the deed?" asked Yume worriedly.
"I believe they were fully intent," I replied. Only one person so far was fit for the role. It appeared all of us had correctly devised who it was, though the lack of concrete proof meant we could not directly refer to them. "Perhaps not anymore."
Rin nodded. "It could very well be. I think I know who it is."
"It's quite obvious now," Fitzgerald confirmed.
"I don't want to believe it," Kai shook her head. "But it seems there's no other way."
"How are we to confront them?" asked El Viento. "We can't just accuse someone based on a dubious prophecy."
"We will get them to talk," said Rin sternly. "Whether they like it or not."
"And I would rather you don't lead the interrogation," I argued. "Your methods will only cause more damage."
"We will deal with this later on," said Fitzgerald. "But not today and not tomorrow, or the day after that."
"Why's the delay?" asked Hokuto.
"They are dormant for now, and probably won't try to do anything stupid," I told him. "As El Viento said, we cannot use the divination as evidence to accuse them. We can't trust everything in the prophecy just because some parts of it relate to what has been going on so far. And even if they are the traitor, we shouldn't judge them solely based on their status. They might not be working for Monkuma."
"And here I thought you, out of all persons, would be most inclined to confront them, Amelda," said Yume.
I sighed. "There is an appropriate time for everything."
"There might be other traitors as well," Rin remarked. "Perhaps even one of us in this room. We had better watch out."
"If my prediction is correct, then Monkuma will introduce a new area for us tomorrow," Fitzgerald went on. "Maybe we can have some happy time to make us forget all the pain and suffering we've been through, even as we realize it is only a matter of time before the circle begins anew."
"As for the remaining lines," Kai remarked darkly, "only one way out. Does that mean there's no escape?"
"Maybe," I said. "But remember, Hagakure only has a maximum of eight-percent correct chance, and that is after taking in all the shenanigans. We shouldn't discount the possibility of another way just yet."
"Good," said Hokuto confidently. "Because I have been working hard on this. Rest assured, I am on the verge of making a discovery that will set us all free."
"From this castle, or our lives?" asked Eliza sarcastically. I shared her opinion. So far, Hokuto's ideas had involved getting us almost killed without coming any closer to finding an exit.
"You will see when I am done," Hokuto huffed. "Then, you will be grateful."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Please nothing too crazy this time."
"Don't worry," said Hokuto. "My next plan is foolproof. Monokuma will not see this one coming."
"Let's hope that," said Yume. I too really wanted to trust Hokuto with this one. Perhaps we should give him another chance. As they said, the third time was the charm.
"This has been an excellent debate so far," Fitzgerald commented. He looked immensely pleased, and I could see why. He was on this way to do the one-man lecture on the analysis of the prophecy when we all chimed in with our thoughts and ideas, ultimately consolidating what he had already concluded. "The last line, says we will find the truth through despair."
"That's what the bear told us, isn't it?" Yume noted. "His purpose was our despair. Perhaps only when we have fallen to his level will he reveal the true purpose of all of this."
"Not a chance that is happening," El Viento hissed.
"Let's see how long we can keep it up," said Fitzgerald.
"Monokuma has his ways," I added.
20:30
Main Hall
The rest of the evening was uneventful. Rin tried to set up a discussion for what to do with those absent, but we were a bit too worn for that. The trial in the morning had taken most of the argumentative energy from us. Still, Hokuto promised to take care of Tatsuya, El Viento took up responsibility for Inu and Yume and I volunteered to go and talk down Minako. As for Hijiri, it was decided to leave her for the time being. She was clearly more stable than the others despite the trauma I inflicted upon her.
For the rest of the night, we relaxed together. Kai left early, saying she wasn't feeling well. As I now noticed, the Ultimate Ballerina had been looking rather green since yesterday despite apparently eating a lot during both breakfast and dinner.
"Is there anything we can help?" I asked.
"No," Kai replied briskly. "It's nothing big. Really. I can take care of myself. I have to go now. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she left the main hall. Given the large amount of food she consumed, plus the disorderly manner of her eating (sweet and savory mixed together) I guessed she might have some digestive issues. However, Fitzgerald's grim expression confirmed something was amiss with the girl. This was bad news: we already had enough on our plate without adding Kai to it. The girl came out as both amicable and dependable.
With Fitzgerald and Rin deep in discussion with one another, I thought I might as well try to learn a bit more about Hokuto before he managed to kill us all in his attempt to escape, and perhaps to persuade him out of whatever insane idea he was having. The Ultimate Miner had shown to be quite the handyman around here, as Fitzgerald acknowledged. He should have been of great use to our cause. Unfortunately, his talent so far had been mainly employed in ways to make our lives even more difficult.
Hang out with Hokuto Yamakaze?
Yeah, sure/Not now
"Hokuto, about your next big escape plan...," Amelda began.
Hokuto raised his index finger. "It's a secret. I am not telling you right now. But worry not. It's almost there."
"Is it too late to convince you not to cause another life-threatening incident like the last three times?" Amelda asked.
"I am better prepared now," said Hokuto affirmatively. "This time will be different. Trust me."
"Aren't you being too risky?" asked Amelda.
"What do we have to lose?" Hokuto countered. "If we don't get out of here, the Mutual Killing Game will eventually whittle us down anyway. Sometimes, in order to succeed, a change in appetite is needed."
"Fine," Amelda conceded. "Have it your way then."
"I will not let you down," Hokuto promised.
"So, about your talent, what made you into a miner?" Amelda inquired. "I thought Japan was very patched when it came to natural resources."
"That's true," said Hokuto. "But the town I grew up in happened to be near many huge deposits of coal, iron, magnesium, and even gold and some precious minerals. Mining had been our way of life for centuries."
"I see," said Amelda. "How did you get into the business?"
"My father roped me into it when I was fourteen," Hokuto answered.
Amelda widened his eyes. "Fourteen? Isn't that illegal?"
"It was quite a remote town," Hokuto explained. "National laws are loosely observed there."
"Shouldn't you be at school at that age?" Amelda insisted.
Hokuto sighed. "I was supposed to be. Then one day, the school had a road trip. The bus carrying the children fell off the cliff, resulting in the emptying of an entire classroom. The school was declared unsafe and closed down for a whole year."
"Was it safe in the mines then?" Amelda continued.
Hokuto shook his head bitterly. "At first, it was quite bad, I'm telling you. It was dirty, dark, and damp, and the manager was a real dickhead who treated me poorly because of my age. During my first month, I got this during a cave-in."
(Hokuto pulled up his jacket sleeve, revealing a long and deep scar.)
"What changed to make you enjoy it?" Amelda asked, frowning.
"Six years ago, as far as I can remember, Rokuro Sakamichi became head of the mining council," said Hokuto, lightening up. "He was the one that changed it all. He pushed for major reforms that led to the number of work-related accidents reduced from nearly once a week to virtually none. He treats the community as though they were his family and the high standards of the mines he runs are his source of pride. For what he has done, I am eternally grateful."
"It must have taken a lot of hard work to earn your title as the Ultimate Miner," Amelda commented.
"You have no idea," Hokuto chuckled. "Yeah, I thought about quitting from time to time, even after Sakamichi-san came in. But my parents kept supporting me, and I was also very proud of the good job I was doing. I was the youngest there - still probably the youngest now given the age restriction in place - yet my efficiency is quite remarkable. The locals even came up with a nickname for me, Molezaki. So yes, I did work quite hard to get there. Do you have to work a lot to gain your talent, Amelda?"
Amelda shrugged. "Most of the time, I just studied. I had no friends to play with back in middle school. Most of the kids there were trying to bully me. They would steal my school utensils, insult me for my religion, and toss my lunch into the bin. The teachers were slow to react, and I just stayed away from others as much as possible. It paid off, in the end, though, as I was top in my class in almost every subject, including gym. This trend continued to high school. I wasn't bullied then, but I never tried to open up, thinking because it worked out before then I should keep it going. And I was right, but it left me also quite lonely."
"Sounds quite rough for you," said Hokuto. "I am not jealous. Given how strong you are, I didn't take you for a nerd."
"I went to the Gadna," Amelda replied. "These summer camps really made an impact on me. And for the first time in ages, I was able to make new friends."
"Good for you, then," said Hokuto gladly.
"I am impressed that you had to courage to leave school so early and follow your dream, though," Amelda commented. "No way I was willing to make that kind of risk. We took different approaches, but ends in the same place, as the Ultimates of our own field."
"Yeah," said Hokuto enthusiastically. "Besides, that school in my hometown was cursed or something. Three months after it reopened, a student tripped the staircase and broke her neck because the janitor forgot to put the wet floor warning sign. Then a year later, six died and over two hundred were hospitalized due to food poisoning. One of the teachers killed himself in front of his students after he was sacked following personal disputes with the school's principal. On the whole, I thought mines were a safer place to be. Still, I have made up my mind. I would study to become an expert in engineering so that I can further ramp up the safety and efficiency of mining, not just in my hometown, but across Japan, and maybe even in other countries as well."
"I worked with a cobalt mining firm operating Congo before," said Amelda. "However, when I did my research on the company, I found the conditions their local workers were subject to were abysmal. But those African people had no choice - poverty was so rampant where they lived that even unethically harsh works were preferable to starving to death. I understand why the business must go on, but the practice could be improved. If your talent could do something about it, that would be great."
"Let's see about it," said Hokuto.
Hope's Shard Obtained!
Hokuto Yamakaze
I am pleasantly surprised to learn the Ultimate Miner who accidentally nearly caused our demise thrice was committed to working safety and ethics. Despite his young age, Hokuto earns his title through hard work, perseverance, and good practices by the mining council in his hometown. Hokuto harbors a great dream to better working conditions in mines which I hope to see come to fruition.
For the rest of the evening, I had a small chat with Yume about some of his recipes and how to approach Minako the next day. The fellow proved quite the type of person to talk to when someone was feeling down. That said, I doubted his imagination was practical, even if his little sister possessed immense power to wipe out this world.
With Night-time approaching. Given what happened to Akihiko, none wished to be outside our room during this time, even if no motivation was currently in place. Rin also recommended that we followed the schedule with rigor to avoid complications later on. With that, we each said goodbye before returning to our respective rooms. Today was a rough day, but tomorrow would be better. Or at least I hoped. Monokuma would probably reveal another part of the castle and allow us access to it, no doubt with the intention to facilitate his motivation for us to kill each other.
Was there no end to this? Was Monokuma truly invincible? Was playing through the Mutual Killing Game inevitable? Was Hokuto really our last chance?
Too many questions. As I just got out of bed late in the afternoon, I stayed awake until early in the morning on the next day. With no phone, no computer, and no Playstation console, I went back to my old habit and started drilling into the books I had acquired from the library. With my eyes heavy from the many straight hours of reading, I decided to call it a day and went back to sleep, with high hopes for tomorrow.
Author's notes: It has been a while. But I am here at last. As you might have seen, especially new readers, ACT I has received a major revamp with the chat format removed. The new format is still in the third person, however, which I hope is a fine replacement for the disallowed old one. I haven't updated all chapters yet because it took a lot of time and I get bored a lot. There is also the fact my readers are itching for the next update, which I don't want to disappoint. Cut me some slack. I will get there, promise.
Quite a short chapter this time, though quite a few things happened/are revealed. And a few things brought in much earlier chapters are also being given the spotlight in this chapter.
What do you think the next area to explore will be?